News

Cocaine, marijuana and cash reportedly were seized from a vehicle being driven by Carlos Zavala-Flores in Oregon on April 26, 2017. Jorge Lopez-Villareal, a passenger and co-conspirator in the case, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of drug conspiracy. Zavala-Flores pleaded guilty to the same charge in February. (Photo courtesy Oregon State Police)

Co-conspirators in drug conspiracy case plead guilty

Two months after a Juneau man pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy, his co-conspirator pleaded guilty Wednesday. Juneau man Carlos Zavala-Flores, 39, pleaded guilty on Feb.… Continue reading

Cocaine, marijuana and cash reportedly were seized from a vehicle being driven by Carlos Zavala-Flores in Oregon on April 26, 2017. Jorge Lopez-Villareal, a passenger and co-conspirator in the case, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of drug conspiracy. Zavala-Flores pleaded guilty to the same charge in February. (Photo courtesy Oregon State Police)

Ketchikan men pleading guilty to drug conspiracy

Two Ketchikan men intend on pleading guilty Wednesday to one charge of drug conspiracy each, according to online court documents. Neptali Yadao Dadia, 40, and… Continue reading

Man suffers accidental gunshot wound on Shelter Island

While a man was cutting down a tree on Shelter Island this past Friday, his gun accidentally went off in his pocket and he sustained… Continue reading

Charles Cotten Jr., then the manager of the Bergmann Hotel, takes the Juneau Empire on a tour of the facility on Friday, March 10, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Cotten to plead guilty to meth distribution charges

Charles Edward Cotten Jr., originally scheduled to go to trial for drug distribution charges this week, is expected to take a plea agreement Wednesday instead.… Continue reading

Charles Cotten Jr., then the manager of the Bergmann Hotel, takes the Juneau Empire on a tour of the facility on Friday, March 10, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
A map showing Peril Strait in Southeast Alaska. Juneau is pictured in the top right corner. (Map by Daniel Piscoya | Juneau Empire)

Troopers suspend search for missing boater near Sitka

After almost a week of searching, Alaska State Troopers called off the search for missing Sitka man Sean Poffenbarger on Saturday, according to a Troopers… Continue reading

A map showing Peril Strait in Southeast Alaska. Juneau is pictured in the top right corner. (Map by Daniel Piscoya | Juneau Empire)
Ken Hill, owner of the newly-opened Bike Doctor shop in the Mendenhall Valley, talks about plans for his business on Friday. (Kevin Gullufsen | Juneau Empire)

Ken Hill wants to do surgery on your bike. Plus: Makerspace upgrades their space

Get Ken Hill an Allen wrench, stat. Juneau’s newest doctor, Hill has rusty, silt-caked bikes to work on. The cycling enthusiast and one-time member of… Continue reading

Ken Hill, owner of the newly-opened Bike Doctor shop in the Mendenhall Valley, talks about plans for his business on Friday. (Kevin Gullufsen | Juneau Empire)
A group of middle and high school students looks at the U.S. Forest Service’s new “Agenst of Discovery” app at the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Library, Archives and Museum on Friday. From left: Stig Cunningham, Amber Cunningham, Kajson Cunningham, Keelan Cunningham and Aiden Pietan. (Kevin Gullufsen | Juneau Empire)

A handheld gateway to Alaska history

Following the direction of a Northern Flying Squirrel who happens to be a secret agent, fifth-grader Kajson Cunningham counted double-headed eagle crests on Peter the… Continue reading

A group of middle and high school students looks at the U.S. Forest Service’s new “Agenst of Discovery” app at the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Library, Archives and Museum on Friday. From left: Stig Cunningham, Amber Cunningham, Kajson Cunningham, Keelan Cunningham and Aiden Pietan. (Kevin Gullufsen | Juneau Empire)
City Hall in downtown Juneau. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)

City budget discussions move forward

The City and Borough of Juneau Finance Committee will dive more into the fiscal year 2019 budget during its meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The… Continue reading

City Hall in downtown Juneau. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)
Jacinda Mack, of Fraser River, left, Matthew Jackson, of Sitka, center, and Carrie James, of Ketchikan, talk about their film “Uprivers” in Juneau on March 29, 2018. The documentary film is about the perils an unchecked Canadian mining industry and the threat posed to Southeast Alaska watersheds. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

After Mount Polley: The activists and filmmaker behind the documentary ‘Uprivers’

Indigenous activists Jacinda Mack and Carrie James come from two different countries and opposite ends of rivers their livelihoods depend on. One issue unites them:… Continue reading

