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Dozens of people fill the Assembly chambers to testify during a Juneau Assembly meeting on Monday night. Most of the people spoke about either a proposed municipal compost facility, or an ordinance updating landslide and avalanche zone maps. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Assembly roundup: Seawalk barriers go off the rails, compost proposal trashed, McEwen clerk of the year

Crowd defends private composter as city weighs own facility; dock rails stall with 2 members absent.

A chart published by National Weather Service Juneau shows the level Tuesday morning of Jordan Creek, which is expected to reach flooding levels Tuesday evening due to heavy rain. (National Weather Service Juneau)

News

Weather warning issued for Juneau through Wednesday morning due to intense rain, wind

City advises residents to check boats; weather service says some river flooding possible.

An overhead view of Telephone Hill in downtown Juneau. (Photo courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)

News

City conducting online survey until Jan. 9 about development of the Telephone Hill

Previous public comments factored into questions about future of downtown area, CBJ says.

Julie and Richard Folta help themselves to some of the 21,350 cookies prepared for the annual Holiday Open House at the Governor’s Residence on Tuesday. Richard Folta said his first visit to an open house hosted by the governor occurred many years before Alaska became a state in 1959. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Tens of thousands of cookies, decades of memories at governor’s Holiday Open House

Richard Folta says much has changed — but lots of food hasn’t — since his first visit before…

Marion Fawcett, a single mother in Juneau diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer, is seen here in a picture for a GoFundMe set up on behalf of her and her children. (Photo by Amber Nickerson)

News

Comedy fundraiser seeks to bring cheer to mother with cancer and her children

Event at Crystal Saloon on Saturday part of effort to send family to Disneyland.

Alejandro Lamas stretches his arms as a bishop during an Our Lady of Guadalupe play on Sunday at St. Paul’s Catholic Church. In the background are Kimberly Valadez, playing the Virgin Mary, and Milagros Correa and Carlos Orozco as the angels. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

A visionary celebration for Juneau’s Hispanic community

Church celebrates Mexico’s Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe with Mass, play and food.

A map shows areas of downtown Juneau currently considered at severe (red) and moderate (blue) risk of avalanches. (City and Borough of Juneau)

News

Assembly OKs new avalanche and landslide maps, with strong disclaimer for latter

Ordinance passes despite property owners’ objections, but discussion about its specifics not over.

Vox Borealis performs during the 2022 Holiday Cheer concert at Thunder Mountain High School. (Photo by Cameron Byrnes / Juneau Symphony)

News

Juneau Symphony mixing things up for fourth annual Holiday Cheer Concert

Familiar trio of groups will feature new players, songs and on-stage collaborations this weekend.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Three people hospitalized with overdoses, three people arrested after variety of illegal drugs seized

Methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and pills believed to be fentanyl worth about $152,080, police say.

Luke Bovitz (#4 in white jersey) looks to take a shot for Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé against Kodiak High School on Saturday night at Treadwell Arena. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS dominates the battle of the bears

Crimson Bears’ varsity hockey team defeats Kodiak Bears 7-1, 6-1 in games with similar tracks.

Harborview Elementary School was briefly evacuated Friday after a bomb threat was received at midday, according to the Juneau Police Department. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Harborview Elementary School briefly evacuated after bomb threat

Police say incident appears connected to other threats at Alaska schools in recent months.

Scant patches of snow remain at the base of Eaglecrest Ski area on Wednesday despite snowmaking efforts that occurred during the weekend, due to warmer temperatures and rain this week. The opening date for the ski area, originally set for Dec. 2 and then delayed until Dec. 9, is now undetermined. (Photo courtesy of Eaglecrest Ski Area)

News

Eaglecrest opening delayed again, target date now TBD

Warm temperatures and rain thwart efforts to open ski area on Saturday.

A car drives by Mendenhall River Community School on Back Loop Road on Thursday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Woman, two children struck by vehicle while crossing road near Mendenhall River Community School

Victims in stable condition, initial investigation shows driver not at-fault, according to police.

The gates are locked at the Pipeline Skate Park at midday Thursday, after Juneau’s Parks and Recreation Department announced the facility will be open limited hours until further notice due to an increase in vandalism and drug paraphernalia. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

City: Pipeline Skate Park open reduced hours due to ‘sharp increase’ of vandalism, drug activity

Extra patrols by police and parks staff also planned for facility at Jackie Renninger Park.

Michael Carter selects chips from a large box while Kalie Purkey wheels their 1-year-old daughter, Oaklynn Carter, along the row of tables at the Southeast Alaska Food Bank’s weekly food pantry on Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

‘New normal’ is long waits for SNAP benefits and long lines at food pantries

Juneau residents cite variety of reasons for being part of backlog of more than 12,000 applicants.

Emma Pokon, commissioner-designee of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, discusses wood stove pollution regulations affecting the Fairbanks-North Star Borough during a Nov. 26 forum. (Screenshot from video by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation)

News

Newly designated state DEC commissioner strong supporter of Dunleavy’s challenge to federal authority

Emma Pokon, as state attorney, wrote legislation eliminating independent cruise monitoring program.

Key Bank was one of the banks victimized by a Juneau man who was sentenced Tuesday to two-and-a-half years in prison for stealing nearly $580,000 multiple banks and credit unions between 2020 and 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Former Juneau armored guard sentenced to 2½ years for stealing from banks, credit unions

Austin Nolan Dwight Rutherford, 29, convicted of stealing nearly $580,000 between 2020 and 2022.

Steve Bradford (left) and Mark Kissel, both vice presidents of the Riverside Condominiums Homeowners Association, discuss repairs to two of the complex’s buildings on Aug. 9 as a bulldozer places rock fill under a corner of one building exposed by erosion during record flooding of the Mendenhall River on Aug. 5. Repairs to both buildings ultimately were successful. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau Community Foundation offering pool of $28,300 in relief funds to Suicide Basin flood victims

Deadline to apply is Dec. 31, funds will be divided among applicants.

Ron Ekis (wearing red) and Dakota Brown order from Devils Hideaway at the new Vintage Food Truck Park as Marty McKeown, owner of the property, shows seating facilities still under construction to other local media members on Wednesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

New Vintage Food Truck Park makes year-round debut

Two of planned five food trucks now open, with covered seating and other offerings in the works.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Dec. 4, 2005. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week of Dec. 10

Three decades of capital city coverage.