Inside the shell of Haines’ newest commercial building in early April, above a row of empty coolers, Merrick Bochart is in a scissor lift working on a 30-foot long painted mural. She’s putting highlights in the acrylic fur of a bear that looks out over a panorama of the Upper Lynn Canal. It’s the view […]
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Chilkat Valley Newsletter Friday March 6
Twenty years ago, a small brown bear cub was picked up near Mud Bay. Wildlife biologists discovered it had been fed dog food at a local home. The orphaned cub eventually left Alaska, becoming part of a trio of rescued bears who would spend their lives together at a major zoo exhibit thousands of miles […]
Posted inLocal News
A new climber finds a path in Haines
The sunlight is fading over the Haines Highway and it’s bitterly cold, but Robert Reid is moving methodically up a chunk of ice near the airport. Ten feet above the Haines Highway, he chips away at the face of a slab until he can find a steady hold, then tests his weight on it over […]
Chilkat Valley Newsletter Friday Feb. 27
What started as a routine drive north for a new job nearly turned fatal for 25-year-old Haines resident Seth Waldo when his truck collided with an 18-wheeler near the Canadian border. His truck was so mangled that border officials told a passing long-haul trucker that the accident had been fatal. But Tristan Vogl didn’t take […]
Chilkat Valley Newsletter Friday Feb. 20
They crossed the finish line nearly an hour ahead of the rest of the field, but that doesn’t mean it was easy. In this week’s newsletter, we’re sharing a conversation with Kat to Koot winner Erik Stevens, who says the crust on this year’s snow was “one of the worst” he’s ever skied. He and […]
Posted inDuly Noted
Duly Noted: Alcan 200 results and more
The Alcan 200 is recognized as the longest and last major snowmachine road race in North America. In previous years, racers have reached speeds over 110 mph on the 154-mile route from the Canadian border to Dezadeash Lake and back. This year, Colby Hill of Fairbanks took first overall. Hill’s average speed was 108.9 mph. […]
Chilkat Valley Newsletter Friday Feb. 13
Haines’ newest special education teacher is leaving mid-year after her work permit was denied and the district says it won’t pursue visa hires going forward. Stacey Spencer moved from Trinidad and Tobago to rural Alaska looking for a new chapter in a long career living and working in the U.S. Now that future in the […]
Posted inLocal News
“You are making rules up as you go,” Cell tower company calls permit process illegal
A company is calling the borough’s handling of its new cell tower plans illegal after the company’s permit was brought to the planning commission this week. The permit in question is for a new tower on Sawmill Road on a private parcel zoned for industrial use. According to borough code, cell towers are part of […]
Posted inBlotter
Police Blotter: Dec. 7 – Jan. 10
Sunday, Dec. 7 A caller reported a power outage on Beach Road. Alaska Power & Telephone was notified. Monday, Dec. 8 A caller left contact info in case their lost keys were turned in. An officer stopped to assist a motorist on Bjornstad Drive. A driver was given a citation for a stop sign violation […]
Posted inLocal News
The Chilkat Valley Index
About 7,456 people walked into the Haines Visitor Center this year, down from more than 10,600 in 2024. Tourism director Rebecca Hylton attributes that drop, in part, to a road closure during Second Avenue reconstruction and the lack of evening cruise-ship dockings. The center is estimating that approximately 67,833 cruise ship visitors came to town […]