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Team Elm faces off against Team Cypress in a battle of tug of war during the Coast Guard’s annual Buoy Tender Olympics on Wednesday at the Coast Guard Station Juneau. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)

Coast Guard hosts Buoy Tender Olympics in Juneau

Off the chain.

Team Elm faces off against Team Cypress in a battle of tug of war during the Coast Guard’s annual Buoy Tender Olympics on Wednesday at the Coast Guard Station Juneau. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
Democratic U.S. House Candidate Mary Peltola hugs a supporter during a campaign event in Juneau on Friday. Peltola emerged as the top finisher in the first round of results on election night, but is facing two better-known Republican challengers who may prevail when the new ranked choice ballots get a final tabulation Aug. 31. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Election results and reactions

Ranked choice will determine who wins House seat; November races take shape.

Democratic U.S. House Candidate Mary Peltola hugs a supporter during a campaign event in Juneau on Friday. Peltola emerged as the top finisher in the first round of results on election night, but is facing two better-known Republican challengers who may prevail when the new ranked choice ballots get a final tabulation Aug. 31. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Ada watches the birds from our front yard, the Pacific Ocean, in Wrangell. (Courtesy Photo / Vivian Faith Prescott)
Capital City Weekly

Planet Alaska: Rescuing Ada

Dog days of summer.

Ada watches the birds from our front yard, the Pacific Ocean, in Wrangell. (Courtesy Photo / Vivian Faith Prescott)
Sockeye salmon return to Steep Creek to spawn. Alaska’s overall commercial salmon harvest across all species is currently up 15% from 2021 (2020 for pinks) with Bristol Bay and the Prince William Sound largely carrying the weight while other regions lag, according to data from the most recent Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute weekly salmon harvest update. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Statewide salmon harvest on the upswing compared to last year, species vary in harvest success

See the salmon stats here.

Sockeye salmon return to Steep Creek to spawn. Alaska’s overall commercial salmon harvest across all species is currently up 15% from 2021 (2020 for pinks) with Bristol Bay and the Prince William Sound largely carrying the weight while other regions lag, according to data from the most recent Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute weekly salmon harvest update. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Ryan John glasses the edge of the Sag River as it meets the unforgiving, flat tundra on its way to the Arctic Ocean. (Courtesy Photo / Jeff Lund)

I Went to the Woods: North slope caribou

I had stopped hopping from tussock to tussock attempting to keep my feet dry. Frequent missteps and sneaky depths had put water over my gaiters… Continue reading

Ryan John glasses the edge of the Sag River as it meets the unforgiving, flat tundra on its way to the Arctic Ocean. (Courtesy Photo / Jeff Lund)
(Juneau Empire File / Michael Penn)

Police calls for Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

  • Aug 17, 2022
  • Juneau Empire
  • Crime
(Juneau Empire File / Michael Penn)
Democratic U.S. House Candidate Mary Peltola hugs a supporter during a campaign event in Juneau on Friday. Peltola emerged as the top finisher in the first round of results on election night, but is facing two better-known Republican challengers who may prevail when the new ranked choice ballots get a final tabulation Aug. 31. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Update: Unofficial results roll in

Peltola, Murkowski take early leads

Democratic U.S. House Candidate Mary Peltola hugs a supporter during a campaign event in Juneau on Friday. Peltola emerged as the top finisher in the first round of results on election night, but is facing two better-known Republican challengers who may prevail when the new ranked choice ballots get a final tabulation Aug. 31. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A student heads to the main entrance of Thunder Mountain High School to start the first day of school. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

New school year starts ‘a lot closer to normal’

Classes are back in session and with it comes a few new changes, according to school officials

A student heads to the main entrance of Thunder Mountain High School to start the first day of school. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A blue darner dragonfly perched on hands, shoulders, and heads. (Courtesy Photo / Ralf Gerking)

On the Trails: Sights and sounds from the trails in late summer

Winged wonders abound.

A blue darner dragonfly perched on hands, shoulders, and heads. (Courtesy Photo / Ralf Gerking)
This October 2020 photo shows the MV Kennicott. The Alaska Marine Highway System's winter ferry schedule is now available for review. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Winter ferry schedule available for review

Comments now being accepted.

