Meredith Jordan

The Alaska Marine Highway System ferry LeConte at the Auke Bay Terminal on Monday, March 5, 2018. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Petition seeks name change for LeConte state ferry

Petersburg man calling attention to what he calls Joseph LeConte’s racist history.

 

Lylah Habeger (left) and Jaila Ramirez lead the Konfeta Corps during a rehearsal of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” at Juneau Dance Theatre. The ballet will be performed in the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.At.Kalé auditorium Friday through Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Juneau Dance Theatre)

‘Nutcracker’ tradition, with a twirl of new choreography

This year’s performances feature a cast of 93, ages 5 to 78

 

Rain at the National Weather Service Juneau station on Nov. 11 doesn’t exist as snow until hits the upper portion of nearby Thunder Mountain. So far this November has been both warmer and wetter than normal. (Photo by National Weather Service Juneau)

El Niño playing outsize role in Juneau’s warmer temperatures, according to National Weather Service

Early peek at numbers shows Juneau is 4.9 degrees warmer than average this November.

 

Lisa Daugherty, owner of Juneau Composts!, stands in front of a recently acquired trommel screener, which separates different materials like soil, gravel, mulch and sand. She has invested $250,000 in the company since she started it in 2017. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)

Federal dollars for public composting project concerns private-sector operator

Juneau Composts! owner says city project could ultimately shut down business

Lisa Daugherty, owner of Juneau Composts!, stands in front of a recently acquired trommel screener, which separates different materials like soil, gravel, mulch and sand. She has invested $250,000 in the company since she started it in 2017. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
Jerome Dennis stands about five feet from his house in Thunder Mountain Mobile Park, which suffered heat damage, including broken windows, when the house next door caught fire. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)

Fire destroys one home, damages two others as stored ammunition bursts

No people or pets harmed in the Thunder Mountain Mobile Park blaze.

Jerome Dennis stands about five feet from his house in Thunder Mountain Mobile Park, which suffered heat damage, including broken windows, when the house next door caught fire. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
The dome-shaped greenhouse, known as Taay Hít, is one of the Tlingit and Haida projects expected to see benefits from the $1.5 million Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant. (Courtesy of Amy Erfling)

Federal dollars aid push in composting, environmental programs

Tlingit and Haida to get $1.5 million in BBB funds; CBJ nears NEPA comment period.

The dome-shaped greenhouse, known as Taay Hít, is one of the Tlingit and Haida projects expected to see benefits from the $1.5 million Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant. (Courtesy of Amy Erfling)
Greg Bowen on the back deck on the crab hold of the fishing vessel Trinity, captained by Nick Nelson and owned by Norval Nelson and Barbara Cadiente-Nelson. The family, who worked with Bowen for 25 years, described him as a highly skilled “skiff man,” setting the seine net and keeping the seiner off the bottom, off of rocks, and from rolling over when filled with salmon. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Cadiente-Nelson.)

Murder conviction brings closure to commercial fisher’s neighbors, family, friends

Greg Bowen is remembered as an adopted tribal member, basketball player, father and friend.

Greg Bowen on the back deck on the crab hold of the fishing vessel Trinity, captained by Nick Nelson and owned by Norval Nelson and Barbara Cadiente-Nelson. The family, who worked with Bowen for 25 years, described him as a highly skilled “skiff man,” setting the seine net and keeping the seiner off the bottom, off of rocks, and from rolling over when filled with salmon. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Cadiente-Nelson.)
Sonya Taton, center, listens to the verdict as she is found guilty on all five counts, including second-degree murder, during her trial in Superior Court in Juneau on Friday. (Meredith Jordan / Juneau Empire)

Jury finds Sonya Taton guilty on all counts, including murder

Verdict comes nearly 4.5 years after Bowen was stabbed

Sonya Taton, center, listens to the verdict as she is found guilty on all five counts, including second-degree murder, during her trial in Superior Court in Juneau on Friday. (Meredith Jordan / Juneau Empire)
Prosecutors Daniel K. Shorey and Kate Tallmadge (foreground) confer, as defense attorney Rex Butler and Sonya Taton await proceedings during Taton’s trial Thursday on murder and other charges at Superior Court in Juneau. (Meredith Jordan / Juneau Empire)

Jury begins deliberations in fillet knife murder case

Closing arguments conclude Thursday afternoon after two week-plus trial.

Prosecutors Daniel K. Shorey and Kate Tallmadge (foreground) confer, as defense attorney Rex Butler and Sonya Taton await proceedings during Taton’s trial Thursday on murder and other charges at Superior Court in Juneau. (Meredith Jordan / Juneau Empire)
Capital City Fire/Rescue responds to a garage fire on El Camino Street on the evening of Monday, Nov. 13. CCFR issued a reminder for people to be proactive in protecting their homes after four fires were reported over the course of five days. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)

Spate of fires prompts CCFR to issue reminder about fire safety

Fires have killed 19 people in Alaska so far this year, none in Juneau.

