The Lutak Dock replacement project will likely be over budget, engineers said this week.Engineering firm Moffatt & Nichol told borough staff in a meeting Monday that initial design work has shown higher costs than the company expected earlier this year, when they told borough leaders they were “confident” in the borough’s chosen dock design fitting […]
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Posted in2026 Haines Borough Election
Fall election ballot finalized
The full slate of candidates for the October municipal elections is now set. Assembly candidate Debra Schnabel and planning commissioner Patty Brown will no longer be on the ballot, pulling out of the race prior to Tuesday’s candidate withdrawal deadline. Schnabel said she thought it could be “problematic to win a seat with the vote […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Ballot initiative to revert to appointing planning commissioners is misguided
The organizer of the ballot initiative to return the planning commission (PC) to an appointed body suggested in last week’s CVN that the current PC doesn’t follow code, do their homework or know how to read plans. As a current PC member (representing myself), I would like to point out to the initiative organizer that […]
Posted inLocal News, 2026 Haines Borough Election
Candidates set for October ballot
The full slate of candidates for the October municipal elections is now set, with a total of 20 residents running for seats on the assembly, planning commission, school board, and for mayor. Three citizen’s petitions are also headed to the ballot, and the assembly will vote on final approval for an additional two ballot measures […]
Chilkat Valley Newsletter Friday August 21
Skagway will be indefinitely without state ferry service after cracks were discovered in its ferry terminal last week. Engineers first discovered cracks in concrete supports under the vehicle and passenger transfer bridges last Thursday. The dock was closed two days later, after the M/V Hubbard completed its Saturday docking at the facility, the state’s Department […]
Posted inLocal News, Elections, 2026 Haines Borough Election
Help shape the Chilkat Valley News’ local election reporting in 2026
Our next borough election is set to take place on Oct. 6. That means it’s crunch time here at the Chilkat Valley News as we work to get you the information you need to know to cast an informed vote. That also means candidates for borough assembly, planning commission, and school board are making plans on […]
Posted inSoutheast News
Juneau Assembly to sell City Hall to Sealaska Heritage Institute, which plans to demolish building for new $40M complex
Selling City Hall to Sealaska Heritage Institute for $1.5 million rather than auctioning the site for a minimum bid of $2.5 million was approved by the Juneau Assembly by a 6-3 vote on Monday night. The Alaska Native nonprofit organization plans to demolish the 75-year-old building in favor of a new $40 million three-story structure featuring […]
Posted in2026 Haines Borough Election, Local News, Elections
Three petitions set for local ballet
Updated Aug. 19 The borough clerk’s office has approved three ballot initiatives for October’s election. All three seek to reverse previous initiatives voted into law in recent elections. One of the approved initiatives is mayor Tom Morphet’s effort to cut the senior property tax exemption from $300,000 of exempt property value to $200,000 of exempt […]
Posted inElections, 2026 Governor's Race
After Alaska’s ‘final four’ primary, a silent primary may decide who’s on the ballot in November
Alaska’s two leading Democratic candidates for governor have quietly been discussing whether one of them should quit the race if both are among the top four vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary election. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich each said by phone on Thursday that they’ve been discussing different scenarios about what could happen when the final […]