Newscasts
Haines taxpayers will have a couple more months to pay their property tax bills. The borough assembly voted to extend the deadline in consideration of the extended property assessment process that took place this year. And, bears are running wild in Skagway. They are opening dumpsters, dragging garbage cans away, and causing borough officials to ponder how to keep them away.
Haines Friends of Recycling is planning to move operations. We spoke with board members Melissa Aaronson and Kate Sauders about the move, and a design for a new building.
Haines Borough officials are considering adding a float to the cruise ship dock. They say this would make it easier for ships to use the dock, and would allow some boats that presently have to anchor out in the cove to tie up. And, boulders are exploding in Haines. Some residents have been surprised by the sound of repeated detonations coming from a new subdivision. We went on location and chatted with the man who has been making all the noise.
On Tuesday night in Haines, a new mayor and new assembly memberstook their seats. Mayor Tom Morphet introduced a few changes he would like to implement to make local government more accessible. We asked him about those ideas.
The Haines Planning Commission issued a conditional use permit for a rock quarry and gravel pit at two sites on Lutak road. Some residents voiced concerns about rockslide potential and increased truck traffic, but a representative for Southeast Road Builders says the project will make the slope safer and reduce traffic.
The Haines School is putting a stressful week behind. And, cruise ship season is ending in Skagway this week, with a record breaking number of visitors. The successful season was a relief after the slow pandemic years.
The large number of unfilled jobs in Alaska is not just about the pandemic, the “Great Resignation,” or the disenchantment of Gen Z with traditional work roles. New data from the Alaska Department of Labor suggest that it’s also about demographics, and that it’s not going to turn around anytime soon. KCAW’s Robert Woolsey reports.
Work on Skagway’s ore dock has begun. As part of it, the Yukon government is considering funding a marine services platform. Some Yukoners are questioning the large expense.
