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Flags fly outside the Juneau Arts and Culture Center on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, shortly before the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council’s 50-year anniversary celebration the same week. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau Arts and Humanities Council bans DEI on ‘public facing documents’ due to funding threat

Executive director: No events cancelled, “racial equity” and other deleted website content being rewritten.

Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson, president of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, takes questions from delegates at its 90th annual Tribal Assembly on Wednesday at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Large advances, challenges to Tlingit and Haida’s sovereignty highlighted in State of the Tribe address

Emergency response during last year’s record flood a landmark moment, but Trump’s policies a concern.

Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson, president of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, delivers his State of the Tribe speech to delegates during the opening of the 89th annual Tribal Assembly on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. This year’s three-day tribal assembly is scheduled to start Wednesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Tlingit and Haida’s 90th tribal assembly will feature constitutional convention amidst ‘crazy times’

Impacts of federal and state turmoil on tribal issues likely to loom large at three-day gathering.

The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

Local collaborators cruise through first day of visitor season

U.S. Forest Service, partners optimistic about ability to provide a high-quality visitor experience.

A map shows the area to the west of Lynn Canal where state transportation officials are seeking proposals to study a road and/or other transportation linking Juneau and other communities. (Google Maps)

News

Senate claws back $37 million in Juneau Access funds to help pass next year’s capital budget

Funds rediverted for statewide use a month after DOT seeks new studies for “dead” access project.

Haines seniors, left-to-right, Ari’el Godinez Long, Ashlyn Ganey and Emma Dohrn pose at the AABC Alaska Senior All-Star Game on Saturday at Anchorage’s Grace Christian High School. (Photo courtesy Ashlyn Ganey)

Sports

Local senior hoopsters play last minutes as all-stars

AABC 16th annual event showcases Alaska basketball talent

A poster in the Native and Rural Student Center at the University of Alaska Southeast reads “Alaska is diverse, and so are our educators.” (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

University of Alaska holds virtual town hall to address fear and stress in changing federal landscape

Students, faculty and staff ask about protecting international students, Alaska Native programs.

Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell, the featured guest artists for the 50th Alaska Folk Festival, perform the final concert of the weeklong event at Centennial Hall on Sunday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

50th Alaska Folk Festival is one for the records

Capacity crowds, Grammy-winning artists, sellout of merchandise, future film make for resounding week.

Welcome messages in multiple languages are painted on windows at the University of Alaska Anchorage at the start of the semester in January. (University of Alaska Anchorage photo)

News

Juneau refugee family gets ‘leave immediately’ notice; four people affiliated with UAA have visas revoked

Actions part of nationwide sweep as Trump ignores legal orders against detentions, deportations.

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears track team had a strong showing against the Kodiak Bears in the Bears Dual On The Rock meet at Kodiak over the weekend. (Photo courtesy JDHS track)

Sports

Traveling Crimson Bears tear up Kodiak Bears

JDHS wins Bears Dual On The Rock track invitational

(Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

Sports

JDHS softball finishes Sitka Tournament

Crimson Bears go 3-3-1 on the road, now prepare to host.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin arrives at the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan during her defamation lawsuit against The New York Times on Feb. 4 2022. Palin’s yearslong defamation case against The New York Times, potentially testing the extent of First Amendment protections for journalists, will soon go to trial in federal court in Manhattan.(Stephanie Keith/The New York Times)

News

Palin v. New York Times heads back to trial

The case centers on the former Alaska governor’s claim that an editorial published in 2017 defamed her.

Power remained on in downtown Juneau on Sunday night, while two damaged poles left much of the rest of the town in the dark. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Damaged power poles knocks out electricity to Valley, other northern parts of Juneau

Repairs to outage that occurred Sunday evening expected by midnight, ALE&P says.

The chambers of the Alaska House of Representatives are seen on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

News

Alaska House votes to cut proposed dividend, but huge deficit remains unresolved

Surpise vote with three Republicans absent drops proposed dividend to about $1,400 per recipient.

Rep. Sara Hannan (D-Juneau), left, confers with Rep. Alyse Galvin (I-Anchorage) during a break in a House floor session on March 10, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau lawmaker’s bill allowing ‘snow classics’ as statewide charitable gaming activity passes House

Local Nordic ski club among groups hoping to use snowfall guessing contests as fundraisers.

Athletes from the Petersburg High School track and field team run sprints at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Saturday. The Vikings don’t have a true sized track and field facility and have made the trip to Juneau in past preseasons as well. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

No track, no problem for Petersburg Vikings

PHS track and field team hones skills at Thunder Mountain

U.S. Forest Service Juneau District Ranger Michael Downs and Barb Miranda, acting supervisor for the Tongass National Forest, answer questions at a Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

Tourism leaders in Juneau expect the unexpected for the 2025 visitor season

Impacts of tariffs and federal firings will be navigated this summer by both tourists and locals.

A sign seen on Wednesday advertises rental availability at an apartment building in Anchorage’s Turnagain neighborhood. Residential rental costs in Alaska are now on par with the national median, a change from the past, when Alaska was had the most expensive residental rental prices, state economists have found. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

News

In turnaround, median rental cost in Alaska is now down to the national median

Rental costs have risen nationwide, but the increases in Alaska have been slower than elsewhere.

The emergency cold-weather warming shelter is seen in Thane on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

Warming shelter closes Tuesday, with staff highlighting its improvements this winter

A solution is needed for the summer as people using the shelter will return to dispersed camping.

Lucy Nieboer brings an audience member to the stage at the Crystal Saloon in Juneau Tuesday night for an imrpomptu speech about the Haines Pool. That was during the set of relevantly-named Keep the Pool Open (Will Steinfeld/Chilkat Valley News)

News

Musicians travel to Juneau to play for ‘Haines Night’ at 50th Folk Festival

Festival continues through Sunday at Centennial Hall and JACC, along with related music around downtown.