Capital City Fire/Rescue responds to a garage fire on El Camino Street on the evening of Monday, Nov. 13. CCFR issued a reminder for people to be proactive in protecting their homes after four fires were reported over the course of five days. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire
The women of the Kit Kat Club in “Cabaret” take center stage during a rehearsal Monday night at McPhetres Hall for the production by Theatre in the Rough that opens Friday

Director says history is repeating itself, old chum

“Cabaret” kicks off at McPhetres Hall on Friday, with free previews Tuesday and Thursday

Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire
The women of the Kit Kat Club in “Cabaret” take center stage during a rehearsal Monday night at McPhetres Hall for the production by Theatre in the Rough that opens Friday
(Juneau Empire File)

Weekly aurora forecast returns along with the long nights

Forecasts from the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute for the week of Nov. 6.

(Juneau Empire File)
The intersection of Glacier Highway and Shell Simmons Drive, seen here at midday Thursday, is where a hit-and-run accident that resulted in life-threatening injuries to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle occurred Thursday night, according to the Juneau Police Department. (Meredith Jordan / Juneau Empire File)

Pedestrian struck on sidewalk suffers life-threatening injuries

Scott Roy Underwood, 26, of Anchorage, has been charged in the hit-and-run.

The intersection of Glacier Highway and Shell Simmons Drive, seen here at midday Thursday, is where a hit-and-run accident that resulted in life-threatening injuries to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle occurred Thursday night, according to the Juneau Police Department. (Meredith Jordan / Juneau Empire File)
Meta Mesdag, owner of Salty Lady Seafood Co., works alongside sons Emmett, 16, and Kai, 13. A harmful algae bloom shut down the farm for half of the 20-week season, which means working into the winter. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
Meta Mesdag, owner of Salty Lady Seafood Co., works alongside sons Emmett, 16, and Kai, 13. A harmful algae bloom shut down the farm for half of the 20-week season, which means working into the winter. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
Henry Fleener, hatchery manager at Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute Mariculture Wet Lab, talks about a NOAA Fisheries project that involves building a small hatchery to house, condition and spawn oyster broodstock in order to find ways to improve existing processes. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)

Pushing to expand mariculture in Alaska (Part 2): The pearl in mariculture, for now, are the oysters

Shellfish is still small business, but on the rise as Alaska works to diversity food sources.

Henry Fleener, hatchery manager at Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute Mariculture Wet Lab, talks about a NOAA Fisheries project that involves building a small hatchery to house, condition and spawn oyster broodstock in order to find ways to improve existing processes. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
Tourists explore downtown Sitka in the documentary “Cruise Boom,” which is screening Friday at the University of Alaska Southeast and Saturday at the Gold Town Theater. (Courtesy of Artchange Inc.)

‘Cruise Boom’ showing in Juneau before sailing back to Sitka screen

Documentary and talk slated for Friday at UAS; Saturday afternoon screening at Gold Town Theater.

Tourists explore downtown Sitka in the documentary “Cruise Boom,” which is screening Friday at the University of Alaska Southeast and Saturday at the Gold Town Theater. (Courtesy of Artchange Inc.)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File
A statue of William Henry Seward stands outside the Dimond Courthouse in downtown Juneau. An appeal in a dispute regarding the Palmer Mine project has been filed in state Superior Court.

Palmer Project mine wastewater permit heads to Superior Court

DEC permit challenged by environmentalists and mine interests.

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File
A statue of William Henry Seward stands outside the Dimond Courthouse in downtown Juneau. An appeal in a dispute regarding the Palmer Mine project has been filed in state Superior Court.
Derek Bos of Colorado smiles for a photo Sept. 28 outside of City Hall during a visit to Juneau as a finalist for chief of the Juneau Police Department. He is scheduled to start the job on Feb. 1. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Juneau’s newly named chief of police talks about the new job

Derek Bos talks philosophy of law enforcement, focus of faith-based communities and schools.

Derek Bos of Colorado smiles for a photo Sept. 28 outside of City Hall during a visit to Juneau as a finalist for chief of the Juneau Police Department. He is scheduled to start the job on Feb. 1. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Juneau Courthouse Courtroom C on Thursday, the day the trial started for Sonya Taton, a Juneau woman accused of fatally stabbing a man in 2019 and the non-fatal stabbing of another man in 2016. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)

Trial begins of Juneau woman accused of 2019 fillet knife murder

Sonya Taton, 46, is also accused of stabbing another man in 2016.

Juneau Courthouse Courtroom C on Thursday, the day the trial started for Sonya Taton, a Juneau woman accused of fatally stabbing a man in 2019 and the non-fatal stabbing of another man in 2016. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store had a side window smashed, one of several places vandalized early Wednesday morning, according to police and store employees. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)

Windows, some lights vandalized at businesses along three blocks

Police estimate total damage of $14,500 to businesses on Glacier Highway.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store had a side window smashed, one of several places vandalized early Wednesday morning, according to police and store employees. (Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire)