News

Fred LaPlante is the pastor at Juneau Church of the Nazarene. (Courtesy photo)

Living and Growing: What’s coloring your view?

The world around me hadn’t changed — only my vision had

Fred LaPlante is the pastor at Juneau Church of the Nazarene. (Courtesy photo)
An ultra-endurance long-range drone registered to Vanilla Unmanned crashed into a bluff near Ninilchik, Alaska on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Contributed photo)

Drone crashes on beach in Southcentral Alaska during military exercises

NTSB is investigating the crash, which occurred Wednesday

An ultra-endurance long-range drone registered to Vanilla Unmanned crashed into a bluff near Ninilchik, Alaska on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Contributed photo)
The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Ships in port, Aug. 23-27

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2025 schedule. Capacity figures in parenthesis were pulled from cruise lines’ websites. Saturday, Aug. 23… Continue reading

  • Aug 22, 2025
The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Photo by Erin Thompson / Peninsula Clarion KTOO, Juneau’s public radio station, is photographed July 11.

Grants to boost local emergency alert systems in question as public media agency closes

The change comes after Republican lawmakers voted last month to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Photo by Erin Thompson / Peninsula Clarion KTOO, Juneau’s public radio station, is photographed July 11.
Salmon dry on a rack in Quinhagak, a Yup’ik village in Western Alaska, in July 2023. Salmon is a staple of the traditional Indigenous diet in Alaska and one of the main foods harvested through subsistence practices. (Alice Bailey/University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Federal appeals court preserves Alaska’s two-tier system for subsistence fishing management

State attorneys had argued for a new interpretation after recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions

Salmon dry on a rack in Quinhagak, a Yup’ik village in Western Alaska, in July 2023. Salmon is a staple of the traditional Indigenous diet in Alaska and one of the main foods harvested through subsistence practices. (Alice Bailey/University of Alaska Fairbanks)
Former Alaska House Rep. Ben Carpenter and Ray Southwell rise in support of speaker David Haeg during a town hall on the Alaska grand jury process in the Betty J. Glick Assembly Chambers in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

State attorney general discusses new ‘investigative grand jury’ process at town hall

The State Department of Law in July rolled out a new, formalized process for Alaska residents to request an investigation by a grand jury.

Former Alaska House Rep. Ben Carpenter and Ray Southwell rise in support of speaker David Haeg during a town hall on the Alaska grand jury process in the Betty J. Glick Assembly Chambers in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Yukon government / Yukon.ca Jeanie McLean, James Cockrell and Tracy-Anne McPhee signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of Yukon and Alaska on Aug. 12 to share information on gender-based violence in the North.

Yukon and Alaska will share data on gender-based violence against Indigenous people

Cross-border agreement aims to protect Indigenous communities and prevent gender-based violence in the North

Yukon government / Yukon.ca Jeanie McLean, James Cockrell and Tracy-Anne McPhee signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of Yukon and Alaska on Aug. 12 to share information on gender-based violence in the North.
The Alaska Capitol is photographed Friday, July 11, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire)

Alaska Legislature gavels in and out, taking no further action in special session

Legislative leaders say they’ve already accomplished their priorities

The Alaska Capitol is photographed Friday, July 11, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire)
Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File This April 12, 2022, photo shows former Alaska Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich, D-Anchorage. Begich announced his candidacy for Alaska governor this week.

Former state Sen. Tom Begich becomes 1st Democrat to indicate run for Alaska governor in 2026

The Anchorage resident, from a prominent political family, says he will conduct statewide listening tour, and focus on the state’s future

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File This April 12, 2022, photo shows former Alaska Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich, D-Anchorage. Begich announced his candidacy for Alaska governor this week.
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Police calls, Aug. 14-18

This report contains public information available to the Empire from law enforcement and public safety agencies. This report includes arrest and citation information, not conviction… Continue reading

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The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Ships in port, Aug. 20-23

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2025 schedule. Capacity figures in parenthesis were pulled from cruise lines’ websites. Wednesday, Aug. 20… Continue reading

  • Aug 20, 2025
The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump begin to leave the stage after making statements following their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

‘Progress’ but no peace deal for Ukraine as Trump meets Putin in Alaska, without taking questions

World leaders end their historic meeting earlier than expected, and with few details about what occurred in a lengthy closed-door meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump begin to leave the stage after making statements following their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
Protesters hold signs at the “No War Criminals” protest at The Whale in Bill Overstreet Park in Juneau, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Photo provided by Juneau For Democracy)

Juneau protesters speak out against Putin visit

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on Friday

Protesters hold signs at the “No War Criminals” protest at The Whale in Bill Overstreet Park in Juneau, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Photo provided by Juneau For Democracy)
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Police calls, Aug. 11-13

This report contains public information available to the Empire from law enforcement and public safety agencies. This report includes arrest and citation information, not conviction… Continue reading

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The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Ships in port, Aug. 16-20

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2025 schedule. Capacity figures in parenthesis were pulled from cruise lines’ websites. Saturday, Aug. 16… Continue reading

  • Aug 15, 2025
The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
President Donald Trump greets President Vladimir Putin of Russia as they met at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Trump and Putin put on a show of friendship but come away without a deal

ANCHORAGE — President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached no agreement to end the war in Ukraine at a high-profile summit meeting Friday,… Continue reading

President Donald Trump greets President Vladimir Putin of Russia as they met at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
HESCO flood barriers installed near the banks of the Mendenhall River are photographed on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. Water levels rose by a record-breaking 16.65 feet on the morning of Aug. 13 during a glacial outburst from Suicide Basin. (Chloe Anderson/Juneau Empire)

‘What a difference a year makes’

Juneau flood recovery begins

HESCO flood barriers installed near the banks of the Mendenhall River are photographed on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. Water levels rose by a record-breaking 16.65 feet on the morning of Aug. 13 during a glacial outburst from Suicide Basin. (Chloe Anderson/Juneau Empire)
A Juneau Police Department vehicle. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file photo)

Juneau Police Department names officer seen throwing man during arrest

The man was medevaced to a Seattle hospital following the incident

A Juneau Police Department vehicle. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file photo)
In this screengrab, City and Borough of Juneau project managers for the HESCO barrier project — Carleton Shorey, Nick Druyvestein and Jeffrey Thole — speak during a Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, press conference in the aftermath of the 2025 GLOF.

Unified Command switches from response to recovery in aftermath of flooding

The community will start to see preliminary damage assessment teams in affected neighborhoods

In this screengrab, City and Borough of Juneau project managers for the HESCO barrier project — Carleton Shorey, Nick Druyvestein and Jeffrey Thole — speak during a Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, press conference in the aftermath of the 2025 GLOF.
A map shows the location of Sunday's landslide. (Courtesy of Alaska Earthquake Center)

Alaska Earthquake Center says Sunday’s tsunami-causing slide was largest in decade

Sawyer Island sees a 100-foot wave; Harbor Island reports 20-foot waves

A map shows the location of Sunday's landslide. (Courtesy of Alaska Earthquake Center)