City and Borough of Juneau

Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire After weeks of heavy rainfall, multiple portions of the Montana Creek Bridge were closed after sustaining weather-related damage.

Troubled bridges over Juneau waters

September saw record rainfall, damaged structures.

Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire After weeks of heavy rainfall, multiple portions of the Montana Creek Bridge were closed after sustaining weather-related damage.
Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire Juneau’s largely by-mail municipal election is in full swing and time is beginning to tick down for residents to send in their votes before the Oct. 4 deadline. City officials urge voters to check mailboxes for potential cure letters to ensure their ballot can be counted.

CBJ Election Day is almost here

Deadline to cast municipal ballots is 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire Juneau’s largely by-mail municipal election is in full swing and time is beginning to tick down for residents to send in their votes before the Oct. 4 deadline. City officials urge voters to check mailboxes for potential cure letters to ensure their ballot can be counted.
Deedie Sorensen smiles for a photo at her home. Sorensen is seeking a second term on the Juneau School District Board of Education. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Sorensen soars again: School board member talks reelection goals

The sky’s the limit for the district

Deedie Sorensen smiles for a photo at her home. Sorensen is seeking a second term on the Juneau School District Board of Education. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Emily Mackey smiles for a photo at his office in the Nugget Mall. Mackey is seeking a third term on the Juneau School District Board of Education. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Return of the Mackey: The school board member talks future of Juneau’s district

Mackey is back-y

Emily Mackey smiles for a photo at his office in the Nugget Mall. Mackey is seeking a third term on the Juneau School District Board of Education. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Mindy and Will Jones, who lived next door to Resurrection Lutheran Church, talk to neighbor Elva Bontrager in their yard on Wednesday. The couple said they are sympathetic to disadvantaged residents staying at the church’s warming shelter during sub-freezing winter nights, but there have been incidents with people being loud and rowdy outside late at night. The church provided the warming shelter for the first time last winter and on Tuesday the city approved extending the number of days and hours the shelter can be open during the coming winter. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Longer season, hours OK’d for warming shelter

Extended operations for church’s second year as host seeks less frigid winter for homeless, neighbors

Mindy and Will Jones, who lived next door to Resurrection Lutheran Church, talk to neighbor Elva Bontrager in their yard on Wednesday. The couple said they are sympathetic to disadvantaged residents staying at the church’s warming shelter during sub-freezing winter nights, but there have been incidents with people being loud and rowdy outside late at night. The church provided the warming shelter for the first time last winter and on Tuesday the city approved extending the number of days and hours the shelter can be open during the coming winter. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Assembly member Greg Smith smiles for a photo outside of the Juneau Empire office. Smith is seeking reelection in this year’s City and Borough of Juneau municipal election along with four other candidates in the running for assembly and school board positions, which all remain uncontested. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Smithing a better future: Assembly member talks continuing the city’s momentum for next term

He’s got a whole Smith-list of goals

Assembly member Greg Smith smiles for a photo outside of the Juneau Empire office. Smith is seeking reelection in this year’s City and Borough of Juneau municipal election along with four other candidates in the running for assembly and school board positions, which all remain uncontested. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
City and Borough of Juneau Public Works Department clears debris Wednesday morning on Gastineau Avenue. A landslide Monday evening brought down a large tree, which caused damage to homes and a vehicle. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

Juneau man stunned by loss of home, community support

“If you’re going to have your home destroyed, Juneau is the best place to do it.”

City and Borough of Juneau Public Works Department clears debris Wednesday morning on Gastineau Avenue. A landslide Monday evening brought down a large tree, which caused damage to homes and a vehicle. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
CCFR officials and residents gathered at the section of Gastineau Avenue that sustained damage from the landslide on Monday evening. At the time of 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday officials said they were still trying to assess the damage and no cleanup efforts had started yet. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

City set to begin cleanup after landslide

Three homes were damaged; at least a dozen people displaced.

CCFR officials and residents gathered at the section of Gastineau Avenue that sustained damage from the landslide on Monday evening. At the time of 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday officials said they were still trying to assess the damage and no cleanup efforts had started yet. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Assembly member Carole Triem smiles in front of a Juneau backdrop. Triem is seeking reelection in this year’s City and Borough of Juneau municipal election, which comes to an end in less than a week on Oct. 4. (Courtesty / Carole Triem)

Living the Triem: The Assembly member talks ambitions for next term

Addressing the housing shortage is a top priority

Assembly member Carole Triem smiles in front of a Juneau backdrop. Triem is seeking reelection in this year’s City and Borough of Juneau municipal election, which comes to an end in less than a week on Oct. 4. (Courtesty / Carole Triem)
Assembly member Wade Bryson smiles while sitting in his office space located above the Juneau Bike Doctor off Old Dairy Road. Bryson is seeking reelection in this year’s City and Borough of Juneau municipal election, which comes to an end in less than a week on Oct. 4. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Wading into the candidate pool: Bryson talks reelection goals ahead of local election.

Addressing trash problem is a top priority.

