The Bureau of Land Management may expand allotted helicopter landings on the 320,000 acres of mountain terrain in the Chilkat Valley from 300 to 11,000 annual landings (5,500 in the Haines), though local protesters believe that might negatively affect mountain goat habitat. In October, BLM released its final environmental impact statement for the Haines amendment […]
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Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Borough approves task force to address bears
A new ad hoc committee Haines Borough manager Debra Schnabel created has one goal in mind: to reduce bear and human interactions. Last week, the Haines Borough Assembly approved the Bear Task Force. The group’s stated objective is to “reduce Haines Police and State Trooper time dealing with bear issues by reducing bear-garbage encounters,” by March 31. Based on the group’s recommendations, Schnabel […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Borough joins remote sales tax commission
The Haines Borough Assembly voted unanimously last week to join the Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission—a state board established to implement the statewide administration of remote sales tax collection and remittance. The move comes nearly a year after Amazon announced last January that it would begin collecting and remitting sales tax to Alaska communities, including the […]
Posted inThis Week in History
This Week in History
January 27, 1969 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE… in the street… under the street… but not in the pipes, so City of Haines maintenance men spent their Saturday locating a water main break under the new blacktop of Second Avenue. By the time they had located it and patched it, the city was out of water. To […]
Posted inNews
Pool opening dependent on contractor sign off
The Haines Borough Assembly voted Tuesday to prioritize getting swimmers into the pool—so long as the contractor on the job accepts a change order to fix the torn liner. The swimming pool has been under construction since May, when Indiana-based contractor RenoSys began work. The scope of work included renovating the drainage system, installing new floors and […]
Posted inNews
Scott, Maidy push to fund safe home
Last month, the Haines Borough Assembly unanimously voted to grant Becky’s Place—a local safe house for victims of abuse—$8,000 for rent. Becky’s Place serves about 35 victims a year with piecemeal funding from a combination of an annual fundraiser, private donations, Chilkat Valley Community Foundation grants, and now borough funding. “I can confidently say that our doors […]
Posted inNews
Severe winds cause seven power outages
Strong winds from Friday night through early Sunday morning, with gusts recorded up to 66 miles per hour, grounded planes, knocked trees down and caused at least seven intermittent power outages throughout the weekend and Tuesday. The weekend’s winds uprooted trees that eventually fell and caused additional outages throughout the day Tuesday. As of Wednesday […]
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Policing issue heads GAS committee
Despite its new three-members, the Haines Borough Assembly is no closer to a solution on areawide policing. On Tuesday, the same resolution that failed two months ago was brought up again, this time by assembly member Brenda Josephson. According to borough charter, the borough may provide “emergency dispatch” on an areawide basis. However, police service is limited […]
Posted inNews
Townsite bear activity prompts state visit
A team of Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists and wildlife trooper came to town in response to public outcry over increased bear activity including damage to property. “Last night I saw dumpsters getting hit everywhere,” biologist Carl Koch said Wednesday morning, his last day in town. “We saw five bears; all of them […]
Posted inNews
Chilkoot Corridor project delayed until spring 2020
Chilkoot Lake Road corridor improvements, set to begin this fall, are being delayed a year, Alaska State Parks officials announced this week. Parks’ design and construction project manager Danielle Ryder told the CVN that a cultural resources survey evaluation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been delayed by staff turnover. Construction on the […]