Mark Sabbatini

Finalists to be Bartlett Regional Hospital’s new chief executive officer are, from left to right, Jon Friedenberg, Melanee Tiura and Joe Wanner. (Photos provided by Bartlett Regional Hospital)

Bartlett Regional Hospital schedules public meetings, interviews with three CEO finalists

Candidates include hospital’s CFO, leader at Alaska health entities, and longtime out-of-state medical CEO.

Finalists to be Bartlett Regional Hospital’s new chief executive officer are, from left to right, Jon Friedenberg, Melanee Tiura and Joe Wanner. (Photos provided by Bartlett Regional Hospital)
(Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Juneau woman arrested on suspicion of robberies during past week at gas station, cafe

Suspect twice robbed a gas station at knifepoint, coffee shop/dispensary with mask.

(Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Residents talk to city leaders and other officials about the response to this year’s record flooding from Suicide Basin during a Juneau Assembly meeting Monday night at Centennial Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Options for reducing major flooding from Suicide Basin come with lots of questions

Possibilities include drainage tunnels through a mountain and blasting to fill basin with rocks.

Residents talk to city leaders and other officials about the response to this year’s record flooding from Suicide Basin during a Juneau Assembly meeting Monday night at Centennial Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Buoy tenders dock at the U.S. Coast Guard station in downtown Juneau during the summer of 2023. The dock and adjacent property is where the Coast Guard plans to place support infrastructure for an icebreaker homeported in Juneau. (Screenshot from U.S. Coast Guard video)

Getting icebreaker to Juneau will require lots of support work, may be slow process, officials say

Hope is Aiviq can arrive in 18-24 months, but Coast Guard has history of delays, Murkowski says.

Buoy tenders dock at the U.S. Coast Guard station in downtown Juneau during the summer of 2023. The dock and adjacent property is where the Coast Guard plans to place support infrastructure for an icebreaker homeported in Juneau. (Screenshot from U.S. Coast Guard video)
Kaia Quinto, the new executive director of the Glory Hall, stands in the garden of the shelter and soup kitchen on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Glory Hall’s new executive director hopes for a day when the homeless shelter is ‘underutilized’

Kaia Quinto says she shares predecessor Mariya Lovishchuk’s goal of more permanent supportive housing.

Kaia Quinto, the new executive director of the Glory Hall, stands in the garden of the shelter and soup kitchen on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau high school students and alumni take off from the starting line in the women’s 5K race of the Sayéik Invitational at Savikko Park on Saturday morning. The unofficial meet was the first event of the season for the cross-country team newly consolidated Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Alumni go back to school to take on JDHS cross-country team in season-opening 5K

More than 60 students from consolidated high school team run against adults at Sayéik Invitational.

Juneau high school students and alumni take off from the starting line in the women’s 5K race of the Sayéik Invitational at Savikko Park on Saturday morning. The unofficial meet was the first event of the season for the cross-country team newly consolidated Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Nimmy Philips (wearing orange) leads a “Bollywood flash mob” during a celebration of India’s Independence Day on Friday at Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza. The event was hosted by downtown businesses who presented a $10,000 donation to the Juneau Community Foundation to aid people affected by record flooding of the Mendenhall River earlier this month. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

From flowery fundraising to emergency CBJ funding, longer-term flood recovery efforts underway

Foundation raises at least $150K for direct relief, Assembly to consider $1M emergency measure Monday.

Nimmy Philips (wearing orange) leads a “Bollywood flash mob” during a celebration of India’s Independence Day on Friday at Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza. The event was hosted by downtown businesses who presented a $10,000 donation to the Juneau Community Foundation to aid people affected by record flooding of the Mendenhall River earlier this month. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The Juneau High School Huskies try to convert a 4th-and-long situation on the road against Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School on Saturday. (Screenshot from Juneau Huskies Football livestream)

Juneau Huskies lose season opener on road to East Anchorage 22-6

Thunderbirds score TDs on opening two drives before back-and-forth battle the rest of the game.

The Juneau High School Huskies try to convert a 4th-and-long situation on the road against Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School on Saturday. (Screenshot from Juneau Huskies Football livestream)
The Breeze In at Lemon Creek, seen Thursday, is one of three stores that may be sold to the company that owns the Foodland and Super Bear supermarkets. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Owner of Foodland, Super Bear in discussions to buy the Breeze In stores

Company is also ending lease of Kenny’s Liquor Market, adjacent to Foodland since 1995.

The Breeze In at Lemon Creek, seen Thursday, is one of three stores that may be sold to the company that owns the Foodland and Super Bear supermarkets. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Aug. 16, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Aug. 16, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Students crowd into the commons area of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé to pick up their schedules, and meet familiar and new peers, before classes start on the first day of school Thursday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

More than 1,100 students show up on first day at newly consolidated JDHS

Students say they’re expecting more friends, more competition and less parking.

