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Safeway district manager Stephanie Kennedy and store director Mark Jones hand out a donation check to the Southeast Alaska Foodbank during a grand reopening ceremony on Wednesday. Foodbank manager Chris Schapp accepted the check on behalf of the foodbank. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

Safeway celebrates grand reopening

Local foodbank receives donation at Wednesday ceremony.

Safeway district manager Stephanie Kennedy and store director Mark Jones hand out a donation check to the Southeast Alaska Foodbank during a grand reopening ceremony on Wednesday. Foodbank manager Chris Schapp accepted the check on behalf of the foodbank. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
Lisa Phu holds her daughter, Acacia, near a waterfall on a trail just south of Thane in October of 2016.(Courtesy of Lisa Phu)
Features

The story of a lifetime

Longtime reporter Lisa Phu finally unveils family’s escape from genocide in Cambodia in podcast.

Lisa Phu holds her daughter, Acacia, near a waterfall on a trail just south of Thane in October of 2016.(Courtesy of Lisa Phu)
Seven months after a June 2022 incident in which a dozen students and two adults drank chemical floor sealant served as milk during a Juneau School District summer program, the District Board of Education on Tuesday night narrowly voted against moving forward with a third-party investigation of the district’s emergency notification and public communication. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

School board nixes plans for ‘milk’ incident investigation

In narrow vote, members cited past investigations, fiscal impact as reasons for not moving forward.

Seven months after a June 2022 incident in which a dozen students and two adults drank chemical floor sealant served as milk during a Juneau School District summer program, the District Board of Education on Tuesday night narrowly voted against moving forward with a third-party investigation of the district’s emergency notification and public communication. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
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State Supreme Court to hear arguments in residency case

The Alaska Supreme Court plans to hear arguments on Friday.

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Kat Moore of The Forest That Never Sleeps plays for a live audience. She’ll be joined by Seattle-based musician Ollella for new concert series Underground Connection’s first show on Friday and Saturday. (Courtesy Photo / Taylor Vidic)
Features

Making a new Connection: Concert series links Alaska and Lower 48 scenes

New concert series brings talent to town for two nights.

Kat Moore of The Forest That Never Sleeps plays for a live audience. She’ll be joined by Seattle-based musician Ollella for new concert series Underground Connection’s first show on Friday and Saturday. (Courtesy Photo / Taylor Vidic)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Amy Nye and her family await a ride after flying to Juneau from Seattle Wednesday morning. Juneau International Airport Manager Patty Wahto said no flights in or out of Juneau have been delayed due to the overnight outage to the Federal Administration Aviation Notice to Air Missions System caused more than 8,300 delayed flights and 1,200 cancellations across the U.S.

Juneau flights spared worst of U.S. flight disruptions

Airport manager monitoring situation after FAA system outage causes

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Amy Nye and her family await a ride after flying to Juneau from Seattle Wednesday morning. Juneau International Airport Manager Patty Wahto said no flights in or out of Juneau have been delayed due to the overnight outage to the Federal Administration Aviation Notice to Air Missions System caused more than 8,300 delayed flights and 1,200 cancellations across the U.S.
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Police calls for Wednesday, Jan. 11

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

  • Jan 11, 2023
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Pieces of the gondola that the City and Borough of Juneau purchased from Galsterberg Ski Area in Austria sit scattered in the snow outside Eaglecrest Ski Area. At Monday night’s Assembly meeting the Assembly approved a deal in which Goldbelt Inc. would invest $10 million toward the installation and construction of the gondola project.

Gondola project on track for $10M investment

It is expected to open in the spring of 2027

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Pieces of the gondola that the City and Borough of Juneau purchased from Galsterberg Ski Area in Austria sit scattered in the snow outside Eaglecrest Ski Area. At Monday night’s Assembly meeting the Assembly approved a deal in which Goldbelt Inc. would invest $10 million toward the installation and construction of the gondola project.
Shawnda O’Brien, the just-departed state Director of the Division of Public Assistance, talks Dec. 27 about the problems that are resulting in months-long backlogs in processing applications for benefits commonly referred to as food stamps. Her departure as director was announced Monday following weeks of widespread media coverage about the backlog that is expected to take additional months to resolve. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Head of state’s troubled food stamps program replaced

Director of the Division of Public Assistance departs in wake of months-long backlog.

Shawnda O’Brien, the just-departed state Director of the Division of Public Assistance, talks Dec. 27 about the problems that are resulting in months-long backlogs in processing applications for benefits commonly referred to as food stamps. Her departure as director was announced Monday following weeks of widespread media coverage about the backlog that is expected to take additional months to resolve. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A boat sinks at Andrews Marina inside Fisherman’s Bend on Tuesday. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

Boat capsizes at Fisherman’s Bend

A 26-foot boat capsized while docked at Andrews Marina inside Fisherman’s Bend on Tuesday. Based on information received from the United States Coast Guard Maritime… Continue reading

A boat sinks at Andrews Marina inside Fisherman’s Bend on Tuesday. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
Cruise ships line the downtown docks during a dark evening in late August. On Monday the Assembly voted to delay adopting cruise ship tourism policy objectives recommended by the Visitor Industry Task Force’s final report to allow for further public input. ( Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

City puts off adopting tourism task force recommendations, allows more public input

Move made to allow for additional public input.