This October 2020 photo shows the MV Kennicott. The Alaska Marine Highway System's winter ferry schedule is now available for review. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
(Juneau Empire File / Michael Penn)

Police calls for Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

  • Aug 16, 2022
  • Juneau Empire
  • Crime
(Juneau Empire File / Michael Penn)
Voters wait in line outside a polling place during the Republican primary election in Wilson, Wyo., Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)

Cheney braces for loss as Trump tested in Wyoming and Alaska

Contests in Wyoming and Alaska offer tests for Trump and his brand of hard-line politics.

Voters wait in line outside a polling place during the Republican primary election in Wilson, Wyo., Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
A sign points voters toward an election center during the May special primary election. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

What to know for Election Day

Balloting bits including poll places, expected result times and more.

A sign points voters toward an election center during the May special primary election. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
2022 marks the 76th year the Goldern North Salmon Derby has existed in Juneau. The derby, which also doubles as a fundraiser, has raised nearly $2 million and given scholarships to more than 300 local high school and graduate students. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

A dawdling derby

This year’s salmon derby seemed to lack numbers, participants according to officials

2022 marks the 76th year the Goldern North Salmon Derby has existed in Juneau. The derby, which also doubles as a fundraiser, has raised nearly $2 million and given scholarships to more than 300 local high school and graduate students. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, left, speaks with supporters at the grand opening of her reelection campaign office in Juneau, Alaska, on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. Murkowski said she expects to be among the candidates who will advance from the Aug. 16, 2022, U.S. Senate primary in Alaska. Under a system approved by voters and being used in Alaska for the first time this year, the top four vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the November general election, in which ranked voting will be used. (AP Photo / Becky Bohrer)

Cheney and Murkowski: Trump critics facing divergent futures

They hail from their states’ most prominent Republican families. They have been among the GOP’s sharpest critics of former President Donald Trump. And after the… Continue reading

Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, left, speaks with supporters at the grand opening of her reelection campaign office in Juneau, Alaska, on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. Murkowski said she expects to be among the candidates who will advance from the Aug. 16, 2022, U.S. Senate primary in Alaska. Under a system approved by voters and being used in Alaska for the first time this year, the top four vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the November general election, in which ranked voting will be used. (AP Photo / Becky Bohrer)
A resident of downtown posted a series of photos on “Juneau Bear sightings” Facebook page that showed a bear eating garbage in the area on Thursday evening. According to the source, no amount of noise was able to scare the bear away from the area. (Courtesy / Angelique Buzzek)

Officials urge locals to lock car doors after bears caught opening vehicles

Bear activity is back on the rise and will only increase as hibernation grows nearer said officials.

A resident of downtown posted a series of photos on “Juneau Bear sightings” Facebook page that showed a bear eating garbage in the area on Thursday evening. According to the source, no amount of noise was able to scare the bear away from the area. (Courtesy / Angelique Buzzek)
A Princess Cruise Line ship is docked in Juneau on Aug. 25, 2021. (Michael Lockett / Juneau Empire File)

Ships in Port for the week of Aug. 14

Here’s what to expect this week.

A Princess Cruise Line ship is docked in Juneau on Aug. 25, 2021. (Michael Lockett / Juneau Empire File)
City Borough of Juneau’s senior project planner Beth McKibben sits outside Foodland IGA on Saturday to talk to residents about the public review draft of the CBJ’s blueprint area plan for the future of downtown Juneau, which recently was released for the public to comment on. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Foodland and area plan: Residents get a chance to speak with officials on Juneau’s downtown blueprint

Blueprint and blueberries.

City Borough of Juneau’s senior project planner Beth McKibben sits outside Foodland IGA on Saturday to talk to residents about the public review draft of the CBJ’s blueprint area plan for the future of downtown Juneau, which recently was released for the public to comment on. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Colby Nelson throw one of the 11 fish he and Patrick Willis caught on Saturday for the derby. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

A slow derby doesn’t stop local fishermen

Slow and steady wins the… salmon derby.

Colby Nelson throw one of the 11 fish he and Patrick Willis caught on Saturday for the derby. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
This photo shows a notice to quit form, which is a first step in the long process of evictions that the Alaska Court System hopes to make easier with a grant-supported Eviction Diversion Initiative. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Grant-supported program could mean fewer eviction cases in Alaska’s courts

Eviction diversion program seeks to provide resources before a case is filed.

This photo shows a notice to quit form, which is a first step in the long process of evictions that the Alaska Court System hopes to make easier with a grant-supported Eviction Diversion Initiative. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)