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Felix (Eddie Jones ), Vivian Melde (Della), Max (Mike Rao) and Visarut (Phai Giron) sit on high alert for signs of the supernatural during a rehearsal of "Brothers Paranormal" at Perseverance Theatre. The play, which opens Friday tells the story of two Thai American brothers hired by a Black couple to investigate a ghost. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

News

Representation takes center stage

Thai American and Black communities are at the forefront of theater’s new play.

Police arrested a 20-year-old for a variety of charges stemming from a string of incidents where he shot passersby and other vehicles from a car with a BB gun. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

News

Local man arrested on sex abuse charges

Report was made on Wednesday, a Thursday arrest followed.

JDHS' Orion Dybdahl contests a shot from TMHS' Thomas Baxter late in Saturday night's game. Thunder Mountain High School wound up winning 56-55 in overtime. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Juneau boys split weekend series

TMHS wins one, JDHS wins one.

JDHS' Mila Hargrave pivots toward the hoop for a tough inside shot while tightly defended by TMHS' Sydney Strong. In the background JDHS' Kiyara Miller and TMHS' Kerra Baxter look on. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS girls notch wins with strong play in second half

two crosstown comebacks.

Alwen Carrillo coils up to launch a shot in a 63-50 win at Thunder Mountain High School on Friday night. Carillo led the Crimson Bears in scoring 21 points and made some slick passes to set his teammates up for easy buckets. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Two late surges, two different outcomes

Boys and girls basketball games each feature wild finishes.

Maddie Phaneuf, a Team USA biathlete, coaches up Juneau Nordic Ski Team members during a recent stop in the capital city. Phaneuf said it was only her second time in Alaska. Despite heavy rain, local athletes were able to learn from the Olympic-caliber athlete. (Courtesy Photo / Mike Justa)

Sports

Hello, good biathlon: Olympian serves as guest coach for Juneau youths

‘If you live in Alaska, you should be skiing”

This National Weather Service map shows hazards around Southeast Alaska. An atmospheric river in the area has produced record-setting rain and flood watches throughout the region. (Screenshot)

News

Heavy rain prompts flood advisories, avalanche concerns, road closures

A hard rain is gonna (continue to) fall.

Alwen Carrillo, one of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé boy’s basketball team captains, dribbles during practice on Dec. 15, 2021. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire File)

Sports

Juneau boys basketball hitting the road

One team is bound for Anchorage, the other for Utqiagvik

In this satellite image taken by Himawari-8, a Japanese weather satellite, and released by the agency, shows an undersea volcano eruption at the Pacific nation of Tonga Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano erupted in spectacular fashion near the Pacific nation of Tonga on Saturday, sending large waves crashing across the shore and people rushing to higher ground. (Japan Meteorology Agency)

News

Update: Tsunami advisory canceled for Southeast Alaska

It applies to Southeast from the BC border to Cape Fairweather.

This photo shows a glacier bear walking along rocky terrain. There are four known populations of black bears in Southeast Alaska that include the lighter-colored bears, said Tania Lewis, a wildlife biologist for the National Park Service at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. (Courtesy Photo / Tom Hausler)

News

Recessive genes and receding glaciers: Lecture focuses on Southeast’s blue bears

Biologist shares insights about glacier bears.

This image available under the Creative Commons license shows the outline of the state of Alaska filled with the pattern of the state flag. The state on Thursday reported a modest population growth between April 2020 and July 2021. It’s the first time since 2016 the state has reported a population increase. (

News

State reports small population growth

Net migration still negative, but not as negative.

Faalo Nauer holds Greyson Tafia Nauer on Monday. Greyson, who was born on Sunday, was the first baby of 2022 born in Bartlett Regional Hospital. (Courtesy Photo / Kanani Montalto, Bartlett Regional Hospital)

News

Hospital welcomes 1st baby of 2022

First born on the second.

A tree branch bears the weight of accumulated snow. Much of Southeast Alaska saw a foot or more of snow between Friday night and Saturday morning. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

News

‘A lot of people have gotten a lot of snow’

Juneau puts a new foot (of snow) forward in the new year.

Participants move quickly but gingerly into the water at the 2022 Polar Dip held Saturday. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

News

PHOTOS: Juneau dips its toes into 2022

Polar Dip returns.

This combination image shows photos from stories that defined 2021. Top left, Vanessa Dickinson adjusts second grade student Kanani Dickinson’s glasses ahead of the first day of school. Top middle, doses of COVID-19 vaccination await arms during a vaccine clinic. Top right, a cruise ship looms large over downtown Juneau. Middle left, a sign marks the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area as part of the Tongass National Forest. Middle, the bygone calendar year is written in the sand. Middle right, Alan Salsman receives the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from VA nurse Michael Addo at Coast Guard Station Juneau. Bottom left, School board member Emil Mackey casts a ballot in Juneau’s municipal election. Bottom middle, the Alaska State Capitol stands behind a statue of William H. Seward. Bottom left, Sen. Lisa Murkowski talks during a sitdown in the Empire offices. (Juneau Empire Photos, Engin Akyurt / Unsplash)

News

The stories that shaped our 2021

Some loom large in 2022, too.

Teaser

News

City reports ‘significant’ increase in new COVID cases

Increase likely driven by omicron variant; no new hospitalizations shared.

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File This photo shows the Alaska State Capitol. The Capitol will be the site of a committee hearing next month that will focus on the recent firing of Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. CEO Angela Rodell.

News

Committee seeks answers, documents related to Permanent Fund Corp CEO’s firing

Hearing scheduled for mid-January.

Alwen Carrillo, player for the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, dribbles during practice on Dec. 14, 2021. Both JDHS teams will compete in the Capital City Classic beginning on Dec. 27, 2021. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Happy ball-idays: Teams ready for Princess Capital City Classic

Teams from near and far will face down on the basketball court after Christmas.

An Alaska Airlines flight lands at the Juneau International Airport on Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, amid a day of rain and snow. According to an airlines spokesperson, air travel this holiday season has rebounded to about 85% of what it was before the pandemic. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

News

Air travel numbers are up, still lagging pre-pandemic levels

More than reindeer fly this time of year.

This screenshot shows an organizational chart for a proposed Department of Family and Community Services. The department would be created through bifurcating the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is expected to again issue an executive order splitting the state’s largest department. (Screenshot)

News

Take 2: Gov to introduce order splitting state’s largest department

And then there were two?