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Cindy Pederson, sets up a display table for raffle items in a hallway at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall during the 88th annual Tribal Assembly of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Peterson, a Seattle resident and delegate for nearly 20 years until taking a job with the tribe’s COVID-19 relief program last year, was named the tribe’s Delegate/Citizen of the Year on Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Delegate/Citizen of the Year surprised by honor during Tribal Assembly

Long-term sustainable housing, and more also discussed on second day.

State Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, receives a note while presiding over public testimony from Juneau residents about next year’s proposed state budget during a Senate Finance Committee meeting Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Public expresses big hopes for small items in Senate’s budget

State takeover of wetlands permitting, lack of support for social services among main issues

Six state House members vote against including an invocation that featured an Alaska Native land acknowledgement during Thursday’s floor session. (Screenshot from official Alaska State Legislature video)

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House invocation with Native land acknowledgement draws objection

Six members vote to keep remarks made from official journal as tribal asssembly meets nearby

This March 10 photo shows fentanyl pills seized by police. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

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State health alert issued for fentanyl mixture

Xylazine is not approved for human use and naloxone will not be able to reverse its effect

Alan Cleveland shares his experiences as a Juneau taxi driver to a packed house at Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church as part of Mudrooms final showcase of the season on Tuesday night. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

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Mudrooms wraps up another successful season

Application period now open for nonprofit beneficiaries.

Southeast Alaska’s Chilkat River is seen on May, 30, 2013. The Chilkat and its main tributary, the Klehini River, are listed among the nation’s most at-risk rivers because of the planned Palmer Project copper and zinc mine being developed upstream from the village of Klukwan. (U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center)

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Looming mine development puts Southeast’s Chilkat-Klehini system on list of endangered rivers

A pair of connected Southeast Alaska waterways are on the 2023 list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers issued…

JDHS sophomore Milina Mazon (11) keeps the ball from TMHS freshman Ariana Gonzales (40) during the two schools second match up of the season on Tuesday at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS girls soccer wins second match up against TMHS

Crimson Bears sit at 4-0 for conference record.

The Eagle/Raven Dance Group completes their grand entrance among delegates Wednesday morning at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall to mark the beginning of the 88th annual tribal assembly of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The theme of three-day assembly, held in person for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is “Sovereignty: In Land We Trust.” (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Tribal Assembly celebrates achievements and faces hard truths

Growth of Tlingit Haida’s community programs and political influence highlighted on first day

The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s representing attorney Philip Baker-Shenk gives a speech Wednesday during the first day of Tlingit and Haida’s 88th annual Tribal Assembly. Baker-Shenk addressed the state of Alaska’s recent lawsuit against the federal government’s approval of the first parcel of land owned by the tribe. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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‘Fear not, drop your lawsuit’: Tribal Assembly keynote speaker talks resiliency of Tlingit and Haida, addresses state’s land trust lawsuit

Assembly keynote speaker talks resiliency of Tlingit Haida, addresses state’s land trust lawsuit

State Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, listens to an overview of the state’s balance sheet under a proposed budget for next year introduced by the Senate Finance Committee during a hearing Wednesday. The budget contains a surplus of more than $1.4 billion, but that’s a misleading number since it doesn’t include Permanent Fund Dividends, an increase in education funding and other spending that are virtually certain to be added following public testimony during the next couple of days. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Senate budget draft includes huge surplus and no PFD

Initial draft also lacks education funding boost, but changes to come after public comment process

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire From left to right, Minta Schwartz, Matthew Quinto, Kyle Khaayák’w Worl, Ezra Elisoff, Leif Richards, Jordan Bennett, Lyric Ashenfelter, Sonny Mazon and Nathan Blake stand alongside City and Borough of Juneau Assembly members Monday night after being honored for their representation of Juneau for Team Alaska at the 2023 Arctic Winter Games.

Sports

Assembly honors Juneau Arctic Winter Games athletes

The athlete’s traveled to Alberta, Canada in February to represent Juneau on Team Alaska.

The badge for the Kenai Police Department

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Police seek information on woman found dead in Kenai

The woman was found Friday near Haller Street and the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai

Former Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor and current Alaska gubernatorial candidate Charlie Pierce speaks at a “Get Out the Vote” rally hosted by the Kenai Peninsula Republican Women at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Kenai Borough to pay more than $237K to settle sexual harassment suit

As part of the settlement, the borough is not admitting any wrongdoing

A gate blocks off the entrance to West Douglas’ Pioneer Road Saturday afternoon. Monday evening the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly voted to reject a proposal from a local company that sought to gain access to provide electric-assisted bicycle tours on the city-owned gravel road. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Assembly votes down proposed Pioneer Road e-bike tours

Assembly member calls for “rare” move to reconsider.

The sun glistens off a totem pole by Tsimshian carver Gyibaawm Laxha David Robert Boxley after it was raised at Overstreet Park Sunday afternoon. The pole is one of the first 12 of 30 totem poles to be raised to create a Kootéeyaa Deiyí (totem pole trail) lining the waterfront in Juneau. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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Totem poles raised along waterfront ahead of trail dedication ceremony

The ceremony will be held late Saturday morning at Heritage Plaza.

Courtesy Photo / Mel Cummins Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School seventh-grader Nixie Schooler poses for a photo after winning this year’s Adidas Nationals Freestyle Wrestling Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri on April 10.

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Nixie Schooler schools competition at Adidas Nationals

“I felt happy and I couldn’t believe I did it.”

Courtesy Photo / Dana Zigmund JDHS junior Xavier Melancon maneuvers past a Thunder Mountain High School player on the pitch at the Adair-Kennedy field Monday evening.

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JDHS boys soccer beats TMHS in second match up

Crimson Bears play again on Thursday.

Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire A simple spreadsheet showing major items being debated in this year’s state budget features user-adjustable options to see what options exist for a balanced spending plan.

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Do-it-yourself state budget balancing kit

These are the major pieces of the puzzle facing lawmakers; how would you make them fit?

Juneau School District Superintendent Bridget Weiss speaks to the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly at its Monday night meeting. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

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City OKs $2.3M in additional ‘out-of-cap’ funding to school district

The funds will pay for deficits accrued during 2021-2023.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy shakes the hands of state legislators as he prepares to deliver the 2023 State of the State address to the Alaska Legislature on Jan. 23, 2023, in Juneau. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

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Dunleavy weighs a statewide sales tax amid broader push for fiscal plan

Governor meets with House and Senate members, declines to publicly reveal specifics of proposal