News

A would-be voter considers the candidates on a sample ballot released by the state of Alaska in March 2021. The Alaska Division of Elections has announced the dates for the special elections to select a replacement for Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, who died recently. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file)

Filing for special election to fill House seat officially open

Filing deadline is April 1.

A would-be voter considers the candidates on a sample ballot released by the state of Alaska in March 2021. The Alaska Division of Elections has announced the dates for the special elections to select a replacement for Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, who died recently. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file)
The deadline for the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, which comes from the fund managed by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, is coming up fast, landing on March 31, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Deadline approaching to apply for PFD

This year’s payout is still being decided.

The deadline for the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, which comes from the fund managed by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, is coming up fast, landing on March 31, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
A brown bear sleeps after taking a break from grazing on spring vegetation. (Courtesy Photo / Bjorn Dihle)

Pride of Bristol Bay: The brown bears of Bristol Bay and Alaska Peninsula

Bristol Bay and Alaska Peninsula makes up about one third of Alaska’s entire brown bear population.

A brown bear sleeps after taking a break from grazing on spring vegetation. (Courtesy Photo / Bjorn Dihle)
Diane Kaplan connects with a child during a 2017 visit with the Foundation Board to Oscarville on the Kuskokwim River near Bethel. (Courtesy photo / Rasmusen Foundation)
Capital City Weekly

Rasmuson Foundation CEO to step down

Her 26-year tenure is expected to end early next year.

Diane Kaplan connects with a child during a 2017 visit with the Foundation Board to Oscarville on the Kuskokwim River near Bethel. (Courtesy photo / Rasmusen Foundation)
Southeast Alaska experiences heavy rainfall and 95% of our electricity is generated by clean hydropower. (Courtesy Photo / Bethany S Goodrich)
Capital City Weekly

Resilient Peoples Place: Energy independence is both a destination and a journey

Air source heat pumps for Southeast Alaskans.

Southeast Alaska experiences heavy rainfall and 95% of our electricity is generated by clean hydropower. (Courtesy Photo / Bethany S Goodrich)
Left of knife: removing and chopping only needles, leaving the center stem. Right of knife: chopping the whole spruce tip including the stem. (Vivian Faith Prescott / For the Capital City Weekly)
Capital City Weekly

Planet Alaska: Spruce tips for all seasons

If you have a few bags of spruce tips in the freezer, now is the time to use them.

Left of knife: removing and chopping only needles, leaving the center stem. Right of knife: chopping the whole spruce tip including the stem. (Vivian Faith Prescott / For the Capital City Weekly)
It's a police car until you look closely and see the details don't quite match. (Juneau Empire File / Michael Penn)

Police calls for Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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

  • Mar 23, 2022
  • Juneau Empire
  • Crime
It's a police car until you look closely and see the details don't quite match. (Juneau Empire File / Michael Penn)
National Guardsmen Sgt. Andrew Hunt and Sgt. Jason Williams, survey team members for the 103rd Civil Support Team, suit up as they prepare to investigate a simulated hazardous material situation in an exercise with Juneau’s emergency organizations on march 22, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Suiting up: Juneau agencies practice hazmat ops with National Guard, FBI

Planning for the exercise began early last year.

National Guardsmen Sgt. Andrew Hunt and Sgt. Jason Williams, survey team members for the 103rd Civil Support Team, suit up as they prepare to investigate a simulated hazardous material situation in an exercise with Juneau’s emergency organizations on march 22, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Alaska Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai speaks at an Anchorage news conference on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, about the upcoming special election to fill the U.S. House of Representatives vacated following the death of Don Young last week. Screenshot)

Dates set for race to fill House seat

State officials set the dates Tuesday for the special elections to fill Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, recently vacated by the… Continue reading

Alaska Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai speaks at an Anchorage news conference on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, about the upcoming special election to fill the U.S. House of Representatives vacated following the death of Don Young last week. Screenshot)
Blueberry flowers bloom in some sites in early March (Courtesy Photo / Bob Armstrong)

On the Trails: Waiting for spring

Critters and plants are getting ready for spring

Blueberry flowers bloom in some sites in early March (Courtesy Photo / Bob Armstrong)
It's a police car until you look closely and see the details don't quite match. (Juneau Empire File / Michael Penn)

Police calls for Tuesday, March 22, 2022

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

  • Mar 22, 2022
  • Juneau Empire
  • Crime
It's a police car until you look closely and see the details don't quite match. (Juneau Empire File / Michael Penn)
Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s executive order to split the Department of Health and Social Services, its Juneau offices seen here on Monday into two new departments became law over the weekend, but the split won’t go into effect until July.

