Clarise Larson

In this Sept. 27 2021, photo Bridget Weiss, superintendent of Juneau Public Schools, stands outside the classroom of former math teacher and basketball coach Bill Szepanski, who inspired her to pursue a degree in education and a teaching and coaching career. Weiss recently informed district staff she will be stepping away from her position at the end of June.  (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire File)

Weiss departing as Juneau School District superintendent

Announcement comes after intense few years, and she is stepping away at the end of June.

In this Sept. 27 2021, photo Bridget Weiss, superintendent of Juneau Public Schools, stands outside the classroom of former math teacher and basketball coach Bill Szepanski, who inspired her to pursue a degree in education and a teaching and coaching career. Weiss recently informed district staff she will be stepping away from her position at the end of June.  (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire File)
City and Borough of Juneau Assembly members unanimously agreed on a city ordinance which appropriates $700,000 — pulled from the Affordable Housing Fund — to fund a predevelopment loan for the proposed Gastineau Lodges project which, if developed, would create a 72-unit apartment building in downtown Juneau. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Downtown housing project takes step forward

Assembly agrees to predevelopment loan for 72-unit Gastineau Lodges project.

City and Borough of Juneau Assembly members unanimously agreed on a city ordinance which appropriates $700,000 — pulled from the Affordable Housing Fund — to fund a predevelopment loan for the proposed Gastineau Lodges project which, if developed, would create a 72-unit apartment building in downtown Juneau. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
People walk past City Hall in downtown Juneau on a sunny evening in early September. On Monday, CBJ Assembly members OK’d an ordinance to offer a property tax break to new eligible housing developments of four or more units on one lot that will be in effect boroughwide. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

City OKs tax break for housing development

Boroughwide abatement ordinance gets the OK after whirlwind debate

People walk past City Hall in downtown Juneau on a sunny evening in early September. On Monday, CBJ Assembly members OK’d an ordinance to offer a property tax break to new eligible housing developments of four or more units on one lot that will be in effect boroughwide. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Two residents stand in voter booths Monday morning which marked the start for early and absentee in-person voting across the state for the Nov. 8 general election. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Two residents stand in voter booths Monday morning which marked the start for early and absentee in-person voting across the state for the Nov. 8 general election. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Thunder Mountain High School wrestler Brandon Day pins down his competition Saturday afternoon during the Brandon Pilot Invitational Wrestling Tournament at THMS. The Falcons had seven of its wrestlers make it into the finals and five took first in their weight divisions. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Falcons hit the mats

Juneau high school wrestlers take top spots at weekend tournaments

Thunder Mountain High School wrestler Brandon Day pins down his competition Saturday afternoon during the Brandon Pilot Invitational Wrestling Tournament at THMS. The Falcons had seven of its wrestlers make it into the finals and five took first in their weight divisions. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Residents made their way through the more than 30 local vendor booths included at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center for the first-ever Pumpkin Spice Market, a fall-themed festival hosted by the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council which celebrated local artists, businesses and organizations here in the capital city. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Residents made their way through the more than 30 local vendor booths included at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center for the first-ever Pumpkin Spice Market, a fall-themed festival hosted by the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council which celebrated local artists, businesses and organizations here in the capital city. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Clarise Larson/ Juneau Empire
Harmony Wentz, Faith Rogers’ daughter, holds a framed picture showing a young Faith and her two sisters. According to Juneau Police Department spokesperson Lt. Krag Campbell, authorities are working to identify a suspect in Rogers’ death.

Homicide investigation continues a month after suspicious death

Police say autopsy results could take six to eight months to receive

Clarise Larson/ Juneau Empire
Harmony Wentz, Faith Rogers’ daughter, holds a framed picture showing a young Faith and her two sisters. According to Juneau Police Department spokesperson Lt. Krag Campbell, authorities are working to identify a suspect in Rogers’ death.
A group of Juneau residents tour the Riverview Senior Living facility which is currently under construction and slated to open in early to mid-2023, according to the company. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

An early view of Riverview

Older adult living facility opens its doors amid construction for a sneak peek

A group of Juneau residents tour the Riverview Senior Living facility which is currently under construction and slated to open in early to mid-2023, according to the company. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A dump truck lays mangled down an embankment below Glacier Highway near the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal Friday morning after crashing through the guardrail Thursday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Man goes to hospital after dump truck crashes down embankment

The vehicle crash through the guardrail along Glacier Highway near the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal

A dump truck lays mangled down an embankment below Glacier Highway near the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal Friday morning after crashing through the guardrail Thursday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A voter sits behind a privacy screen while filling out a ballot during the City and Borough of Juneau 2022 municipal. The City and Borough of Juneau announced the final results of its 2022 local election showing a voter turnout just under 33% of all registered voters who participated in this year’s election.(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

The results are in: CBJ finalizes 2022 local election

New City Hall fails, mandatory disclosure repeal OK’d

A voter sits behind a privacy screen while filling out a ballot during the City and Borough of Juneau 2022 municipal. The City and Borough of Juneau announced the final results of its 2022 local election showing a voter turnout just under 33% of all registered voters who participated in this year’s election.(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Bartlett Regional Hospital will no longer require masking in its facilities along with a change in its pre-procedure testing policies, the hospital announced in a recent news release. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Bartlett Regional Hospital drops mandatory masking policy

Patients, visitors and staff will be required to screen for symptoms at hospital’s main entrance.

