Mark Sabbatini

A king salmon during the 67th annual Golden North Salmon Derby at the Don D. Statter Memorial Boat Harbor in August 2013. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Sportfishers can’t keep king salmon caught in Southeast waters under emergency order starting Monday

Ban in effect until Oct. 1 unlikely to affect fishing tours since few kings being caught, operators say.

A king salmon during the 67th annual Golden North Salmon Derby at the Don D. Statter Memorial Boat Harbor in August 2013. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Five of the six candidates seeking three open seats on the Juneau Board of Education participate in a forum hosted by the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce at the Juneau Moose Family Center. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

School board candidate forum focuses on lessons learned from consolidation process

Five of six candidates running for three seats answer questions about “what ifs” and “what’s next.”

Five of the six candidates seeking three open seats on the Juneau Board of Education participate in a forum hosted by the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce at the Juneau Moose Family Center. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom talks with city officials before a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, June 24, 2024, at Aurora Harbor. She dropped out of the U.S. House race on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom drops out of U.S. House race after third-place primary finish

Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola now faces one-on-one matchup against Republican Nick Begich III.

Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom talks with city officials before a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, June 24, 2024, at Aurora Harbor. She dropped out of the U.S. House race on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Aug. 24, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Aug. 24, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Bruce Scandling receives his ballot for Alaska’s primary election at the Mendenhall Mall Annex on Saturday morning from election officials Jackie Rosenbruch and Barb Murray. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

Juneau has higher turnout, more liberal voting compared to statewide results in primary election

Klukwan defies low turnout statewide, with 55.56% of village’s registered voters casting ballots.

Bruce Scandling receives his ballot for Alaska’s primary election at the Mendenhall Mall Annex on Saturday morning from election officials Jackie Rosenbruch and Barb Murray. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
Students heading to Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé board a bus at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Wednesday morning. While the stop is designated as a park-and-ride option for students, those boarding the bus either walked to the stop or were dropped off by parents. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Changes in student transportation are all over the map after consolidation of schools

Many students say things are fine, but illegal parking and bus woes are prompting course corrections.

Students heading to Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé board a bus at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Wednesday morning. While the stop is designated as a park-and-ride option for students, those boarding the bus either walked to the stop or were dropped off by parents. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Finalists to be Bartlett Regional Hospital’s new chief executive officer are, from left to right, Jon Friedenberg, Melanee Tiura and Joe Wanner. (Photos provided by Bartlett Regional Hospital)

Bartlett Regional Hospital schedules public meetings, interviews with three CEO finalists

Candidates include hospital’s CFO, leader at Alaska health entities, and longtime out-of-state medical CEO.

Finalists to be Bartlett Regional Hospital’s new chief executive officer are, from left to right, Jon Friedenberg, Melanee Tiura and Joe Wanner. (Photos provided by Bartlett Regional Hospital)
(Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Juneau woman arrested on suspicion of robberies during past week at gas station, cafe

Suspect twice robbed a gas station at knifepoint, coffee shop/dispensary with mask.

(Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Residents talk to city leaders and other officials about the response to this year’s record flooding from Suicide Basin during a Juneau Assembly meeting Monday night at Centennial Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Options for reducing major flooding from Suicide Basin come with lots of questions

Possibilities include drainage tunnels through a mountain and blasting to fill basin with rocks.

Residents talk to city leaders and other officials about the response to this year’s record flooding from Suicide Basin during a Juneau Assembly meeting Monday night at Centennial Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Buoy tenders dock at the U.S. Coast Guard station in downtown Juneau during the summer of 2023. The dock and adjacent property is where the Coast Guard plans to place support infrastructure for an icebreaker homeported in Juneau. (Screenshot from U.S. Coast Guard video)

Getting icebreaker to Juneau will require lots of support work, may be slow process, officials say

Hope is Aiviq can arrive in 18-24 months, but Coast Guard has history of delays, Murkowski says.

Buoy tenders dock at the U.S. Coast Guard station in downtown Juneau during the summer of 2023. The dock and adjacent property is where the Coast Guard plans to place support infrastructure for an icebreaker homeported in Juneau. (Screenshot from U.S. Coast Guard video)
Kaia Quinto, the new executive director of the Glory Hall, stands in the garden of the shelter and soup kitchen on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Glory Hall’s new executive director hopes for a day when the homeless shelter is ‘underutilized’

Kaia Quinto says she shares predecessor Mariya Lovishchuk’s goal of more permanent supportive housing.

