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Randal Jim (center) and Joey Ludlam replace a “Seward St.” with a “Heritage Way” sign at midday Wednesday, the day the new name became official for a two-block portion of the downtown street. About 50 local tribal leaders, city officials and others attended a ceremony at Sealaska Plaza marking the name change effort that originated in April. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Two blocks of what used to be Seward Street are now officially Heritage Way

Tribal and city leaders celebrate renaming as part of “reclaiming” area’s Alaska Native heritage.

Randal Jim (center) and Joey Ludlam replace a “Seward St.” with a “Heritage Way” sign at midday Wednesday, the day the new name became official for a two-block portion of the downtown street. About 50 local tribal leaders, city officials and others attended a ceremony at Sealaska Plaza marking the name change effort that originated in April. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Sample jellies, jams, and dried goods to gift to local elders and tribal citizens. (Photo by Vivian Faith Prescott)
Capital City Weekly

Planet Alaska: Fall into gifting

Southeast Alaska has a short growing season, but a long tradition of sharing.

Sample jellies, jams, and dried goods to gift to local elders and tribal citizens. (Photo by Vivian Faith Prescott)
A view of Juneau is seen from Mt. Roberts on Nov. 1, 2022. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

Domestic violence in Alaska: A crisis at home

Survivors and advocates shed light on how far the state has come and the work yet to be done.

A view of Juneau is seen from Mt. Roberts on Nov. 1, 2022. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)
Crew members adjust the net as it releases fish aboard the Northern Hawk factory trawler on Saturday, Aug. 5 in the Bering Sea. (Photo by Loren Holmes/Anchorage Daily News)

With little movement on salmon bycatch, Alaska advocates look to Biden administration for action

Amid catastrophic shortfalls in salmon harvests in some of Alaska’s rural, Indigenous communities, advocates have pleaded for a crackdown on unintentional catch of those same… Continue reading

Crew members adjust the net as it releases fish aboard the Northern Hawk factory trawler on Saturday, Aug. 5 in the Bering Sea. (Photo by Loren Holmes/Anchorage Daily News)
Derek Bos of Colorado smiles for a photo Sept. 28 outside of City Hall during a visit to Juneau as a finalist for chief of the Juneau Police Department. He was named the new chief on Tuesday and is scheduled to start Feb. 1. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Juneau reaches to Colorado for new police chief

Derek Bos replaces Chief Ed Mercer, who retired July 31

Derek Bos of Colorado smiles for a photo Sept. 28 outside of City Hall during a visit to Juneau as a finalist for chief of the Juneau Police Department. He was named the new chief on Tuesday and is scheduled to start Feb. 1. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Troy Michael Smith, a part-time Juneau resident, at the Mr. Gay World competition in Cape Town, South Africa, where he prevailed among the 11 candidates. (Photo courtesy of Rudi Du Toit Photography)

Juneau resident crowned Mr. Gay World

Troy Michael Smith bests 11 international candidates in Cape Town.

Troy Michael Smith, a part-time Juneau resident, at the Mr. Gay World competition in Cape Town, South Africa, where he prevailed among the 11 candidates. (Photo courtesy of Rudi Du Toit Photography)
Dmytro Haiman looks out the window from the Ukrainian Cultural Institute in Dickinson, N.D., on Monday, July 17, 2023. Haiman is one of several Ukrainians who are part of a pilot effort of the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s Bakken Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers program. Haiman is from Chernihiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)

Alaskans see largest drop in pay, residents of Midwest and Mountain West see biggest bumps

Study measures inflation-adjusted income during the past four years

  • Oct 31, 2023
  • By Tim Henderson Stateline
  • Salaries
Dmytro Haiman looks out the window from the Ukrainian Cultural Institute in Dickinson, N.D., on Monday, July 17, 2023. Haiman is one of several Ukrainians who are part of a pilot effort of the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s Bakken Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers program. Haiman is from Chernihiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Police calls for Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board members, staff and advisors meet Monday at the corporation’s headquarters in Juneau to discuss a proposal to raise the fund’s rate of return by making riskier investments. The idea stalled when advisors suggested the strategy and timing are ill-advised. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire).

Permanent Fund board rebuffs higher-risk investment strategy

Advocates hoped to speed up fund reaching $100B, but advisors call timing and strategy unwise.

Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board members, staff and advisors meet Monday at the corporation’s headquarters in Juneau to discuss a proposal to raise the fund’s rate of return by making riskier investments. The idea stalled when advisors suggested the strategy and timing are ill-advised. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire).
A map by the U.S. Geological Survey shows where a magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred near Juneau at 7:44 p.m. Friday. (U.S. Geological Survey)

At least two earthquakes near Glacier Bay felt Friday night in Juneau

Magnitude 5.1 quake at 7:01 p.m. followed by magnitude 5.3 quake 89 miles northwest of town.

A map by the U.S. Geological Survey shows where a magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred near Juneau at 7:44 p.m. Friday. (U.S. Geological Survey)
A sign for a store that accepts food stamps and exchange benefits transfer cards is seen in this 2019 photo. Alaska has being going through a year-long crisis in processing applications for benefits. (Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images)

Alaska faces new backlog in processing food stamp benefits after clearing older applications

ANCHORAGE — An Alaska state agency faces a new backlog in processing applications for people seeking food stamp benefits, more than a year after it… Continue reading

A sign for a store that accepts food stamps and exchange benefits transfer cards is seen in this 2019 photo. Alaska has being going through a year-long crisis in processing applications for benefits. (Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images)
Workers remove awning from the old Elks Lodge building at 109 S. Franklin St. at midday Monday. While heavy construction equipment is parked next to the structure, the owner says no decision about the fate of the building has been made yet. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

A bit of the historic former Elks Lodge downtown is coming down, but the building isn’t for now

Fate of building that was home to first territorial Legislature still being determined, owner says.

Workers remove awning from the old Elks Lodge building at 109 S. Franklin St. at midday Monday. While heavy construction equipment is parked next to the structure, the owner says no decision about the fate of the building has been made yet. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Acrylic works by local artist Jessalyn Ward will be featured at Bustin Out Boutique as part of November’s First Friday in Juneau. (Courtesy of the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council)

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

An annual napkin art contest, a workshop for homemade dog treats, and art featuring end-of-an-age glaciers and end-of-life items revived in new forms are part… Continue reading

Acrylic works by local artist Jessalyn Ward will be featured at Bustin Out Boutique as part of November’s First Friday in Juneau. (Courtesy of the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council)
Felicia Price, an employee of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, hands a copy of the Lingít-language book “Kuhaantí” to her son, Brayden, 8, while staffing the distribution table for the book with co-worker Genevieve McFadden during its release party Friday night at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Landmark Lingít-language children’s book is an ‘orphan’ with a very large family

“Kuhaantí,” first release of its kind in decades, part of nine-story collaborative tribal project.

Felicia Price, an employee of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, hands a copy of the Lingít-language book “Kuhaantí” to her son, Brayden, 8, while staffing the distribution table for the book with co-worker Genevieve McFadden during its release party Friday night at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front of the Alaska State Capitol is seen on Wednesday, April 12. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska retirement board recommends closure of widely used plan after analysis finds flaws

“Managed accounts” cover more than 10,000 of the 122,000-plus managed by state.

The front of the Alaska State Capitol is seen on Wednesday, April 12. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Police calls for Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
The Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore docks in Juneau in October of 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Ships in Port for t​​he Week of Oct. 22

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2023 schedule. Capacity figures in parenthesis were pulled from cruise lines’ websites. Saturday, Oct. 21… Continue reading

  • Oct 29, 2023
The Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore docks in Juneau in October of 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Police calls for Friday, Oct. 27, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Police calls for Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
University of Alaska environmental science professor Eran Hood (foreground right) and National Weather Service Juneau hydrologist Aaron Jacobs discuss their hope of renaming Suicide Basin to Kʼóox Ḵaadí Basin, a Tlingit name referring to a small weasel-like mammal in the area — during a presentation Friday at the University of Alaska Southeast. They also discussed the basin’s history, a record flood from it that occurred this summer and the possibility of future such floods. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Video

Experts seek to rename Suicide Basin to Kʼóox Ḵaadí Basin; warn its deadly flood threat rising

History, future and monitoring of ice dam that caused record flooding this year focus of UAS event.

University of Alaska environmental science professor Eran Hood (foreground right) and National Weather Service Juneau hydrologist Aaron Jacobs discuss their hope of renaming Suicide Basin to Kʼóox Ḵaadí Basin, a Tlingit name referring to a small weasel-like mammal in the area — during a presentation Friday at the University of Alaska Southeast. They also discussed the basin’s history, a record flood from it that occurred this summer and the possibility of future such floods. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Video