Bartlett Regional Hospital will no longer require masking in its facilities along with a change in its pre-procedure testing policies, the hospital announced in a recent news release. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Taylor Vidic, Kelsey Riker and other performers stand in a line as they sing at a previous Nude & Rude event. Vidic said the upcoming Halloween weekend show will be the crew’s first performance since 2019. (Courtesy Photo/ Sydney Akagi)
Taylor Vidic, Kelsey Riker and other performers stand in a line as they sing at a previous Nude & Rude event. Vidic said the upcoming Halloween weekend show will be the crew’s first performance since 2019. (Courtesy Photo/ Sydney Akagi)
An Alaska Coach Tours bus sits parked beside the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau. Alexandra Pierce, the CBJ tourism manager, said this year’s season went “relatively smoothly” and said the revival of tourism was overall well received by the residents and downtown businesses. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Final cruise ship of 2022 leaves Juneau

Capital city says farewell to its last ship of the season

An Alaska Coach Tours bus sits parked beside the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau. Alexandra Pierce, the CBJ tourism manager, said this year’s season went “relatively smoothly” and said the revival of tourism was overall well received by the residents and downtown businesses. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Members of the Canvass Review Board stand and sit as a group inside the CBJ Ballot Processing Center Monday morning. The board members and other city officials began the election certification process Monday morning and are expected to announce the final results on Wednesday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Members of the Canvass Review Board stand and sit as a group inside the CBJ Ballot Processing Center Monday morning. The board members and other city officials began the election certification process Monday morning and are expected to announce the final results on Wednesday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A person waits at a bus station in the Valley area as rain patters around them Thursday afternoon. Weather service expects the rain to end in the Juneau area overnight Thursday and another front to arrive again Friday night. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

‘Landslides are a possibility’: Heavy rainfall and winds expected to continue

Weather service expects the rain to end overnight Thursday, another front Friday night.

A person waits at a bus station in the Valley area as rain patters around them Thursday afternoon. Weather service expects the rain to end in the Juneau area overnight Thursday and another front to arrive again Friday night. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
The only electric bus enters the City Borough of Juneau Capital Transit’s bus barn on Tuesday afternoon. Capital Transit is preparing for the addition of seven electric buses which are slated to hit Juneau’s roads sometime in 2024.

Capital Transit temporarily closes two route stops

Officials say they will be back in service later in the month

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
The only electric bus enters the City Borough of Juneau Capital Transit’s bus barn on Tuesday afternoon. Capital Transit is preparing for the addition of seven electric buses which are slated to hit Juneau’s roads sometime in 2024.
This early September photo shows a rain soaked Mill Campground which is set to close Saturday afternoon after its third season, the City and Borough of Juneau announced. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Mill Campground set to close this weekend

An estimated 20 people will need to relocate.

This early September photo shows a rain soaked Mill Campground which is set to close Saturday afternoon after its third season, the City and Borough of Juneau announced. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Eight tennis players from the Juneau-Douglas High School tennis team represented Southeast Alaska at this year’s state championship and earned a tie for third place as a team with senior Katie Pikul earning the bulk of the team’s points after winning the girls’ singles championship, a feat which hasn’t been done by a Juneau player in over a decade. (Courtesy / Mona Mametsuka)

Juneau tennis player wins girls singles championship at state

The team earned a tie for third place.

Eight tennis players from the Juneau-Douglas High School tennis team represented Southeast Alaska at this year’s state championship and earned a tie for third place as a team with senior Katie Pikul earning the bulk of the team’s points after winning the girls’ singles championship, a feat which hasn’t been done by a Juneau player in over a decade. (Courtesy / Mona Mametsuka)
Screenshot / Clarise Larson 
More than 60 people joined in on a Zoom meeting Monday afternoon to participate in an Indigenous Language revitalization class and panel that addressed the future of Lingít, X<strong>̱</strong>aad Kíl, and Sm<strong>ʼ</strong>algya<strong>̱</strong>x.

Celebrating learning on Indigenous Peoples Day

Community leaders talk future of Indigenous Southeast Alaska languages

Screenshot / Clarise Larson 
More than 60 people joined in on a Zoom meeting Monday afternoon to participate in an Indigenous Language revitalization class and panel that addressed the future of Lingít, X<strong>̱</strong>aad Kíl, and Sm<strong>ʼ</strong>algya<strong>̱</strong>x.
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s varsity girls cross-country team attempts a jumping photo after winning the second place title at state meet over the weekend, hosted in Anchorage by Bartlett High School. (Courtesy / Christy Newell)

Local cross-country teams bring the heat despite the cold at state meet

JDHS girls end the season with a second-place team finish

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s varsity girls cross-country team attempts a jumping photo after winning the second place title at state meet over the weekend, hosted in Anchorage by Bartlett High School. (Courtesy / Christy Newell)