Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau
Juneau rallies for hope amid heroin crisis
The Juneau Police Department recently held an event to bring people and service providers together called Hope Not Heroin. Alaska lawmakers were there, as well as Gov. Bill Walker. And for some in the crowd, the event signified how communities are changing the conversation when it comes to talking about addiction.
Juneau seawater heat pump more than a pipe dream?
Recently, the Alaska House passed a bill that could make it easier for one hydro project to get off the ground. If the Juneau Hydropower Inc. plant gets built, the company wants to bring sustainable heat to some residents from an abundant source.
Gold Medal Basketball Tournament has urban origins, village tradition
Before statehood, before the Alaska Marine Highway System, there was the Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau. This year, the event is 70. It brings adult players from across Southeast to compete against neighboring villages and communities. Download Audio
Juneau goes to the polls to elect a new mayor
Juneau residents are hitting the polls on Tuesday to elect a new mayor. Two candidates are vying for the spot: Ken Koelsch and Karen Crane. The city decided to hold the $35,000 special election after the death of Mayor Greg Fisk. Fisk died of natural causes shortly after winning last year's election. The mayoral candidates have served on the Juneau Assembly before.
Pot petitions duel in Juneau
Dueling petitions about commercial pot grow houses in Juneau neighborhoods have been making the rounds. The Assembly voted back in November to allow limited cultivation on parts of North Douglas and other low-density areas. After one red public notice went up at the end of a driveway, it caught some in neighborhood off guard.
Aging Southeast: Seniors find purpose, friendship at The Bridge
Health care and housing options are limited for seniors in Southeast, but a few adult day programs are offering relief for care providers, families and friends. They’re often a stop-gap solution until space opens up in a home. Download Audio
Angoon mayor unsatisfied with state response to tainted subsistence seal
Hawk Inlet is healthy according to state officials. That’s the message Angoon received about three weeks after concerns were raised about high levels of mercury found in a subsistence seal. But Angoon’s mayor doesn’t feel comforted by the report. Download Audio
Without ferry service, a Southeast village considers $18 gallon of milk
Three Southeast villages endured the longest ferry drought in recent memory. The LeConte didn’t arrive for more than a month, leaving communities such as Angoon to depend more on subsistence or the only grocery store in town. As lawmakers consider even deeper cuts to ferry services, some locals are already getting a taste of what that reality could be like. Download Audio
AK: High levels of mercury spell hazards for subsistence in Southeast village
Earlier this month, Angoon’s mayor asked for help after discovering high levels of mercury in subsistence seal. With only one grocery store in town, the small Southeast village is dependent on what’s in the water. And according to a tissue sample test, that might include contaminants from a nearby mine. Download Audio
Angoon calls for help after discovering high mercury levels in subsistence seal
The City of Angoon believes high levels of mercury have been discovered in subsistence food caught near Hawk Inlet and that Hecla’s Greens Creek Mine could be responsible. Download Audio
Wal-Mart wouldn’t allow job fair information in store
About a minute’s walk from Wal-Mart, a small room at Gruening Park has been transformed intoa mini job fair. Up to 168 Juneau Wal-Mart employees could lose their jobs this week, so the state organized the Jan. 29 job fair to help. “We’ve got TSA, Fred Meyer, Verizon, AT&T, Home Depot, and IGA,” said Ray Brogdon, an employee at the state’s unemployment office. He says the hope is that Wal-Mart associates can find new jobs before they have to step into his office. Download Audio
Wal-Mart wouldn’t allow job fair information in store
Wal-Mart says it’s trying to do right by its soon-to-be-laid-off employees in Juneau. For example, it’s flying in trainers to help with job skills. But it’s also been strictly sticking to a corporate policy that left some outgoing employees in the dark about a state-organized job fair held specifically for its employees.
Homeless count sheds new light on Alaska needs
Alaska now has a more localized way of looking at homelessness data. Instead of gathering information that reflects the state as a whole, some municipalities can see their own data that gets reported to the feds. That could mean more funding for housing in some communities.
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Juneau weaver adds to family legacy of Chilkat robes
The Portland Art Museum in Oregon has commissioned a Tlingit Chilkat robe from a Juneau weaver — adding a fourth generation to a lineage of weaving students and teachers.
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Delta cuts two weekly flights to Juneau
Delta Airlines is temporarily cutting two weekly flights to Juneau. A Delta spokesperson says effective immediately Delta will no longer fly to Juneau on Tuesday or Saturday. There will be no southbound flights on Sundays or Wednesdays.
Wal-Mart to shutter Juneau store Feb. 5
Wal-Mart announced today that it’s closing its Juneau location, along with 154 other stores across the country. The location will operate with limited hours for the rest of the month and shutdown Feb. 5.
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Filing for new Juneau mayor opens Friday
The filing period for Juneau’s new mayor opens Friday. To be considered, candidates must be a Juneau resident for at least 30 days before the election, be qualified to vote in Alaska, and be at least 18 years old. Felons are not permitted.
Environmentalists say Tongass plan doesn’t act fast enough
A federal proposal to make Southeast Alaska’s logging industry sustainable while preserving old growth in the Tongass National Forest does too little, too slowly--according to one conservation group. The Oregon-based Geos Institute says the Tongass National Forest draft plan is out of step with a global agreement to reduce climate change.
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Juneau vets other options as sending sludge south gets spendy
The Juneau Utility Advisory Board has new recommendations on how the municipality should deal with its waste. Right now, about 7,000 tons of the city’s sludge is barged to Oregon -- costing about $2 million a year.
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Walker announces state hiring, travel freeze
New restrictions on state of Alaska hiring and employee travel were announced Tuesday. Gov. Bill Walker said the restrictions formalize what many state agencies and departments are already doing to cut costs.
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