Assembly member Wade Bryson smiles while sitting in his office space located above the Juneau Bike Doctor off Old Dairy Road. Bryson is seeking reelection in this year’s City and Borough of Juneau municipal election, which comes to an end in less than a week on Oct. 4. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A tree lies across Gastineau Avenue on Monday evening after falling between two homes and crushing at least one vehicle. Firefighters and police closed the street to traffic, and evacuated homes along the street as well as buildings extending down to Franklin Avenue. The evacuation is expected to last at least 24 hours. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Landslide damages building, prompts evacuation

No one hurt, according to Capital City Fire/Rescue.

A tree lies across Gastineau Avenue on Monday evening after falling between two homes and crushing at least one vehicle. Firefighters and police closed the street to traffic, and evacuated homes along the street as well as buildings extending down to Franklin Avenue. The evacuation is expected to last at least 24 hours. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A plane flies in front of a downtown Juneau neighborhood in early May. City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Finance Committee members Wednesday discussed the availability of housing in Juneau. So far, Assembly members said, a tax abatement meant to spur development downtown has not been successful. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire File)

Homing in on new housing

City seeks applicants for fund meant to incentivize development.

A plane flies in front of a downtown Juneau neighborhood in early May. City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Finance Committee members Wednesday discussed the availability of housing in Juneau. So far, Assembly members said, a tax abatement meant to spur development downtown has not been successful. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire File)
A completed ballot is dropped into the ballot drop box in the Don D. Statter Harbor parking lot on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Election Day nears for local races

They’ve got mail.

A completed ballot is dropped into the ballot drop box in the Don D. Statter Harbor parking lot on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
A sign encouraging voters to vote yes on Proposition 4 stands at a busy Mendnehall Valley intersection. The proposition to repeal a city ordinance requiring buyers to disclose the sales price of real property has been a flashpoint in the municipal election with groups forming in support and opposition of the proposition. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

The disclosure dilemma

Supporters say it’s more accurate, opponents say it’s an invasion of privacy — voters will decide.

A sign encouraging voters to vote yes on Proposition 4 stands at a busy Mendnehall Valley intersection. The proposition to repeal a city ordinance requiring buyers to disclose the sales price of real property has been a flashpoint in the municipal election with groups forming in support and opposition of the proposition. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Several police vehicles, including a mobile incident command vehicle, were present Wednesday evening near the Kaxdigoowu Héen Dei (Brotherhood Bridge Trail) trailhead. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Police: Death being investigated as homicide

A person of interest and the deceased have been identified.

Several police vehicles, including a mobile incident command vehicle, were present Wednesday evening near the Kaxdigoowu Héen Dei (Brotherhood Bridge Trail) trailhead. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
On the ballot of this year’s municipal election, voters will decide if the city’s temporary” 1% sales tax should be extended as it celebrates its 50th consecutive year implemented in the City and Borough of Juneau. Last time it passed, close to 78% of residents voted yes, according to CBJ, and if passed again, it will go into effect Oct. 1, 2023, and run until Sept. 30, 2028. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

50 years ‘temporary’ and counting?

Voters asked to decide if the city’s 1% sales tax should be extended another 5 years

On the ballot of this year’s municipal election, voters will decide if the city’s temporary” 1% sales tax should be extended as it celebrates its 50th consecutive year implemented in the City and Borough of Juneau. Last time it passed, close to 78% of residents voted yes, according to CBJ, and if passed again, it will go into effect Oct. 1, 2023, and run until Sept. 30, 2028. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
This photo shared on Capital City Fire/Rescue social media shows fire personnel on scene at the 1200 block of Glacier Avenue responding to smoke in the building. According the the social media post on Tuesday morning, no one was in the building at the time of the fire. (Courtesy Photo / Capital City Fire/Rescue)

CCFR puts out fire at Glacier Avenue business

No injuries were reported

This photo shared on Capital City Fire/Rescue social media shows fire personnel on scene at the 1200 block of Glacier Avenue responding to smoke in the building. According the the social media post on Tuesday morning, no one was in the building at the time of the fire. (Courtesy Photo / Capital City Fire/Rescue)
A new track and artificial turf field could be on the way to Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park if voters decide to OK 6.6 million in general obligation bond debt to go toward the funding of construction and equipment costs for park improvements at city-located parks. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Campaign trails: Proposition puts recreation improvement question to voters

The $6.6M bond package will cause a slight increase in annual property taxes over 15 years.

A new track and artificial turf field could be on the way to Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park if voters decide to OK 6.6 million in general obligation bond debt to go toward the funding of construction and equipment costs for park improvements at city-located parks. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Voters in the City and Borough of Juneau municipal election will decide whether to approve $35 million in bond debt to fund the majority of the construction cost for a new City Hall. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

The $35M question: Advocates and critics weigh in on City Hall proposition

Ballots put bond debt question to voters.

Voters in the City and Borough of Juneau municipal election will decide whether to approve $35 million in bond debt to fund the majority of the construction cost for a new City Hall. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
This photo shows an aerial view of the Pederson Hill subdivision area. (Courtesy Photo / City and Borough of Juneau)

City OKs negotiation for potential affordable housing projects

City manager says it’s a “first step” toward addressing lack of housing.

This photo shows an aerial view of the Pederson Hill subdivision area. (Courtesy Photo / City and Borough of Juneau)