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The Juneau School District is facing a deficit of more than $9.5 million for the current fiscal year, according a district report published Jan. 5. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Juneau School District facing $9.5 million deficit this year, new analysis shows

Lower revenues and higher costs mean $7.6M shortfall for FY24, plus $1.9M deficit from FY23.

The Juneau School District is facing a deficit of more than $9.5 million for the current fiscal year, according a district report published Jan. 5. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
Alaska Airlines planes park at the gates at Juneau International Airport in July of 2022. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Two Juneau flights on Max 9s scheduled Tuesday rebooked on different planes

No local flights cancelled yet due to grounding of fleet, next Max 9s scheduled Thursday and Friday.

Alaska Airlines planes park at the gates at Juneau International Airport in July of 2022. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Skip Gray holds a simulated conversation on an early 20th-century box phone and his cell phone during the opening of the exhibit “Switch and Exchange: A Brief History of Telephones in 20th Century Juneau” at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum on Friday. Gray is a former resident of the Telephone Hill neighborhood, which got its name when Juneau became the first city in Alaska with an established telephone system and a telephone company called the downtown area home during the early 1900s. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Dialing, cranking and ringing into Juneau’s history as a telephone pioneer in Alaska

Museum exhibit highlights how capital got state’s first phone system and Telephone Hill got its name.

Skip Gray holds a simulated conversation on an early 20th-century box phone and his cell phone during the opening of the exhibit “Switch and Exchange: A Brief History of Telephones in 20th Century Juneau” at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum on Friday. Gray is a former resident of the Telephone Hill neighborhood, which got its name when Juneau became the first city in Alaska with an established telephone system and a telephone company called the downtown area home during the early 1900s. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The U.S Supreme Court is photographed on Wednesday, Jan. 3, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Supreme Court denies Alaska’s bid to revive the copper and gold Pebble Mine proposal blocked by EPA

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Alaska’s bid to revive a proposed copper and gold mine that was blocked by the Environmental Protection… Continue reading

The U.S Supreme Court is photographed on Wednesday, Jan. 3, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Mila Hargrave (#24) and Bella Whisenant (#44) fight for the ball during Saturday’s game at JDHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

JDHS gets pair of home court wins — one easy, one in a battle — against Ketchikan

Gwen Nizich scores 25 of Crimson Bears’ 45 points Saturday, including game-clinching free throws.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Mila Hargrave (#24) and Bella Whisenant (#44) fight for the ball during Saturday’s game at JDHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Fairbanks-based Alaska State Troopers visiting the Interior village of Allakaket in December 2023 pose for a photo while wearing fur hats. Such hats are provided by the state to help troopers work in cold conditions. The Department of Public Safety is now seeking to replenish its supply of fur hats to be used by troopers. (Photo provided by the Alaska State Troopers)

Fur hats on shopping list for Alaska Department of Public Safety

The Alaska Department of Public Safety is shopping for some distinctly Northern items of clothing: a collection of fur hats. The intent to buy the… Continue reading

Fairbanks-based Alaska State Troopers visiting the Interior village of Allakaket in December 2023 pose for a photo while wearing fur hats. Such hats are provided by the state to help troopers work in cold conditions. The Department of Public Safety is now seeking to replenish its supply of fur hats to be used by troopers. (Photo provided by the Alaska State Troopers)
Alaska Airlines flight 1276, a Boeing 737-900, taxis before takeoff from Portland International Airport in Portland, Ore., on Saturday. The FAA has ordered the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft after part of the fuselage blew out during a flight. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Alaska Airlines again grounds all Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners as more maintenance may be needed

Alaska Airlines again grounded all of its Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners on Sunday after federal officials indicated further maintenance might be required to assure… Continue reading

  • Jan 7, 2024
  • By Claire Rush, David Koenig and Becky Bohrer Associated Press
  • Air TravelAirlines
Alaska Airlines flight 1276, a Boeing 737-900, taxis before takeoff from Portland International Airport in Portland, Ore., on Saturday. The FAA has ordered the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft after part of the fuselage blew out during a flight. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Caden Morris (#15) and Sonny Monsef (#11) face off against Homer High School’s Aria Hill (#27) and Cody Thomas (#8) in front of the Homer net during Saturday’s game at Treadwell Arena. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

JDHS shuts out rebuilding Homer in 16-0, 13-0 matchups at Treadwell Arena

Both teams say focus was on future, with Crimson Bears giving several JV players lots of ice time.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Caden Morris (#15) and Sonny Monsef (#11) face off against Homer High School’s Aria Hill (#27) and Cody Thomas (#8) in front of the Homer net during Saturday’s game at Treadwell Arena. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The Mendenhall Towers apartment building on early Sunday morning, where a fire in a second-story apartment caused about $100,000 in damage. (Photo by Capital City Fire/Rescue)

Mendenhall Towers fire causes about $100,000 damage, one person hospitalized for smoke inhalation

CCFR: Fire early Sunday morning limited to one apartment, cause remains under investigation

The Mendenhall Towers apartment building on early Sunday morning, where a fire in a second-story apartment caused about $100,000 in damage. (Photo by Capital City Fire/Rescue)
Sylvia Geraghty helps a customer during the weekly food pantry at Resurrection Lutheran Church on Tuesday, Dec. 6. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Online SNAP benefit forms go live as state hopes to catch up on 8,000-applicant backlog by March

State: 260 online forms in first 10 days take average of 20 minutes, compared to an hour for paper.

Sylvia Geraghty helps a customer during the weekly food pantry at Resurrection Lutheran Church on Tuesday, Dec. 6. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Alaska Airlines planes are shown parked at gates at sunrise, March 1, 2021, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Oregon on Friday after a window and chunk of its fuselage blew out in mid-air, media reports said. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

No Juneau flights among those cancelled Saturday by grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9s

First local flights aboard Max 9 scheduled Tuesday; Alaska Air hopes fleet inspections done in days.

Alaska Airlines planes are shown parked at gates at sunrise, March 1, 2021, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Oregon on Friday after a window and chunk of its fuselage blew out in mid-air, media reports said. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
The village of Kake on Kupreanof Island in Southeast Alaska. (Flickr/Umnak under Creative Commons license)

Alaska lost a challenge to a COVID-era emergency moose hunt. Now it’s appealing for a second time.

It’s one of multiple cases where the Dunleavy administration is clashing with the federal government.

The village of Kake on Kupreanof Island in Southeast Alaska. (Flickr/Umnak under Creative Commons license)
The Driftwood Lodge, used for decades by state lawmakers and others during legislative sessions, is not on this year’s official housing list provided by the Legislative Affairs Agency. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Historic Assembly Building to open as legislative housing next week, Driftwood off official list

Lodge hit by complaints last year after Tlingit and Haida purchase; officials say that’s not a factor

The Driftwood Lodge, used for decades by state lawmakers and others during legislative sessions, is not on this year’s official housing list provided by the Legislative Affairs Agency. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
An employee leaves the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. The building was among numerous state capitals targeted by bomb threats that federal law enforcement officials are calling a hoax. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Alaska’s Capitol among those in multiple states targeted by emailed bomb threats FBI calls a hoax

Church in downtown Juneau, other buildings across state and U.S. also receive threats.

An employee leaves the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. The building was among numerous state capitals targeted by bomb threats that federal law enforcement officials are calling a hoax. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
The Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy Dance Group performs for attendees at Goldbelt Inc.’s 50th-anniversary celebration on Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Goldbelt celebrates 50th anniversary with tributes, prayer, dancing and hopes for future

Leaders of local Alaska Native Regional Corporation looking ahead generations rather than years.

The Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy Dance Group performs for attendees at Goldbelt Inc.’s 50th-anniversary celebration on Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
(Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service)

Neighbors: Local rescuers kick off annual Fireside Lecture Series at Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center

Presentations about research, expeditions and other topics continue until March 29.

(Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service)
A complaint filed July 3, 2023, with the Alaska Public Offices Commission accuses advocates of repealing the state’s open primary elections and ranked choice voting of violating numerous campaign disclosure laws. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Backers of an effort to repeal Alaska’s ranked voting system fined more than $94,000 by APOC

Supporters of an effort to repeal Alaska’s ranked choice voting system have been fined more than $94,000 after the commission that enforces state campaign finance… Continue reading

A complaint filed July 3, 2023, with the Alaska Public Offices Commission accuses advocates of repealing the state’s open primary elections and ranked choice voting of violating numerous campaign disclosure laws. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
Lori Anne Razpotnik, one of at least 49 victims of Gary L. Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, is pictured in a Facebook post by the Kings County Sheriff’s Office last year confirming her remains were identified after her mother last saw her more than 40 years ago. (Kings County Sheriff’s Office)

How DNA and an obituary helped ID a victim of the Green River killer

Juneau woman finally learns what happened to daughter missing since 1982.

  • Jan 4, 2024
  • By David Gutman, The Seattle Times
  • Crimemurder
Lori Anne Razpotnik, one of at least 49 victims of Gary L. Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, is pictured in a Facebook post by the Kings County Sheriff’s Office last year confirming her remains were identified after her mother last saw her more than 40 years ago. (Kings County Sheriff’s Office)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Jan. 6, 2004. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Capital City Weekly

Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week of Jan. 7

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Jan. 6, 2004. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Sun on the peaks from the Boy Scout Beach Trail on New Year’s Day. (Photo by Deborah Rudis)

Wild Shots

To showcase our readers’ work to the widest possible audience, Wild Shots have been moved in front of the Juneau Empire’s paywall. Don’t have a… Continue reading

Sun on the peaks from the Boy Scout Beach Trail on New Year’s Day. (Photo by Deborah Rudis)