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Travelers using the all-gender restroom at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport on Dec. 3. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

News

New this holiday season for travelers in transit at Sea- Tac: All-gender restroom and autonomous wheelchairs

Facilities installed earlier this year in Alaska Airlines concourse; single-sex bathrooms still available.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (left) talks with U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and local leaders during an Aug. 7 visit to a Mendenhall Valley neighborhood hit by record flooding. (Photo provided by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office)

News

Dunleavy to Trump: Give us Mendenhall Lake; nix feds’ control of statewide land, wildlife, tribal issues

Governor asks president-elect for Alaska-specific executive order on dozens of policy actions.

Members of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls and boys basketball teams pose above and below the new signage and plaque for the George Houston Gymnasium on Monday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

George Houston Gymnasium adds another touch of class

Second phase of renaming honor for former coach brings in more red.

A family ice skates and perfects their hockey prowess on Mendenhall Lake, below Mendenhall Glacier, outside of Juneau, Alaska, Nov. 24, 2024. The state’s capital, a popular cruise port in summer, becomes a bargain-seeker’s base for skiing, skating, hiking and glacier-gazing in the winter off-season. (Christopher S. Miller/The New York Times)

News

NY Times: Juneau becomes a deal-seeker’s base for skiing, skating, hiking and glacier-gazing in winter

Newspaper’s “Frugal Traveler” columnist writes about winter side of summer cruise destination.

Dozens of residents pack into a Juneau Assembly meeting at City Hall on Monday night, where a proposal that would require property owners in flood-vulnerable areas to pay thousands of dollars apiece for the installation of protective flood barriers was discussed. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Assembly OKs lowering flood barrier payment for property owners to about $6,300 rather than $8,000

Amended ordinance makes city pay higher end of 60/40 split, rather than even share.

The Holiday Cup has been a community favorite event for years. This 2014 photo shows the Jolly Saint Kicks and Reigning Snowballs players in action. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Holiday Cup soccer action brings community spirit to the pitch

Every Christmas name imaginable heads a cast of futbol characters starting Wednesday.

Hayden Aube and Ivan Shockley go head to head on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, during the Region V wrestling tournament in Haines. Eleven Crimson Bears earned individual titles, 12 placed second meaning that 23 are headed to state in Anchorage next weekend. (Rashah McChesney/Chilkat Valley News)

Sports

Crimson Bears wrestlers snare Region V championship

11 earn individual titles, 12 place second, 23 head to state

Smokin’ Old Geezers Jesse Stringer, Brandon Ivanowicz, Steve Ricci, Juan Orozco Jr., John Bursell and John Nagel at the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships on Saturday at University Place, Washington. (Photo courtesy S.O.G.)

Sports

Smokin’ Old Geezers compete at national club cross-country championships

Group of adult Juneau runners hope to inspire others to challenge themselves.

A map shows properties within a proposed Local Improvement District whose owners could be charged nearly $8,000 each for the installation of a semi-permanent levee to protect the area from floods. (City and Borough of Juneau map)

News

Assembly holding public hearing on $8K per-property flood district as other agreements, arguments persist

City, Forest Service, tribal council sign $1M study pact; citizens’ group video promotes lake levee.

Members of the Home Health and Hospice program at Bartlett Regional Hospital, and family members of people who’ve been in such programs, gather for “Light Up a Life” community celebration Friday evening at the hospital. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Stabilizing local hospice and home health services celebrated as a gift at holiday gathering

“Light Up a Life” at Bartlett Regional Hospital offers tributes to those receiving end-of-life care.

Law enforcement officers from several agencies accompanied by local youths purchase Christmas gifts at Fred Meyer on Saturday during the annual Shop With a Cop event. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

In the presents of peace officers: Record-high 61 kids pick out gifts in annual Shop With A Cop

Officers from multiple agencies help pick out and wrap gifts for 32 families Saturday.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior goalie Caleb Friend (1) controls the net as Soldotna’s Daniel Heath (10) and JDHS senior Loren Platt (26) play a puck during the Crimson Bears 2-0 win over the Stars on Saturday at Treadwell Ice Arena. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS’ Friend holds clean sheet in 2-0 win over Soldotna

Northern Lights Conference battle shines on Crimson Bears, not Stars

Students arrive at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé for the first day of the 2024-25 school year Aug. 15. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Allure of student-created viral videos is fueling vicious brawls at U.S. schools

JDHS assistant principal: Cellphones are top way of soliciting, advertising “and almost glorifying” fights.

A network of pipelines, seen on Aug. 23, 2018, snakes through a portion of the Greater Prudhoe Bay Unit on Alaska’s North Slope. Oil production is expected to increase in coming years, but revenue is expected to decline, in large part because of lower oil prices, accordign to the newest forecast from the Alaska Department of Revenue. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

News

Lower prices dim expectations for Alaska oil earnings in coming years, revenue forecast says

North Slope production is expected to start rising, but revenues to state will decline this decade.

Soldotna’s Keegan Myrick and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Caden Morris battle for a puck during Friday’s 4-3 Crimson Bears’ loss to the visiting Stars at Treadwell Ice Arena. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Stars eclipse Crimson Bears

JDHS hockey team falls to visiting Soldotna skaters.

Members of the Juneau Symphony, Vox Borealis and Sitka Holiday Brass rehearse for an annual Holiday Cheer concert Friday at Thunder Mountain Middle School. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Making 30 sound as one — and 11 sound as 60 — at annual Holiday Cheer concert this weekend

Juneau Symphony, Vox Borealis and Sitka Holiday Brass performs Saturday and Sunday at TMMS.

The Planned Parenthood location in Juneau, seen here in June of 2023, is now closed permanently. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Planned Parenthood in Juneau closes, making Anchorage the nearest location for abortion access

Organization cites need to consolidate resources to ensure continuation of services in region.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy explains details of his proposed state budget for next year during a press conference Thursday at the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Gov. Dunleavy’s budget nixes education increase, pays $3,838 PFD and incurs $1.5B deficit

Proposal sets up battle with Legislature that in past has resulted in more school money and smaller PFDs.

The 2024-25 Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears Girls Basketball team. Standing, from left-to-right, senior Kerra Baxter (22), junior Gwen Nizich (11), freshman Lydia Goins (15), senior Addison Wilson (10), sophomore Layla Tokuoka (14), junior Cambry Lockhart (3), sophomore June Troxel (5), senior Mary Johnson (4), freshman Sadie Lockhart (13), sophomore Bergen Erickson (12), freshman Athena Warr (21) and senior Cailynn Baxter (23). Seated l-r: Senior manager Nadia Wilson, head coach Tanya Nizich, assistant coaches Jasmine James, Angie Kemp, Nicole Fenumiai, and junior manager Jadyn Cook. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Crimson Bears girls basketball has roster for state title

Combining of two schools sets high expectations, but region and state are daunting.

A man is searched by a Juneau Police Department officer as he arrested April 17 after causing disturbances at the Alaska State Capitol and State Office Building. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Legislators skip adding TSA-style security checks at Alaska’s Capitol, approve other safety measures

Proposal to screen visitors at entrance tabled for future discussion; moving mailroom offsite OK’d.