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An acid spill and a diesel spill of significant size were detected Wednesday at the Mendenhall Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to officials. A spill of a still-unknown toxic substance was also detected the same day at the Auke Bay treatment plant. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Three incidents of toxic substances detected in city’s wastewater system in one day raises concerns

Significant amounts of acid, diesel and a still-unknown substance detected at treatment plants.

An acid spill and a diesel spill of significant size were detected Wednesday at the Mendenhall Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to officials. A spill of a still-unknown toxic substance was also detected the same day at the Auke Bay treatment plant. (Juneau Empire file photo)
Mill Campground, seen here Aug. 15, is scheduled to close on Monday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Mill Campground set to close Monday, without winter warming shelter agreement in place

Temperatures expected to stay above freezing, but with frequent rain, during coming week.

Mill Campground, seen here Aug. 15, is scheduled to close on Monday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire
A manager at Alaska Glacier Seafood shows a filleted sea cucumber ready for further processing.

Sea cucumber season off to a good start

Divers seeing much better prices than last year to start

Meredith Jordan/ Juneau Empire
A manager at Alaska Glacier Seafood shows a filleted sea cucumber ready for further processing.
Chris Anderson mounts a Marine View and Heritage Way sign together in preparation for the South Seward Street name change Nov. 1. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Chris Anderson mounts a Marine View and Heritage Way sign together in preparation for the South Seward Street name change Nov. 1. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Tallie Medel, who will be teaching a series of clowning classes in Juneau next week, arrives for the world premiere of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Paramount Theatre on Friday, March 11, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

No joke: Clowning classes coming by actor from this year’s Oscar-winning best picture

Ketchikan-born Tallie Medel teaching three days of classes at Perseverance Theatre starting Monday.

Tallie Medel, who will be teaching a series of clowning classes in Juneau next week, arrives for the world premiere of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Paramount Theatre on Friday, March 11, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)
This is a photo of the front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 14, 1985. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
This is a photo of the front page of the Juneau Empire on Oct. 14, 1985. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A Chinook salmon is seen in an undated photo. (Photo by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS)

Salmon drift gillnet season ends with a hint at final numbers

King goals expected to be met in six of 11 index locations

A Chinook salmon is seen in an undated photo. (Photo by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS)
Telephone Hill resident Callie Conerton expresses concerns about the new design concepts for the Telephone Hill redevelopment project that were presented Wednesday evening at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. She said she is concerned about the affordability of the proposed units. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Tension on Telephone Hill: Residents displeased with city’s proposed redevelopment ideas for downtown hillside

Many who attended the city’s Wednesday open house say they don’t want to see development at all

Telephone Hill resident Callie Conerton expresses concerns about the new design concepts for the Telephone Hill redevelopment project that were presented Wednesday evening at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. She said she is concerned about the affordability of the proposed units. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Jerry Millsaps, who is visually impaired, and Autumn Booths, who teaches local students who are visually impaired, discuss a proposed new roundabout on Mendenhall Loop Road near Millsaps’ house during at open house about the project Wednesday evening at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library. Millsaps said he is concerned because he cannot safely cross the street where two other roundabouts already exist, and the new one will create the same problem unless a pedestrian signal with audio and visual cues is installed. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sounding concerns about proposed new roundabout on Mendenhall Loop Road

Difficulties for visually impaired pedestrians, side street traffic raised at open house meeting.

Jerry Millsaps, who is visually impaired, and Autumn Booths, who teaches local students who are visually impaired, discuss a proposed new roundabout on Mendenhall Loop Road near Millsaps’ house during at open house about the project Wednesday evening at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library. Millsaps said he is concerned because he cannot safely cross the street where two other roundabouts already exist, and the new one will create the same problem unless a pedestrian signal with audio and visual cues is installed. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
In this photo provided by the National Park Service is Grazer, the winner of the 2023 Fat Bear Contest, at Katmai National Park on Sept. 14, 2023. The park holds an annual contest in which people logging on to live webcams in park pick the fattest bear of the year. Grazer had 108,321 votes to handily beat Chunk, who has 23,134 votes, in the finals on Tuesday. (F. Jimenez/National Park Service via AP)

Don’t mess with this mama bear: Grazer easily wins popular Fat Bear Contest at Alaska national park

When it comes to packing on the pounds to survive an Alaska winter, this year’s undisputed champ is Grazer. Grazer, also known as Bear 128… Continue reading

In this photo provided by the National Park Service is Grazer, the winner of the 2023 Fat Bear Contest, at Katmai National Park on Sept. 14, 2023. The park holds an annual contest in which people logging on to live webcams in park pick the fattest bear of the year. Grazer had 108,321 votes to handily beat Chunk, who has 23,134 votes, in the finals on Tuesday. (F. Jimenez/National Park Service via AP)
Strips of dried salmon are seen on June 25, 2009. Chum salmon runs on the Yukon River improved enough this year to allow some subsistence harvesting in Alaska, but Chinook returns did not show a similar improvement. Returns of Canada-origin fish were particularly weak. (Photo by A.R.Nanouk/U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service)

Yukon River salmon runs remain low, but chum improvements allow for some fishing

Far too few fish are reaching Canada to meet goals set in a treaty with the U.S.

