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Ron Somerville, left, and Doug Larsen, of Territorial Sportsmen Inc., show on Monday, July 17, 2017, a 10-foot wood and fiberglass boat built and donated by Juneau-Douglas High School students. The boat will be a prize for the biggest fish caught by a youth, 16 years and younger, during next month’s Golden North Salmon Derby. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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JDHS class donates boat to Salmon Derby

Salmon Derby Co-Chair Doug Larsen still remembers a small rowboat his dad gave him when he was 12…

Alison Schoonover cleans up after the noon rush at a new coffee shop called Sacred Grounds located inside the Andrew Hope Building on Tuesday, July 18, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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Juneau’s newest coffee shop holds grand opening

Juneau’s newest coffee shop has a name, thanks to a crowdsourcing effort, and is holding its grand opening…

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Robert Edwardson prepares to campaign for Juneau Assembly seat

Robert Harris Edwardson has lived in Juneau on and off for about 20 years, and has considered running…

Crew members work on a joint Public Broadcasting Service/British Broadcasting Corporation project called Wild Alaska Live at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Wednesday, July 19, 2017.

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BBC, PBS film Wild Alaska Live broadcast in Juneau

About a year ago, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Series Producer Adam White walked into the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor…

The Gastineau Channel Little League softball team poses after winning the Alaska state championship. The team trailed 14-6 before an 11-run fifth inning in the final game of the championship series, beating Anchorage O’Rabbit 21-15. (Photo courtesy of Ethan Billings)

Sports

Walkoffs, comebacks lead GCLL to state title

The winner-take-all game of the Little League State championship series wasn’t going according to plan for the Gastineau…

Juneau resident John Bursell (left) reaches mile 20 of the Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon on Saturday, July 15, alongside support crew member Darren Booton (right). Bursell was the top finisher from Juneau, coming in 19th place out of 151 finishers. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Bursell)

Sports

Two Juneau residents endure cold water, steep mountain trek to finish extreme triathlon

During the swimming portion of Saturday’s Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon, Douglas resident Jim Ustasiewski thought the 57-degree water of…

Oprah Winfrey is introduced to staff of Holland America’s Eurodam cruise ship before boarding in Juneau, Alaska, on Monday, July 17, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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It’s Oprah!

Cody Wilson didn’t recognize the woman until she was leaving the store. Wilson, working a shift at Mt.…

Juneau-Douglas High School is seen on April 27, 2015. If Juneau voters elect to extend the 1 percent sales tax increase, the Juneau School District will receive $5 million for maintenance costs over the ensuing five years. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

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Assembly looks to put sales tax money toward maintenance

Through vote after vote Thursday night, the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Finance Committee approved its list…

Trillium Landing is a 49-unit apartment complex currently under construction in the Vintage Business Park for persons aged 55 and over. The complex includes studios, one and two-bedroom units and is scheduled to open in September. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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Affordable senior living facility set to open in September

The “silver tsunami” has arrived in Juneau. The term refers to the rising number of seniors around the…

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Candidates for city election can file paperwork soon

On Oct. 3, Juneau’s voters will elect three Assembly members and two School Board members, and they’ll learn…

Owen Mendoza scores the winning run in Juneau Post 25’s walk-off 4-3 victory over Service Post 28 Saturday at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park. Mendoza scored from first base on Alex Muir’s game-winning double. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

Sports

Juneau beats first-place team in dramatic fashion

Alex Muir was tense. The Juneau Post 25 catcher came to the plate in the bottom of the…

Juneau Post 25’s Finn Collins pitches against Service Post 28 at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park on Friday, July 14, 2017. Collins was the winning pitcher in the 12-5 Juneau victory. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Sports

Juneau Post 25 earns comeback win in tune-up game

Finn Collins hadn’t been in this position in a year. Collins, the center fielder for American Legion’s Juneau…

The inaugural Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon covers 140 miles through frigid water, tight highways and rocky mountains. (Photo courtesy of Aaron Palaian, PhotosByAaron.com)

Sports

Juneau residents prepare for ‘extreme triathlon’ in Seward

For some Juneau residents, a regular triathlon just isn’t challenging enough. This Saturday, at least three Juneauites will…

Julia Felix cooks with her son, Cesar Bellido, on Thursday, July 13, 2017, at their new Peruvian restaurant called Four Plates in the Frontier Suites Airport Hotel. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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Peruvian restaurant opens, offering distinctive spices, flavors

Even as a 15-year-old in the Peruvian countryside, Julia Felix’s cooking was renowned. Neighbors and friends in her…

Norman Staton talks Thursday, July 13, 2017, about how the Mendenhall River is eroding his Meander Way property. Stanton is trying convince the city and his neighbors to pay to fortify the embankment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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City faces tough decision on Mendenhall River erosion

Just four years ago, Norman Staton had about 15 feet between his deck and his backyard fence. Now…

A new game on the “Learning Tlingit” app, entitled “Ax H&

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Sealaska adds to Tlingit language app

Though most students cringe at the thought of a test or quiz, young Tlingit learners actually have been…

Tourists walk by The Glory Hole, Juneau’s soup kitchen and homeless shelter, on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. The city is considering moving The Glory Hole out of downtown. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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City task force brings up possibly moving downtown’s homeless shelter

The City and Borough Assembly Task Force on Homelessness held its second meeting Tuesday, brainstorming numerous options for…

Bishop-elect Father Andrew Bellisario addresses parishioners and media members at a Tuesday press conference. Bellisario has been appointed the next bishop of the Diocese of Juneau, and starts in October. (Photo courtesy of Christine Johnson)

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New bishop brings focus on service, outreach to homeless

Growing up in a suburb of Los Angeles, Father Andrew Bellisario has found that Alaska’s wild landscapes and…

Sally Anne Schneider, departing her position as Chief Behavioral Health Officer at Bartlett Regional Hospital, holds a coin given to patients who complete a program at Rainforest Recovery Center. Schneider says the state of mental health and addiction treatment in Juneau is slowly improving and she’s hopeful for the future. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

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Making progress: State of mental health, addiction treatment slowly improving in Juneau

Two years ago, Bartlett Regional Hospital chief executive officer Chuck Bill created a new position, that of Chief…

Capt. Shannan Greene (left) stands next to Capt. Phillip Thorne (center) prior to a change of command ceremony Friday. Greene transferred her command of Sector Juneau to Thorne. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

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Coast Guard Sector Juneau has new commander

Rear Adm. Michael McAllister has seen through the years that it’s difficult to retain a sense of normalcy…