Clarise Larson

Aires Kelley, 1, holds a Pride flag Saturday during Drag Storytime at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library, one of many LGBTQ+ friendly events held in Alaska’s capital city. For the second year in a row, the City and Borough of Juneau received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2022 Municipality Equality Index scorecard. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Juneau receives perfect score for LGBTQ+ inclusivity

Meanwhile, state and federal protections are lacking, advocates say.

Aires Kelley, 1, holds a Pride flag Saturday during Drag Storytime at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library, one of many LGBTQ+ friendly events held in Alaska’s capital city. For the second year in a row, the City and Borough of Juneau received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2022 Municipality Equality Index scorecard. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
This photo is a still image taken from the film “Finding She” by Lauren Tanel, which set to be one of the local films featured in the Juneau Underground Motion Picture Society’s Winter Film Festival this weekend at the Gold TownTheater downtown. (Courtesy / Pat Race)
This photo is a still image taken from the film “Finding She” by Lauren Tanel, which set to be one of the local films featured in the Juneau Underground Motion Picture Society’s Winter Film Festival this weekend at the Gold TownTheater downtown. (Courtesy / Pat Race)
This photo shows cabins for Eaglecrest Ski Area’s recently acquired gondola which overall shipping cost came in $262,000 over budget. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire File)

Eaglecrest Gondola shipping cost comes in $262,000 over budget

City talks funding of gondola project and a possible new partnership

This photo shows cabins for Eaglecrest Ski Area’s recently acquired gondola which overall shipping cost came in $262,000 over budget. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire File)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore berths at in the Juneau Harbor in late October. Findings from this year’s Juneau Tourism Survey showed nearly 75% supported limiting the number of large cruise ships per day in Juneau’s harbor to five.

Survey shows preference for daily limit on ships visiting Juneau

Respondents generally report positive impact, but shine light on some challenges.

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore berths at in the Juneau Harbor in late October. Findings from this year’s Juneau Tourism Survey showed nearly 75% supported limiting the number of large cruise ships per day in Juneau’s harbor to five.
Wind blows a shimmer over the water at the Douglas Harbor Sunday afternoon. Taku Winds along with single-digit temperatures are expected to hit downtown Juneau and Douglas in the early hours of Tuesday morning and are predicted to last until later Tuesday evening. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Taku Tuesday: Officials warn of high winds and cold weather

Winds between 60-70 mph expected.

Wind blows a shimmer over the water at the Douglas Harbor Sunday afternoon. Taku Winds along with single-digit temperatures are expected to hit downtown Juneau and Douglas in the early hours of Tuesday morning and are predicted to last until later Tuesday evening. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
During a hearing at the Juneau Courthouse, 34-year-old Anthony Michael Migliaccio, 34, pleaded not guilty after he was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of a 55-year-old Juneau woman. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Man arrested in killing of Faith Rogers pleads not guilty

News follows a two-month investigation.

During a hearing at the Juneau Courthouse, 34-year-old Anthony Michael Migliaccio, 34, pleaded not guilty after he was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of a 55-year-old Juneau woman. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Kirby Day shakes hands with City and Borough of Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon at the Monday night Assembly meeting. Day was awarded a special recognition for his work administrating the city’s Tourism Best Management Practices program. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Assembly honors Kirby Day, Gastineau landslide geologists

Day steps down from his positions with Tourism Best Management Practices after 25 years

Kirby Day shakes hands with City and Borough of Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon at the Monday night Assembly meeting. Day was awarded a special recognition for his work administrating the city’s Tourism Best Management Practices program. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
This image released by PBS shows characters, from left, Tooey, voiced by Sequoia Janvier, Trini, voiced by Vienna Leacock and Molly, voiced by Sovereign Bill, in a scene from the animated series “Molly of Denali.” The animated show, which highlights the adventures of a 10-year-old Athabascan girl, Molly Mabray, has been nominated for two Emmys. (PBS)
This image released by PBS shows characters, from left, Tooey, voiced by Sequoia Janvier, Trini, voiced by Vienna Leacock and Molly, voiced by Sovereign Bill, in a scene from the animated series “Molly of Denali.” The animated show, which highlights the adventures of a 10-year-old Athabascan girl, Molly Mabray, has been nominated for two Emmys. (PBS)
From left to right, Floyd Dryden A team members Cassie Chenoweth, Aurora Lee, Kyndal Secada, Ari Ma’ake, Addy Hartman, Alyssa Travis, Riley Moorehouse and Riley Schultz smile for a photo. (Courtesy / Jessica Nelson)
From left to right, Floyd Dryden A team members Cassie Chenoweth, Aurora Lee, Kyndal Secada, Ari Ma’ake, Addy Hartman, Alyssa Travis, Riley Moorehouse and Riley Schultz smile for a photo. (Courtesy / Jessica Nelson)
This photo shows boats moored at the Don. D Statter Harbor on a summer day. Multiple ordinances proposed by the City and Borough of Juneau’s Docks and Harbors Board were authorized at Monday night’s Assembly meeting including the OK for a daily fee for vessels at Statter Harbor that do not move every 10 days during the summer. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

‘Moor’ changes on deck for CBJ Docks Harbors

Changes include daily fee for vessels at Statter Harbor that do not move every 10 days amid summer