Kaia Quinto, the new executive director of the Glory Hall, stands in the garden of the shelter and soup kitchen on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau high school students and alumni take off from the starting line in the women’s 5K race of the Sayéik Invitational at Savikko Park on Saturday morning. The unofficial meet was the first event of the season for the cross-country team newly consolidated Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Alumni go back to school to take on JDHS cross-country team in season-opening 5K

More than 60 students from consolidated high school team run against adults at Sayéik Invitational.

Juneau high school students and alumni take off from the starting line in the women’s 5K race of the Sayéik Invitational at Savikko Park on Saturday morning. The unofficial meet was the first event of the season for the cross-country team newly consolidated Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Nimmy Philips (wearing orange) leads a “Bollywood flash mob” during a celebration of India’s Independence Day on Friday at Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza. The event was hosted by downtown businesses who presented a $10,000 donation to the Juneau Community Foundation to aid people affected by record flooding of the Mendenhall River earlier this month. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

From flowery fundraising to emergency CBJ funding, longer-term flood recovery efforts underway

Foundation raises at least $150K for direct relief, Assembly to consider $1M emergency measure Monday.

Nimmy Philips (wearing orange) leads a “Bollywood flash mob” during a celebration of India’s Independence Day on Friday at Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza. The event was hosted by downtown businesses who presented a $10,000 donation to the Juneau Community Foundation to aid people affected by record flooding of the Mendenhall River earlier this month. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The Juneau High School Huskies try to convert a 4th-and-long situation on the road against Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School on Saturday. (Screenshot from Juneau Huskies Football livestream)

Juneau Huskies lose season opener on road to East Anchorage 22-6

Thunderbirds score TDs on opening two drives before back-and-forth battle the rest of the game.

The Juneau High School Huskies try to convert a 4th-and-long situation on the road against Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School on Saturday. (Screenshot from Juneau Huskies Football livestream)
The Breeze In at Lemon Creek, seen Thursday, is one of three stores that may be sold to the company that owns the Foodland and Super Bear supermarkets. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Owner of Foodland, Super Bear in discussions to buy the Breeze In stores

Company is also ending lease of Kenny’s Liquor Market, adjacent to Foodland since 1995.

The Breeze In at Lemon Creek, seen Thursday, is one of three stores that may be sold to the company that owns the Foodland and Super Bear supermarkets. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Aug. 16, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Aug. 16, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Students crowd into the commons area of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé to pick up their schedules, and meet familiar and new peers, before classes start on the first day of school Thursday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

More than 1,100 students show up on first day at newly consolidated JDHS

Students say they’re expecting more friends, more competition and less parking.

Students crowd into the commons area of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé to pick up their schedules, and meet familiar and new peers, before classes start on the first day of school Thursday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Craig Cimmons, scheduled to become the new general manager of Eaglecrest Ski Area on Sept. 30, is interviewed by the Juneau Assembly on Aug 2. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

New Eaglecrest Ski Area general manager has lots of experience with bumpy terrain

Craig Cimmons, a manager at resort hit by massive owner fraud, says recovery made employees stronger

Craig Cimmons, scheduled to become the new general manager of Eaglecrest Ski Area on Sept. 30, is interviewed by the Juneau Assembly on Aug 2. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A sign notifies people about plans by Gastineau Human Services to build a 51-unit apartment building in a Lemon Creek neighborhood. (Photo from Juneau Planning Commission documents)

51-unit low-income apartment for people recovering from substance abuse gets OK from Planning Commission

Lemon Creek facility would be first phase in expansion of Gastineau Human Services programs.

A sign notifies people about plans by Gastineau Human Services to build a 51-unit apartment building in a Lemon Creek neighborhood. (Photo from Juneau Planning Commission documents)
The Aiviq icebreaker, targeted by the U.S. Coast Guard for purchase and deployment in Alaska, completes a chartered refueling operation at Davis Research Station in Antarctica. (Kirk Yatras/Australian Antarctic Program)

It’s official: Private icebreaker acquired by Coast Guard will be homeported in Juneau

Vessel with up to 190 personnel expected to “reach initial operational capability in two years.”

The Aiviq icebreaker, targeted by the U.S. Coast Guard for purchase and deployment in Alaska, completes a chartered refueling operation at Davis Research Station in Antarctica. (Kirk Yatras/Australian Antarctic Program)