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Nine pairs of rubber boots await feet near the entrance to Catherine Fritz’s home in Juneau. The collection includes very early models made in the United States, later imported versions that are steel-toed, insulated and regular. Fritz’s favorite pair is a short version that slip on easily. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

News

Rubber barons: Weirdly fashionable and always functional rubber boots

From boat decks to badge of belonging, XtraTufs are universal.

Mary McGee, the first U.S. woman to become a professional motorcycle racer, is seen in a documentary of her life that debuted on Thursday, one day after her death. (Promotional photo from ESPN Films)

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‘Motorcycle Mary’ McGee, a Juneau-born woman who became a racing pioneer, dies at age 87

Life of first U.S. woman to race motorcycles captured in documentary released day after her death

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Nov. 23, 1984. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Nov. 30

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Nov. 19, 1984. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Nov. 23

Three decades of capital city coverage.

Looking through the dining room and reception area to the front door. The table will be covered with holiday treats during the afternoon open house. The Stickley slide table, when several extensions are added, provides comfortable seating for 22 dinner guests. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

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The Governor’s House: Welcoming Alaskans for more than 100 years

Mansion has seen many updates to please occupants, but piano bought with first funds still playable.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Nov. 14, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Nov. 16

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Nov. 2, 1984. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Nov. 2

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Nov. 4, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Nov. 9

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 20, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Oct. 26

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 13, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Oct. 19

Three decades of capital city coverage.

People dance to music by The Muskeg Collective during KTOO’s 50-Fest on Saturday night at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

KTOO packs a half century of programming into a six-hour 50-Fest anniversary celebration

Ten mini-concerts, plus interviews, theater and tributes showcase public broadcasting outlet’s history.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 8, 2004. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Oct. 12

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

News

Signaling Alaska: By land, by sea and by air

KTOO’s 50th anniversary celebration has much longer historical ties to Klondike, military.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 3, 1984. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Oct.5

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Sept. 26, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Sept. 28

Three decades of capital city coverage.

Rush-hour traffic heads toward downtown on Egan Drive on Friday morning. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

News

How Outer Drive became inner drive: The construction of Egan Drive

In 1970 there was no dispute about need for four-lane highway — conflict was about route across wetlands.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Sept. 21, 1984. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Sept. 21

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Sept. 14, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Sept. 14

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Sept. 6, 1984. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Sept. 7

Three decades of capital city coverage.

A gathering of friends rent Skater’s Cabin on Mendenhall Lake from the U.S. Forest Service on a sunny day in July of 2024. The cabin and the West Glacier Trail beyond it were Civilian Conservation Corps projects. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

News

Rock Solid: The 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps built many of Juneau’s recreational, cultural landmarks

Forest Service shelters, trails, totem poles, early ski area among Depression-era program’s fixtures.