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Left to right: Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon stands as Municipal Attorney Emily Wright swears in Assembly member Ella Adkison, Greg Smith and Nano Brooks at the Assembly meeting on Monday, Oct. 27. (Mari Kanagy/Juneau Empire)

News

Assembly members sworn in facing protesters and tighter city budget

Attendees object Telephone Hill demolition; Assembly approves pay raises and project funding.

Win Gruening (courtesy)

Opinion

Opinion: The vote is over, but the budget battle is just beginning

Win Gruening weighs in on Monday’s Assembly Reorganization Meeting.

An attendee holds up a sign opposing the demolition of homes on Telephone Hill at the Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, City and Borough of Juneau Assembly meeting. (Screenshot)

News

Opposition to Telephone Hill demolition heard at Monday CBJ Assembly meeting

Monday’s meeting was the last regular Assembly session before the deadline to evict residents

The Edward Webster House (top center in grey), named for a former owner who located his Juneau and Douglas Telephone Co. there for decades beginning in 1915, is the oldest house still in use in Juneau. (Photo courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)

Opinion

My Turn: Telephone Hill homes stand as historic symbols of freedom and fresh starts

The history of Juneau’s beginnings is under attack

The existing 70-year-old Juneau City Hall. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

Juneau Assembly OKs $10M purchase of new city hall office space

Purchasing two floors of the Michael J. Burns Building will cost $10.2 million, with an estimated $7.7 million…

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)

News

‘What a difference a year makes’

Juneau flood recovery begins

City and Borough of Juneau City Hall is photographed on July 12, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire file)

Opinion

My Turn: How greedy do we want to be?

Our city government has become much less business-friendly in recent years

As of 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, the Mendenhall River height was 10.78 feet and falling. (National Weather Service)

News

UPDATE: Suicide Basin flood threat ends, water recedes

Evacuated areas have now been opened to residents only

A flood inundation map shows areas in Juneau's Mendenhall Valley that are urged to evacuate during the 2025 annual glacial outburst flooding event, which is estimated to have begun Monday evening and expected to crest Wednesday afternoon.

News

Update: Mendenhall River crests, levels now falling

The release from Suicide Basin has come to an end

A screenshot from the USGS monitoring location of the basin shows the status of the area as of Aug. 11, 2025.

News

Suicide Basin reaches capacity; CBJ urges residents in inundation zone to prep for evacuation

In the past, it has taken up to six days for the outburst flooding event to begin after…

The Mendenhall river is pictured from Botherhood Bridge on Aug. 11, 2025. (Chloe Anderson for the Juneau Empire)

News

CBJ, CCFR and others share flood preparedness updates ahead of expected annual flood event

Due to an atmospheric river the Juneau area experienced this weekend, both lake and river levels have risen

Ken Post. (Courtesy photo)

Opinion

My Turn: It’s time for a seasonal sales tax

There is no perfect seasonal sales tax, but it’s hard to pass up an opportunity to help CBJs…

City and Borough of Juneau City Hall is photographed on July 12, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire file)

News

Municipal election candidate filing period opens July 18

The filing period runs from July 18 at 8 a.m. to July 28 at 4:30 p.m.

Telephone Hill resident Callie Conerton expresses concerns about the new design concepts for the Telephone Hill redevelopment project that were presented Wednesday evening at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. She said she is concerned about the affordability of the proposed units. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Tension on Telephone Hill: Residents displeased with city’s proposed redevelopment ideas for downtown hillside

Many who attended the city’s Wednesday open house say they don’t want to see development at all

Chris Anderson mounts a Marine View and Heritage Way sign together in preparation for the South Seward Street name change Nov. 1. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Time of the signs: New Heritage Way signs ready to go ahead of November name swap

CBJ Streets employees make the custom signs Thursday morning.

Houses line the streets of South Douglas in late May. The deadline has passed for short-term rental operators to register their units with the City and Borough of Juneau before they face a $25 daily fine. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

Non-registered short-term rental operators in Juneau now face daily fine

About 230 units registered before the deadline out of the nearly 600 estimated in the capital city.

A man heads to the City Hall Assembly Chambers to cast his ballot on Election Day on Oct. 3. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

Updated election count: Voter turnout soars, preliminary results see small shifts

Leading candidates continue in their positions, rejection of City Hall bond continues to grow.

Boats berth at Don D. Statter Harbor in February. On Wednesday evening the City and Borough of Juneau’s Docks and Harbors Board OK’d a 9% increase to all docks and harbors fees with one exception. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Docks and Harbors board OKs 9% increase for nearly all fees

Increase will go into effect in January if passed by the Assembly.

Campaign signs for Areawide Assembly candidates Paul Kelly and Ella Adkison sit side-by-side in a yard on Douglas. Kelly and Adkison are the candidates currently leading in the 10-person field for two open Assembly Areawide seats, according to preliminary results released Wednesday morning. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Candidates react to unofficial local election results

City Hall bond faces narrow rejection, Assembly races with razor-thin margins.

Michael Beasley drops a ballot into a drop box at the City Hall Assembly Chambers on Election Day Tuesday morning. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Preliminary election results: Tight Assembly races, narrow City Hall rejection

Results released early Wednesday, more votes to be counted in next two weeks.