Claire Stremple, KHNS - Haines
Haines hiker injured during encounter with brown bear sow, cub
A female cruise ship passenger suffered a minor injury after falling while being charged by a bear on Mount Ripinsky Wednesday.
Gov. Dunleavy, DEC commissioner tour Palmer Project as agency reconsiders key permit
The unannounced visit came as state regulators reconsider a wastewater permit for the metals mine north of Haines.
Alaska’s ferry system debuts a winter season with fewer trips and higher prices
Some communities will feel the effects more than others: After September, there will be no sailings at all for the Prince William Sound communities of Valdez and Cordova for six months.
Mining activity a mix of costs and benefits, independent report says
An independent report commissioned by the the Friends of the Chilkat and Klehini Rivers cautions that mining activity in small towns can have serious costs attached to the benefits.
Tour bus driver who hit and killed Skagway’s mayor in 2018 pleads guilty
Skagway Mayor Monica Carlson and her mother Cora Louise Adams were in a crosswalk on Pennsylvania Avenue last December when driver Gerard James made an illegal left turn while talking on a cellphone.
Tariffs stall timber sale negotiations in Haines
The clash between the Trump administration and China is working in favor of local conservation groups, who hope to keep the forests near Haines standing.
Rising ocean temperatures intensify paralytic shellfish poisoning levels in Southeast waters
Over the last few months levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning in Southeast Alaskan shellfish have been very high. A coalition of tribal organizations is tracking PSP levels to make sure subsistence users can safely harvest shellfish.
Heatwave shuts down dog sled tours early on a glacier near Skagway
The tour company moved 240 dogs and 60,000 pounds of equipment from the Denver Glacier above Skagway to camp on the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, where they had to scout new, even higher altitude terrain.
Conservation groups ask DEC to reconsider Palmer Project permits
The Palmer Project near Haines received some key permits from the state last month. The project is not a mine yet, but the Constantine Metal Resources company hopes it will be one in the future. Conservation groups say the state hasn’t collected enough information to issue the permits.
Mule deer, white-tail deer expand range into Alaska
New species of deer are moving into parts of Alaska, including the Upper Lynn Canal. Alaska Department of Fish and Game is gathering information on these ungulates.
Governor’s vetoes cancel state funding for library broadband program
One of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s vetoes has canceled state funding for broadband internet in Alaska libraries. The roughly $670,000 in savings could have far-reaching consequences for Alaska’s smallest towns.
AK: Solstice golf, Haines style
Some Haines residents celebrated the summer solstice this year by playing… golf. The community took advantage of the late night sun to play a 9-hole tournament at The Valley of the Eagles golf course. It is not your typical manicured resort links, and for these locals, that’s more than okay.
Escalating tariffs, lingering questions hamper University of Alaska timber sale in Haines
There are various factors slowing the 10-year timber sale the University of Alaska announced last March.
AK: Silver-haired Haines athletes go for gold
Competitors in Haines are gearing up for the National Senior Games. The golden years are no time to slow down--they’re a time to bring home gold medals.
The “8.5 mile” fire destroys a home, spreads to State Forest land
A five-acre fire destroyed one home in Haines and spread to State Forest land Monday night. The National Forest Service is flying in Tuesday evening to aid the local volunteer fire department.
AK: Counting the hooligan swimming through Haines streams
The only ongoing research on Southeast Alaska hooligan is the result of a nine-year study by the Chilkoot Indian Association.
Wintergreens prepares to open the first marijuana lounge in Haines
Alaska is poised to become the first state to regulate cannabis cafes. The state’s Marijuana Control Board is now accepting applications for onsite consumption. That’s despite uncertainty stemming from recent board appointees by Governor Mike Dunleavy’s administration.
AK: Experimental tilapia skin burn treatment heals Haines dog
Veterinary medicine didn’t have solutions for severe burns in animals until a UC Davis vet was motivated by the California wildfires to pioneer a new treatment. She brought her skills to Haines to teach local vets how to use the tilapia fish skins—and help save a local dog’s life.
Yukon Territory says the US is on the hook for Alaska Highway upgrades
The stretch of the Alaska Highway that connects the Interior to the panhandle is called Shakwak, or the Shakwak Highway. Parts of this vital link are degrading and the Yukon government says the United States should foot the bill.
Man dies in Haines avalanche
A skier was fatally injured in an avalanche in Haines on Wednesday. The skier was one of a party of three.