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Juneau Huskies senior captains Hayden Aube (2), Sage Schultz (5), Caleb Ziegenfuss (16) and Jayden Johnson (4) approach the center of Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park for the coin toss of last weekend’s game against West Anchorage. (Klas Stolpe/For the Juneau Empire)

Huskies’ captains talk of facing Dimond pedigree

Juneau goes on the road to take on undefeated conference leader in Anchorage on Saturday.

Juneau Huskies senior captains Hayden Aube (2), Sage Schultz (5), Caleb Ziegenfuss (16) and Jayden Johnson (4) approach the center of Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park for the coin toss of last weekend’s game against West Anchorage. (Klas Stolpe/For the Juneau Empire)
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior swim captains Matthew Godkin, Matthew Plang, Pacific Ricke and Nova Hines were chosen by teammates to lead the Crimson Bears in the pool this season. Godkin and Hines swam last year for the now defunct Thunder Mountain High School Falcons. (Klas Stolpe/For the Juneau Empire)

Swimmers find their lanes on combined JDHS team

Crimson Bears have 37 athletes who swim and 10 that dive, with 22 of them coming over from TMHS.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior swim captains Matthew Godkin, Matthew Plang, Pacific Ricke and Nova Hines were chosen by teammates to lead the Crimson Bears in the pool this season. Godkin and Hines swam last year for the now defunct Thunder Mountain High School Falcons. (Klas Stolpe/For the Juneau Empire)
Juneau Assembly and mayoral candidates discuss issues involving the community of Douglas during a forum Sept. 8 at the Douglas Public Library. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
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Local candidates agree on lots of big-picture issues, differ on details, at lots of forums

Housing, flooding, tourism among key issues so far; two more forums being broadcast this week.

Juneau Assembly and mayoral candidates discuss issues involving the community of Douglas during a forum Sept. 8 at the Douglas Public Library. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
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Candidates for Juneau Assembly and mayor gather at the KTOO studios on Tuesday night for a forum to discuss issues related to the Oct. 1 local election. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
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Election 2024: Watch the Juneau Municipal Candidate Forum for Mayor and Assembly

Eight candidates participate in one-hour forum Tuesday; school board candidate forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Candidates for Juneau Assembly and mayor gather at the KTOO studios on Tuesday night for a forum to discuss issues related to the Oct. 1 local election. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
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The Alaska Division of Election’s director’s office in Juneau on Nov. 22, 2022. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Elections office in Juneau among those in more than dozen states to be mailed suspicious packages

Package for Juneau intercepted before delivery, no hazardous materials reported in incidents.

The Alaska Division of Election’s director’s office in Juneau on Nov. 22, 2022. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Deena Bishop, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, speaks at a news conference on March 15, 2024, with Gov. Mike Dunleavy. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska pursues appeal of $17.5 million penalty over federal education funding equity dispute

Feds say Gov. Dunleavy veto, DEED inaction are to blame for the penalties.

Deena Bishop, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, speaks at a news conference on March 15, 2024, with Gov. Mike Dunleavy. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)
Rainforest Recover Center, a high-intensity residential substance abuse treatment facility, is closing next Tuesday, according to an announcement by Bartlett Regional Hospital. (Bartlett Regional Hospital photo)

Rainforest Recovery Center closing next Tuesday, hospital announces, to surprise of local leaders

Assembly to reevaluate giving $500K to continue program; nonprofit says it will speed up takeover plans.

Rainforest Recover Center, a high-intensity residential substance abuse treatment facility, is closing next Tuesday, according to an announcement by Bartlett Regional Hospital. (Bartlett Regional Hospital photo)
Margaret Katzeek (right) offers public testimony about Suicide Basin flooding concerns while Renee Culp, who testified immediately before Katzeek, offers support during a Juneau Assembly meeting on Monday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

City leaders tell worried residents short- and long-term plans for Suicide Basin flooding are in progress

Basin now about half full, but should fill more slowly than earlier this year, city manager says.

Margaret Katzeek (right) offers public testimony about Suicide Basin flooding concerns while Renee Culp, who testified immediately before Katzeek, offers support during a Juneau Assembly meeting on Monday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Angoon students prepare to paddle the unity canoe they built with master carver Wayne Price on June 19, 2023. It is the first canoe of its kind since the U.S. Navy bombardment of Angoon in 1882 that destroyed all the village’s canoes. The Navy plans to issue apologies to Kake and Angoon residents in the fall of 2024. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

U.S. Navy plans apologies to Southeast Alaska villages for century-old attacks

Navy officials say apologies in Kake and Angoon are both “long overdue” and “the right thing to do.”

Angoon students prepare to paddle the unity canoe they built with master carver Wayne Price on June 19, 2023. It is the first canoe of its kind since the U.S. Navy bombardment of Angoon in 1882 that destroyed all the village’s canoes. The Navy plans to issue apologies to Kake and Angoon residents in the fall of 2024. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)
Sonya Taton, center, listens to the verdict as she is found guilty on all five counts, including second-degree murder, during her trial in Superior Court in Juneau on Nov. 17, 2023. (Meredith Jordan / Juneau Empire file photo)

Sonya Taton gets 50-year prison sentence for fatally stabbing one boyfriend and wounding another

Judge calls Taton “an enormously dangerous woman” after convictions for attacks in 2016 and 2019.

