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Skip Gray holds a simulated conversation on an early 20th-century box phone and his cell phone during the opening of the exhibit “Switch and Exchange: A Brief History of Telephones in 20th Century Juneau” at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum on Friday. Gray is a former resident of the Telephone Hill neighborhood, which got its name when Juneau became the first city in Alaska with an established telephone system and a telephone company called the downtown area home during the early 1900s. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Dialing, cranking and ringing into Juneau’s history as a telephone pioneer in Alaska

Museum exhibit highlights how capital got state’s first phone system and Telephone Hill got its name.

The Juneau School District is facing a deficit of more than $9.5 million for the current fiscal year, according a district report published Jan. 5. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau School District facing $9.5 million deficit this year, new analysis shows

Lower revenues and higher costs mean $7.6M shortfall for FY24, plus $1.9M deficit from FY23.

State Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, speaks during a rally on behalf of Alaska residents with disabilities at the Alaska State Capitol on March 1, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

First prefiled bills include voter preregistration for 16-year-olds, funds for remedial reading

Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, introduces the two proposals among the 48 by state lawmakers on Monday.

Wigeon Ponds is one of the areas adjacent to the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge purchased by the Southeast Alaska Land Trust, which is producing an updated digital map of the entire wetlands area. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo)

News

Mendenhall wetlands area to get first new full map since 1979

Change in vegetation, tidal areas, land “rebound” after glacial retreat shown — along with area’s name.

Alaska Airlines planes are shown parked at gates at sunrise, March 1, 2021, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Oregon on Friday after a window and chunk of its fuselage blew out in mid-air, media reports said. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

News

No Juneau flights among those cancelled Saturday by grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9s

First local flights aboard Max 9 scheduled Tuesday; Alaska Air hopes fleet inspections done in days.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Caden Morris (#15) and Sonny Monsef (#11) face off against Homer High School’s Aria Hill (#27) and Cody Thomas (#8) in front of the Homer net during Saturday’s game at Treadwell Arena. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS shuts out rebuilding Homer in 16-0, 13-0 matchups at Treadwell Arena

Both teams say focus was on future, with Crimson Bears giving several JV players lots of ice time.

The Driftwood Lodge, used for decades by state lawmakers and others during legislative sessions, is not on this year’s official housing list provided by the Legislative Affairs Agency. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Historic Assembly Building to open as legislative housing next week, Driftwood off official list

Lodge hit by complaints last year after Tlingit and Haida purchase; officials say that’s not a factor

Sylvia Geraghty helps a customer during the weekly food pantry at Resurrection Lutheran Church on Tuesday, Dec. 6. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Online SNAP benefit forms go live as state hopes to catch up on 8,000-applicant backlog by March

State: 260 online forms in first 10 days take average of 20 minutes, compared to an hour for…

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Jan. 6, 2004. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week of Jan. 7

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy Dance Group performs for attendees at Goldbelt Inc.’s 50th-anniversary celebration on Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Goldbelt celebrates 50th anniversary with tributes, prayer, dancing and hopes for future

Leaders of local Alaska Native Regional Corporation looking ahead generations rather than years.

An employee leaves the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. The building was among numerous state capitals targeted by bomb threats that federal law enforcement officials are calling a hoax. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Alaska’s Capitol among those in multiple states targeted by emailed bomb threats FBI calls a hoax

Church in downtown Juneau, other buildings across state and U.S. also receive threats.

A worker uses machinery while working on the construction site of Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s revived Haven House on July 31, 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

State: ‘Modest’ job growth likely in Southeast in ‘24, but shrinking workforce a long-term concern

Report predicts 1.4% regional growth, with wide variances by industry, compared to 1.7% statewide.

Mary Snook, a Ketchikan resident of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian ancestry, takes a photo of her fellow Alaska Natives passing by during the Celebration parade in downtown Juneau on Saturday, June 11, 2022. In the background is one of the large cruise ships docked in town for the day. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Here are the headlines likely to loom large in 2024

Fiscal and social education matters, tourism impacts, Suicide Basin and elections among top issues.

The Patsy Ann statue at twilight on the downtown cruise ship dock. (Photo courtesy of Tricia Brown)

News

‘Patsy Ann of Alaska’ finds a new home after being left astray

Children’s book from 2011 about famous Juneau dog gets new publisher after being discontinued.

The former Glory Hall shelter on South Franklin Street is sealed off from the public on Tuesday as workers inside convert the building to low-income apartments in the upper section and commercial space on the ground floor. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Glory Hall seeking commercial tenant as conversion of former downtown shelter continues on schedule

Low-income housing in upper section expected by May, commercial space downstairs includes kitchen.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé guard Alwen Carrillo (#3) looks to drive inside against Albuquerque High School during the final game of the Capital City Classic at JDHS on Saturday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Albuquerque holds off rallies by JDHS girls’ and boys’ teams to win Capital City Classic

Crimson Bears boys lose double-OT thriller, girls come up short in final minutes.

Brett Weideman, wearing a banana costume, and his son Bodhi, 7, dressed as a Pikachu, celebrate the New Year by emerging from Auke Bay during the 33rd annual Juneau Polar Bear Dip at the Auke Village Recreation Area on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Hundreds wave goodbye to last year, plunge into 2024 during 33rd annual Juneau Polar Bear Dip

Participants embrace cold waters of Auke Bay, prospects for 2024 with equal enthusiasm.

The boys’ all-tournament team at last week’s Clarke Cochrane Christmas Classic in Ketchikan includes Thunder Mountain High School guards Thomas Baxter and Samuel Lockhart. TMHS finished third among the eight boys’ teams in the tournament. (Photo courtesy TMHS basketball)

Sports

TMHS boys finish third in Clarke Cochrane Christmas Classic in Ketchikan

Falcons open with OT victory, fall short in comeback against champs before win in consolation game.

The parking lot of the Juneau Costco on Sunday afternoon, a day after a car hit a pedestrian and six vehicles. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Six vehicles damaged, pedestrian hospitalized with injuries, by car in Costco parking lot

Man cited for reckless driving and insurance violation, released at scene, according to JPD.

The sun sets on snow-covered boats in Auke Bay on Jan. 10, 2022. On Jan. 1, 2024, most local docks and harbors fees will increase 9%. (Photo by the City and Borough of Juneau Docks and Harbors Department)

News

Changes in state minimum wage and alcohol laws, local harbor fees and sales taxes coming Jan. 1

Free IDs for released prisoners, lifetime trapping licenses for disabled vets also start in 2024.