Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

State budget pessimists warn that fewer barrels and a growing budget deficit could turn the state into an economic wasteland. But as some Juneau residents learned Wednesday, things could still turn around.

A crowd gathered on the capitol steps Tuesday to show their support for Planned Parenthood. In recent weeks, Republican lawmakers in Congress have tried to strip the organization of its federal funding.

At Monday’s Juneau School Board debate, candidates expressed their opinions on everything from a STEM charter school to a Tlingit immersion program to Planned Parenthood.

One of Juneau’s rising restaurant empires is continuing to expand, now with another location, a Lemon Creek seafood processor and even a possible foray into marijuana.

The ordinance extends the moratorium to Dec. 31 and gives the city more time to adopt new land use regulations following last fall’s successful ballot measure to legalize marijuana.

“There can’t be any more slop over from that date because you know, then we’re running into tourist season and then there’s a big problem,” said assembly member Karen Crane.