Hans Rivera (foreground) plays a Mexican song on cello with other Juneau Alaska Music Matters students and a mariachi band from Anchorage as part of a Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration at St. Paul’s Catholic Church on Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

An enlightenment into sights, sounds and spirit of Mexico at annual Feast Day celebration

Local music students join visiting mariachis at church celebrating national holiday for holy visionary.

Hans Rivera (foreground) plays a Mexican song on cello with other Juneau Alaska Music Matters students and a mariachi band from Anchorage as part of a Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration at St. Paul’s Catholic Church on Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Nicole Herbert, director of account services for the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, address the district’s school board during a Dec. 3 meeting. She is scheduled to become the new chief financial officer for the Juneau School District in March. (Screenshot from Fairbanks North Star Borough School District YouTube video)

School district’s new financial officer coming from Fairbanks district with its own consolidation woes

Nicole Herbert scheduled to start 12 days before Juneau’s school board sends budget to Assembly.

Nicole Herbert, director of account services for the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, address the district’s school board during a Dec. 3 meeting. She is scheduled to become the new chief financial officer for the Juneau School District in March. (Screenshot from Fairbanks North Star Borough School District YouTube video)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Police calls for Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024

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

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Police calls for Friday, Dec. 6, 2024

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

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Police calls for Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024

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

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Aurora forecast through the week of Dec. 8

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute and available online, along with more data, at www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast. The listings below will… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire file photo)
An intersection in the Mendenhall Valley is submerged during record flooding from Suicide Basin on Aug. 6. A report published last week states such flooding is the result of glacier melt occurring due to climate change. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)

Believe it or not, costs and damage of climate change are expanding in Juneau and elsewhere in Alaska

Record flooding, fatal landslides, decimated seafood industry cited as regional impacts in new report.

An intersection in the Mendenhall Valley is submerged during record flooding from Suicide Basin on Aug. 6. A report published last week states such flooding is the result of glacier melt occurring due to climate change. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)
Signs at the front of the Alaska State Capitol on Sunday indicate a designated entrance for legislators and their staff, and direct members of the public to a separate door. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Security screenings for people entering Alaska State Capitol to be considered by legislators Thursday

Signs already designating separate entrance for public, bids from security providers received.

Signs at the front of the Alaska State Capitol on Sunday indicate a designated entrance for legislators and their staff, and direct members of the public to a separate door. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Darius Heumann tries his hand at an old-fashioned steering wheel on the bridge of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker during a public tour on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

A shipload of elephants, oysters and narwhals for visitors aboard Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker

Hundreds of locals take tours of ship with power 40,000 Formula One cars during its stop in Juneau.

Darius Heumann tries his hand at an old-fashioned steering wheel on the bridge of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker during a public tour on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Deanna and Dakota Strong have been working as a bear patrol in Klukwan. Now, they’re set to the become the new Village Public Safety Officers. (Photo courtesy of Deanna Strong)

Mother and son duo volunteering as Klukwan’s only wildlife protection now taking on VPSO role

Tlingit and Haida hires pair heading for Trooper academy as villagers begin donating their support.

Deanna and Dakota Strong have been working as a bear patrol in Klukwan. Now, they’re set to the become the new Village Public Safety Officers. (Photo courtesy of Deanna Strong)
A trio of humans is dwarfed by a quartet of Christmas characters in a storefront on South Franklin Street during Gallery Walk on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini)

Families, neighbors and visitors from the far north join in holiday harmony at Gallery Walk

Traditional celebration throughout downtown joined by Healy icebreaker returning from Arctic.

A trio of humans is dwarfed by a quartet of Christmas characters in a storefront on South Franklin Street during Gallery Walk on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini)
A line at the Ptarmigan lift gains new arrivals shortly after Eaglecrest Ski Area begins operating for the 2023-24 ski season on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. The Ptarmigan lift will be the only one operating to the top of the mountain this season due to mechanical problems with the Black Bear lift. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Eaglecrest board responsible for many of ski area’s operational, staffing woes, former GM says

Members “lack the industry knowledge needed to provide supervisory overview of the area,” report states.

