Mumps confirmed in Juneau for first time in 20 years

For the first time in 20 years, doctors have confirmed the presence of mumps in Juneau. As of Thursday, there has been one confirmed case… Continue reading

Laron Carlton Graham is seen in Juneau Superior Court in June 2016. Graham represented himself on 14 counts of allegedly assaulting a woman and stealing a car in the Lemon Creek area. On Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, Juneau police announced they arrested him in connection to an unsolved double murder in Douglas in 2015. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Man indicted for 2015 double murder

More than two years after a double murder on Douglas Island, authorities believe they’ve identified the killer. A Juneau grand jury on Friday indicted Laron… Continue reading

Laron Carlton Graham is seen in Juneau Superior Court in June 2016. Graham represented himself on 14 counts of allegedly assaulting a woman and stealing a car in the Lemon Creek area. On Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, Juneau police announced they arrested him in connection to an unsolved double murder in Douglas in 2015. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Alaska Native Sisterhood President Kevin Allen, left, escorts Keynote speaker Joaqlin Estus to the podium during the Elizabeth Peratrovich Day Celebration at the University of Alaska Southeast on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Haa daat has nák, haa léelk‘u hás: Elizabeth Peratrovich Day celebration honors lesser-known figures

Elizabeth Peratrovich’s most famous quote is by now the stuff of legend. Speaking before the territorial government of Alaska on Feb. 5, 1945, the Alaska… Continue reading

Alaska Native Sisterhood President Kevin Allen, left, escorts Keynote speaker Joaqlin Estus to the podium during the Elizabeth Peratrovich Day Celebration at the University of Alaska Southeast on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

City considering having YMCA run Juneau’s pools

The YMCA might be coming to Juneau. Max Mertz, chair the Aquatics Board, spoke at the Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday detailing the options… Continue reading

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Hoonah man arraigned for selling thousands of opioid pain pills

A Hoonah man is facing charges of trafficking thousands of opioid pain pills throughout Alaska and beyond. Nickolas Cakmis, 39, was arraigned in Anchorage on… Continue reading

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Rep. Sam Kito III, D-Juneau, right, speaks alongside Marc Luiken, Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities during a breakout session on Alaska Marine Highway System Reform at Southeast Conference at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Backers of ferry reform seek backing from Alaska Legislature

The movement to reform the Alaska Marine Highway System is reaching a critical point as proponents meet with legislators this week. The plan for reforming… Continue reading

Rep. Sam Kito III, D-Juneau, right, speaks alongside Marc Luiken, Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities during a breakout session on Alaska Marine Highway System Reform at Southeast Conference at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Capital City Fire/Rescue firemen pack up fire hoses after responding to a house fire at 4513 Kanata Street on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Neighbors band together to stop dryer fire

Dawn Houston was watching a movie about wildfires, “Only the Brave,” around noon Wednesday when a fire broke out in her home. Houston, 52, heard… Continue reading

Capital City Fire/Rescue firemen pack up fire hoses after responding to a house fire at 4513 Kanata Street on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
In this June 2016 photo, David R. Boxley gives an acceptance speech for winning “Best of Show” in the Northwest Coast Juried Art Show during the awards ceremony in the Walter Soboleff Building’s clan house. (Lisa Phu | Juneau Empire File)

Initiative looks to promote Native art, make it economic driver for Southeast

Watching the Winter Olympics this past week, Sealaska Heritage Institute Senior Research Fellow Rick Harris saw something that surprised him. The Canadian snowboarding team was… Continue reading

In this June 2016 photo, David R. Boxley gives an acceptance speech for winning “Best of Show” in the Northwest Coast Juried Art Show during the awards ceremony in the Walter Soboleff Building’s clan house. (Lisa Phu | Juneau Empire File)
Joshua Kindred, environmental counsel for the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, speaks at the Southeast Conference&

Stand for Salmon initiative bad for business, says Southeast Conference

Southeast Conference speakers on Tuesday took a stance against the “Stand for Salmon” initiative, a proposed change to habitat protections which could see a statewide… Continue reading

Joshua Kindred, environmental counsel for the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, speaks at the Southeast Conference&
Devany Plentovich, a program manager for the Alaska Energy Authority, speaks at the Southeast Conference&

Could biomass be the future of energy in Juneau?

