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Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, speaks during a news conference in late April. Juneau School District leaders share mixed reactions about the the Alaska State Legislature passing a budget that includes a $174 million one-time boost to public school funding, and being fearful that the increase will soon be vetoed by the governor. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

District leaders give one-time funding boost an incomplete

Mix of relief and fear of potential veto greet increase included in budget.

Students from the Tlingit culture, language and literacy program at Harborview Elementary School dance in front of elders during the program’s in early February. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

District selects first full-time principal for the Tlingit culture, language and literacy program

Eldri Westmoreland is set to fill the position starting in July.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

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Police calls for Wednesday, May 23, 2023

This report contains information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Mountains tower over downtown Juneau Wednesday morning. On Tuesday night the City and Borough of Juneau’s Planning Commission unanimously passed a motion to not recommend the adoption of new hazard maps and policy based on them to the Assembly. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Planning Commission urges rejection of new hazard maps and policy

The decision came after nearly 20 rounds of public testimony advocating against the maps.

Award-winning Juneau writer Vera Starbard stands on her balcony on Douglas Island that displays banners across Gastineau Channel in support of the Writer’s Guild of America union strike currently going on across Hollywood and the country. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Award-winning Juneau writer talks Hollywood writers’ strike

Vera Starbard is now living life off-script.

On Monday the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly passed a motion in support of the Sealaska Heritage Institute’s intention to rename the two blocks of South Seward Street between Front Street and Marine Way to Heritage Way. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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City signals support for renaming South Seward Street

Sealaska Heritage Institute applied for it to be renamed to Heritage Way.

A sign at the entrance of the Juneau International Airport’s short-term parking lot informs travelers that construction will begin May 31 and long-term parking will be closed the same day. The airport’s construction project will begin next Wednesday, May 31, for parking lot improvements, including repaving, new curbing, lighting and draining, as well as installing a new payment system in the short-term lot. ( Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Airport to begin $10M parking improvement project next week

Parking will be limited during the summer and into the fall, officials say.

This is a photo of the Juneau International Airport in April 2023. A Montana man pleaded guilty last Wednesday to assaulting a flight crew member while aboard a flight from Sitka to Juneau in early April. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

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Man pleads guilty to assault of crew member while on flight to Juneau

The assault occurred on April 1, according to court documents.

This is a picture of the City and Borough of Juneau City Hall in October 2022. The Assembly Finance Committee OK’d $10 million in funding to go toward a City Hall project on Wednesday, more than six months after voters narrowly rejected a city ballot proposal to approve $35 million in bond debt to fund the majority of the construction cost for a new City Hall. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

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Assembly OKs $10M in funds for future City Hall project

The funding could go toward building a new one or renovating the current building.

Athlete Tammy Birch carries the torch with help from Branden Horst during the Alaska Law Enforcement Torch Run at Twin Lakes Park Saturday morning. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Annual fundraiser run torches last year’s total

Around $15,000 was raised to go toward athletes on the Special Olympics Alaska Juneau team.

This is a photo of the only crossing between the Juneau mainland and Douglas Island. On Thursday the City and Borough of Juneau Public Works and Facilities Committee hosted an open forum about a potential second crossing. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Salmon Creek site emerges as preference during second crossing meeting

“I feel like salmon creek has the least financial impacts, the least wetland impact.”

This is a picture of houses on Douglas along the Gastineau Channel in May. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

City receives nearly 400 residential property assessment appeals

The Board of Equalization began hearing cases Thursday.

A wire cable stretches high above the forest ground and connects two platforms for zip lining at Eaglecrest Ski Area. Zip line tours are set to be offered again this summer at the ski area starting in late June after three years of halted operations due to COVID-19 and staffing issues. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Zip line tours to restart at Eaglecrest in late June

It remained out of commission for the past three years.

City and Borough of Juneau Assembly member Greg Smith and Christine Woll discuss the mill rate during Wednesday night’s Finance Committee meeting. Member voted to decrease the mill rate to 10.16. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Assembly votes to lower property tax rate

The approved 10.16 mill rate means that for every $1,000 in property value there is a tax of…

A ballot is placed in a drop box during the City and Borough of Juneau 2022 municipal election. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

News

Vote-by-mail elections now permanent in Juneau

Assembly voted for the change despite some public pushback.

Rep. Craig Johnson, an Anchorage Republican and sponsor of the a bill to reject the 67% pay raise slated for legislators and around a 20% raise for the governor, speaks to House Representatives Tuesday afternoon. The bill passed in a 29-11 vote but the efforts are likely too late to stop the increases from going into effect. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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House passes bill to reject raise for lawmakers — but pay hike still likely

“I can’t even imagine what working-class people are thinking.”

People walk along the Basin Road Trestle Tuesday evening as concrete barricades block off its entrance. The trestle is set to close to pedestrian traffic spanning from May 26 to June 11 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. while a contracted construction company repairs damages the trestle suffered in January from a rockslide. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Basin Road Trestle to close to pedestrian traffic in the daytime for repairs

The closure will last from May 26 to June 11.

An array of vapes line the shelf of a display case at Alaska Pipeline vape store downtown. The Alaska Senate passed a bill that would impose a 25% statewide tax on retail e-cigarette products in Alaska Tuesday morning. It now heads to the House. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

​​Senate passes bill to impose statewide tax on e-cigarettes

A similar bill was vetoed by Gov. Dun Mike Dunleavy last fall.

City and Borough of Juneau Docks and Harbors Board Vice Chairman Jim Becker cuts a ribbon Monday afternoon stretched across the Seawalk downtown in celebration of the city’s completion of the Docks and Harbors Marine Deckover Project. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Docks and Harbors celebrates completion of Marine Park deckover project

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday afternoon.

A Starburst is unwrapped by the Da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgery System under the control of Eugene Rehfield, 10, who was one of the many residents that tried out the machine at the Bartlett Regional Hospital lobby Monday evening. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Bartlett unveils new robotic surgery system

The hospital hosted an open house to celebrate the new technology.