Juneau Independent

The school year is over in Juneau, but some students are still hard at work. During Celebration last week, the Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy program unveiled a Lingít comic book that brings popular graphic novel characters to Juneau.

The Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development unanimously approved a new master’s in teaching program for Indigenous languages at the University of Alaska Southeast on Thursday.

King salmon sport fishing opened Monday in Juneau’s hatchery harvest areas.

The Alaska Power Company (APC) has filed a civil suit against a luxury tourist lodge situated near Glacier Bay National Park.

KTOO’s Alix Soliman spoke with Max Graham, a journalist who covers mining in Alaska for Northern Journal, about the booming industry.

Clarence “Butch” Laiti was Yanyeidí and T’aaḵu Ḵwáan, born and raised in Juneau. He was a Vietnam War veteran, grandfather and great grandfather.

A U.S. Forest Service plan to revamp the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center to accommodate more tourists will remain in place, with some additional paperwork.

When George Lindoff returned to the U.S. in 1971 after fighting for his country in Vietnam, he was not met with a warm welcome. Instead, there were anti-war protestors.

Douglas Island Pink and Chum celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Sixth graders in Juneau’s Montessori Borealis program recently showcased their family histories with presentations they spent months working on.

Canagold Resources, the company proposing to open the New Polaris gold mine on the Tulsequah River in British Columbia, says it’s taking steps to protect the environment.

The latest report from Juneau-based Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute says the seafood industry remains a cornerstone of Alaska’s economy.

The case against former Juneau chiropractor Jeffrey Fultz, who is accused of assaulting more than a dozen women under the guise of medical care, may continue into another year.

National Geographic journalist Paul Salopek has been walking around the world since 2013. But now that he’s in Alaska, his main mode of transportation is about to change.

A Canadian company proposing to reopen a gold mine in British Columbia plans to drive a large boat up Alaska’s Taku River this summer to see whether it can ship construction materials to the site. Some locals worry it could run aground or damage property along the banks.

More than 100 middle school students in Juneau are getting hands-on experience to learn about traditional Lingít carving by crafting their own canoe paddles in the classroom.

oung Juneau musicians got a chance to bring down the house over the weekend at a dual fundraiser for the Juneau Soccer Club and a music program that groups kids who want to play in rock bands.

The Juneau School Board will consider what to add back to its budget for this fiscal year during a regular meeting Tuesday night.

Huna Totem Corporation officials say they are full steam ahead with the plan to open downtown Juneau’s fifth cruise ship dock by 2028. That’s despite unexpected timeline delays and price hikes that may scale down the project.

“Tambayan at Kwentuhan,” features the stories, photos and belongings of Filipino elders in Juneau. The name means “a place to hang out and share stories” in Tagalog.

Public service is nothing out of the ordinary for Scott Ciambor, a longtime employee of the City and Borough of Juneau.

You’ve likely seen Brian Wallace around town. And odds are, he was carrying a camera. Wallace has been taking photos of Juneau people, places and happenings since he was a kid. He worked as a photojournalist at the Juneau Empire for nearly 30 years…(Read full story)

A week after a Ward Air plane crashed and sank into Favorite Channel near Juneau, officials are still piecing together what happened.

In the aftermath of a disaster, Community Emergency Response Team volunteers can help save lives and protect property.

Most households and businesses in the rural community of Gustavus rely on septic systems. For years, a private company from Juneau ferried over to pump them out.

A group of Juneau organizations and the regional tribal government are working together on an event that will provide direct services to unhoused people in Juneau.

As the Alaska Folk Festival approaches, so does a big spike in activity at downtown bars.

Alaska school districts consistently build budgets based on many uncertainties, but a bill that aims to stabilize the budgeting process moved out of the House Education Committee Wednesday.

Alaska education leaders told lawmakers Monday, that the state’s public schools are in a “crisis” due to rising vacancies, high teacher and principle turnover and growing student needs, all while enrollment declines…( Read full story )

Tribal citizens in and outside Alaska recently voted to elect new delegates and community council members to represent them in the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

A privately-run child care program is set to offer all-day care for school-aged children in several Juneau schools this summer.

A “No Kings” rally is planned for Juneau on Saturday, March 28. The local rally will be one of 3,000-plus events happening nationwide, according to a press release from Juneau organizers.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska came to Juneau last week to give training sessions on what to do if residents encounter immigration enforcement actions in town – whether you’re a bystander, an employer or someone getting detained.

Ten Juneau high school students gained real-world home-building experience — and some much-needed Vitamin D — earlier this month during a school district trip to Maui, Hawaii.

Last month, the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs task force arrested a Juneau man and found nearly $160,000-worth of controlled substances at his residence – most of which was fentanyl.

Voting begins Wednesday for University of Alaska staff across the state to decide on forming a union. The group is called the Coalition of Alaska University Employees for Equity.

A bill meant to protect Alaskans from drinking water contaminated with PFAS – which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – had its first committee hearing in the Alaska Legislature on Thursday. PFAS, often called "forever chemicals" since they don’t break down naturally, are toxic and known to cause severe health problems.

It has now been more than a month since a Juneau man who had been staying at a local shelter for unhoused people was last seen by staff.

A bill that would change the scope of an Alaska sexual assault law had its first committee hearing yesterday. Democratic Juneau Rep. Sara Hannan’s bill, introduced this year, would alter a law that specifically criminalizes sexual assault by a medical provider.

A trial date for a lawsuit between the Juneau School District and its support staff union won’t be decided on for another six months.

How many snow days is too many before Juneau’s school year extends into the summer?

The Juneau School District has one of the oldest school-based hunter education programs in Alaska. Its current teacher recently won the state’s Hunter Educator of the Year award after bringing hunter education back into Juneau’s classrooms.

Trail Mix, Inc. and the Juneau Off-Road Association (JORA) have received a second $10,000 award from Polaris Inc. T.R.A.I.L.S. Grant Program to support the ongoing development of a 35-mile off-road vehicle (ORV) park. This would be the first ORV park in Southeast Alaska.

When northerly winds blow 10 degrees Fahrenheit Interior air into Lynn Canal, some Juneauites head for the windblown slopes on Eaglecrest or the downwind side of Mendenhall Lake. Others head for the water.

Language educators in Juneau are working to create a Master’s in teaching program for Indigenous languages at the University of Alaska Southeast. It would be the first of its kind in Alaska.

Ten boats sank in Juneau harbors during the intense winter storms that struck at the beginning of the year. The city is still dealing with the aftermath…( Read full story )

During Thursday’s meeting, the Juneau School Board discussed adding rather than cutting positions next school year. But unsettled union contracts continue to bring uncertainty to the budget process.

The City of Hoonah has a new chief of police to replace the last chief who was fired while trying to resign last spring.

The University of Alaska is asking state lawmakers for millions in additional funding next year, saying the money is needed to stabilize operations, cover rising costs and address campus safety and student mental health needs.

Monday is Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, an Alaska State holiday honoring a Lingit activist, who testified before Alaska’s territorial legislature in Juneau to demand civil rights for Alaska Native people.