Sonya Taton, center, listens to the verdict as she is found guilty on all five counts, including second-degree murder, during her trial in Superior Court in Juneau on Nov. 17, 2023. (Meredith Jordan / Juneau Empire file photo)
Students arrive at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Aug. 21. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Threat of school shooting posted widely, including in Juneau, does not appear credible, district says

Extra police at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Monday morning a precaution, according to notice.

Students arrive at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Aug. 21. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Boys start the 5K race at the State Preview 2024 meet at Bartlett High School in Anchorage on Saturday. (Photo by Kent Mearig)

JDHS varsity cross-country teams in top 4, Ida Meyer wins girls’ 5K at State Preview 2024 in Anchorage

Consolidated team splits up for three weekend events; next up is Capital City Invite this Saturday.

Boys start the 5K race at the State Preview 2024 meet at Bartlett High School in Anchorage on Saturday. (Photo by Kent Mearig)
West Anchorage High School’s Zephaniah Sailele (6) breaks through Juneau defenders during Saturday’s game at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Huskies come up short at home in 28-27 nailbiter against West Anchorage

Juneau jumps out to 19-0 lead on Eagles’ mistakes, but end up in battle until final few seconds

West Anchorage High School’s Zephaniah Sailele (6) breaks through Juneau defenders during Saturday’s game at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A memorial in the doorway on Front Street where Steven Kissack was sitting when he was approached by a police officer on July 15, resulting in a 16-minute encounter that ended with him being fatally shot, includes photos, written messages and a “food for friends” dropoff box on Saturday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Some say minds not changed by bodycams of Steven Kissack’s death, but shooting has changed lives

Many suggest downtown confrontation could have been defused before police felt forced to shoot.

A memorial in the doorway on Front Street where Steven Kissack was sitting when he was approached by a police officer on July 15, resulting in a 16-minute encounter that ended with him being fatally shot, includes photos, written messages and a “food for friends” dropoff box on Saturday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The road entrance to Kenai Fjords National Park is marked by a sign, seen on Aug. 27, 2022. The National Park Service has released its annual report on the economic impact of park visitation. Alaska is among the states that reaps the most economic benefit from visitors to its national parks, according to the report. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Visitors to Alaska’s national parklands pumped $2.3 billion into the state’s economy, report says

Tourism to national parks in Alaska has rebounded from pre-pandemic levels after three years of lower numbers, according to a report released by the National… Continue reading

The road entrance to Kenai Fjords National Park is marked by a sign, seen on Aug. 27, 2022. The National Park Service has released its annual report on the economic impact of park visitation. Alaska is among the states that reaps the most economic benefit from visitors to its national parks, according to the report. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Abby Dolan (wearing green) tries to take down Sofia Contreras during a Juneau Youth Wrestling Club camp Sept. 1 at the Juneau Wrestling Center. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Youths try to get a leg up — and opponents down — with help from pros at wrestling camps

With participation by girls rising and school teams getting bigger, every tip helps

Abby Dolan (wearing green) tries to take down Sofia Contreras during a Juneau Youth Wrestling Club camp Sept. 1 at the Juneau Wrestling Center. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
William Steadman, a Juneau resident, is suspected producing child pornography, according to law enforcement officials. (Photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice)

Juneau man arrested on federal charge of producing child pornography

William Steadman, 34, has previous related conviction; officials say current case may have more victims.

William Steadman, a Juneau resident, is suspected producing child pornography, according to law enforcement officials. (Photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice)
An overhead view of the overflowing portion of the glacier-dammed lake at Suicide Basin. (Christian Kienholz / Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center)

Spending $3M to fund half of a Suicide Basin protection study gets Assembly consideration Monday

Meeting will also consider $700,000 in short-term flooding measures, plus help for hospital programs.

An overhead view of the overflowing portion of the glacier-dammed lake at Suicide Basin. (Christian Kienholz / Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center)
Students arrive at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Aug. 15, 2024, the first day of class for the current school year. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

Consolidated schools during first month of classes are great, awful or illegal, depending on who’s asked

Superintendent offers praise; teachers fret about class sizes; TMMS students forced to repeat classes.

Students arrive at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Aug. 15, 2024, the first day of class for the current school year. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)
The Alaska Supreme Court is seen in session on June 27 in Boney Courthouse in Anchorage. (Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska Supreme Court rejects Democrats’ attempt to remove candidate from U.S. House ballot

Eric Hafner on ballot with Democrat Mary Peltola, Republican Nick Begich and AIP’s John Wayne Howe.

The Alaska Supreme Court is seen in session on June 27 in Boney Courthouse in Anchorage. (Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)