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The children's book "I Would Tuck You In," illustrated by Mitchell Thomas Watley, is shown at a bookstore in Portland, Ore. in this April 5, 2023 photo. Publisher Sasquatch books, owned by Penguin Random House, said Wednesday, April 5, 2023, it has ended its publishing relationship with Watley after he was arrested on allegations of leaving violent, transphobic notes in stores around Juneau, Alaska. Watley told police he was motivated by fear following a deadly school shooting in Nashville that sparked online backlash about the shooter's gender identity, court records show. (AP Photo/Claire Rush)

News

Publisher drops children’s illustrator for anti-trans notes

Sasquatch Books said it has ended the publishing relationship, will discontinue selling the books.

Glacier Swim Club’s Joshua Edwards come up for air during a competition race in the Savannah Cayce Southeast Championship at Juneau’s Dimond Aquatic Center this weekend. Edwards placed third as an individual scorer in the 13/14-year-old boys age group. (Courtesy / Phil Loseby)

Sports

Glacier Swim Club dominates during weekend home meet, eyes state title

The team has had a record-breaking season

All chairs for minority members of the Alaska State House except for Minority Leader Calvin Schrage are empty during Wednesday’s floor session after absent members fled the Alaska State Capitol over a dispute with the majority about an increase in education funding. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Education funding fight prompts House minority walkout

Republican-led majority revokes funding increase as minority threatens to withhold CBR vote

Members of the Thane Community Garden hold a sign and pose for a group photo at the location of where the new communal garden is being constructed just outside of downtown Juneau over the Sheep Creek bridge. (Courtesy Photo / Judy Sherburne)

News

New community garden coming to downtown neighborhood

Seeds are expected to be planted next month.

Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his legal team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. Trump is appearing in court on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime. (AP Photo / Seth Wenig)

News

Donald Trump in New York City courtroom for arraignment

Trump himself described the experience as “SURREAL.”

Trainer Marcia Hinton pets Lolita, a captive orca whale, during a performance at the Miami Seaquarium in Miami, March 9, 1995. An unlikely coalition made up of a theme park owner, an animal rights group, a mayor and a philanthropist who owns an NFL team announced Thursday, March 30, 2023, that a plan is in place to return Lolita — an orca that has lived in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 50 years — to its home waters in the Pacific Northwest. (Nuri Vallbona / Miami Herald)

News

How to release a long-captive orca?

An ambitious plan was announced last week to return a killer whale long held captive to her home.

An ice-covered ConocoPhillips sign is displayed at the Colville-Delta 5, or as it's more commonly known, CD5, drilling site on Alaska's North Slope, Feb. 9, 2016. Construction can proceed related to a major oil project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope after a federal judge on Monday, April 3, 2023, rejected requests to halt work until challenges to the Biden administration’s recent approval are resolved. (AP Photo / Mark Thiessen)

News

Alaska oil plan opponents lose 1st fight over Willow project

Judge said the groups did not succeed in showing it would cause irreparable harm before she makes a…

Jo March (Ema Zivkovic) reacts to an overture from one-time playmate Theodore "Laurie" Laurence (Jack Scholz) during rehearsal for Perseverance Theatre and University of Alaska Anchorage's Department of Theatre and Dance's upcoming production of "Little Women."

News

Get ready for Marches in April

It’s almost the big day for “Little Women.”

Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire A collection of books including LGBTQ-friendly titles are displayed in the storefront window of Alaska Robotics in downtown Juneau on Tuesday. The store, which featured books and cards illustrated by local artist Mitchell Watley, removed them following his arrest Sunday for allegedly placing transphobic notes threatening violence against children at locations around town.

News

Local stores remove artist’s work following arrest

Children’s books and cards pulled after man accused of posting transphobic notes.

Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, co-chair of the House Finance Committee, speaks in favor of an amendment to restore partial funding for a single Department of Law employee during a 45-minute debate on the proposal Tuesday. Such debates resulted in lots of discussion, but few changes in the House’s proposed budget for next year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Education gets short-term boost, but budget battle drags on

House looks to pass budget this week, but Senate, governor — and OPEC — also affecting spending plans

Ed Sniffen, former acting attorney general for Alaska, appears in an Anchorage courtroom for an evidentiary hearing on Jan. 5, 2023. Sniffen was indicted in September 2022 on three felony charges of sexual abuse of a minor in 1991. On Friday, March 31, 2023, a judge dismissed the sex abuse case against Sniffen, citing the statute of limitations in place when the alleged abuse happened over 30 years earlier. (Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News)

News

Sex abuse case against ex-Alaska attorney general thrown out

A judge cited the statute of limitations in dismissing the case.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Opinion

Opinion: Building cross-border trust means cleaning up the Tulsequah Chief

Why does unacceptable toxic discharge into the Taku watershed continue?

People queue with their cars at a gas station in Frankfurt, Germany, on Aug. 31, 2022, the last day when the government's fuel prize discount is in effect. Major oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia have said they're throttling back supplies of crude — again. And this time, the decision to cut back was a surprise that is underlining worries about where the global economy might be headed. (AP Photo / Michael Probst)

News

Oil producers’ cuts could boost gasoline prices, help Russia

Here are key things to know about the cutbacks…

This map shows the location of the Willow oil-drilling project in Alaska’s Western Arctic, which the Biden administration approved March 13. (Associated Press)

News

Willow-related construction allowed as lawsuits play out

ConocoPhillips Alaska can forge ahead with cold-weather construction work.

The sun partially sines on the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in February. The center will be closed for most of April for seasonal staff training and to prepare the center for summer visitors. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center to be closed for most of April

Closure allows prep for summer.

Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire Rep. Justin Ruffridge works in the Alaska State Capitol building on March 28 in Juneau. Rep. Justin Ruffridge works in the Alaska State Capitol building on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Juneau, Alaska. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire) Rep. Justin Ruffridge works in the Alaska State Capitol building on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Juneau, Alaska. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)

News

House bill aims to boost Alaska Performance Scholarship use

The scholarship is awarded to support education after high school graduation

Judge Kirsten Swanson imposes strict conditions, including staying away from schools and other places children frequent, for Mitchell Thomas Watley to be released from jail after his arrest Sunday for allegedly placing transphobic notes in at least three public locations since Friday that referred to shooting children. Watley, who participated by phone from Lemon Creek Correctional Center, had his first hearing in the case Monday afternoon at the Juneau Courthouse. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Man arrested for allegedly posting notes that reference shooting children

Suspect said he spread leaflets out of fear of Tennessee shooter, according to police.

This March 28, 2023, photo shows Bruce Boolowon, left, posing with Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, the adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard, during a ceremony in Gambell, Alaska. Saxe presented Alaska Heroism Medals to Boolowon, the last surviving guardsman who helped rescue 11 Navy crewmen after they crash landed on St. Lawrence Island on June 22, 1955, and to the family members of 15 other guardsman who are now deceased. (AP Photo / Mark Thiessen)

News

Alaska Native Scouts honored 67 years after rescuing Navy crew

“I’m glad we did our duty as a guardsman.”

Lee Richards, a Thunder Mountain High School sophomore, gets ready to let an arrow fly during this year’s Traditional Games held Saturday and Sunday at the high school in Juneau. This year’s games were the first to feature archery. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Target acquired: Traditional Games see archery debut, record number of athletes

Dozens of teams, over 200 athletes compete.

Nancy Barnes leads the Yees Ku.oo Dancers through a performance for the opening ceremony of the sixth annual Traditional Games this Saturday at Thunder Mountain High School. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

News

Opening ceremony adds celebratory atmosphere to Traditional Games

“It just means a lot to be here.”