Businesses and homes in Alaska are looking to find more efficient ways to heat their buildings, and multiple Juneau organizations have identified one possible solution:… Continue reading

Devany Plentovich, a program manager for the Alaska Energy Authority, speaks at the Southeast Conference&
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New finds at Greens Creek promise to extend mine’s life

Exploration work at Greens Creek Mine has yielded results that could extend the mine’s life, it announced this week in a press release. Greens Creek… Continue reading

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The Kensington Mine in 2007. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Mining Subcommittee welcomes public comment on possible ordinance changes

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Mining Subcommittee has not taken public comment at its meetings to date. That will change soon. As the… Continue reading

The Kensington Mine in 2007. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Recommendations for areas to include in Juneau’s borough annexation application. The CBJ Assembly agreed to include areas A, B, C (the area above the dotted line) and D in its application, but removed Funter Bay, in area D, from its application. (Courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)

City will not annex Funter Bay

The City and Borough of Juneau will not be annexing Funter Bay. During a lengthy voting process Monday night, the CBJ Assembly members decided to… Continue reading

Recommendations for areas to include in Juneau’s borough annexation application. The CBJ Assembly agreed to include areas A, B, C (the area above the dotted line) and D in its application, but removed Funter Bay, in area D, from its application. (Courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)
Steve Behnke, the chair of the Juneau Commission on Sustainability’s Energy Committee, speaks to the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole on Monday, Jan. 29, 2018. The committee voted to forward the Renewable Energy Strategy to the full Assembly, and the Assembly unanimously approved the adoption of the plan on Monday. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

City sets goal to be 80 percent renewable by 2045

On Monday night, city officials officially set a goal for Juneau to rely on 80 percent renewable energy by 2045. The City and Borough of… Continue reading

Steve Behnke, the chair of the Juneau Commission on Sustainability’s Energy Committee, speaks to the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole on Monday, Jan. 29, 2018. The committee voted to forward the Renewable Energy Strategy to the full Assembly, and the Assembly unanimously approved the adoption of the plan on Monday. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)
Dee Longenbaugh at her desk at her bookshop, The Observatory, in Juneau, Alaska, on July 29, 2009. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Longtime business owner, community figure dies at 84

Longtime Juneau business owner and community figure Iris D. “Dee” Longenbaugh died at her Juneau home this past Friday, and word spread quickly. Longenbaugh, who… Continue reading

Dee Longenbaugh at her desk at her bookshop, The Observatory, in Juneau, Alaska, on July 29, 2009. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Debrah Clements, with her 19-month-old daughter, Ezmae, talks about the airport shopping district at their shop, Martha’s Flowers, in the Airport Shopping Center on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Businesses near airport band together

Small signs have begun popping up in the windows of businesses near the Juneau International Airport: “Proud member of Juneau’s Airport Shopping District.” Still in… Continue reading

Debrah Clements, with her 19-month-old daughter, Ezmae, talks about the airport shopping district at their shop, Martha’s Flowers, in the Airport Shopping Center on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Red Cross Southeast moves office

The Southeast office of the American Red Cross will move to a new location by the end of the month, it was announced Friday. The… Continue reading

Members of the Southeast regional MathCounts winning team from Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School. From left: coach Mary Borthwick, Marina Lloyd, Krishna Bathija, Addy Mallott and Edward Hu. The top two individual performers from Saturday’s contest outside of those four, Floyd Dryden’s Elizabeth Djajalie and Montessori Borealis’s Alex Yu, will make up a six-person team heading to a March state competition in Anchorage. (Kevin Gullufsen | Juneau Empire)

Students make it count at MathCounts

How many integers between 100 and 1000 contain no digits other than 3, 4 or 5? It’s a deceptively simple question, but try to answer… Continue reading

Members of the Southeast regional MathCounts winning team from Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School. From left: coach Mary Borthwick, Marina Lloyd, Krishna Bathija, Addy Mallott and Edward Hu. The top two individual performers from Saturday’s contest outside of those four, Floyd Dryden’s Elizabeth Djajalie and Montessori Borealis’s Alex Yu, will make up a six-person team heading to a March state competition in Anchorage. (Kevin Gullufsen | Juneau Empire)
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Southeast Conference summit looks to lay out solutions to economic issues

More than 40 speakers will take a look at the future of the region’s economy at the Southeast Conference’s Mid-Session Summit this week. The conference,… Continue reading

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Mayo Schmidt, President and CEO of Hydro One Limited, left, listens to Dennis Vermillion, Senior Vice President of Avista Corp. and President of Avista Utilities, during a public meeting with leadership from AEL&P, Avista and Hydro One at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

RCA will address public questions, but not about Snettisham hydroelectric project

Juneau residents have filed an unusually high amount of public comments about the proposed purchase of the city’s electric utility, and the Regulatory Commission of… Continue reading

Mayo Schmidt, President and CEO of Hydro One Limited, left, listens to Dennis Vermillion, Senior Vice President of Avista Corp. and President of Avista Utilities, during a public meeting with leadership from AEL&P, Avista and Hydro One at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)