Chilkat Valley News Editor Lex Treinen, Nome Nugget publisher Diana Haecker and Petersburg Pilot publisher Orin Pierson all got nods from the Alaska Press Club as good weekly papers in the state. (Lex Treinen/Courtesy photo) Chilkat Valley news staff brought home four awards from the Alaska Press Club last weekend, including first place for Alaska’s Best Weekly Newspaper in 2023.  Editor Lex Treinen won first place for Best Sports Reporting for his December story about the Glacier Bears putting in a stellar performance at state wrestling championships in Anchorage after a long and arduous ..read more

An illustration depicts a planned 12-acre education campus located on 42 acres in Juneau owned by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, which was announced during the opening of its annual tribal assembly Wednesday. (Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska/Courtesy image) A new 12-acre tribal education campus on forested hillside behind Fred Meyer and a re-imagined 457-acre Cultural Immersion Park near Tee Harbor were highlighted Wednesday during an annual State of the Tribe address on the opening morning of the 89th annual Tribal Assemb ..read more

10 years ago, 2014 Assessor says accounts still a mess By Karen Garcia The Haines Borough’s latest contract assessor says years of problems persist in the borough’s assessment system and resolving them may require establishing a department with three full-time employees.  Marty McGee has been working since November to address problems he says include inconsistencies and inaccuracies in property descriptions and records, inadequate staff time devoted to assessments, and poor direction provided by previous borough managers.  Hired last fall, McGee is former chief assessor for the Munic ..read more

The small boat harbor in Haines. The community is scheduled to get its first tsunami siren in 2024. A tsunami in the Lynn Canal could be catastrophic and during the last scare in 2018, police officers had to go door-to-door to warn people. (Lex Treinen/Chilkat Valley News) Haines will have its first official tsunami siren later this summer if all goes to plan. The state recently closed bids for the installation of a siren this summer as part of the U.S. Tsunami Warning System.  A tsunami near Haines could have catastrophic effects on the community. A landslide in the Lynn Canal could gene ..read more

(File photo/Chilkat Valley News) Four local nonprofits recently got a boost from the Alaska Community Foundation for projects ranging from kids art camps to a climbing class.  KHNS, Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association, Four Winds Resources Center and Takshanuk Watershed Council all got grants from ACF ranging from about $5,000 to nearly $20,000.  KHNS’s $5,125 grant will go toward sending operations manager Marley Horner to a climbing course so that he can perform repair work on the transmission tower on FAA Road. KHNS general manager Kyle Clayton said hiring a repair tec ..read more

It is important for our community that the borough clerk’s statements published in your April 11 edition be publicly addressed and explained. As a current assembly member, I know of no “back-door dealings” as alleged. The borough clerk is an appointed borough officer, bound by oath to “honestly, faithfully and impartially” discharge the duties of office. Borough code 2.06.050 Procedures for Violation Reporting provides a process by which claims may be made. Should the code be processed, I would give the clerk’s allegations due consideration, referencing HBC 2.06.030 Political Activities, Limit ..read more

  I’d like to thank Ms Fullerton for her years of dedicated service to our community, but what’s the point of being so over-dramatically negative? Many caring community members, including myself, have dealt with years of political abuse from assembly members and others that we don’t agree with. I don’t get it. It’s obvious from Ms. Fullerton’s quotes in last week’s paper that her advice/opinions were not on the same page as the assembly/planning commissions. Both of these bodies were recently elected by the majority of the community that she seems to “care too much” about. Why point ..read more

For those of you who are not aware, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has made a rule that you can no longer advertise to sell, sell, or transfer a firearm without a Federal Firearms License. Lisa Murkowski, our Republican-In-Name-Only (RINO) senator voted for this. I believe it passed in large part because of Murkowski and several other RINOs. For those of you who don’t believe me, I urge you to research it. Consider this when you cast your next vote. Gary Keller The post Murkowski gun vote deserves scrutiny appeared first on Chilkat Valley News ..read more

We are rapidly approaching our traditional saak (hooligan) harvest in Jilkáat Kwáan and Jilkóot Kwáan (Chilkat and Chilkoot rivers). We, as Lingít people, are asking our community to please refrain from the following so we may hold Ceremony for our returning saak.  -Please do not bring your dogs to the harvest area. Canine feces are a huge biohazard. Harvest takes place by the bridge and over to our Culture Camp near the lake area parking. -Please do not throw rocks into the stream. -Please do not create loud noises or booming music. -Please stay on the road, for those not directly involv ..read more

Sarah Elliott recently met up with former resident Hilary McNamara of Frisco, Texas in Healdsburg, California. They enjoyed hiking through the redwoods at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Preserve and the vineyards around Sonoma County. On Saturday, April 13 they completed the Lake Sonoma Relentless Trail Marathon. Sarah unfortunately took a wrong turn around Mile 24 at the final aid station. She mistakenly followed the 50-mile trail runners to their turnaround point, adding several miles onto the 26.2-mile marathon distance. The course was muddy, as it rained the night before and the day of t ..read more