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Latest Awards

Klas Stolpe, a sports reporter for the Juneau Empire and multiple other publications since the mid-1990s, receives the Alaska School Activities Association’s Gold Lifetime Pass for Region V this year during a ceremony at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Saturday. (Melissa Bastable Ganey / Mel G Photography)

Sports

Longtime Southeast Alaska sports reporter Klas Stolpe wins ASAA’s annual Gold Lifetime Pass award

Honor recognizes “significant service to high school students of Alaska” for at least 20 years.

Long time Juneau official Bob Sims, shown during action last week at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park, has been named the 2024-25 Alaska Sports Official of the Year by a committee sponsored through the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Juneau whistle blower receives state honor

Robert Sims named Alaska Sports Official of the Year.

Tessa Hulls, an author who moved to Juneau during the winter, at the Alaska State Capitol on Monday after her graphic novel “Feeding Ghosts” won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in the Memoir or Autobiography category. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Juneau author Tessa Hulls wins Pulitzer Prize for graphic memoir ‘Feeding Ghosts’

Book entwines grandmother, mother and author on journey of politics and identity from China to points worldwide.

John Blasco, shown coaching the Thunder Mountain High School basketball team during the state tournament in March of this year, was honored as the Juneau Greater Chamber of Commerce’s citizen of the year at the organization’s annual awards gala at Centennial Hall last Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Double take: John Blasco wins local Citizen of the Year award months after state coach of the year honor

Chamber of Commerce also honors Bullwinkle’s, Juneau Bach Society’s Bruce Simonson at annual gala

This combination photo shows University of Alaska Southeast senior Stephanie Harasim and UAS freshman A.J. Schultz tied for first place in the spring history writing contest sponsored by the Gastineau Channel Historical Society. (Courtesy Photos)

Neighbors

UAS students tie for first place in history writing contest

Each took a moment in local history and developed a fictional character who experienced that event.

Bears greet each other on Chichagof Island in this picture from the fall of 2022 that won first prize for best feature photo from the Alaska Press Club during its annual awards banquet in April. It was the main photo for a Planet Alaska feature published in the Capital City Weekly in October of 2022. (Photo by Elleana Elliott)

News

Empire staff and contributors earn 11 Alaska Press Club awards

The Juneau Empire won 11 Alaska Press Club awards at its annual banquet, which took place five days…

City and Borough of Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt and Mayor Beth Weldon smile for a photo at the Alaska Municipal League luncheon Thursday afternoon. Watt was named AML’s municipal official of the year at the event. (Courtesy / CBJ)

News

Watt receives statewide municipal official of the year award

Can I get a Watt Watt?

Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire Chief Ed Mercer presents community service officer Sarah Dolan with the Jackie Renninger Community Policing Award during the Juneau Police Department’s annual award ceremony on June 9, 2022.

News

Police deliver annual awards for officers, community members

Citizens were recognized for their bravery over the last year.

Michael Penn /Juneau Empire File Claire Scott, a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, has been named a 2021 National Merit Scholarship winner. She is the only student in Alaska to receive the honor this year. In addition to a perfect grade point average, she has published two graphic novels. Here, she shows off her second published comic book, A Most Peculiar Alarm Clock, at Alaska Robotics Gallery on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019.

News

JDHS senior named National Merit Scholar

She is Alaska’s only 2021 recipient

City and Borough of Juneau Public Library Director Robert Barr was announced Friday, April 2, 2021, as Juneau’s next deputy city manager. Barr was also announced this week as the winner of the American Library Association’s Ernest A. DiMattia Award for Innovation and Service to Community and Profession for his work as the city’s planning section chief through the pandemic. (Courtesy photo / CBJ)

News

Raising the Barr: Library chief picked for deputy city manager job

He also won a national award for his work through the pandemic.

This composite of courtesy images shows Juneau artists and art by Juneauites who recently earned Rasmuson Foundation awards. (Top left) a still from “This Place/This Sound”, (top middle) Crystal Worl, (top right) Corinna Cook, (bottom left) Annie Bartholomew, (bottom middle) Christy NaMee Eriksen, (bottom right) painting by Lily Hope. (Courtesy Photos)

News

Lesser-heard voices from the past sing loud for Alaska art awards

Projects range from huge public murals to albums to dances and more.

Dzantiki Heeni Middle School principal Molly Yerkes was named Region 5 Principal of the Year by the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals for 2020. (Courtesy photo | Molly Yerkes)

News

Look who was named region’s principal of the year

She’s been at the middle school for 16 years now.

Jorden Nigro speaks during the Woman of Distinction 2019 Celebration Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Centennial Hall. During her speech she advocated for seeing humanity in others and the value of showing up. (Ben Hohenstatt | Capital City Weekly)

News

Women of Distiction event celebrates people who make a difference in Juneau

Raising AWARE-ness for Juneau’s wonder women.