News

Alaska only grows 4 percent of its food. Can we do better?

You can grow a 20-pound cucumber in Soldotna, but pay $5.79 for a one-pound bag of imported carrots in Kotzebue.When it comes to fruits and… Continue reading

This picture from the city's Community Development Department shows Sweetheart Lake covered in ice. The lake, which is about 37 miles southeast of downtown, is the proposed site of a new hydroelectric power facility.

Six years in the making: Juneau Hydropower secures license needed to operate

In 2010, Juneau Hydropower started down a long regulatory road to obtain a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Now, six years and several… Continue reading

This picture from the city's Community Development Department shows Sweetheart Lake covered in ice. The lake, which is about 37 miles southeast of downtown, is the proposed site of a new hydroelectric power facility.
A screengrab from the U.S. National Weather Service Alaska Facebook page.

Strong wind, heavy rain likely in Southeast through Saturday

Between Thursday night and Saturday morning, Juneau is expected to get about four inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.As moisture from ex-hurricane… Continue reading

A screengrab from the U.S. National Weather Service Alaska Facebook page.
Gov. Bill Walker speaks with Juneau Assembly members Jerry Nankervis, right, Maria Gladziszewski, Mary Becker and Kate Troll, left, after a special meeting on Thursday.

Gov. Walker stops by City Hall, talks vetoes with Assembly

During a special meeting Thursday afternoon, Gov. Bill Walker told the Juneau Assembly that he hopes never again to use his veto pen to the… Continue reading

Gov. Bill Walker speaks with Juneau Assembly members Jerry Nankervis, right, Maria Gladziszewski, Mary Becker and Kate Troll, left, after a special meeting on Thursday.
Searchers gather at the Juneau Police Department Mobile Command Center at UAS in the search of Ryan Harvey on Thursday.

Update: Autistic man who went missing near UAS found safe Thursday afternoon

Update: Read the most up-to-date story about how Ryan Harvey was found here.Update: The man reported missing near UAS, Ryan Harvey, has been found.He was… Continue reading

Searchers gather at the Juneau Police Department Mobile Command Center at UAS in the search of Ryan Harvey on Thursday.
About 100 people attend a rally at Twin Lakes Wednesday evening in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota over the construction of the 1,172-mile Dakota Access pipeline.

In solidarity with Standing Rock, Juneau rally opposes Dakota Access pipeline

As more than 150 tribes join the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline, about a hundred people in… Continue reading

About 100 people attend a rally at Twin Lakes Wednesday evening in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota over the construction of the 1,172-mile Dakota Access pipeline.

Corrections

An article in Wednesday’s Juneau Empire about the finalization of election results included an erroneous statement. The article reported that absentee votes from the village… Continue reading

Around Town for Thursday, Sept. 8

Juneau Gastineau Rotary Club meeting, 7 a.m., The Prospector Hotel.Women, Infants and Children walk-in clinic, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., SEARHC Juneau WIC Clinic, 3245 Hospital Drive,… Continue reading

Police & fire for Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016

This report contains public information available to the Empire from law enforcement agencies. This report includes arrest and citation information, not conviction information. Anyone listed… Continue reading

Neighbor dispute in Haines ends with weapon fired, trooper says

Two neighbors in Haines have had an ongoing dispute about the actual property line between them. Last week, that dispute escalated to talks of a… Continue reading

Late-night construction downtown angers hotel guest, residents

Late Friday night, the sound of a concrete saw cutting pavement outside of the Goldbelt Hotel infuriated guests and employees alike. By Saturday night, the… Continue reading

Red Langel, a resident of the Mendenhall Valley, testifies in support of fireworks use in city-owned parks during Tuesday night's Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting.

Fireworks meeting starts with a bang, ends with a fizzle

Like a defective bottle rocket, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee’s Tuesday evening meeting about fireworks started off noisy but nothing happened in the end.The… Continue reading

Red Langel, a resident of the Mendenhall Valley, testifies in support of fireworks use in city-owned parks during Tuesday night's Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting.

City working to fix water line break

City utility workers have isolated and are repairing a “major water line break” near the airport, according to a city press release.Residents near the Travelodge… Continue reading

The Juneau Police Department is searching for missing man Christopher Edward Orcutt, 22, who was last seen Aug. 25 in the downtown area.

Police search for missing man, last seen leaving downtown party

Police are asking the community for any information about a 22-year-old man who hasn’t been seen by friends or relatives for nearly two weeks.Christopher Edward… Continue reading

The Juneau Police Department is searching for missing man Christopher Edward Orcutt, 22, who was last seen Aug. 25 in the downtown area.

Around Town for Wednesday, Sept. 7

Women, Infants and Children walk-in clinic, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., SEARHC Juneau WIC Clinic, 3245 Hospital Drive, first floor. Free nutrition services for income-eligible women who… Continue reading

Police and fire for Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016

Assist• At 8:56 a.m. Monday, the Juneau Police Department assisted the Office of Adult Probations with a 51-year-old man who had walked away from the… Continue reading

My Turn: A better solution for the mental health lands debacle

The Greater Southeast Alaska Conservation Community believes there are better solutions than a land exchange to solve the highly controversial Alaska Mental Health Trust debacle.… Continue reading

Police: Drunken boater crashes into Aurora

At about noon on Labor Day, a man driving a 43-foot commercial fishing vessel played “bumper boats” in Aurora harbor before he slammed into a… Continue reading

An adult humpback whale breaches in Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. Humpback whale numbers are increasing though the animal is still listed as endangered as part of the Endangered Species Act.

NOAA removes groups of humpback whales off endangered species list

A group of humpback whales found in Southeast Alaska has recovered enough to no longer warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act, while another group… Continue reading

An adult humpback whale breaches in Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. Humpback whale numbers are increasing though the animal is still listed as endangered as part of the Endangered Species Act.

Water main break repair near 19 mile may cause water outage

Residents living north of Randall Road may be out of water, according to a press release by the City and Borough of Juneau.A water crew… Continue reading