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Darius Heumann tries his hand at an old-fashioned steering wheel on the bridge of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker during a public tour on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

A shipload of elephants, oysters and narwhals for visitors aboard Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker

Hundreds of locals take tours of ship with power 40,000 Formula One cars during its stop in Juneau.

Darius Heumann tries his hand at an old-fashioned steering wheel on the bridge of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker during a public tour on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Deanna and Dakota Strong have been working as a bear patrol in Klukwan. Now, they’re set to the become the new Village Public Safety Officers. (Photo courtesy of Deanna Strong)

Mother and son duo volunteering as Klukwan’s only wildlife protection now taking on VPSO role

Tlingit and Haida hires pair heading for Trooper academy as villagers begin donating their support.

Deanna and Dakota Strong have been working as a bear patrol in Klukwan. Now, they’re set to the become the new Village Public Safety Officers. (Photo courtesy of Deanna Strong)
Members of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears Nordic Ski Team pose for a photo at Eaglecrest Ski Area during a recent practice. (Photo courtesy Tristan Knutson-Lombardo)

Crimson Bears on skis a sight to see

JDHS Nordic season begins, but obstacles remain in and out of the snow

Members of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears Nordic Ski Team pose for a photo at Eaglecrest Ski Area during a recent practice. (Photo courtesy Tristan Knutson-Lombardo)
A trio of humans is dwarfed by a quartet of Christmas characters in a storefront on South Franklin Street during Gallery Walk on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini)

Families, neighbors and visitors from the far north join in holiday harmony at Gallery Walk

Traditional celebration throughout downtown joined by Healy icebreaker returning from Arctic.

A trio of humans is dwarfed by a quartet of Christmas characters in a storefront on South Franklin Street during Gallery Walk on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini)
A line at the Ptarmigan lift gains new arrivals shortly after Eaglecrest Ski Area begins operating for the 2023-24 ski season on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. The Ptarmigan lift will be the only one operating to the top of the mountain this season due to mechanical problems with the Black Bear lift. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Eaglecrest board responsible for many of ski area’s operational, staffing woes, former GM says

Members “lack the industry knowledge needed to provide supervisory overview of the area,” report states.

A line at the Ptarmigan lift gains new arrivals shortly after Eaglecrest Ski Area begins operating for the 2023-24 ski season on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. The Ptarmigan lift will be the only one operating to the top of the mountain this season due to mechanical problems with the Black Bear lift. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker talk with Juneau residents stopping by to look at the ship on Thursday at the downtown cruise ship dock. Public tours of the vessel are being offered from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Coast Guard icebreaker Healy stops in Juneau amidst fervor about homeporting newly purchased ship here

Captain talks about homeporting experience for Healy in Seattle; public tours of ship offered Friday.

Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker talk with Juneau residents stopping by to look at the ship on Thursday at the downtown cruise ship dock. Public tours of the vessel are being offered from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A recount of ballots from the Nov. 5 election is observed Wednesday morning by Alaska Division of Elections officials and participants in a challenge to the outcome of a measure to repeal ranked choice voting in the state. The recount at the division director’s office in Juneau began Tuesday and is expected to last up to 10 days. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Recount for ranked choice ballot measure begins under watchful eyes of attorneys

Relative handful of oddly marked ballots questioned, few of those “quarantined” for further scrutiny.

A recount of ballots from the Nov. 5 election is observed Wednesday morning by Alaska Division of Elections officials and participants in a challenge to the outcome of a measure to repeal ranked choice voting in the state. The recount at the division director’s office in Juneau began Tuesday and is expected to last up to 10 days. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Traffic navigates a busy intersection covered with ice and slush on Monday afternoon. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

Update: Pedestrian recovering after being critically injured by truck; driver arrested for DUI

Man hit while near his house is conscious and improving at Oregon hospital, fundraising organizer says.

Traffic navigates a busy intersection covered with ice and slush on Monday afternoon. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)
Jeff Campbell moves a Santa figurine into the front yard of his annual Christmas-themed holiday house on West 11th Street in the downtown neighborhood known as The Flats on Thursday, Nov. 28. Campbell begins the decorating after removing Halloween fare and usually turns on the lights in December. Campbell has created this masterpiece annually for over 30 years. Besides Santas, the display includes candy canes, drummer boys, nativity scenes, reindeer and Disney and Winnie the Pooh characters and some of his own creations. He also has thousands of lights and speakers wired to play Christmas music and his electricity bill doubles over the display’s longevity. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

An icebreaker, a world-premiere play, a new ski season and holiday events galore arriving at week’s end

Gallery Walk, landmark anniversary for “Nutcracker,” Mexican holy feast day among seasonal celebrations.

Jeff Campbell moves a Santa figurine into the front yard of his annual Christmas-themed holiday house on West 11th Street in the downtown neighborhood known as The Flats on Thursday, Nov. 28. Campbell begins the decorating after removing Halloween fare and usually turns on the lights in December. Campbell has created this masterpiece annually for over 30 years. Besides Santas, the display includes candy canes, drummer boys, nativity scenes, reindeer and Disney and Winnie the Pooh characters and some of his own creations. He also has thousands of lights and speakers wired to play Christmas music and his electricity bill doubles over the display’s longevity. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Equipment arriving in Wrangell in January of 2023 has been set up to provide a test wireless broadband system being used by about a dozen households. (Photo courtesy of the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska)

Testing underway of new Tlingit and Haida wireless internet service

About a dozen Wrangell households using service officials hope to expand elsewhere in Southeast.

