In this newscast: Money from Congress’ bipartisan infrastructure bill is flowing to Alaska airports; Alaska Commerce Commissioner Julie Anderson is retiring in January; Boosters of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act point to NANA’s relationship with the Red Dog mine as a success story; An Alaska application is a finalist for federal grant money to boost marine farming and aquaculture; Juneau’s deputy city manager gives advice on how to use home COVID-19 test kits being distributed; The National Weather Service issues a winter storm warning and forecasts up to 7 inches of snow.
Jeremy Hsieh
Local News Reporter, KTOO
I dig into questions about the forces and institutions that shape Juneau, big and small, delightful and outrageous. What stirs you up about how Juneau is built and how the city works?
The Alaska Legislature’s Capitol complex in Juneau has grown to a fifth city block
Juneau’s civic leaders are always wary of simmering sentiments to move the state capital. Donating buildings to the Legislature is one way they try to quiet those calls.
Newscast – Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021
In this newscast:
Alaska’s Redistricting Board faces four lawsuits over its newly drawn legislative districts; Leaders for a ballot initiative seek state recognition of tribal sovereignty; Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he’s seeking another $5 million grant to market Alaska to visitors; U.S. Rep. Don Young votes against holding former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in contempt; Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson briefly ordered a halt in water fluoridation; A support group forms in Juneau for people who’ve experienced the loss of a pregnancy or infant; State officials report two new COVID-19 deaths
Business aboard cruise ships will be subject to Juneau sales tax next year
The Juneau Assembly voted Monday to partially repeal a sales tax exemption for cruise ships in Juneau waters.
Newscast – Monday, Dec. 13, 2021
In this newscast:
Alaska confirms its first case of the omicron variant of COVID-19; Juneau officials relax indoor masking requirements; Alaska’s U.S. senators are anchoring opposite ends of the Republican spectrum; A Juneau man is held up in Yakutat when an equipment failure blocks air travel; and Family members of people killed by cancer share the importance of early screening at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention
Federal officials pass on Juneau’s bid for grant money to electrify cruise ship docks
A local port engineer who worked on the grant says his takeaway is that aging marine infrastructure in Haines and Cordova were higher priority than improving Juneau’s relatively new cruise ship docks to reduce emissions.
Juneau property owners have lost every commercial property assessment appeal heard so far
A representative of many property owners with appeals say they intend to keep fighting their assessments in state court.
Newscast – Monday, Nov. 15, 2021
In this newscast:
COVID-19 numbers are falling statewide;
Juneau emergency officials relax some COVID precautions;
Tsimshian language learner Nancy Barnes shares how the language helped her get through the pandemic;
The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska brings together coastal communities to discuss adapting to climate change;
A scientist who discovered the first fossils that showed the oldest whales walked on land visits UAF;
A Utah doctor is accused of lying about ill patients in his climbing party to get a helicopter ride off Denali.
Hundreds of Juneau kids are getting COVID shots this week. Here’s how a few of them are handling it.
After her shot, third grader Nehir Caf said COVID-19 is like the villain from Harry Potter: “I don’t know why, but COVID reminds me of Voldemort.”
Local governments steer money to Juneau child care centers struggling to find workers
The City and Borough of Juneau and the Tlingit and Haida Central Council are both steering extra money to child care services in Juneau.