Casey Kelly, KTOO - Juneau
Casey Kelly is a reporter at KTOO in Juneau.
Tlingit & Haida Housing Authority, CCS To Expand Senior Services In Rural Southeast
Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority and Catholic Community Serviceon Monday announced the expansion of a program that helps senior citizens live independently in Southeast Alaska.
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Unions Criticize Lack Of Pre-Hire Labor Agreement For Juneau Dock Project
Juneau labor unions are criticizing a recent CBJ Docks and Harbors Department decision to bid a contract for two new floating cruise ship berths without a Project Labor Agreement.
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Troll Leads Peters In Juneau’s Only Contested Municipal Election Race
In Juneau, there was really only one race to pay attention to on Election Day. Out of three Assembly seats and two School Board seats on the ballot, only one was contested.
Bear Mauls Man in Hoonah
A 58-year-old Hoonah man mauled by a brown bear Wednesday night has been medevac’d to Sitka with non-life threatening injuries.
Juneau Airport Officials Practice On Fake Airplane Crash
An Alaska Airlines jet with 64 people onboard simulated what would happen if a plane crashed on approach to Juneau International Airport. The event took place on Saturday. Everyone on the plane survived and many ate lunch with the emergency responders who came to rescue them. The fake crash was part of a live drill, involving airport officials, first responders, and nearly 75 volunteer victims.
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AK: Football
It’s football season in Alaska. The sport continues to gain popularity in the 49th state, where the first official high school football championship game was played less than 25 years ago. But in Alaska and nationally concerns over football’s safety have grown, and more and more parents are refusing to let their children play youth football because of the risk of injury. Football officials at all levels have responded by trying to make the game safer.
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City, Borough of Juneau Keeping Track of Marketplace Fairness Act
Juneau officials are keeping an eye on legislation making its way through Congress that would allow states to collect sales tax on online purchases. The U.S. Senate this week voted 69-27 in favor of the Marketplace Fairness Act.
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Hundreds Gather In Juneau For Malaspina Tours
Hundreds of Juneau residents flocked to the downtown waterfront Saturday to celebrate two major components of Southeast Alaska’s economy - the Alaska Marine Highway System and the fishing industry.
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Juneau Reaches Out To Nearby Communities, Neighbor To Neighbor
The borough assemblies from Haines, Skagway and Juneau will meet Friday afternoon in the Skagway Assembly Chambers for what’s being billed as “The Northern Lynn Canal Neighbors Summit.”
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Alice Rogoff Pushes For Changes In Arctic
The time has come to stop talking and start acting when it comes to changes in the Arctic. That was the message of a talk to the Juneau World Affairs Council this week by Alaska Dispatch owner and publisher Alice Rogoff. Next week she will be in Washington, D.C. with Iceland’s President to announce a new nonprofit designed to promote international cooperation on Arctic issues.
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State Vehicles Block Abortion Protesters in Front of the Capitol Building
Protesters with the anti-abortion Center for Bioethical Reform held up large signs across from the state capitol building in Juneau this week, depicting graphic images of aborted fetuses.
‘Stand Your Ground’ Bill Passes Alaska House
The Alaska House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a “Stand Your Ground” bill on a 33-5 vote. House Bill 24 expands what’s known as the “castle doctrine,” which allows people to use deadly force to protect their homes and businesses from intruders.
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Alaska Senate Set To Approve Anti-Genetically-Engineered Salmon Resolution
A resolution opposing genetically engineered salmon is likely to pass the Alaska Legislature this week. The so-called “Frankenfish” resolution cleared the Senate Resources Committee on Friday, its last stop before a vote on the Senate floor. The resolution unanimously passed the House about a month ago.
Alaska’s Capital City Changes With The Times
As the State of Alaska has grown, the Capital City of Juneau has adapted and grown along with it. Two former legislators on Tuesday discussed those changes and the challenges Juneau has faced over the years. The talk was part of the Alaska Legislature Centennial Commission program, which took place in the Capital City this week to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Alaska Legislature.
State Workers Rally As Union Leaders Negotiate New Cotnracts
About a hundred state workers held a rally outside the State Office Building in Juneau Thursday to show solidarity with union leaders negotiating new contracts.
Fundraiser Puts Juneau’s Empty Chair Project Near Goal
A proposed monument in Juneau to Japanese Americans interned during World War II got a big boost last weekend. The Gastineau Channel Historical Society donated $5,000 to the Empty Chair Project, and a fundraising concert raised nearly $2,000. Organizers have been collecting funds for about a year and need about $6,000 more to meet their $40,000 goal.
Children’s Author Jean Rogers Dies
Long-time Juneau resident Jean Rogers is being remembered as a loving mother, beloved children’s book author, and patron of the arts. Rogers died Wednesday of heart failure. She was 93.
Alaska House Passes Resolution Opposing Genetically Engineered Salmon
The Alaska House of Representatives has come out against genetically engineered salmon, or as critics call it, “Frankenfish.” Representatives unanimously approved House Joint Resolution 5 on Wednesday. It urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reconsider a preliminary finding that genetically modified fish would not significantly impact the environment. The resolution also urges the agency to require labeling for GM salmon, if the product is ultimately approved.
Alaskans Celebrate Elizabeth Peratrovich Day
Alaskans marked Elizabeth Peratrovich Day on Saturday, in honor of the Tlingit woman whose testimony to the Alaska Territorial Legislature helped pass the Anti-Discrimination Act in 1945. A small crowd gathered at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau to hear a talk from Barbara Cadiente-Nelson, a board member of Sealaska Native Corporation, the Douglas Indian Association, and a member of the Alaska Native Sisterhood.
Seeking Comprehensive Energy Solutions In Rural Southeast
It’s no secret that the high cost of energy in rural Alaska is a barrier to economic development and one of the primary reasons many residents are leaving village life behind. In some rural Southeast communities, electric bills are up to 275 percent higher than the national average, and some households spend as much as 50 percent of their income on home heating fuel.