Strips of dried salmon are seen on June 25, 2009. Chum salmon runs on the Yukon River improved enough this year to allow some subsistence harvesting in Alaska, but Chinook returns did not show a similar improvement. Returns of Canada-origin fish were particularly weak. (Photo by A.R.Nanouk/U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service)
Aerial view of a glacier and the surrounding mountains near Antler Lake north of Juneau on Sept. 26. (Photo by Connor M. Johnson)

Wild Shots

To showcase our readers’ work to the widest possible audience, Wild Shots have been moved in front of the Juneau Empire’s paywall. Don’t have a… Continue reading

Aerial view of a glacier and the surrounding mountains near Antler Lake north of Juneau on Sept. 26. (Photo by Connor M. Johnson)
Pianist Phoebe Wu is scheduled to play a contemporary classical concert at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center, plus three other concerts in Southeast Alaska between Oct. 14-21. (Photo courtesy of Phoebe Wu)
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Concert offers modern music from a different point of Wu

Chicago pianist featuring a world of contemporary classical composers during Southeast Alaska tour.

Pianist Phoebe Wu is scheduled to play a contemporary classical concert at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center, plus three other concerts in Southeast Alaska between Oct. 14-21. (Photo courtesy of Phoebe Wu)
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Muskeg Collective members Erin Heist, Annie Bartholomew, Taylor Vidic and Josh Fortenbery, plus special guest Andrew Heist, perform at The Golden Saloon in McCarthy in early August. The group will be featured at the Cowboy Ball on Saturday at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. (Photo by Cam Jimmo)

Cowboy up for an Alaska-style country music hoedown

Local musicians with eclectic styles come together as Muskeg Collective at Cowboy Ball on Saturday.

Muskeg Collective members Erin Heist, Annie Bartholomew, Taylor Vidic and Josh Fortenbery, plus special guest Andrew Heist, perform at The Golden Saloon in McCarthy in early August. The group will be featured at the Cowboy Ball on Saturday at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. (Photo by Cam Jimmo)
Rep. Josiah Patkotak, I-Utqiagvik, speaks in favor of HJR 6, the resolution in support of the Willow oil project, on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, at the Alaska State Capitol. The resolution passed 36-0. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Applications now being accepted for nation’s northernmost legislator

Rep. Josiah Patkotak resigns after win in North Slope mayor’s race; governor seeks replacement online

Rep. Josiah Patkotak, I-Utqiagvik, speaks in favor of HJR 6, the resolution in support of the Willow oil project, on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, at the Alaska State Capitol. The resolution passed 36-0. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
A man heads to the City Hall Assembly Chambers to cast his ballot on Election Day on Oct. 3. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Updated election count: Voter turnout soars, preliminary results see small shifts

Leading candidates continue in their positions, rejection of City Hall bond continues to grow.

A man heads to the City Hall Assembly Chambers to cast his ballot on Election Day on Oct. 3. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
A sign opposing the participation of transgender girls in girls sports is propped against a fire hydrant outside of the George A. Navarre Admin Building on Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Soldotna. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Ban on transgender girls from girls’ sports teams approved 5-3 by state school sports association

Juneau officials say enforcement specifics — and if they affect any local athletes — to be determined.

A sign opposing the participation of transgender girls in girls sports is propped against a fire hydrant outside of the George A. Navarre Admin Building on Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Soldotna. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Houses line the streets of South Douglas in late May. The deadline has passed for short-term rental operators to register their units with the City and Borough of Juneau before they face a $25 daily fine. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Non-registered short-term rental operators in Juneau now face daily fine

About 230 units registered before the deadline out of the nearly 600 estimated in the capital city.

Houses line the streets of South Douglas in late May. The deadline has passed for short-term rental operators to register their units with the City and Borough of Juneau before they face a $25 daily fine. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Colony High School’s Morgan Ainsworth sprints for the finish line against Chugiak High School’s Aaliyah Fields at the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Cross Country State Running Championships in Palmer on Saturday. (Peter Pounds / Alaska Sports Report)

Juneau girls finish second at state D1 cross-country championships

Local boys team finishes fifth; three Juneau girls and one boy finish in top 10 individually.

Colony High School’s Morgan Ainsworth sprints for the finish line against Chugiak High School’s Aaliyah Fields at the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Cross Country State Running Championships in Palmer on Saturday. (Peter Pounds / Alaska Sports Report)
Juneau’s high school tennis team finished second overall in the ASAA Alaska State Tennis Championship that ended Saturday in Anchorage. (Photo courtesy of Mona Mametsuka)

Juneau tennis team swings into second overall at state tournament

Team takes first place in mixed doubles, second in girls doubles and third in boys doubles

Juneau’s high school tennis team finished second overall in the ASAA Alaska State Tennis Championship that ended Saturday in Anchorage. (Photo courtesy of Mona Mametsuka)