Students crowd into the commons area of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé to pick up their schedules, and meet familiar and new peers, before classes start on the first day of school Thursday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Craig Cimmons, scheduled to become the new general manager of Eaglecrest Ski Area on Sept. 30, is interviewed by the Juneau Assembly on Aug 2. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

New Eaglecrest Ski Area general manager has lots of experience with bumpy terrain

Craig Cimmons, a manager at resort hit by massive owner fraud, says recovery made employees stronger

Craig Cimmons, scheduled to become the new general manager of Eaglecrest Ski Area on Sept. 30, is interviewed by the Juneau Assembly on Aug 2. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A sign notifies people about plans by Gastineau Human Services to build a 51-unit apartment building in a Lemon Creek neighborhood. (Photo from Juneau Planning Commission documents)

51-unit low-income apartment for people recovering from substance abuse gets OK from Planning Commission

Lemon Creek facility would be first phase in expansion of Gastineau Human Services programs.

A sign notifies people about plans by Gastineau Human Services to build a 51-unit apartment building in a Lemon Creek neighborhood. (Photo from Juneau Planning Commission documents)
The Aiviq icebreaker, targeted by the U.S. Coast Guard for purchase and deployment in Alaska, completes a chartered refueling operation at Davis Research Station in Antarctica. (Kirk Yatras/Australian Antarctic Program)

It’s official: Private icebreaker acquired by Coast Guard will be homeported in Juneau

Vessel with up to 190 personnel expected to “reach initial operational capability in two years.”

The Aiviq icebreaker, targeted by the U.S. Coast Guard for purchase and deployment in Alaska, completes a chartered refueling operation at Davis Research Station in Antarctica. (Kirk Yatras/Australian Antarctic Program)
Salomé Starbuck, founder of the group Juneau Justice for Steve, calls for local policy and service changes to prevent a reoccurrence of the circumstances that led to Steven Kissack’s death during a memorial show for him Saturday night at the Crystal Saloon. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Songs of sadness, anger and hope at memorial show for Steven Kissack that raises more than $4,600

More than 100 people attend fundraiser seeking to benefit homeless, other disadvantaged residents.

Salomé Starbuck, founder of the group Juneau Justice for Steve, calls for local policy and service changes to prevent a reoccurrence of the circumstances that led to Steven Kissack’s death during a memorial show for him Saturday night at the Crystal Saloon. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Emily Wright, an assistant attorney for the City and Borough of Juneau, is scheduled to become the new municipal attorney later this month. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Juneau’s new municipal attorney already has plenty of experience with the duties of the job

CBJ Assistant Attorney Emily Wright hired to replace departing Robert Palmer later this month.

Emily Wright, an assistant attorney for the City and Borough of Juneau, is scheduled to become the new municipal attorney later this month. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Tesla Cox (left) explains the damage done to her home and possessions by a record flood to a delegation of leaders on Sunday including (from left in foreground) Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority President Jacqueline Pata, U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, Tlingit and Haida Tribal Emergency Operations Center Incident Commander Sabrina Grubitz, and Juneau state Rep. Sara Hannan. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Peltola, visiting homes where flood recovery efforts are underway, says FEMA aid request may be difficult

New estimate of nearly 300 homes damaged qualifies as a disaster, but agency’s funding limited, she says.

Tesla Cox (left) explains the damage done to her home and possessions by a record flood to a delegation of leaders on Sunday including (from left in foreground) Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority President Jacqueline Pata, U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, Tlingit and Haida Tribal Emergency Operations Center Incident Commander Sabrina Grubitz, and Juneau state Rep. Sara Hannan. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Cars enter a redesigned left-turn lane designed to improve the line-of-sight of drivers and reduce the distance necessary to cross Egan Drive at the Fred Meyer intersection on Monday. A traffic light on Egan Drive is scheduled to be installed at the intersection by 2027. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Enpire)

Bids to design traffic light, other upgrades at Fred Meyer intersection now being sought by DOT

Project comes after redesign of turn lanes; alternate route recommended by state still on hold.

Cars enter a redesigned left-turn lane designed to improve the line-of-sight of drivers and reduce the distance necessary to cross Egan Drive at the Fred Meyer intersection on Monday. A traffic light on Egan Drive is scheduled to be installed at the intersection by 2027. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Enpire)
Mike Bethers and his wife, Astrid, turn over two fish to Alysha Reeves, dock chair at the Auke Nu weighing station during the final day of the 78th annual Golden North Salmon Derby on Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Slow fishing at 78th Golden North Salmon Derby still reels in heavier winning catch than last year

27.7-pound king salmon turned in by Karie Sims tops the scales as three-day event ends Sunday.

Mike Bethers and his wife, Astrid, turn over two fish to Alysha Reeves, dock chair at the Auke Nu weighing station during the final day of the 78th annual Golden North Salmon Derby on Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The Douglas Harbor weighing station is quiet on Saturday morning as the 78th Golden North Salmon Derby begins its second day. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

78th Golden North Salmon Derby starts slow due to flood cleanup, fishing conditions

23.3-pound king leads after first day; weekend weather forecast is for a chance of rain.

The Douglas Harbor weighing station is quiet on Saturday morning as the 78th Golden North Salmon Derby begins its second day. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)