State begins process for health department split

Still some concerns.

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s executive order to split the Department of Health and Social Services, its Juneau offices seen here on Monday into two new departments became law over the weekend, but the split won’t go into effect until July.
An arch at the State Library, Archives and Museum was vandalized late last week, leaving it lopsided. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

State museum art installation vandalized

The state will repair the arch, but it will take some time.

An arch at the State Library, Archives and Museum was vandalized late last week, leaving it lopsided. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Capital City Fire/Rescue personnel participate in the rescue of a capsized kayaker near Don D. Statter Harbor on March 21, 2022. (Courtesy photo / CCFR)

CCFR rescues kayaker near Auke Bay

The kayaker was in the water for more than 20 minutes, firefighters said.

Capital City Fire/Rescue personnel participate in the rescue of a capsized kayaker near Don D. Statter Harbor on March 21, 2022. (Courtesy photo / CCFR)
This Friday, March 18 photo shows an Air Force C-17 at Juneau International Airport as it ferried gear to Juneau for a hazardous materials exercise with the city and other organizations. (David Rigas / Juneau Empire)

City and military hold hazardous material exercise

The exercise will test the city’s response to a hazmat emergency.

This Friday, March 18 photo shows an Air Force C-17 at Juneau International Airport as it ferried gear to Juneau for a hazardous materials exercise with the city and other organizations. (David Rigas / Juneau Empire)
U.S. Rep. Don Young answers a reporter's question after filing paperwork for reelection at the Alaska Division of Elections in Anchorage, Alaska. Young, the longest-serving member of Alaska’s congressional delegation, died Friday, March 18, 2022. He was 88. (AP Photo / Mark Thiessen)

Special election for House seat begins to take shape

Begich and Constant will run for seat previously filled by Young.

U.S. Rep. Don Young answers a reporter's question after filing paperwork for reelection at the Alaska Division of Elections in Anchorage, Alaska. Young, the longest-serving member of Alaska’s congressional delegation, died Friday, March 18, 2022. He was 88. (AP Photo / Mark Thiessen)
This May 21, 2019, photo shows people attending a rally against anti-abortion laws at the Dimond Courthouse Plaza in Juneau, Alaska. Alaska voters this year will be asked if they want a constitutional convention, and simmering anger over the legislature’s failure to settle the issue of how big a check residents should receive from the state’s oil wealth fund could provide a tail wind for groups seeking to change the constitution on a range of hot button topics, such as abortion. (Michael Penn/ Juneau Empire File)

State constitutional convention measures stoke partisan fear

Alaska is one of three states where voters will decide this fall whether to call a convention.

This May 21, 2019, photo shows people attending a rally against anti-abortion laws at the Dimond Courthouse Plaza in Juneau, Alaska. Alaska voters this year will be asked if they want a constitutional convention, and simmering anger over the legislature’s failure to settle the issue of how big a check residents should receive from the state’s oil wealth fund could provide a tail wind for groups seeking to change the constitution on a range of hot button topics, such as abortion. (Michael Penn/ Juneau Empire File)
Police announced on Saturday that an arrest had been made following a hit-and-run that resulted in a serious injury on Thursday evening. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Man arrested following hit-and-run

A man was arrested Friday morning after a Thursday night hit-and-run in a downtown grocery store parking lot, police announced. Randal Benc, 36, was arrested… Continue reading

  • Mar 19, 2022
  • Juneau Empire
Police announced on Saturday that an arrest had been made following a hit-and-run that resulted in a serious injury on Thursday evening. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, left, meetings with international exchange students at the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The students, who each come from different counrties, have been living with host families in Sitka and Juneau and attending local high schools. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Yes it’s cold, but exchange students say they’ll miss Alaska

It’s different from the movies.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, left, meetings with international exchange students at the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The students, who each come from different counrties, have been living with host families in Sitka and Juneau and attending local high schools. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
A competitor mushes across Willow Lake during the restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 6, 2022, in Willow, Alaska. Two back-of-the-pack mushers had to be rescued in separate incidents from race Friday, March 18, after winds from a severe ground storm caused deteriorating conditions, race officials said. (Loren Holmes / Anchorage Daily News)

Ground storm forces two Iditarod mushers to seek rescue

One of those rescued had a dangerous encounter with a moose before the race started.

  • Mar 19, 2022
  • Associated Press
A competitor mushes across Willow Lake during the restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 6, 2022, in Willow, Alaska. Two back-of-the-pack mushers had to be rescued in separate incidents from race Friday, March 18, after winds from a severe ground storm caused deteriorating conditions, race officials said. (Loren Holmes / Anchorage Daily News)