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Julia Keefe, left, guides her Indigenous Big Band through a performance at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall to open last spring’s Juneau Jazz & Classics festival on Friday, May 5, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau Jazz and Classics adding a winter jazz festival, canceling annual fall event

New three-day Juneau Jazz Fest in February will feature music, workshops from dormant Sitka fest.

Jason Skidmore shovels snow along the sidewalk in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Monday. Most legislators and staff were able to get to Juneau in time for the start of the session Tuesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Storm leaves behind 29.3” of snow at airport, avalanche hazards, closed schools and state offices

First day of legislative session not affected by 15th biggest three-day storm ever in Juneau.

Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, confers with other senators and legislative staff moments before gaveling in the start of this year’s legislative session at the Alaska State Capitol on Tuesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Legislature gavels in with House majority rejecting veto override session on education funding

Governor also issues a dozen executive orders, including replacing AMHS operations board.

(Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau man arrested in Craig after altercation in house and with police

Suspect threatened to kill person at knifepoint and damaged house, tased by troopers after fleeing.

Legislative fiscal analysts Alexei Painter, right, and Conor Bell explain the state’s financial outlook during a presentation to the Senate Finance Committee on March 24, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Report: $175 ‘energy relief’ payment to residents, education funding boost likely in final state budget

Legislative Finance analysis of governor’s proposal for next year predicts numerous other adjustments

Cars parked on a hillside road near downtown are buried under heavy snow at midday Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Update: Avalanche closes Thane Road; schools closed Tuesday due to storm

City offices and facilities scheduled to open at 10 a.m.; dry weather expected Tuesday

Thomas Baxter scores on a breakaway dunk for Thunder Mountain High School during Saturday’s game against Sitka High School at TMHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

TMHS boys’ basketball scores pair of double-digit wins over Sitka

Falcons go on 18-0 run in third quarter to break open tie game during Saturday’s rematch.

The Thunder Mountain High School girls’ basketball team runs a fast break against Bartlett High School on Friday in Anchorage. The Falcons, who played their first nine games on the road, open at home on Thursday against South Anchorage High School. (Screenshot from Thunder Mountain High School video)

Sports

TMHS girls basketball team, 9-0 as road warriors, opens at home on Thursday

Falcons ranked second statewide, dominating opponents by an average per-game score of 66-25.

A winter storm warning issued Saturday afternoon forecasts a total of 22 to 29 inches of snow for Juneau by 6 p.m. Monday, with several inches falling so far starting Friday night. (National Weather Service Juneau)

News

Storm warning: 22 to 29 inches of snow forecast for Juneau by Monday night

Avalanche risk high as increasingly wet snow layers on top of light-density snow, forecaster says

A long line of residents pick up groceries at the Southeast Alaska Food Bank on Aug. 20, 2022. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Dunleavy administration changes reason for being among 15 states rejecting federal food funds for kids

Initially cited administrative requirements and costs, now points to state’s food stamp backlog.

Leaders at the Juneau School District learned during the past week the district is facing a $9.5 million deficit during the current fiscal year that ends June 30. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

State agrees to five-year repayment plan for Juneau School District’s $9.5 million deficit

District was facing a June 30 deadline to balance books, which local officials said wasn’t feasible.

This year’s legislative session at the Alaska State Capitol is scheduled to begin Tuesday. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Limiting foreign property rights and campaign deepfakes among second batch of prefiled bills

Legislators and staff arriving in Juneau as session set to begin on Tuesday.

This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a gaping hole where the paneled-over door had been at the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Sunday in Portland, Ore. A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out Jan. 5, shortly after the flight took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)

News

Juneau again avoids cancellations as Alaska Airlines extends Max 9 groundings through Saturday

Flights Thursday, Friday rebooked on different plane; next potentially affected flights on Monday.

State Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, addresses the audience during a town hall by the local legislative delegation Thursday evening at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

School district deficit, legislative pay hikes, compost burials among issues at legislative town hall

Veto override on school funding will help district, Juneau’s state lawmakers say.

An Eaglecrest Ski Area lift operator helps skiers on Dec. 20. A study published earlier this month states the average wage of $13.06 for Eaglecrest lift operators and attendants is 25% below the average at U.S. ski resorts. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Study: Eaglecrest wages effectively 40% below average at U.S. resorts

Higher cost of living cited as significant factor; staff says Juneau’s allure helps attract workers.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Jan. 10, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week of Jan. 14

Three decades of capital city coverage.

Juneau School District administrators and board members listen Tuesday to a remote presentation by Lisa Pearce, hired as a budget expert in December, about how her analysis during the past few weeks revealed a $9.5 million deficit facing the district this fiscal year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

School district leaders express shock, anger at $9.5M deficit, say fix by June 30 deadline unrealistic

Board to meet next week to review all non-required expenses, such as student activities, for cuts.

A sign with newly installed reflectors warns drivers on Back Loop Road about pedestrians crossing near the entrance of Mendenhall River Community School on Wednesday morning. A woman and two kids were hit by a vehicle on the road Dec. 7, prompting local school district officials to seek safety improvements from the state. Additional short- and long-term safety measures are still being discussed. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Back Loop Road near school where pedestrians hit gets some safety improvements, more being discussed

Sign reflectors installed, upgraded entrance lighting and change to city bus route expected soon.

Alaska Airlines planes park at the gates at Juneau International Airport in July of 2022. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Two Juneau flights on Max 9s scheduled Tuesday rebooked on different planes

No local flights cancelled yet due to grounding of fleet, next Max 9s scheduled Thursday and Friday.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Mila Hargrave (#24) and Bella Whisenant (#44) fight for the ball during Saturday’s game at JDHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS gets pair of home court wins — one easy, one in a battle — against Ketchikan

Gwen Nizich scores 25 of Crimson Bears’ 45 points Saturday, including game-clinching free throws.