This photo shows boats moored at the Don. D Statter Harbor on a summer day. Multiple ordinances proposed by the City and Borough of Juneau’s Docks and Harbors Board were authorized at Monday night’s Assembly meeting including the OK for a daily fee for vessels at Statter Harbor that do not move every 10 days during the summer. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
From left to right, University of Kansas students Hayley Harman, Kylie Kookesh and Delilah Begay smile for a photo inside the White House. Last week the trio participated in the annual White House Tribal Youth Forum hosted by the White House, United National Indian Tribal Youth and the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute. (Courtesy / Kylie Kookesh)

From Angoon to the White House: College student heads to Washington to discuss Alaska Native issues

“Coming from a small community in Alaska like Angoon, I never would have thought that would be there”

From left to right, University of Kansas students Hayley Harman, Kylie Kookesh and Delilah Begay smile for a photo inside the White House. Last week the trio participated in the annual White House Tribal Youth Forum hosted by the White House, United National Indian Tribal Youth and the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute. (Courtesy / Kylie Kookesh)
Rain runoff runs down a drain in the Mendenhall Valley. As of Sunday, Juneau had accumulated 82.48 inches of rain and/or melted snow, which means this year’s total would need just a touch more than 2.5 inches of rainfall to beat the current record set in 1991. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Rain runoff runs down a drain in the Mendenhall Valley. As of Sunday, Juneau had accumulated 82.48 inches of rain and/or melted snow, which means this year’s total would need just a touch more than 2.5 inches of rainfall to beat the current record set in 1991. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
An independent third-party audit found Juneau School District spent at a deficit of over $620,000, in the past fiscal year and failed to adhere to district policies that could have lessened the total. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

Audit shows ‘deeply concerning’ deficit for school district

Independent report says failure to follow policy contributed to negative balance.

An independent third-party audit found Juneau School District spent at a deficit of over $620,000, in the past fiscal year and failed to adhere to district policies that could have lessened the total. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium opened a new physical rehabilitation clinic at the old Armory Log Cabin on Crest Street in the Mendenhall Valley. The new location replaced the old facility previously located in the basement portion of the Ethel Lund Medical Center. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

SEARHC opens new physical rehabilitation clinic

The new location at the Armory Log Cabin replaces the old clinic at Ethel Lund Medical Center

SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium opened a new physical rehabilitation clinic at the old Armory Log Cabin on Crest Street in the Mendenhall Valley. The new location replaced the old facility previously located in the basement portion of the Ethel Lund Medical Center. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Matthew Wendel, Mike Kreis, Kasey Watts, Courtney Kreis, Tami Wahto and Todd Schur wore costumes during the 2021 Turkey Trot. Why’d they wear costumes? “Why not?” asked Schur. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Strut your speed at upcoming annual Turkey Trot

Stuff the starting line Thanksgiving morning

Matthew Wendel, Mike Kreis, Kasey Watts, Courtney Kreis, Tami Wahto and Todd Schur wore costumes during the 2021 Turkey Trot. Why’d they wear costumes? “Why not?” asked Schur. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
Juneau Education Association president Chris Heidemann talks during the Juneau Board of Education and JEA’s annual meet and greet Tuesday night. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Juneau Education Association president Chris Heidemann talks during the Juneau Board of Education and JEA’s annual meet and greet Tuesday night. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
Mike Bucy keeps the temp while he conducts local composer and musician Ben Holtz’s piece, Atmosphere with Radio Occultation, during Con Brio Chamber Series’ Tuesday evening rehearsal.

Climate change concern crescendoes with collaborative concert

It’s a collaboration between local scientists, composers and musicians

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
Mike Bucy keeps the temp while he conducts local composer and musician Ben Holtz’s piece, Atmosphere with Radio Occultation, during Con Brio Chamber Series’ Tuesday evening rehearsal.
A competitor in the first-ever USA Powerlifting Coastal Clash competition hosted in Juneau starts his first round of deadlifting Saturday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A competitor in the first-ever USA Powerlifting Coastal Clash competition hosted in Juneau starts his first round of deadlifting Saturday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
Lillian Petershoare speaks into a microphone during a Walter Soboleff Day presentation in the Walter Soboleff Building Monday afternoon. She was joined by members of the Kuneix Hidí Northern Light United Church’s Native Ministries Committee Barbara Searls, Maxine Richert and Myra Munson to talk about an overture developed by in 2021, which analyzed and openly outlined the injustices and racially charged motives that led to the closure of Soboleff’s church by the Presbyterian Church.

Walter Soboleff Day marked with pledge of action

Church leaders share details about planned apology for church closure

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
Lillian Petershoare speaks into a microphone during a Walter Soboleff Day presentation in the Walter Soboleff Building Monday afternoon. She was joined by members of the Kuneix Hidí Northern Light United Church’s Native Ministries Committee Barbara Searls, Maxine Richert and Myra Munson to talk about an overture developed by in 2021, which analyzed and openly outlined the injustices and racially charged motives that led to the closure of Soboleff’s church by the Presbyterian Church.
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
X̱’unei Lance Twitchell sits next to a fire at a celebration of life ceremony hosted at the University of Southeast Alaska’s Noyes Pavilion in honor of late UAS professor Sol Neely Saturday evening.
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
X̱’unei Lance Twitchell sits next to a fire at a celebration of life ceremony hosted at the University of Southeast Alaska’s Noyes Pavilion in honor of late UAS professor Sol Neely Saturday evening.