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This is a picture of the City and Borough of Juneau City Hall in October 2022. The Assembly Finance Committee OK’d $10 million in funding to go toward a City Hall project on Wednesday, more than six months after voters narrowly rejected a city ballot proposal to approve $35 million in bond debt to fund the majority of the construction cost for a new City Hall. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

Assembly OKs $10M in funds for future City Hall project

The funding could go toward building a new one or renovating the current building.

Athlete Tammy Birch carries the torch with help from Branden Horst during the Alaska Law Enforcement Torch Run at Twin Lakes Park Saturday morning. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Annual fundraiser run torches last year’s total

Around $15,000 was raised to go toward athletes on the Special Olympics Alaska Juneau team.

Volunteer Educator Rosemary Walling shows a group of Montessori Borealis first through third graders images of the Earth on Friday at the Marie Drake Planetarium as part of a special presentation of the story of Raven and the Box of Daylight. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

News

A journey to the stars was the final field trip of the year

Kids treated to the story of Raven and the Box of Daylight.

Photos by Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire Sayéik: Gastineau Community School students enjoy hands-on learning with mining for minerals with Hecla and Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine employees. The mining company was just one of many volunteer organizations that participated in a STEAM event held at the school. The event was held during school hours to maximize student involvement.

News

STEAM comes to Sayeik: Gastineau Community School

District’s first time hosting during school hours for more student involvement.

This is a photo of the only crossing between the Juneau mainland and Douglas Island. On Thursday the City and Borough of Juneau Public Works and Facilities Committee hosted an open forum about a potential second crossing. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Salmon Creek site emerges as preference during second crossing meeting

“I feel like salmon creek has the least financial impacts, the least wetland impact.”

This is a picture of houses on Douglas along the Gastineau Channel in May. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

City receives nearly 400 residential property assessment appeals

The Board of Equalization began hearing cases Thursday.

A wire cable stretches high above the forest ground and connects two platforms for zip lining at Eaglecrest Ski Area. Zip line tours are set to be offered again this summer at the ski area starting in late June after three years of halted operations due to COVID-19 and staffing issues. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Zip line tours to restart at Eaglecrest in late June

It remained out of commission for the past three years.

City and Borough of Juneau Assembly member Greg Smith and Christine Woll discuss the mill rate during Wednesday night’s Finance Committee meeting. Member voted to decrease the mill rate to 10.16. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Assembly votes to lower property tax rate

The approved 10.16 mill rate means that for every $1,000 in property value there is a tax of…

A ballot is placed in a drop box during the City and Borough of Juneau 2022 municipal election. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

News

Vote-by-mail elections now permanent in Juneau

Assembly voted for the change despite some public pushback.

People walk along the Basin Road Trestle Tuesday evening as concrete barricades block off its entrance. The trestle is set to close to pedestrian traffic spanning from May 26 to June 11 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. while a contracted construction company repairs damages the trestle suffered in January from a rockslide. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Basin Road Trestle to close to pedestrian traffic in the daytime for repairs

The closure will last from May 26 to June 11.

An array of vapes line the shelf of a display case at Alaska Pipeline vape store downtown. The Alaska Senate passed a bill that would impose a 25% statewide tax on retail e-cigarette products in Alaska Tuesday morning. It now heads to the House. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

​​Senate passes bill to impose statewide tax on e-cigarettes

A similar bill was vetoed by Gov. Dun Mike Dunleavy last fall.

City and Borough of Juneau Docks and Harbors Board Vice Chairman Jim Becker cuts a ribbon Monday afternoon stretched across the Seawalk downtown in celebration of the city’s completion of the Docks and Harbors Marine Deckover Project. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Docks and Harbors celebrates completion of Marine Park deckover project

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday afternoon.

A sign hangs outside of outgoing City Manager Rorie Watt’s office located in the City Hall downtown. On Monday the Assembly City Manager Recruitment Committee met for the first time to discuss the recruitment process to hire Watt’s replacement by the end of September. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

City begins search for new manager

Outgoing Rorie Watt is expected to leave his post this fall.

This is a photo of a Capital City Fire/Rescue truck in the Mendenhall Valley in May. CCFR and the Juneau Police Department are investigating a recent blaze Sunday morning as possible arson. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

Doorstep fire investigated as possible arson

The circumstances of the blaze make it unlikely to be an accident, fire marshal says

Hecla Green’s Creek environment/surface operations manager Martin Stearns (left) listens to Angoon resident Floyd Kim express his opposition to the four alternatives for the Hecla Greens Creek Mine North Extension Project, of which includes expanding its 8.5-million-cubic yard disposal facility to hold up to an additional five million cubic yards of tailings and waste rock storage. Kim was among the around 15 residents who joined the meeting held Friday afternoon in Angoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Angoon residents speak out against Greens Creek Mine expansion

“We have no real power to stop what’s going on — even if we fight it seems to…

The Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore docks in Juneau in October, 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

Ships in Port for the Week of May 14

Here’s what to expect this week.

The Mendenhall Glacier, Photo Point and Nugget Falls are seen under cloudy skies Friday morning. The trails and recreation area around these heavily visited destinations are poised to change following the release of a final environmental impact statement. The U.S. Forest Service’s preferred alternative would nearly double the recreation area’s capacity in anticipation of demand over the next 30 years. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

News

Plan for Mendenhall Glacier area ditches motorboats

Forest Service’s preferred alternative outlined in new report.

Members of the Juneau Police Department stand at attention to honor fallen officers on Friday during the Alaska Peace Officers Association’s annual memorial service at Evergreen Cemetery. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

News

First responders gather to honor fallen officers

Alaska Peace Officers Association holds annual memorial service.

A Transportation Security Administration officer checks luggage at the Juneau International Airport in March. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

News

Washington man arrested on drug charges at airport

Police seize narcotics with an estimated value of $110,000.

This Juneau Hydropower Inc. photo shows an overview of the Sweetheart Lake Hydroelectric Project site. (Courtesy Photo / Robert Johnson)

News

Sweetheart Lake project still in the works after partnership ends

Permit application withdrawn after Tokyo-based partners terminate agreement.