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St. Joseph’s Mission Indian Residential School, a site featured in a scene from the new documentary Sugarcane. (Sugarcane Film LLC)

News

A new film highlights the traumas inflicted on Indigenous children by residential schools

This story contains difficult subject matter relating to Canada’s and America’s history of operating residential schools for Indigenous…

Rainforest Recovery Center at Bartlett Regional Hospital officially closed Tuesday. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Closure of Rainforest Recovery Center gets another look as decision called ‘medically irresponsible’

City, hospital leaders to consider options Thursday; halt to other services also discussed by board.

Boys from high schools throughout Southeast Alaska run along the Treadwell Mine Historic Trail during the Capital City Invite 5K last Saturday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Sports

A Crimson Bears cross-country team with ‘really incredible depth’ heads to regions

JDHS competitors in Ketchikan this weekend seeking to earn spot at state meet the following week.

Juneau’s PJ Foy was named to the Junior National Team. (Alaska Sports Report photo)

Sports

Juneau swimmer PJ Foy named to U.S. Junior National Team

Juneau swimmer PJ Foy’s big year just keeps getting better.

Juneau Huskies junior quarterback Noah Ault (1) awaits the snap from junior center Jonah Mahle (54) as junior offensive lineman Kyle Carter (71) and junior running back Samuel Sarof (27) await action during a game against West Anchorage at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park earlier this season. (Klas Stolpe / For the Juneau Empire)

Sports

Juneau Huskies host Bartlett Golden Bears with playoff implications on senior night

JDHS can finish anywhere between fourth and eighth in conference with two games to go.

Rush-hour traffic backs up at a traffic light on Mendenhall Loop Road at the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Mendenhall Boulevard on Oct. 11, 2023. The Juneau Planning Commission approved a roundabout for the intersection on Tuesday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Third roundabout on Mendenhall Loop Road gets planning commission OK despite mound of controversy

Supporters say it will improve safety; opponents say obstructed driver views will increase risk.

Candace Frank gets a red handprint pressed onto her face at the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Rally in Juneau on May 5, 2022. (Lisa Phu / Alaska Beacon)

News

Alaska enacts law to reduce high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous persons

Despite Alaska’s small population, a 2018 report by the Urban Indian Health Institute identified it as the state…

Mike Lane (left), talks to guests Brandi Billings (wearing pink) and Jessica Geary minutes before the first live broadcast in eight months of KINY-AM’s “Problem Corner” on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

‘Problem Corner’ returns to KINY with talk of elections, safe graduations and ‘squishy’ kittens

Station revives live weekday program eight months after halting Alaska’s longest-running radio show.

Downtown Juneau and Douglas on Aug. 22, 2023. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau ranks 11th among 20 most expensive towns with populations between 10,000 and 50,000

Median home value of $404,600 in Alaska’s capital is 4.2 times the median income.

Andy Park, a National Weather Service Juneau meteorologist, shows U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski equipment at the weather station near the Mendenhall Glacier on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Murkowski)

News

Assembly OKs $3M for flood study as Corps of Engineers experts arrive to consider near-term options

Two straight years of major floods “has got the attention” of federal officials, Murkowski says.

Pie charts published in the “Southeast Alaska by the Numbers 2024” report released Tuesday show jobs and earnings by industry in Southeast Alaska in 2023. Among the notable discrepancies are tourism with 18% of jobs and 13% of wages, while mining provided 2% of jobs and 5% of wages. (Rain Coast Data)

News

Study: Southeast tourism thrives, seafood suffers during record year in 2023 for both industries

Largest seafood harvest in a decade results in less income due to low prices, annual study finds.

“We accept this apology,” says Kake elder Ruth Demmert as she addresses the audience at Saturday’s formal apology by the U.S. Navy delivered minutes earlier by Rear Adm. Mark Sucato. The apology in Kake was for the 1869 bombardment and destruction of Kake’s three villages and two forts in winter of that year. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

News

A long time coming: U.S. Navy apologizes for destroying Alaska Native village of Kake in 1869

“From this time forward we will start healing our people,” village president says at historic ceremony.

Caleb Ziegenfuss rolls out to pass for Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé during Saturday’s game against Dimond High School in Anchorage. (Screenshot from Juneau Huskies Football livestream)

Sports

Juneau Huskies can’t unearth Dimond, fall to undefeated Lynx 45-8 in Anchorage

Dimond QB Cayden Pili keeps up family tradition of big performances; Huskies’ home finale next Saturday.

A Hoonah High School runner splashes through a puddle on the Treadwell Mine Historic Trail during the Capital City Invite 5K on Saturday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

A big splash in the mud for about 200 Southeast cross-country runners at Capital City Invite

Sitka makes clean sweep of individual races; JDHS wins both team categories

Rush-hour traffic heads toward downtown on Egan Drive on Friday morning. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

News

How Outer Drive became inner drive: The construction of Egan Drive

In 1970 there was no dispute about need for four-lane highway — conflict was about route across wetlands.

Alaska Army National Guard aviators depart Bethel in a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter on Sept. 23, 2022. Such a helicopter will be stationed in Juneau, officials announced Friday. (Balinda O’Neal / Alaska National Guard)

News

Alaska Army National Guard stations a Black Hawk helicopter in Juneau

Primary purpose is federal training requirements, but it will be available for emergency operations.

A courtroom at the Juneau Courthouse. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau man gets 27 years in prison in plea deal after indictment on 75 child sex abuse and assault charges

Steven Littlefield, 33, abused two children at home between 2016 and 2021, officials say.

The Senate Finance Committee takes public testimony on Senate Bill 114, on Thursday, May 4, 2023, at the Alaska State Capitol. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

News

Public hearings planned for Alaska’s minimum-wage and ranked choice repeal ballot measures

The state of Alaska will hold public hearings Monday and Tuesday on ballot measures that seek to raise…

Vincent Colliard (left) and Børge Ousland examine a map of the Juneau Icefield at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Friday night before giving a presentation about their planned crossing of the icefield. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Two famed polar explorers crossing Juneau Icefield to prove large point about shrinking glaciers

Børge Ousland and Vincent Colliard attempting to cross Earth’s 20 largest icefields in climate campaign.

The Tlingit and Haida Elder Dance Group performs during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Áakʼw Tá Hít building at the University of Alaska Southeast on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

New Áakʼw Tá Hít building at UAS seeks state-of-the art science with traditional wisdom

Building that hosted ribbon-cutting Friday is first at Juneau campus with a primary name in Lingít.