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Zuill Bailey, artistic director for the Juneau Jazz and Classics festival, performs on cello during the Juneau Maritime Festival on Saturday. JJAC is among the organizations receiving a termination notice Friday of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Local arts and culture programs in crosshairs of latest cuts by Trump administration

Perseverance Theatre, music programs, public library’s statewide remote services hit by fund cancellations.

Tessa Hulls, an author who moved to Juneau during the winter, at the Alaska State Capitol on Monday after her graphic novel “Feeding Ghosts” won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in the Memoir or Autobiography category. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Juneau author Tessa Hulls wins Pulitzer Prize for graphic memoir ‘Feeding Ghosts’

Book entwines grandmother, mother and author on journey of politics and identity from China to points worldwide.

Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, at left, and former state Sen. Click Bishop, at right, have each filed letters of intent signaling they will run for governor in 2026. (Alaska Beacon file photos)

News

Republicans Nancy Dahlstrom and Click Bishop are first to file for 2026 Alaska governor’s race

Bishop says he plans listening sessions with voters across the state before campaigning in earnest.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Milina Mazon signs a Northwest Athletic Conference Letter of Intent on Monday in the JDHS commons to attend Edmonds College in Lynnwood, Washington, and play soccer for the Tritons. Shown from left are mother Heidi, sister Asianna, Milina, brother Sam and father Sonny. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Milina Mazon signs to play college soccer

JDHS senior commits to Edmonds College Tritons.

Phil Huebschen is departing as executive director of the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council on May 14. (Juneau Arts and Humanities Council photo)

News

Phil Huebschen stepping down after two years as head of Juneau Arts and Humanities Council

No reason stated for departure, which comes after JAHC faces DEI and funding pressure from Trump.

Selah Judge, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences, gives the student speech at the University of Alaska Southeast commencement on Sunday, May 4, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

University of Alaska Southeast’s commencement celebrates cultural diversity

“You are the mountains that we can live upon.”

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior defender Reed Maier (19) marks an attack by West Anchorage senior Noah Robinson during the Crimson Bears’ 1-1 tie with the Eagles on Friday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS boys defense keeps pitch even against West Anchorage

Crimson Bears played state-ranked Eagles through rain and wind.

The Alaska Senate Finance Committee meets on Friday, May 2, 2025. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

News

Alaska Senate committee’s draft budget has a surplus — and that’s a sign of trouble

Committee leaders say they’ve created a “buffer” against a huge expected deficit in 2026.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Riley Fick throws a pitch during the Crimson Bears’ 10-0 victory over Ketchikan at Norman Walker Field on Friday. (Christopher Mullen/Ketchikan Daily News)

Sports

JDHS baseball plays triple-header at Ketchikan

Crimson Bears sweep Kings as rain forced game consolidation

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore June Troxel catches a pop-up during the Crimson Bears’ 10-5 loss to Ketchikan at Dudley Field on Friday. (Christopher Mullen/Ketchikan Daily News)

Sports

Rain dampens JDHS softball play at Ketchikan

Crimson Bears lose rain delayed doubleheader to Kings.

A path leading from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in 1962. (U.S. Forest Service photo)

News

The original road to the glacier

Despite the flurry of activity and development proposals in the 1960s, the first road to the glacier was…

The State Office Building in downtown Juneau on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

State, employees’ union reach tentative agreement on 11% pay hike over three years

Deal will also significantly boost state’s health insurance contribution if OK’d by workers, lawmakers.

West Anchorage and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé players react to the Eagles’ game-winning goal by senior Hattie Luckasson (5) during the Crimson Bears’ 2-1 loss to the Eagles on Saturday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS girls soccer team falls 2-1 to West Anchorage

Crimson Bears score first, Eagles win second half.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Kai Ciambor (14) puts a shot past West Anchorage senior Porter Youngman (19) and sophomore Nathan Conlon (12) during the Crimson Bears’ 7-1 loss to the Eagles on Saturday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS boys pitched 7-1 by West Anchorage

Crimson Bears outplayed, but not overmatched against Eagles.

Laa.éi Kathleen John leads the Yées Ḵu.oo dance group through the Haida entrance song at the Juneau Maritime Festival on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

A merry 15th annual Juneau Maritime Festival despite the rain

“This kind of feels like it’s just for us.”

Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighter Jenna Habig transports a hospital gurney in an undated photo. (Photo courtesy of Jesse Inman)

News

Juneau firefighters’ union sounds the alarm on delayed ambulance response times this summer

The concerns arise from a decline in staff and a rise in tourism.

People in Juneau gather in the rain at the Alaska State Capitol for a global May Day protest on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

‘Mayday, Mayday’: Protesters and Liz Cheney urge wake-up call for defending democracy

Unity and solidarity expressed in rainfall on International Workers’ Day.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore forward Clairee Overson (18) moves a ball past West Anchorage freshman Kiana Isenberg (28) during the Crimson Bears 0-0 tie with the Eagles on Friday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. Overson earned the Crimson Bears’ Hard Hat Award in the game. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS soccer girls play even with West Anchorage

Crimson Bears and Eagles go scoreless on the pitch.

Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon and Deputy Mayor Greg Smith discuss the city’s proposed budget for next year during a pair of meetings by Assembly members Wednesday night at City Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Assembly moves forward on mill rate and utility fee hikes, $10M school projects bond

Juneau leaders opt against utility projects bond, put seasonal sales tax on hold for further study.

The city of Hoonah is seeking to incorporate as a borough with a large tract of surrounding area that includes most of Glacier Bay National Park and a few tiny communities. (Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development photo)

News

Election to incorporate new Xunaa Borough, and select its Assembly and school board, set for July 15

Approval would form Alaska’s 20th borough; result in dissolution of Hoonah’s municipal government.