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Heidi Drygas, executive director of the Alaska State Employees Association, leads a cheer on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

State employee salary study misses another deadline, prompting House resolution demanding to see data

Critics say Dunleavy administration is withholding results showing state pay is uncompetitive.

Heidi Drygas, executive director of the Alaska State Employees Association, leads a cheer on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Murkowski votes to oppose Canada tariffs, Sullivan votes in support

Vote largely symbolic since resolution lacks support in the Republican-controlled U.S. House.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anchorage, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 15 on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in the Alaska House of Representatives. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska Legislature approves bill allowing teenage alcohol servers at restaurants, breweries

The Alaska Legislature has voted to allow teenagers as young as 18 to serve alcohol in the state. On Wednesday, the Alaska House of Representatives… Continue reading

Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anchorage, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 15 on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in the Alaska House of Representatives. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
A school bus drives in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska Senate committee advances school funding bill with $1,000 per student formula boost

Senate Education Committee amended House Bill 69 with policy changes, including capping class sizes.

A school bus drives in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé girls soccer seniors pose for a photo during Wednesday practice at Thunder Mountain Middle School. Front row left to right are Alyssa Lawhorne, Adelyn Buss, Milina Mazon, Priscilla Lam and Cerys Hudson. Back row left to right are Alison Tingey, Dori Germain, Parker Boman, Daniela Lamas, Natalie Travis and Ella Orsborn. Not pictured are Mary Canapary, Lena Field and Lola Hines. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Soccer teams open with DI Eagle River

New season, new conference as Crimson Bears rise up.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé girls soccer seniors pose for a photo during Wednesday practice at Thunder Mountain Middle School. Front row left to right are Alyssa Lawhorne, Adelyn Buss, Milina Mazon, Priscilla Lam and Cerys Hudson. Back row left to right are Alison Tingey, Dori Germain, Parker Boman, Daniela Lamas, Natalie Travis and Ella Orsborn. Not pictured are Mary Canapary, Lena Field and Lola Hines. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at an event where he announced new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. President Trump unveiled his most expansive tariffs to date in a ceremony at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, saying he would impose a 10 percent tariff on all trading partners. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

Trump imposes vast global tariffs; some key partners hit hard

©10% tariff for all countries; trading partners like China, Japan and Europe face significantly higher rates.

  • Apr 2, 2025
  • By Ana Swanson, Alan Rappeport and Tony Romm ©2025 The New York Times Company
  • Donald TrumpTariffs
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at an event where he announced new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. President Trump unveiled his most expansive tariffs to date in a ceremony at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, saying he would impose a 10 percent tariff on all trading partners. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)
Tidal Echoes editors Annie Kessler and Adonis Scalia holding 2025 editions (Photo from @uas.tidalechoes on Instagram)

Tidal Echoes launches 2025 literary and arts journal Friday at UAS

Featured artist Mark Sixby and writer Corinna Cook will discuss works at unveiling.

Tidal Echoes editors Annie Kessler and Adonis Scalia holding 2025 editions (Photo from @uas.tidalechoes on Instagram)
Metlakatla senior Brody Booth (12) scores over Seward’s Lane Petersen and Jack Lindquisst (1) during their 3rd/5th-place game Saturday at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 2A State Basketball Championships at UAA’s Avis Sports Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Metlakatla Chiefs fall in third-place game at state 2A basketball tournament

Girls from Metlakatla also come up short in 4th/6th-place game.

Metlakatla senior Brody Booth (12) scores over Seward’s Lane Petersen and Jack Lindquisst (1) during their 3rd/5th-place game Saturday at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 2A State Basketball Championships at UAA’s Avis Sports Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Hydaburg’s Devin Edenshaw looks for a move against Hoonah’s (#2) during a C bracket game Sunday at the the 76th Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament on Sunday, March 23, at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Opening day of 76th Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament sets the bar high

Big games, little games, games of all shapes and sizes are underway at weeklong tournament at JDHS.

Hydaburg’s Devin Edenshaw looks for a move against Hoonah’s (#2) during a C bracket game Sunday at the the 76th Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament on Sunday, March 23, at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Clockwise from top center: Malia Towne, Mackenzie Englishoe, Sophie Swope and Jazmyn Lee Vent. (Image by Mer Young/High Country News)

How Alaska Native youth are protecting the land for their future ancestors

Four women devoting careers to preservation of Indigenous lifeways under threat in Alaska.

