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Former DHS employee Bert Christopher Heitstuman was arrested in Anchorage Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 for multiple counts of sexual assault. (Courtesy photo / Department of Law)

Ex-DHS officer indicted on sexual assault charges

The alleged offenses occurred between 2012 and 2018.

Former DHS employee Bert Christopher Heitstuman was arrested in Anchorage Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 for multiple counts of sexual assault. (Courtesy photo / Department of Law)
A male pink salmon fights its way up stream to spawn in a Southeast Alaska stream in August 2010. A recent report out of Washington state details a dire situation for the state’s salmon. Advocates in Alaska say the report offers a warning to Alaska about salmon-safe development. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Salmon advocates: Dire Washington report offers warning to Alaska

A salmon story with a different ending?

A male pink salmon fights its way up stream to spawn in a Southeast Alaska stream in August 2010. A recent report out of Washington state details a dire situation for the state’s salmon. Advocates in Alaska say the report offers a warning to Alaska about salmon-safe development. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Tucker Cooper, a member of the ski patrol at Eaglecrest Ski Area, measures an area where snow has broken off in an avalanche on Feb. 21, 2021. All of Juneau is at a high risk of avalanches due to a unique set of circumstances on the weekend of Feb. 27, 2021. (Courtesy photo / Calder Otsea)

Juneau area at high risk for ‘historic’ avalanches

A month of weird weather has created a uniquely loaded set of dice.

Tucker Cooper, a member of the ski patrol at Eaglecrest Ski Area, measures an area where snow has broken off in an avalanche on Feb. 21, 2021. All of Juneau is at a high risk of avalanches due to a unique set of circumstances on the weekend of Feb. 27, 2021. (Courtesy photo / Calder Otsea)
Taking up as much space as Rhode Island, Malaspina Glacier spills onto flats near the Gulf of Alaska. (Courtesy Photo Martin Truffer)

Alaska Science Forum: Malaspina Glacier gets up and goes

It’s pancake-shaped and the size of Rhode Island.

Taking up as much space as Rhode Island, Malaspina Glacier spills onto flats near the Gulf of Alaska. (Courtesy Photo Martin Truffer)
Like many municipal bodies, the City and Borough of Juneau has been conducting business via public meetings hosted on Zoom. While this has helped to keep the wheels of government turning, it's also opened the door to Zoom bombing. Zoom bombing happens when an anonymous party joins the meeting and shares graphic or lewd content. City officials are considering an ordinance that makes it illegal to Zoom bomb a meeting hosted from Juneau. This screen grab from CBJ's website shows the city assembly meeting via Zoom. (Screenshot)

Potential ordinance seeks to curb lewd, obscene and threatening language in virtual meetings

There’s no three-second delay in Zoom

Like many municipal bodies, the City and Borough of Juneau has been conducting business via public meetings hosted on Zoom. While this has helped to keep the wheels of government turning, it's also opened the door to Zoom bombing. Zoom bombing happens when an anonymous party joins the meeting and shares graphic or lewd content. City officials are considering an ordinance that makes it illegal to Zoom bomb a meeting hosted from Juneau. This screen grab from CBJ's website shows the city assembly meeting via Zoom. (Screenshot)
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Opinion: Alaska’s economy desperately needs a clear, stable state budget

When government fails in its role to provide clear and stable signals, the economy suffers…

  • Feb 26, 2021
  • By Michael Martin
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Meetings at the Alaska State Capitol, seen here in this December 19, 2020 file photo, were canceled Thursday after a member of the House of Representatives tested positive for COVID-19. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

House member tests positive for COVID-19

Time to work weekends.

Meetings at the Alaska State Capitol, seen here in this December 19, 2020 file photo, were canceled Thursday after a member of the House of Representatives tested positive for COVID-19. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)
Cassandra Cropley holds a poster showing photos of her cousin, Linda Skeek, after the 2020 Women’s March, Jan. 18. Skeek went missing in January 2016 and is feared dead. Much of the problem is in the data and the way it’s collected, say advocates of improved and standardized systems. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Visibility is key: Data and murdered and missing Indigenous women

For some, law enforcment agencies and data systems are active parts of the problem.

Cassandra Cropley holds a poster showing photos of her cousin, Linda Skeek, after the 2020 Women’s March, Jan. 18. Skeek went missing in January 2016 and is feared dead. Much of the problem is in the data and the way it’s collected, say advocates of improved and standardized systems. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
In this Feb. 2019 photo, students wait for rides outside Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kale. Classes will be in session this summer with programs focused on credit recovery for high school students. Children in lower grades will focus on overall learning recovery after COVID-19 upended the traditional school year and process by forcing a suspension in in-person learning. (Michael Penn /Juneau Empire File)

Summer break to include school for some Juneau students

School’s in for summer.

In this Feb. 2019 photo, students wait for rides outside Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kale. Classes will be in session this summer with programs focused on credit recovery for high school students. Children in lower grades will focus on overall learning recovery after COVID-19 upended the traditional school year and process by forcing a suspension in in-person learning. (Michael Penn /Juneau Empire File)
"We need to solve for the pattern instead of for a single problem,” says Sarah Sarah Lewis. (Courtesy Photo / Brian Wallace for Juneau's Climate Change Solutionists)

Juneau’s Climate Change Solutionists: Reducing Food Waste with Sarah Lewis

“We need to solve for the pattern instead of for a single problem”

  • Feb 25, 2021
  • By Anjuli Grantham
"We need to solve for the pattern instead of for a single problem,” says Sarah Sarah Lewis. (Courtesy Photo / Brian Wallace for Juneau's Climate Change Solutionists)
Capital City Fire/Rescue personnel rescued an injured person on a trail near Thunder Mountain High School on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

CCFR rescues injured person on trail in Mendenhall Valley

Contray to rumors, no one fell in the river.