Cruise ships line the downtown docks during a dark evening in late August. On Monday the Assembly voted to delay adopting cruise ship tourism policy objectives recommended by the Visitor Industry Task Force’s final report to allow for further public input. ( Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
A trail cam photo shows a beaver emerging from its snowy lodge and went foraging for branches in December (Courtesy Photo / Jos Bakker)
Video

Mild temperatures and busy beavers

I noticed two uncommon things that this beaver did…

A trail cam photo shows a beaver emerging from its snowy lodge and went foraging for branches in December (Courtesy Photo / Jos Bakker)
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Anchorage Democrat meets residency rules, judge says

“The result of the November 2022 election is accepted…”

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(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Police calls for Tuesday, Jan. 10

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

  • Jan 10, 2023
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Lawmakers, staff and other workers inside the The Alaska State Capitol are preparing this week for the upcoming session of the Alaska State Legislature that starts Jan. 17, including the release of the first round of prefile bills published Monday by the Legislative Affairs Agency. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Election changes dominate first round of legislative bills

Ranked choice voting, security are hot topics; state pensions, ‘capital move’ among repeat proposals.

Lawmakers, staff and other workers inside the The Alaska State Capitol are preparing this week for the upcoming session of the Alaska State Legislature that starts Jan. 17, including the release of the first round of prefile bills published Monday by the Legislative Affairs Agency. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
The University of Alaska Southeast recently announced the selection of five final candidates in the running to fill its chancellor position six months ahead of the expected retirement of current Chancellor Karen Carey. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

University of Alaska Southeast announces chancellor finalists

The position is set to begin July 1, following the retirement of the university’s current chancellor

The University of Alaska Southeast recently announced the selection of five final candidates in the running to fill its chancellor position six months ahead of the expected retirement of current Chancellor Karen Carey. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
In this photo made available by NASA, the space shuttle Challenger launches the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite in 1984. On Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, the U.S. space agency said the 38-year-old NASA satellite is about to fall from the sky, but the chance of wreckage falling on anybody is “very low.” It's expected to come down Sunday night, give or take 17 hours. (NASA via AP)

Old NASA satellite falls harmlessly from sky off Alaska

It was placed in orbit in 1984 by astronaut Sally Ride.

In this photo made available by NASA, the space shuttle Challenger launches the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite in 1984. On Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, the U.S. space agency said the 38-year-old NASA satellite is about to fall from the sky, but the chance of wreckage falling on anybody is “very low.” It's expected to come down Sunday night, give or take 17 hours. (NASA via AP)
Juneau residents register for COVID-19 vaccinations at Centennial Hall in April of 2021. Bartlett Regional Hospital and other city-owned institutions provided virus tests and vaccinations in a multitude of locations during the pandemic, as well as providing at-home tests and coordinating with other entities such as the Alaska Native-owned SEARHC. (Bartlett Regional Hospital)

Study: Juneau’s COVID-19 response a role model for success

Control of hospital and airport, public communication, coordination with tribes cited as key assets

Juneau residents register for COVID-19 vaccinations at Centennial Hall in April of 2021. Bartlett Regional Hospital and other city-owned institutions provided virus tests and vaccinations in a multitude of locations during the pandemic, as well as providing at-home tests and coordinating with other entities such as the Alaska Native-owned SEARHC. (Bartlett Regional Hospital)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017 photo, a black bear checks out his surroundings in Granite Basin in Juneau, Alaska. The National Park Service is proposing a rule that would prohibit bear baiting in national preserves in Alaska, the latest in a dispute over what animal rights supporters call a cruel practice. The park service said Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 it is proposing a rule barring bear baiting in national preserves in Alaska. (AP Photo / Becky Bohrer)

Hunter bear bait ban proposed for Alaska national preserves

Agency will be taking public comments on the proposal.

In this Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017 photo, a black bear checks out his surroundings in Granite Basin in Juneau, Alaska. The National Park Service is proposing a rule that would prohibit bear baiting in national preserves in Alaska, the latest in a dispute over what animal rights supporters call a cruel practice. The park service said Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 it is proposing a rule barring bear baiting in national preserves in Alaska. (AP Photo / Becky Bohrer)
Skiers cross the frozen lake in front of the Mendenhall Glacier in December. A proposed expansion of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreational Area by the U.S. Forest Service envisions motorized tour boat access in most alternatives, but the three newest ones based on previous public feedback limit vessels to low-impact electronic access or none. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

New study released for Mendenhall Glacier area development, old concerns raised

Report features 3 alternatives based on earlier public input; 2 public meetings set for this month.

Skiers cross the frozen lake in front of the Mendenhall Glacier in December. A proposed expansion of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreational Area by the U.S. Forest Service envisions motorized tour boat access in most alternatives, but the three newest ones based on previous public feedback limit vessels to low-impact electronic access or none. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)