A restructuring of the Haines Sheldon Museum is on the horizon if the board and the Haines Borough Assembly have their way. At present, the museum is a quasi-governmental organization with attributes of both a borough department and nonprofit. Existing in this liminal space has created confusion about the museum’s relationship to the borough, hampering the organization’s […]
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Posted inNews
EOC recommends holding off on mask mandate, for now
The soonest the Haines Borough Assembly would consider a public mask mandate, if it follows Emergency Operations Center (EOC) recommendations, would be when the community has at least nine active cases or is deemed a “high risk” COVID-19 environment for other reasons. At a July 30 townhall, EOC incident commander Carolann Wooton presented a document titled “Haines […]
Posted inNews
Borough takes step toward new public safety building
Thirteen companies applied to design the new Haines Borough public safety building by the July 30 request for qualifications deadline. The borough has been in need of a new building to house police, fire and assembly chambers for some time. The current structure has numerous problems including a peeling façade, sinking foundation, cramped quarters and an electrical […]
Posted inNews
HEDC hires new part-time director
The Haines Economic Development Corporation hired David Simmons, 30, as its new, part-time executive director on Aug. 1. Simmons will work on an interim basis through the end of the year. A former Fullbright scholar, Simmons holds a masters of science degree in international business studies. “He is knowledgeable about federal, state, and local economic […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Don’t confuse selfishness for personal freedom
Would you smoke a cigarette on an airplane to assert your right to do as you choose? The need to limit a citizen’s “right” to do whatever they please in situations where their actions can present a danger to others is an essential element of democratic society. Wearing a mask during a pandemic has nothing […]
Posted inNews, School Board
School board to decide on early school schedule, mask requirements
The Haines Borough School District Board will decide Tuesday, Aug. 4 what the beginning of the school year’s schedule and operations will look like for teachers and students including an initial part-time schedule along with face-covering requirements. The board will meet in a Zoom workshop on Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. to discuss the plans prior to […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Assembly approves individual CARES Act grants, extends business grant deadline
At a meeting Tuesday night, the Haines Borough Assembly took additional steps to approve a spending plan for $2.1 million in CARES Act funding received earlier this year, including approval of a household assistance program, and extension of the business and nonprofit grant application deadline until Aug. 14. The assembly instructed staff to get the household grant […]
Posted inNews
Assembly nixes CARES Act requests from food security groups
On July 23, the Haines Borough Assembly’s ad hoc CARES Act committee rejected proposals from two Chilkat Valley food security groups. Discussion at the meeting revealed the groups and assembly members differed in their definitions of food security. Over the course of the past few months, the assembly has been working to finalize a spending plan for […]
Posted inNews
Resident arrested for intent to distribute heroin, meth
The U.S Postal Inspection Service, the Alaska State Troopers drug unit Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs (SEACAD) and Haines Police arrested a 43-year-old man on Tuesday for two felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second and third degree. Troopers charged the Haines resident with the intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, according to […]
Posted inNews
2 measures will likely be on the Oct. 6 ballot
This fall, the Haines Borough ballot will likely ask voters to make decisions about two proposals: a plan to draw $450,000 from the borough’s permanent fund to offset unexpected costs associated with school bond debt and a charter amendment allowing police emergency response outside the townsite. The July 28 assembly meeting was the deadline for introducing an […]