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The privately owned 107-foot tugboat, the Tagish, sits partially below the water south of the downtown cruise ship docks Thursday morning as recovery efforts begin by the Coast Guard. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Recovery efforts are underway for sunken tugboat

Coast Guard is leading the operation, says it could take multiple days to complete

Two students face off for a match at the 2020 Southeast Alaska Middle School Wrestling Championship at Floyd Dryden Middle School on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. The Juneau School District Board of Education on Tuesday accepted a donation that will provide the middle school with a new wrestling mat. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

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Floyd Dryden Middle School wrestling gets a surprise donation

The school received a donation of up to $15,000 to pay for a new wrestling mat.

The Columbia ferry, which was grounded in 2019 to save costs, is scheduled to return to Juneau next weekend as it resumes service between Alaska and Bellingham, Washington, due to a more-extensive-than-expected overhaul of the Matanuska. The ferry system is by far the biggest recipient to date of funds from the 2021 federal infrastructure bill in terms of Southeast Alaska impacts. (Carey Case / Alaska Marine Highway)

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Trillion dollar maybes: Coordinated approach aims to untangle complicated federal funding web

State, tribal and local governments using “hub” plans to simplify and maximize Alaska’s share.

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Nick Nelson passes out paper copies of a notice of appeal to school board members Tuesday night regarding the district’s decision on a racism complaint at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé he filed in early December.

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Douglas Indian Association condemns district’s handling of racist insults complaint

Members “demand accountability,” say inaction could affect tribal consultations with the district.

Sally Schlichting practices the flute at the Alaska State Library, Archives and Museum Atrium Monday afternoon in preparation for her upcoming solo concert Saturday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Fluting solo: Esteemed Juneau musician to perform first solo concert in nearly a decade

Con Brio’s Sally Schlichting will perform a series of classical chamber pieces on the flute

Sophomore twins Cailynn and Kerra Baxter, outside, and juniors twins Jaya and Mikah Carandang, inside, smile for a picture after their Monday night practice at Thunder Mountain High School. ( Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Double-double trouble: It’s a win-win to have two sets of twins for TMHS girls basketball

Sophomores Kerra and Cailynn Baxter and juniors Jaya and Mikah Carandang talk chemistry, advantages

During a Wednesday rehearsal at KTOO studios for the Alaska Theater Festival: Radio Plays, Shaakindustoow Ed Littlefield, seen here, is joined by the cast of Vera Starbard’s, “The Beginning of Eagle” which is an adaptation from stories shared by DaaXKu dein Tommy Jimmie. “The Beginning of Eagle” will be performed Saturday live in-person at KTOO studios as well as on-air at KTOO News 104.3 and 91.7, and online at ktoo.org/listen. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

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Theater takes to airwaves in collaborative festival

Theater Alaska, KTOO and Juneau Ghost Light Theatre present radio plays.

The Juneau student ensemble Aurora Strings warm up on the stage at Carnegie Hall before their 30-minute performance as part of the Sounds of Summer International Music Festival in June of last year. (Photo courtesy of World Projects)

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Crushing it at Carnegie

Juneau student ensemble, among four in U.S. to play in NYC last summer, perform tribute show Sat.

At the Tuesday night Juneau School District board of education meeting, board member Amber Frommherz listens to Superintendent Bridget Weiss, who is also the acting director of student services, share a report that revealed the Juneau School District has seen a 59% increase in the number of students experiencing homelessness this year compared to this time last year. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Report: Juneau schools see sharp uptick in students experiencing homelessness

The district saw a 59% increase compared to this time last year.

President Joe Biden speaks about his economic agenda at LIUNA Training Center, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in DeForest, Wis. (AP Photo / Patrick Semansky)

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Medicare, Social Security plans get renewed attention after State of the Union

As U.S. budget negotiations move ahead, expect to hear more.

Emergency lights flash on top of a police car. On Wednesday, a trio of bills seeking to increase penalties for sex and drug crimes was introduced by by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

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Governor targets sex and drug crimes

Bills increase penalties for sex trafficking and fatal overdoses, but effectiveness questioned

Chunks of ice break off the Perito Moreno Glacier, in Lake Argentina, at Los Glaciares National Park, near El Calafate, in Argentina's Patagonia region, March 10, 2016. As glaciers melt and pour massive amounts of water into nearby lakes, 15 million people across the globe live under the threat of a sudden and deadly outburst flood, a new study finds. (AP Photo / Francisco Munoz)

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Study: 15 million people live under threat of glacial floods

More than half of those are in just four countries: India, Pakistan, Peru and China.

Senate pages Jenna Carpenter and Zaxon Tomaszewski play “Off To The Races” outside the Senate Chambers exactly 15 minutes before the start of the floor session. Pages then perform the tones alerting senators the session is about to start on all floors of the Capitol where the legislators have offices. The House relies on an electronic bell notification that plays the famous clock chime “Westminster Quarters.” (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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The ABCs of the 33rd Legislature

Legislative business isn’t always as simple as 1-2-3.

Members of the Juneau Police Department pose for a group photo during the annual JPD awards ceremony on Monday. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

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JPD honors officers in annual award ceremony

The late Chief Pat Wellington presented with legislative memoriam.

Courtesy Photo / Tanya Nizich JDHS girls basketball team poses for group photo during their four-game road trip in Anchorage. The Crimson Bears played one solo game against Service High School with the remaining three games being part of the Dimond Tournament against Lathrop, Colony and Dimond High Schools.

Sports

JDHS girls basketball goes 3-1 at Dimond Tournament

Crimson Bears beat Service High School in pre-tourny game.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan addresses a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature in the House chambers on Tuesday. The Republican senator, appearing on the same day as Democratic President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech (and thus absent from it), criticized the administration on issues ranging from drugs to opposing resource development in Alaska. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Sullivan applauds, denounces feds in speech to Legislature

Senator praises ferry funds and monitoring of China’s balloon, fears Biden limiting oil project.

President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Washington, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., listen. (Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

News

Biden says in State of Union that U.S. is ‘unbowed, unbroken’

Address comes as the nation struggles to make sense of confounding cross-currents at home and abroad.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, addressing a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature on Tuesday,

News

What sank the Juneau icebreaker plan?

Sullivan, in a “bit of hearsay,” blames last-minute swap for border funds by still-unknown person

The Crimson Bear’s took home second place at the 2023 Alaska DII Hockey State Championships over the weekend to round off another successful season. (Courtesy / Judy Campbell)

Sports

Crimson Bears hockey makes history at state tournament

The team finished second and was honored with the tournament’s sportsmanship award.

Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire Kyle Clayton, Ryan Staska and Brandon Wilks, all members of the Lynn Canal Community Players, perform a staged reading of the play, “The Strange Fate of the Clara Nevada” on Sunday at the Haines Sheldon Museum to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the ship’s sinking in 1898.

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Exhibit shines a light on shipwreck’s history

Haines commemorates 125th anniversary of the Clara Nevada.