Lisa Phu, KTOO - Juneau
Lisa Phu is a reporter at KTOO in Juneau.
Decision due soon on ‘distorted’ school texts depicting Native tragedies
The Juneau School District will decide next week if four controversial texts will remain part of the elementary school curriculum.
Members and organizations of Juneau’s Alaska Native community raised concerns about texts depicting Alaska Native and Native American experiences, like boarding schools and the Trail of Tears. A cultural specialist calls the texts “inaccurate” and “distorted,” and a school district committee voted to remove the books from the classroom.
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When missing person isn’t found, Juneau SEADOGS search for happy ending
At least once a week, 10 handlers and their dogs muck through the mountains, muskegs and forests on and off the beaten paths of Juneau in search of volunteer hiders. It’s practice for SEADOGS, or SE Alaska Dogs Organized for Ground Search. Local authorities call on the volunteer group several times a year to help out when people go missing.
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Listen: What Marriage Means For One Alaska Same-Sex Couple
Since same-sex marriage became legal in Alaska, of the roughly 480 marriage license applications in the state, about 20 percent are from same-sex couples.
One of those couples is former KTOO employee Kelli Burkinshaw and her partner Megan Ahleman. They’re getting married tomorrow in Juneau.
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Employee Complaints, Tests Flag Air Quality In State-Leased Office Building
Air quality test results show high levels of carbon dioxide and dust in Juneau’s Bill Ray Center, an office building the state is leasing for about 160 employees. For more than a month, the state has fielded complaints from employees about headaches and diesel fumes.
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After nearly 30 years, Juneau service agency SAGA on verge of folding
Longtime Juneau service agency Southeast Alaska Guidance Association, or SAGA, may not have enough money to keep operating. The nonprofit has 18 AmeriCorps members in Anchorage, Juneau, Seward, Cordova and Yakutat. It also works outdoors with young people through programs that are now in a state of flux.
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Juneau Lawmakers Egan, Muñoz and Kito Re-elected To Legislature
All three of the capital city’s state lawmakers handily won re-election Tuesday. Sen. Dennis Egan and Reps. Cathy Muñoz and Sam Kito III all got at least 60 percent of the votes counted in their respective races on Election Day.
Organizations Making Final Push To Encourage Alaska Native Voters
As Election Day nears, Native organizations in Juneau are making one last big push to encourage voters through a Get Out the Native Vote information rally on Saturday.
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After Hazing, Juneau School District Tries To Move Forward
The Juneau School District has spent at least $20,000 investigating and dealing with last May’s hazing incident where seven incoming seniors paddled six incoming freshmen. The district took disciplinary action, which resulted in one student appeal. The school board will decide tonight (Tuesday) behind closed doors what to do with the student grievance. The school district is trying to move forward proactively.
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UA Hopes Survey Will Reveal True Scope Of Sexual Assault Problem On Campus
If you’re a student, faculty or staff member of the University of Alaska, you may receive a survey in your email this month asking questions about sexual assault on campus.
The survey follows campus visits by federal investigators looking into how the college handles sexual assault complaints and violations.
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Bureau of Vital Statistics Prepares New Marriage License Documents
With same-sex couples applying for marriage licenses across the state, the office that processes those documents made sure new applications were ready to go Monday morning.
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Former Juneau Resident Sets New Pre-Teen Book Series In Alaska
Born and raised in Juneau, writer Katherine Rue used her childhood as fodder for a recently published book for middle school readers.
“Braving the Brontes” is the first in a series that introduces “Carly Keene, Literary Detective” – a Juneau girl whose adventurous spirit allows her to brave time travel, ghosts and Victorian England.
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As Part Of Investigation, Feds Will Hear From UAS Students About Sexual Assault
Students at the University of Alaska Southeast will get a chance to talk to federal auditors about sexual assault on campus.
The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights will be at the UAS Juneau campus Friday as part of an examination of the university’s handling of complaints and reports of sexual harassment and violence.
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Voices of Glacier Bay: An Adventure in Sound
Alaska writers and naturalists Richard Nelson and Hank Lentfer are nearing the end of a two-year project recording the "Voices of Glacier Bay." The project is a collaboration between Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, University of Alaska Southeast and Cornell University, which houses the world’s largest collection of natural sounds. Nelson and Lentfer hope to change how others experience the world through a dimension beyond what we can see. They want us to listen and listen closely.
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‘No Means No’ – UAS Includes Sexual Assault Ed In Freshmen Orientation
Experts often refer to the first several weeks of college for new students as the “red zone” – a time when they’re more likely to be sexually assaulted. The University of Alaska system is on a list of 79 post-secondary schools being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for compliance with sexual assault laws or violations.
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Downtown Stores Called Upon to Keep Juneau Attractive
The last cruise ship to visit the capital city pulls out of Juneau at 9 p.m. Thursday. As stores in the tourist district pack up and shut down for the fall and winter season, the Juneau Economic Development Council wants to make sure downtown remains an inviting place to be.
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As Students Turn 18, Some Have Real Questions For the Candidates
Absentee voting for the October 7 municipal election begins today at City Hall and Mendenhall Mall. Juneau residents will choose three Assembly and two school board members, and decide on one ballot proposition. Last week, Thunder Mountain High School students had a lesson in civic engagement. The American government class took a field trip to the Juneau Votes Forum at UAS where they posed questions to the candidates.
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Feds Investigate University of Alaska For How It Deals With Sexual Assault
The U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office will be visiting four campuses of the University of Alaska next month to check if the school is handling sexual violence complaints according to federal law.
The University of Alaska system is on a list of 79 post-secondary institutions around the nation being investigated for possible violations, but university officials aren’t sure why.
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Juneau Remains Part of ‘Battle for Seattle’ Between Delta, Alaska
Delta Air Lines ended their summer run between Juneau and Seattle on August 31. An airline official says the season went well, and Delta will be back next year.
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Juneau School District Receives Praise, Criticism For How It Handled Hazing
Members of the public criticized how the Juneau School District handled a hazing incident in May that involved seven seniors paddling six incoming freshmen. During Tuesday’s school board meeting, they said the perceived punishment of the offenders wasn’t harsh enough.
Meanwhile, a state education official commended the district for trying to change the culture of hazing.
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Foundation Swoops in to Save Sacred Alaskan Artifacts at Auction
As early as the late 1700s, European visitors and explorers in Alaska wrongly took objects that were sacred and important to the indigenous people. Several of these items were set to be auctioned off in Paris last December, despite protest from tribal groups around the U.S. It was a done deal, until an anonymous buyer stepped in.
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