A line at the Ptarmigan lift gains new arrivals shortly after Eaglecrest Ski Area begins operating for the 2023-24 ski season on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. The Ptarmigan lift will be the only one operating to the top of the mountain this season due to mechanical problems with the Black Bear lift. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker talk with Juneau residents stopping by to look at the ship on Thursday at the downtown cruise ship dock. Public tours of the vessel are being offered from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Coast Guard icebreaker Healy stops in Juneau amidst fervor about homeporting newly purchased ship here

Captain talks about homeporting experience for Healy in Seattle; public tours of ship offered Friday.

Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Healy icebreaker talk with Juneau residents stopping by to look at the ship on Thursday at the downtown cruise ship dock. Public tours of the vessel are being offered from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A recount of ballots from the Nov. 5 election is observed Wednesday morning by Alaska Division of Elections officials and participants in a challenge to the outcome of a measure to repeal ranked choice voting in the state. The recount at the division director’s office in Juneau began Tuesday and is expected to last up to 10 days. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Recount for ranked choice ballot measure begins under watchful eyes of attorneys

Relative handful of oddly marked ballots questioned, few of those “quarantined” for further scrutiny.

A recount of ballots from the Nov. 5 election is observed Wednesday morning by Alaska Division of Elections officials and participants in a challenge to the outcome of a measure to repeal ranked choice voting in the state. The recount at the division director’s office in Juneau began Tuesday and is expected to last up to 10 days. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Police calls for Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024

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

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Traffic navigates a busy intersection covered with ice and slush on Monday afternoon. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

Update: Pedestrian recovering after being critically injured by truck; driver arrested for DUI

Man hit while near his house is conscious and improving at Oregon hospital, fundraising organizer says.

Traffic navigates a busy intersection covered with ice and slush on Monday afternoon. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)
Jeff Campbell moves a Santa figurine into the front yard of his annual Christmas-themed holiday house on West 11th Street in the downtown neighborhood known as The Flats on Thursday, Nov. 28. Campbell begins the decorating after removing Halloween fare and usually turns on the lights in December. Campbell has created this masterpiece annually for over 30 years. Besides Santas, the display includes candy canes, drummer boys, nativity scenes, reindeer and Disney and Winnie the Pooh characters and some of his own creations. He also has thousands of lights and speakers wired to play Christmas music and his electricity bill doubles over the display’s longevity. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Jeff Campbell moves a Santa figurine into the front yard of his annual Christmas-themed holiday house on West 11th Street in the downtown neighborhood known as The Flats on Thursday, Nov. 28. Campbell begins the decorating after removing Halloween fare and usually turns on the lights in December. Campbell has created this masterpiece annually for over 30 years. Besides Santas, the display includes candy canes, drummer boys, nativity scenes, reindeer and Disney and Winnie the Pooh characters and some of his own creations. He also has thousands of lights and speakers wired to play Christmas music and his electricity bill doubles over the display’s longevity. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Equipment arriving in Wrangell in January of 2023 has been set up to provide a test wireless broadband system being used by about a dozen households. (Photo courtesy of the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska)

Testing underway of new Tlingit and Haida wireless internet service

About a dozen Wrangell households using service officials hope to expand elsewhere in Southeast.

Equipment arriving in Wrangell in January of 2023 has been set up to provide a test wireless broadband system being used by about a dozen households. (Photo courtesy of the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska)
A small boat motors down Sitka Channel in Sitka on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Renewed Southeast Alaska wastewater discharge permits require better bacteria controls

Six Southeast Alaska communities are getting renewed wastewater discharge permits that require better controls of bacteria flowing into the receiving waters, the U.S. Environmental Protection… Continue reading

A small boat motors down Sitka Channel in Sitka on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Ariel Estrada rehearses his one-man play “Full Contact” at Perseverance Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Ariel Estrada rehearses his one-man play “Full Contact” at Perseverance Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)