diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 93b185938b..677fd133d0 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "build": "yarn useDist && node scripts/build.js && yarn useSrc",
-    "changelog": "lerna-changelog",
+    "changelog": "lerna-changelog --silent",
     "useDist": "lerna run useDist --scope \"@jbrowse/plugin*\" --scope @jbrowse/text-indexing",
     "useSrc": "lerna run useSrc --scope \"@jbrowse/plugin*\" --scope @jbrowse/text-indexing",
     "lerna-publish": "lerna publish",
diff --git a/website/release_announcement_drafts/v2.9.0.md b/website/release_announcement_drafts/v2.9.0.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..319ab6ff2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/website/release_announcement_drafts/v2.9.0.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+This release adds a new feature for keeping track of your "Recently used tracks"
+and tagging "Favorite tracks" . This will be valuable especially to users and
+organizations who have large tracklists!
+
+![](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6511937/287035460-c5705fc9-d90c-4fe1-ad23-e05389047c53.png)
+
+Screenshot showing "Recently used tracks" dropdown menu
+
+We also added the ability to load "single file hubs" from UCSC. These must be
+manually pasted in the "Add connection" but in the future, we may add ability to
+auto-load the hubs via the URL bar or similar. You can find a large amount of
+these single file hubs from GenArk! https://hgdownload.soe.ucsc.edu/hubs/
+
+Finally, this release also fixes an issue people saw with auto-updates for
+JBrowse Desktop on Mac failing.