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The Alaska State Museum is seen in the fall sun on Wednesday. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

News

Grant increases museum access for Alaska Native artists and culture bearers

The Access to Alaska Native Collections grant is part of a broader movement.

A person seen at an entrance sign to the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is being sought by the Juneau Police Department following several instances of swastikas being spray painted at locations in the Mendenhall Valley in recent days. (Juneau Police Department)

News

Man sought following multiple incidents of swastika graffiti in the Mendenhall Valley

Several incidents of swastikas being spray painted at locations in the Mendenhall Valley have been reported since Wednesday,…

The Black Bear chairlift at Eaglecrest Ski Area may be closed throughout the 2024-25 ski season due to mechanical problems. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)

Sports

Eaglecrest facing rocky ski season due to loss of Black Bear lift, problems with snowmaking system

One of two mountaintop lifts may close all season; report says snowmaking needs “immediate safety upgrades.”

Rep. Laddie Shaw, R-Anchorage, is surrounded by education advocates as he enters the House chambers before a veto override vote on Senate Bill 140 on Monday, March 18, 2024. Shaw voted no on the override, which failed by a single vote. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

News

Alaska legislative panel bans large signs in the state Capitol after education protest

Signs limited to 11x17” and can’t be attached to posts or sticks, according to new visitor policy.

A newly installed Forest Service sign orients recreators on the reconstructed Fish Creek bridge, one of 64 bridges that were rebuilt along the 14-mile trail. (Photo by Dave Haas)

News

From a mining aqueduct to recreational gold: The restoration of the Treadwell Ditch Trail

Community members, agencies team up to work on trail with nearly 150-year-old history

An aerial view of part of Southeast Alaska’s Kensington gold mine. (James Brooks via Wikipedia under Creative Commons 2.0)

News

Dozens of fish died near the Kensington mine. Two months later, state regulators haven’t determined what killed them.

Scientists say circumstances suggest a water quality problem, but awaiting data from mine’s operator.

Juneau Board of Education President Deedie Sorensen (left) and Vice President Emil Mackey (right), with his son Emil Mackey IV between them, listen to a presentation during a school board retreat at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on Saturday, Sept 28. Recall votes for both board members are failing in the initial vote tally in this year’s municipal election. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

School board that made lots of changes appears it will remain the same after election

Three incumbents leading by large margins; recall petitions against two members failing

32 Chunk is competing in this year’s Fat Bear Week, after he made a lot of progress on his salmon-eating goals this summer. (E. Johnston/National Park Service)

News

Ten years in, Fat Bear Week has drawn millions of viewers to a live webcam in Alaska

Weeklong competition in Katmai National Park culminates Tuesday after delayed start due to a death.

A dropoff box for ballots at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Updated election results show no change as turnout surpasses last year’s total vote

Ballots from 34.27% of voters tallied as of Friday, final results expected Oct 15; last year’s total 33.98%.

Juneau Huskies’ senior Jayden Johnson (4) runs for a 51-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter of Friday night’s game against Colony High School in Palmer. Johnson scored five touchdowns in the first half as Juneau defeated Colony 42-6. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Jayden Johnson puts on super-hot show on frigid night as Huskies run over Colony 42-6

Juneau senior runs for 5 TDs, more than 150 yards in first half; Huskies enter playoffs as likely…

Aaron Jacobs (lower right), a National Weather Service Juneau hydrologist, provides an update about the status of Suicide Basin during a special meeting of the Juneau Assembly on Thursday. (Screenshot from official livestream of Juneau Assembly meeting)

News

Expert: Major flood from Suicide Basin this fall now appears highly unlikely

Basin would take 145 days to fill at current rate as colder weather sets in, Assembly members told.

The new course along the Bartlett High School Trails for the ASAA State Cross Country Running Championships on Saturday. (Alaska School Activities Association map)

Sports

State’s best cross-country runners will race on new championship course

About 460 athletes, including 14 from JDHS, take on twists, turns and variety along trail on Saturday.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 3, 1984. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Oct.5

Three decades of capital city coverage.

An early voting station is set up in the atrium of the State Office Building in Juneau on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, the first day of early voting for the 2024 Alaska primary election. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

News

Alaska’s voter registration deadline is Sunday, but most residents don’t need to worry

Sunday, Oct. 6, is the deadline to register as an Alaska voter for the November general election.

Supporters of Mayor Beth Weldon and Juneau Assembly candidate Neil Steininger wave signs to motorists on Egan Drive at the Douglas Bridge intersection on Tuesday morning. Both are well ahead in their two-candidate races in the first batch of ballots tallied Tuesday night, with official results scheduled to be certified on Oct. 15. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Leaders in mayoral, Assembly races cautiously ponder issues ahead as more ballots tallied

Mayor Beth Weldon, Assembly hopeful Neil Steininger have solid leads; Maureen Hall a narrower edge

The Donlin Gold airstrip, with the camp at the far end on the right, is seen from the air on Aug. 11, 2022. The mine site is in the hilly terrain near Southwest Alaska’s winding Kuskokwim River. The mine won a key permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2018, but a federal judge ruled on Monday that the environmental study on which that permit was based was flawed because it failed to consider the impacts of a catastrophic dam failure. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

News

Federal judge faults environmental analysis for planned huge gold mine in Western Alaska

Regulators failed to consider impacts of a dam failure when issuing Donlin mine permit, judge rules.

Dan Kenkel sets up an election sign outside City Hall as in-person voting begins at 7 a.m. Tuesday in Juneau’s municipal election. Voting locations and ballot dropoff boxes are open until 8 p.m. tonight.

News

Election Day arrives with Assembly, school board, municipal bond and cruise ship items on ballot

In-person voting and dropoff boxes open until 8 p.m.; initial results expected sometime after 10 p.m.

Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau is among the state prisons housing inmates whose names were included in material improperly accessible to the public on a website for months, according to officials. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Update: Inmate records improperly online for months contained fictitious health data, company says

Investigation rebuts illegal health data leak accusations by ACLU, which still finds fault with explanation

Juneau Municipal Clerk Beth McEwen (right) and Deputy Clerk Diane Cathcart await the arrival of election materials as early ballots are counted at the Thane Ballot Processing Center on Tuesday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Ship-Free Saturday losing, Weldon leads mayor’s race, school board recalls failing in early election results

Unofficial partial count shows Steininger, Hall leading Assembly races; school board incumbents also ahead.

Workers install Hesco Barriers along the Los Angeles River to protect against El Niño flooding in 2016. Similar barriers along the Mendenhall River are being considered by Juneau city leaders. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)

News

Building blocks toward flood prevention being sought by city, community group

Four-mile levy using giant sand barriers proposed to Assembly; neighborhood group seeks own solutions.