  • Apr 2, 2025
  • By Lyndsey Brollini and Meghan Sullivan, High Country News
  • Alaska Natives
Clockwise from top center: Malia Towne, Mackenzie Englishoe, Sophie Swope and Jazmyn Lee Vent. (Image by Mer Young/High Country News)
Art by Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher will be featured at The Bear’s Lair as part of First Friday in April. (Juneau Arts and Humanities Council photo)

Here’s what’s happening for First Friday in April

A poster tribute leading up to the 50th Alaska Folk Festival and composing spontaneous stories of 55 words or less are among the activities during… Continue reading

Art by Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher will be featured at The Bear’s Lair as part of First Friday in April. (Juneau Arts and Humanities Council photo)
Signs at the front of the Alaska State Capitol on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, indicate a designated entrance for legislators and their staff, and direct members of the public to a separate door. The signs were in anticipation of a security screening policy that was put on hold, but on Monday a similar policy was approved by the Legislative Council. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Airport-style security screening coming soon to Alaska State Capitol after Legislative Council’s OK

“It will probably be a couple weeks before it’s all in place,” says Rep. Sara Hannan, the council’s chair.

Signs at the front of the Alaska State Capitol on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, indicate a designated entrance for legislators and their staff, and direct members of the public to a separate door. The signs were in anticipation of a security screening policy that was put on hold, but on Monday a similar policy was approved by the Legislative Council. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
A Capital City Transit Center electric bus (left) and diesel bus (right) wait for passengers at the Downtown Transit Center on Friday, March 7, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

Capital Transit is constructing a charging station for its new electric buses

Capital Transit superintendent says fleet offering better experience than first electric bus received in 2020.

A Capital City Transit Center electric bus (left) and diesel bus (right) wait for passengers at the Downtown Transit Center on Friday, March 7, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Chief Warrant Officer Jeffrey Ritter, 1st Lt. aboard Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore, supervises his crew after the launch of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association weather buoy near the Hinchinbrook Entrance to Prince William Sound in Alaska, Dec. 10, 2018. The buoy will record and transmit weather data. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Nate Littlejohn)

Resolution pending in Alaska Legislature urges more federal support for NOAA weather buoys

Too many of the weather buoys floating in the waters off Alaska are out of service and the federal government should devote more resources to… Continue reading

Chief Warrant Officer Jeffrey Ritter, 1st Lt. aboard Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore, supervises his crew after the launch of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association weather buoy near the Hinchinbrook Entrance to Prince William Sound in Alaska, Dec. 10, 2018. The buoy will record and transmit weather data. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Nate Littlejohn)
William Steadman, a Juneau resident, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of producing child pornography, according to law enforcement officials. (Photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice)

Juneau man faces minimum 25-year sentence after guilty plea to federal child pornography charge

William Steadman, 35, has prior child pornography conviction from 2018.

William Steadman, a Juneau resident, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of producing child pornography, according to law enforcement officials. (Photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice)
President Donald Trump signs the Save Our Seas Act in the Oval Office in the White House in Washington, Oct. 11, 2018. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), is second from the left. Both Republican politicians got relatively high favorable ratings in a poll of Alaskans published this month. (Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times)

Statewide poll: Trump, Murkowski provoke strongest feelings; Sullivan most popular among delegation

Alaskans also split on continuing aid to Ukraine, agree Russia started war, oppose Canada/Mexico tariffs.

President Donald Trump signs the Save Our Seas Act in the Oval Office in the White House in Washington, Oct. 11, 2018. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), is second from the left. Both Republican politicians got relatively high favorable ratings in a poll of Alaskans published this month. (Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times)
Angie Flick (center), finance director for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains to Assembly members the financial impacts of various adjustments to the mill rate during a Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Proposed CBJ budget eyes increase to 10.19 mills due to school building takeover, other costs

Unknowns as Assembly begins two-month process are contract negotiations, federal funding.

Angie Flick (center), finance director for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains to Assembly members the financial impacts of various adjustments to the mill rate during a Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Sitka’s Syd Eubanks (13) scores between Klukwan’s Andrew Friske (12) and Dave Buss (22) during the Masters Bracket Championship Saturday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Masterful win by Sitka earns Gold Medal Championship

Sitka tops Klukwan 73-59 for tournament title.

Sitka’s Syd Eubanks (13) scores between Klukwan’s Andrew Friske (12) and Dave Buss (22) during the Masters Bracket Championship Saturday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Hydaburg’s Darren Edenshaw is pressured by Metlakatla’s Bryan Hayward and Chris Bryant during the C Bracket Championship on Saturday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Hydaburg tops Metlakatla 85-70 for C Bracket title

MVP Darren Edenshaw scores 31 in Gold Medal Championship

Hydaburg’s Darren Edenshaw is pressured by Metlakatla’s Bryan Hayward and Chris Bryant during the C Bracket Championship on Saturday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Angoon’s Dominic Brinson (21) scores over Haines’ Kyle Rush (13) and James Hart during the B Bracket Championship on Saturday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Angoon defends B bracket Gold Medal championship

Repeat champions ball out in 79-66 win over Haines

Angoon’s Dominic Brinson (21) scores over Haines’ Kyle Rush (13) and James Hart during the B Bracket Championship on Saturday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)