Jacinda Mack, of Fraser River, left, Matthew Jackson, of Sitka, center, and Carrie James, of Ketchikan, talk about their film “Uprivers” in Juneau on March 29, 2018. The documentary film is about the perils an unchecked Canadian mining industry and the threat posed to Southeast Alaska watersheds. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Members of Radio Flyer, Eli Crupi, left, Lake Bartlett, Aidan Kovach and Finn Kesey, right, rehearse on stage at Centennial Hall on Sunday, April 8, 2018, during a sound check for the Alaska folk Festival. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

2018 Alaska Folk Festival schedule

All performances are at Centennial Hall. Monday, April 9 Emcee: Grace Elliott Stage Manager: Koren Bosworth Juneau Pride Chorus, Douglas, 7 p.m. The Juneau Pride… Continue reading

Members of Radio Flyer, Eli Crupi, left, Lake Bartlett, Aidan Kovach and Finn Kesey, right, rehearse on stage at Centennial Hall on Sunday, April 8, 2018, during a sound check for the Alaska folk Festival. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Evenson takes plea deal in transit center death case

Juneau resident David Valentine Evenson pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide on Friday as part of a plea agreement following a fatal assault in June… Continue reading

Smoke rises from a small fire on Douglas Island on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. The U.S. Forest Service extinguished the fire, as homes nearby were not in danger. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)

Windy conditions increase wildfire risk in Tongass

With dry and windy conditions lately, the U.S. Forest Service is warning of wildfires in the Tongass National Forest. The USFS issued a warning to… Continue reading

Smoke rises from a small fire on Douglas Island on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. The U.S. Forest Service extinguished the fire, as homes nearby were not in danger. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)
The front door to the Nature Conservancy is pictured on Friday, April 6, 2018. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

Nonprofit Nature Conservancy was burglarized, police say

The Juneau Police Department is seeking help in solving a burglary that happened in mid-March. On March 12, the Nature Conservancy, located at 416 Harris… Continue reading

The front door to the Nature Conservancy is pictured on Friday, April 6, 2018. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

University of Alaska reduces tuition for certain technical courses

For those pursuing technical careers such as mining, pharmacy technology or welding, education at the University of Alaska is about to get a little more… Continue reading

Burglaries happening on almost daily basis in Juneau, statistics show

Correction: A previous version of this article erroneously stated that an increase from 94 burglaries to 358 burglaries is a 380 percent increase. It is… Continue reading

Commercial fishermen hit hard by king cuts

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game decided to cut an additional 10 percent above what… Continue reading

Juneau Police Department Officer Blain Hatch conducts a traffic stop during Shielded Eagle, a training exercise that has multiple local agencies work together to thwart a terrorist attack, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

Local, federal agencies work together in simulated terrorist scenario

When the M/V St. Nicholas pulled away from the Allen Marine dock near Juneau’s ferry terminal Wednesday, it had the usual items on board, such… Continue reading

Juneau Police Department Officer Blain Hatch conducts a traffic stop during Shielded Eagle, a training exercise that has multiple local agencies work together to thwart a terrorist attack, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)
City and Borough of Juneau Finance Director Bob Bartholomew presents the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budget during the Assembly Finance Committee meeting at Assembly Chambers Wednesday. (Gregory Philson | Juneau Empire)

No ‘doom and gloom’ predicted for 2019 budget

Despite a decline in population and jobs, Juneau’s economy is stable — at least for now. But, that does not mean there aren’t concerns as… Continue reading

City and Borough of Juneau Finance Director Bob Bartholomew presents the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budget during the Assembly Finance Committee meeting at Assembly Chambers Wednesday. (Gregory Philson | Juneau Empire)
Christopher Strawn, right, confers with criminal defense attorney Nicholas Polasky during his trial in Juneau Superior Court on Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. Strawn, 34, was found guilty of first-degree and second-degree murder, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault in the shooting death of Brandon Cook in October 2015. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Sentencing for Strawn tentatively set for June

When a jury found Christopher Strawn guilty of murder in October 2017, his sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 20, 2018. That sentencing was delayed at… Continue reading

Christopher Strawn, right, confers with criminal defense attorney Nicholas Polasky during his trial in Juneau Superior Court on Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. Strawn, 34, was found guilty of first-degree and second-degree murder, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault in the shooting death of Brandon Cook in October 2015. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Elise Blasco, Juneau Base Manager for Airlift Northwest, talks Monday, April 2, 2018, about how the company is now suppling fresh blood and plasma for their emergency medical flights. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Airlift Northwest now carries blood on board

In mid-March, Airlift Northwest personnel needed to give a man a plasma transfusion on a medevac call from Southeast Alaska. The hospital the man was… Continue reading

Elise Blasco, Juneau Base Manager for Airlift Northwest, talks Monday, April 2, 2018, about how the company is now suppling fresh blood and plasma for their emergency medical flights. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)