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In this June 2017 photo, a pedestrian walks by City Hall on June 7, 2017. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)

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City discussing possible ballot measure for pre-K funding program

Funding for a pre-K funding program aimed to help children prepare for kindergarten may be part of the…

Mary Lou Spartz talks about her interest in the SS Princess Sophia on Friday, June 22, 2018. The Sophia sank in 1918 with 343 or more people dying in the incident. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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‘Haunting story’: Mary Lou Spartz talks about her fascination with Princess Sophia

Spartz, who is one of the founders of the committee committed to keeping the memory of the Sophia…

Juneau Police Chief Ed Mercer speaks to the Juneau Chamber of Commerce during its weekly luncheon at the Moose Lodge on Thursday, June 21, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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Number of crimes trending downward in early 2018, police say

Burglaries, thefts, robberies and aggravated assaults in the first quarter of 2018 are down compared to the first…

News

Trapper pleads not guilty in illegal snare case

Mark David Mitchell, charged with attempting to trap wolves during a closed season, was not present at his…

Mack Arthur Parker, 51 at the time, appears in Juneau District Court for an arraignment on burglary charges on Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Parker was accused of breaking into the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Sunday, July 2, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

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Visitor center burglar sentenced to two years in prison

Mack Arthur Parker, who pleaded guilty to burglarizing the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center last year, was sentenced Thursday…

News

12-year-old intentionally set brush fire, fire marshal says

A 12-year-old boy intentionally set a brush fire in the Mendenhall Valley on Wednesday, according to a statement…

This so-called “Silent City” appeared above the Muir Glacier in late June every year, Juneau pioneer Richard “Dick” Willoughby claimed. This photograph was circulated far and wide as people sought to get a look at the mirage. (Alaska State Library, Historical Collections | Courtesy Photo)

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The glacial hoax that captured the nation’s attention

Richard “Dick” Willoughby was the kind of person to gaze into a raincloud and see the sun.

A male yearling black bear is pictured trapped in a snare on Douglas Island. The bear was euthanized because of extensive injuries due to the snare. (Alaska State Troopers | Courtesy Photo)

News

Trapper pleads not guilty in illegal snare case

Mark David Mitchell, charged with attempting to trap wolves during a closed season, was not present at his…

A bicyclist cross the Douglas Bridge in November 2012. The bridge is the only connection to Douglas Island from the mainland. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

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City revisits idea of North Douglas crossing

A divisive issue dating back at least to 1984 on whether Juneau should have a second connection between…

The crosswalk at Seventh and Gold Street in May 2017 before being painted back to white by the City and Borough of Juneau. (Susan Warner | Courtesy Photo)

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Vandalism or art? City seeks solutions to rainbow-painted crosswalks

Rainbow-painted crosswalks downtown have the City and Borough of Juneau trying to find a compromise between public safety…

Sasha Moore, Healthcare for the Homeless clinic manager for Front Street Health Center, speaks at the Juneau Reentry Coalition meeting on Wednesday, June 21, 2018. Next to Moore, from left, are David Moore, a family nurse practitioner at Front Street Health Center; Meghan Lindquist, midtown primary care provider for JAMHI Health and Wellness, Inc.; Erin Maloney, behavioral health clinician for Bartlett Outpatient Psychiatric Services; and Claire Geldhof, nurse case manager at Bartlett Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

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Providers seeking ways to get inmates into treatment faster after release

Assistant Municipal Attorney Emily Wright stood up at Wednesday night’s Juneau Reentry Coalition (JREC) community meeting and expressed…

Meghan Chambers, left, Shabadrang Khalsa, Grace Lee, Stacy Katasse and Mary Richey, right, pose for a picture before a film against the use of plastic straws at the Gold Town Nickelodeon on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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The last straw: Juneau group’s environmental mission starts with a beverage

The movement started in a sea turtle’s nostril.

Juneau Police Chief Ed Mercer speaks to the Juneau Chamber of Commerce during its weekly luncheon at the Moose Lodge on Thursday, June 21, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

News

Number of crimes trending downward in early 2018, police say

Burglaries, thefts, robberies and aggravated assaults in the first quarter of 2018 are down compared to the first…

Mack Arthur Parker, 51 at the time, appears in Juneau District Court for an arraignment on burglary charges on Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Parker was accused of breaking into the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Sunday, July 2, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

News

Visitor center burglar sentenced to two years in prison

Mack Arthur Parker, who pleaded guilty to burglarizing the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center last year, was sentenced Thursday…

Zach Fansler

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Ex-lawmaker Fansler pleads guilty, gets community service for striking woman

Former Alaska legislator Zach Fansler pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment on Thursday for slapping a Juneau woman, and…

Juneau residents listen to the music of Papertrail and enjoy the beach during a solstice party at the North Douglas Boat Launch on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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Juneau sees third-hottest day ever

Wednesday’s sunny weather resulted in the third-highest temperature ever recorded in the capital city and the warmest day…

News

12-year-old intentionally set brush fire, fire marshal says

A 12-year-old boy intentionally set a brush fire in the Mendenhall Valley on Wednesday, according to a statement…

Brad Robbins, the new owner of the Hooked Seafood Company, holds a fresh king salmon at their Industrial Boulevard location on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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Homesick for Juneau, Brad Robbins returns to Juneau to run Hooked Seafood

Brad Robbins was getting homesick for Juneau.

The State of Alaska has applied to take control of the land under the Taku River. The lands the state is asking for are pictured in blue. (Map courtesy Bureau of Land Management)

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Alaska applies for control of Taku River, a federal waterway

The land under the Taku River may soon have a new owner: the State of Alaska. The state…

Good Samaritan vessels assist three adults and three children after their 27-foot cabin cruiser began taking on water near Long Island in Sitka Sound, Alaska, June 19, 2018. (U.S. Coast Guard | Courtesy Photo)

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Good Samaritans, Coast Guard rescues boat taking on water

Three adults and three children are safe after their boat began taking on water near Long Island in…