Capital City Fire/Rescue personnel rescued an injured person on a trail near Thunder Mountain High School on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
The City and Borough of Juneau’s Augustus G. Brown Swimming Pool, pictured here last spring, and the Dimond Park Aquatic Center will both expand their capacity and offer additional flexibility for lap swims beginning March 1. They are among the CBJ facilities that will expand offerings now that the city’s COVID risk level has been reduced to Level 1, or minimal risk. (Peter Segall/Juneau Empire)

City officials optimistic about local COVID-19 situation

The numbers look good, but city leaders call for continued vigilance

The City and Borough of Juneau’s Augustus G. Brown Swimming Pool, pictured here last spring, and the Dimond Park Aquatic Center will both expand their capacity and offer additional flexibility for lap swims beginning March 1. They are among the CBJ facilities that will expand offerings now that the city’s COVID risk level has been reduced to Level 1, or minimal risk. (Peter Segall/Juneau Empire)
Courtesy photo / NASA The Perseverance rover, seen here from the descent stage, landed on Mars on Feb. 18.

Perseverance prepares to get down to it after lengthy commute to work

It’s bringing scientists sounds from out of this world.

Courtesy photo / NASA The Perseverance rover, seen here from the descent stage, landed on Mars on Feb. 18.
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Can a payer database lower health care costs?

20 states already have them.

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A pharmacist prepares a syringe with Pfizer’s vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccination site in New York. A real-world test of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in more than half a million people has confirmed it’s highly effective at preventing serious illness or death, even after one dose, according to a report released on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. (AP Photo / Mary Altaffer)

Over 100K vaccine doses headed to Alaska in March

That’s not counting potential J&J doses, some federal allotments.

A pharmacist prepares a syringe with Pfizer’s vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccination site in New York. A real-world test of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in more than half a million people has confirmed it’s highly effective at preventing serious illness or death, even after one dose, according to a report released on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. (AP Photo / Mary Altaffer)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy addresses the public during a virtual town hall on Sept. 15, 2020 in Alaska. Dunleavy tested positive for COVID-19 his office announced Wednesday. (Courtesy Photo / Office of the Governor)

Dunleavy tests positive for COVID-19

Governor is still at home.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy addresses the public during a virtual town hall on Sept. 15, 2020 in Alaska. Dunleavy tested positive for COVID-19 his office announced Wednesday. (Courtesy Photo / Office of the Governor)
Ben Stevens speaks to the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce in December 2020. Stevens is leaving his position as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s chief of staff to become the new vice president of external affairs and transportation at ConocoPhillips Alaska, the governor’s office announced on Wednesday. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Governor’s office announces chief of staff to leave post for ConocoPhillips job

His last day has yet to be announced.

Ben Stevens speaks to the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce in December 2020. Stevens is leaving his position as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s chief of staff to become the new vice president of external affairs and transportation at ConocoPhillips Alaska, the governor’s office announced on Wednesday. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Aviation traffic at the Juneau International Airport was down 62% in 2020. Here, travelers arrive at the Juneau International Airport on Nov. 25, one of many days when air travel was much lower than historical norms.

Airport traffic down 62% in 2020

Pandemic-related air travel losses could lead to higher fees, fewer services in future.

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Aviation traffic at the Juneau International Airport was down 62% in 2020. Here, travelers arrive at the Juneau International Airport on Nov. 25, one of many days when air travel was much lower than historical norms.
Air-source heat pumps, like the one in this 2015 photo of Jake Eames, right, and David Nash installing a pump, are an example of a load-side technology that can increase energy efficiency. "Load-side technologies are absolutely key to our ability to reduce greenhouse emissions in the energy sector,” said director of energy services at Alaska Electric Light and Power Alec Mesdag.

In Juneau, going green focuses on power usage

The electricity’s already clean.

Air-source heat pumps, like the one in this 2015 photo of Jake Eames, right, and David Nash installing a pump, are an example of a load-side technology that can increase energy efficiency. "Load-side technologies are absolutely key to our ability to reduce greenhouse emissions in the energy sector,” said director of energy services at Alaska Electric Light and Power Alec Mesdag.
Juneau's Capitol Disposal Landfill, seen in this June 2013 photo, sits in the middle of the industrial Lemon Creek district. Recent complaints about odors coming from the location prompted the city to discuss this issue at their Monday night Committee of the Whole meeting. Private ownership of trash collection and the landfill mean the city has limited options for action. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

City officials discuss odor at Lemon Creek-area dump

That stinks.

Juneau's Capitol Disposal Landfill, seen in this June 2013 photo, sits in the middle of the industrial Lemon Creek district. Recent complaints about odors coming from the location prompted the city to discuss this issue at their Monday night Committee of the Whole meeting. Private ownership of trash collection and the landfill mean the city has limited options for action. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)