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A seal pokes its head above the icy and waters at Don D. Statter Harbor on Sunday. National Weather Service Juneau sent out a special weather statement Sunday afternoon warning residents of Arctic air heading through the panhandle. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

News

Cold temps and high winds expected to last throughout the week

Officials say check water pipes, boats throughout week

Alfred Torres stands in the lobby on Friday after hearing the judges decision to uphold Ronald Smith’s 70-year prison sentence. Smith was charged for the murder of Kenneth Thomas and assault on Torres in 2001, but due to appeals the case has been retried twice. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

News

Sentencing latest in complicated killing case

“What I’ve always wanted was for him to apologize to my family, and he did that.”

Mr and Mrs. Claus wave to residents from above as they sit in in the basket of a Capital City Fire/Rescue ladder truck for the Santa parade Saturday evening. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Mr. and Mrs. Claus bring high spirits to downtown

Not even an Arctic front could stop residents from celebrating the parade.

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Sports

TMHS girls win tournament in Sitka

They rebounded from a tough first quarter to get the win.

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire From left to right, Duff Mitchell, Army National Guard veteran; Bill Clutton, Army veteran; and Tom Dawson, Navy veteran, stand in a line holding wreaths during a laying of wreaths ceremony for National Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday afternoon.

News

Juneau residents and veterans commemorate Wreaths Across America Day

The annual ceremony is observed in thousands of locations across the country.

Courtesy / Delores Gonzalez More than 75 people joined together at St. Paul Catholic Church to celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe this past Sunday evening.

Neighbors

Juneau Hispanic community celebrates the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe

It’s the group’s first time hosting the event in Juneau

This photo shows the Juneau Police Department station in Lemon Creek. Juneau Police Department Employees Association Board on Thursday made public its concerns with the city's ability to recruit and retain sworn officers. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Police union urges city action amid dwindling number of officers

City leaders acknowledge challenges, seek solutions.

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Santa steps off of a helicopter at Juneau International Airport for Christmas Light Flights. This year marked a triumphant return for the event which offers people an aerial view of Juneau during the holiday season. Flying time and staffing are donated by Coastal Helicopters and fuel from Petro Marine Services for the event.

News

Santa has landed

Usually it’s the reindeer who soar the sky during the holiday, but this time, it was a helicopter.

Ashlyn Gates and Cailynn Baxter practice boxing out during practice at Thunder Mountain High School. Gates and the Baxter twins are among the athletic core that gives coach Andly Lee confidence that TMHS can compete with any team on its schedule. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Sports

‘Dangerous’ TMHS girls basketball team readies to start season

Tough schedule, young roster, but optimism abounds.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus stop to visit families at Cedar Park during the annual Capital City Fire/Rescue Santa Parade in December 2018. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

News

Santa rides and chopper guides

Holiday happenings planned for Friday and Saturday.

Tlingit playwright and teacher Frank Henry Kaash Katasse poses for a photo on Tuesday during a welcoming home ceremony at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School. Katasse just returned from attending the Emmy Awards where the show he writes for “Molly of Denali” was nominated for two awards. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

News

‘Molly of Denali’ writer walks the red carpet…twice

A Q&A with Frank Henry Kaash Katasse.

Surrounded by other supporters, Jess Cobley, Juneau Education Association middle school representative at large, speaks to the Juneau District School board about the current status of the contract negotiation cycle between the pair at the board’s Tuesday evening meeting at Thunder Mountain High School.(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

‘How dare you?’: Teachers union rebuffs contract proposal during meeting

This follows an impasse declared by JEA a week earlier.

Juneau School Board President Deedie Sorensen and Vice President Emil Mackey discuss ‘milk’ incident investigation bid and extending food vendor’s contract with board members Tuesday evening. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

District discusses ‘milk’ incident investigation bid, extends food vendor’s contract

Juneau School Board discusses third-party bid, allows NANA to serve food for six more months

Courtesy / Judy Campbell The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears Varsity hockey team poses with Santa after sleighing the competition during the team’s weekend stint in Kodiak.

Sports

Juneau hockey team takes home the win in a battle of bears

The team headed to Kodiak for weekend games

A map shows the planned phases for the Ridgeview subdivision, which as proposed will have up to 444 housing units upon completion. The Juneau Planning Commission approved 96 units as Phase 1 of the project, highlighted in the lower right, at its meeting Tuesday. (Rooftop Properties, LLC)

News

First 96 homes of 444-unit Ridgeview Subdivision OK’d

Planning Commission unanimously approves initial phase of complex, despite traffic volume concerns

Steve Noble, senior project manager for Dowl, discusses new options for a second Douglas crossing during an open house as part of the evaluation process Monday at the Juneau Arts Humanities Council building. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

New airport, Fritz Cove sites add dimensions to second Douglas crossing

Proposed subsurface route by runway, long bridge across path of incoming planes may be short-lived

A plane flies in front of a downtown Juneau neighborhood in early May. The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly approved $2 million in funding during the Monday night Assembly meeting toward four affordable housing projects. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire File)

News

Assembly approves $2M in funding for four affordable housing projects

Four applicants awarded funding set to be dispersed around February, according to city officials.

Juneau residents the streets in Douglas during a winter storm in December of 2021. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

News

City officials “feel confident” amid plow driver shortage

Winter maintenance team down four operators as winter storms boom across the state

A snow plow pulls off of Glacier Highway to clear the sidewalks near a bus stop during heavy snow fall on Monday morning. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

News

Flaky weather: Heavy snow was expected, an inch or 2 fell

When it rains, it snows.

Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire, file Capital Transit is suspending Route 5 University Connector and Route 6 Riverside/Airport Connector starting Monday, Dec. 12 and will be suspended until further notice.

News

Two Capital Transit routes suspended amid driver shortage

Routes 5 and 6 will be discontinued until further notice starting Monday