KHNS - Haines

The pilot made an emergency landing about 150 feet from Coghlan Island. All five people aboard the plane were able to swim to shore.

Haines voters will decide Tuesday whether to recall half their borough Assembly. Three Assembly members are accused of misconduct in office. But the discontent driving the recall is about much more than the official charges. And the recall leaders have repeatedly refused to defend their views on the record.

Skagway leaders continue to work on a 15-year tidelands lease that would prolong a private company’s control of the waterfront. Residents will get a chance to weigh in through a public vote. But the Assembly is now talking about scheduling a special election later in the year, instead of rushing to meet deadlines for the Oct. 3 general election.

A private plane crashed in November 2015 near Eldred Rock in the Lynn Canal, injuring four Haines residents, who swam to shore to save themselves. An investigation into the incident is now complete, but it’s still unclear why the plane went down. 

Skagway’s longtime police chief is working without state certification. The council that oversees those accreditations revoked Ray Leggett’s certification because, it says, there is substantial doubt that he has “good moral character.” Leggett calls the decision a “miscarriage of justice.”

A brown bear cub was struck and killed by a driver in Haines recently. Wildlife trooper Trent Chwialkowski said the incident happened July 28 in the late evening around mile 9 of Lutak Road.

Skagway leaders are moving ahead with a new 15-year tidelands lease proposal and they’re hoping to get it to voters this October. The Assembly put some tough questions to the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad president at a public meeting Thursday.

Haines’ loss of state trooper may trigger a major change to the way local police service is funded and structured. The trooper loss might result in an expansion of Haines police jurisdiction – from just the townsite to borough-wide.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker says he hopes the shutdown of Haines’ Alaska State Trooper post is not a long-term solution. The head of troopers says right now, he has no plans to re-instate the position. The lack of a clear answer may further confuse Haines’ exploration of an expanded police service area.