Equipment arriving in Wrangell in January of 2023 has been set up to provide a test wireless broadband system being used by about a dozen households. (Photo courtesy of the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska)
A small boat motors down Sitka Channel in Sitka on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Renewed Southeast Alaska wastewater discharge permits require better bacteria controls

Six Southeast Alaska communities are getting renewed wastewater discharge permits that require better controls of bacteria flowing into the receiving waters, the U.S. Environmental Protection… Continue reading

A small boat motors down Sitka Channel in Sitka on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Ariel Estrada rehearses his one-man play “Full Contact” at Perseverance Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Capital City Weekly

Filipino life in Sitka, AIDS in NYC and martial arts combine to make ‘Full Contact’ at Perseverance Theatre

Ariel Estrada’s one-man self-narrative play makes world stage debut after six years of evolving work.

Ariel Estrada rehearses his one-man play “Full Contact” at Perseverance Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé girls head coach Tanya Nizich talks to Crimson Bears players during the first day of girls varsity basketball tryouts Wednesday at the George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

JDHS holds first day of basketball tryouts

Crimson Bears head coaches Casperson, Nizich open court to roughly 100 players.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé girls head coach Tanya Nizich talks to Crimson Bears players during the first day of girls varsity basketball tryouts Wednesday at the George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Dec. 5, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Capital City Weekly

Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week ending Dec. 7

Three decades of capital city coverage.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Dec. 5, 1994. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau Assembly members, city administrative leaders and other officials gather for the Assembly’s annual retreat where they discuss policy and budget goals for the coming year in the Juneau International Airport’s conference room on Dec. 2, 2023. This year’s retreat is scheduled Saturday at the same location. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

CBJ’s budget being squeezed by lots of requests for extra funds, finance director warns

City ended FY24 with extra $10M in bank, but Assembly spent extra $6.5M during first five months of FY25.

Juneau Assembly members, city administrative leaders and other officials gather for the Assembly’s annual retreat where they discuss policy and budget goals for the coming year in the Juneau International Airport’s conference room on Dec. 2, 2023. This year’s retreat is scheduled Saturday at the same location. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
The Porcupine lift on the beginner’s hill at Eaglecrest Ski Area is scheduled to open Saturday, but rain is keeping the main portion of the resort closed, officials announced Wednesday. (Eaglecrest Ski Area photo)

Eaglecrest to open Porcupine lift on Saturday with tickets as low as $11, but rain thwarts full opening

Ski area offering 50% off ticket price for beginner hill lift for people donating to food drive.

The Porcupine lift on the beginner’s hill at Eaglecrest Ski Area is scheduled to open Saturday, but rain is keeping the main portion of the resort closed, officials announced Wednesday. (Eaglecrest Ski Area photo)
Rose Burke, 9, a fourth-grade student from Kenai, flips the switch to illuminate the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree during a ceremony Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson watches next to her. (Screenshot from C-SPAN broadcast)

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from Wrangell decorated with 10,000 ornaments made by Alaskans is lit

Rose Burke, 9, of Kenai, flips the switch after reading her essay about the tree during ceremony Tuesday.

Rose Burke, 9, a fourth-grade student from Kenai, flips the switch to illuminate the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree during a ceremony Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson watches next to her. (Screenshot from C-SPAN broadcast)
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew conducts an on-scene search for five missing people after the fishing vessel Wind Walker was reported to have capsized near Courverden Point Sunday. The combined searches covered over 108 square nautical miles within a span of 24 hours. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Cmdr. Paul Johansen)

Coast Guard releases names of five people lost in fishing vessel sinking

Coast Guard District 17 headquarters said today that next of kin of the five persons missing in the sinking of the F/V Wind Walker early… Continue reading

  • Dec 3, 2024
  • By Shannon Haugland Daily Sitka Sentinel
  • Boating
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew conducts an on-scene search for five missing people after the fishing vessel Wind Walker was reported to have capsized near Courverden Point Sunday. The combined searches covered over 108 square nautical miles within a span of 24 hours. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Cmdr. Paul Johansen)
Three cruise ships are docked along Juneau’s waterfront on the evening on May 10, 2023, as a Princess cruise ship on the right is departing the capital city. A “banner” year for tourism in 2023, when a record 1.65 million cruise passengers visited the state, lifted workers’ average wages in the Southeast region, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Wages for Alaska workers are up, but total jobs remain lower than pre-pandemic levels

The average hourly wage in Alaska was $33.60 in 2023, putting the state in 11th place among all 50 states and the District of Columbia,… Continue reading

Three cruise ships are docked along Juneau’s waterfront on the evening on May 10, 2023, as a Princess cruise ship on the right is departing the capital city. A “banner” year for tourism in 2023, when a record 1.65 million cruise passengers visited the state, lifted workers’ average wages in the Southeast region, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Marzena Whitmore (elf) and Dale Hudson (Santa), pose for a photo with Benny Orvin (partially obscured), 6, and his siblings Lilly, 4, and Remi, 2, taken by their mother Alex as their father Randy watches during last year’s Gallery Walk in downtown Juneau on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Here’s what’s happening at this year’s Gallery Walk on Friday

More than 50 locations in downtown Juneau hosting performances, exhibits and other activities.

Marzena Whitmore (elf) and Dale Hudson (Santa), pose for a photo with Benny Orvin (partially obscured), 6, and his siblings Lilly, 4, and Remi, 2, taken by their mother Alex as their father Randy watches during last year’s Gallery Walk in downtown Juneau on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)