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Gavel (Courtesy photo)

Some public funds OK for private education, decision says

Not OK to replace core services.

Gavel (Courtesy photo)
A burned hillside where crews are planting seedlings including Giant Sequoia in Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest outside Springville, Calif., on April 26, 2022. Destructive fires in recent years that burned too hot for forests to quickly regrow have far outpaced the government's capacity to replant trees. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle)

U.S. to plant 1 billion trees as climate change kills forests

A tree-mendous effort

A burned hillside where crews are planting seedlings including Giant Sequoia in Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest outside Springville, Calif., on April 26, 2022. Destructive fires in recent years that burned too hot for forests to quickly regrow have far outpaced the government's capacity to replant trees. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Local athletes do a swim workout in Auke Lake as they prepare for the Ironman Alaska.

Race ready: Ironman Alaska is just around the corner — here’s what to expect

Ironman expectations.

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Local athletes do a swim workout in Auke Lake as they prepare for the Ironman Alaska.
The pool at the Dimond Park Aquatics Centers lies glassily smooth on July 23, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Public wades into candidate pool for city aquatics director

Candidates spoke to members of the public about their priorities and qualifications.

The pool at the Dimond Park Aquatics Centers lies glassily smooth on July 23, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Students show off their new backpacks at Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s annual backpack distribution at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on July 23, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Back to school: Tlingit and Haida holds annual backpack distribution

Hundreds of backpacks were distributed, with hundreds still to go out.

Students show off their new backpacks at Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s annual backpack distribution at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on July 23, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Capital City Fire/Rescue personnel triage a casualty during an exercise simulating a plane crash at Juneau International Airport on July 23, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

(Simulated) great balls of fire: Airport carries out emergency plan exercise

Dozens of volunteers took part, simulating the variously wounded survivors of a plane crash.

Capital City Fire/Rescue personnel triage a casualty during an exercise simulating a plane crash at Juneau International Airport on July 23, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Chris Cotton, in black, and Matthew Wetherholt measure off distance in a house they and other members of Team Rubicon, a disaster-recovery nonprofit, are helping to restore following the Haines landslide of 2020. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Haines recovery continues with help from within and without

Dozens of landslides struck the town, destroying homes and requiring extensive rebuilding.

Chris Cotton, in black, and Matthew Wetherholt measure off distance in a house they and other members of Team Rubicon, a disaster-recovery nonprofit, are helping to restore following the Haines landslide of 2020. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
David Keith, right, an Oklahoma hospital leader who is among the three finalists for the CEO position at Bartlett Regional Hospital, chats with Bartlett board members Hal Geiger and Kenny Solomon-Gross during a meet-and-greet Friday at the Andrew P. Kashevaroff Alaska State Library, Archives and Museum. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Hospital holds 3rd CEO candidate meet and greet

David Keith meets folks for the last in a series of three.

David Keith, right, an Oklahoma hospital leader who is among the three finalists for the CEO position at Bartlett Regional Hospital, chats with Bartlett board members Hal Geiger and Kenny Solomon-Gross during a meet-and-greet Friday at the Andrew P. Kashevaroff Alaska State Library, Archives and Museum. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A Hills Bros. coffee can found at an old cabin on the Fortymile River. (Courtesy Photo / Ned Rozell)

Alaska Science Forum: A field guide to old coffee cans

Can you dig it?

A Hills Bros. coffee can found at an old cabin on the Fortymile River. (Courtesy Photo / Ned Rozell)
The High Cadence Ironman team begins their hour-long group swim workout at Auke lake. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Friendship in the hardship: Juneau residents find community training for Ironman Alaska

No pain no gain.

The High Cadence Ironman team begins their hour-long group swim workout at Auke lake. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A graph shows individual non-sale price of 20 items at Juneau’s four main supermarkets on July 1. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Getting the most bread for your bread

Fred Meyer still has Juneau’s cheapest groceries, with the three other stores about even.

A graph shows individual non-sale price of 20 items at Juneau’s four main supermarkets on July 1. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Shelby Martin the, co-owner of the Alaskan Shel, stands at the bow of her boat as it sinks while docked at the Don D. Statter Harbor. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Group effort stops ship from sinking at Statter Harbor

“I am so grateful for them and so appreciative of their help.”

Shelby Martin the, co-owner of the Alaskan Shel, stands at the bow of her boat as it sinks while docked at the Don D. Statter Harbor. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
The Mendenhall Wastewater Treatment Plant has normally handled roughly 250,000 to 300,000 gallons of intake a day since 2016. But that average has increased somewhat since 2019 and spiked to a record high of nearly 1 million gallons on Dec. 1, 2020, due to a record amount of rainfall during a 24-hour period, according to a report published Monday assessing climate change impacts on Juneau. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Deep doo-doo due to climate change

Problems at Mendenhall Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant now blamed on abnormally high precipitation

The Mendenhall Wastewater Treatment Plant has normally handled roughly 250,000 to 300,000 gallons of intake a day since 2016. But that average has increased somewhat since 2019 and spiked to a record high of nearly 1 million gallons on Dec. 1, 2020, due to a record amount of rainfall during a 24-hour period, according to a report published Monday assessing climate change impacts on Juneau. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
A map shows locations in the U.S. designated as tribal lands and thus eligible for higher benefits from the Affordable Connectivity Program. All of Alaska falls under that designation. (Courtesy Image / FCC)

90K Alaska households are eligible for internet assistance —only 10K are taking advantage

White House touts a recently launched “one-stop” website to make signing up easier.

A map shows locations in the U.S. designated as tribal lands and thus eligible for higher benefits from the Affordable Connectivity Program. All of Alaska falls under that designation. (Courtesy Image / FCC)
Alaska Chef Amara Enciso featured at the Jorgenson House. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

Chef Amara Enciso represents Alaska in 2022 Great American Seafood Cook-Off

See her seafood on the mainstage

Alaska Chef Amara Enciso featured at the Jorgenson House. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
City and Borough of Juneau’s city manager, Rorie Watt, speaks to a crowd of people as they enjoy a slice of lasagna at the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce’s weekly luncheon on Thursday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Watt’s up: The city manager talks city budget and upcoming ballot initiatives

Lasagna with a side of ballot initiatives.

City and Borough of Juneau’s city manager, Rorie Watt, speaks to a crowd of people as they enjoy a slice of lasagna at the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce’s weekly luncheon on Thursday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Donated blood is prepared for storage and eventual transport at the Blood Bank of Alaska's Juneau location. There is a statewide shortage of donated blood. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Blood Bank of Alaska says there’s a critical need for blood

Blood Bank of Alaska is currently in urgent need of all blood types

Donated blood is prepared for storage and eventual transport at the Blood Bank of Alaska's Juneau location. There is a statewide shortage of donated blood. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discontinued a program of monitoring the COVID levels aboard cruise ships operating in the United States on Tuesday. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

CDC coronavirus-status program for cruise ships discontinued

Politicians and industry officials lauded the move.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discontinued a program of monitoring the COVID levels aboard cruise ships operating in the United States on Tuesday. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
This March 2020 photo shows Juneau’s City Hall. It is midway through the week for candidates to file for October’s municipal election. Currently, no new filings have been entered since the initial first day filings, but both school board members with their seats opening up for election said they plan to run again in their current positions. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

Midweek candidate filing update for this fall’s local election

Both school board members said they plan to file for reelection later this week

This March 2020 photo shows Juneau’s City Hall. It is midway through the week for candidates to file for October’s municipal election. Currently, no new filings have been entered since the initial first day filings, but both school board members with their seats opening up for election said they plan to run again in their current positions. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)
Bartlett Regional Hospital’s CEO finalist Dennis Welsh (center) chats with community members and members of the BRH Board of Directors at his public meet and greet for the potential position. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Hospital holds 2nd CEO candidate meet and greet: Dennis Welsh talks the future of Juneau’s health care community

Check out more about the finalist here.

Bartlett Regional Hospital’s CEO finalist Dennis Welsh (center) chats with community members and members of the BRH Board of Directors at his public meet and greet for the potential position. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)