In this newscast: Emergency responders battled a fire today at Whittier’s new cruise ship terminal that damaged at least one boat. No injured have been reported; The deadline to submit a public comment on a proposed plan to repeal the Roadless Rule has been extended; The Sitka Assembly is moving forward with a plan to tackle the community’s childcare shortage, which includes a half percent sales tax increase; Almost the entire village of Kipnuk was displaced by ex-typhoon Halong. Close to a year later, hundreds of its residents remain scattered across the state, but some families returned to visit their home and practice subsistence
Yvonne Krumrey
Justice & Culture Reporter, KTOO
"Through my reporting and series Tongass Voices and Lingít Word of the Week, I tell stories about people who have shaped — and continue to shape — the landscape of this place we live."
Minds behind the Lingít opera debuting in Juneau say itʼs a return to tradition
An entirely Indigenous cast of singers and dancers will tell the story of the Battles of Sitka while accompanied by an orchestra playing original music.
Kake leader Joel Jackson dies at age 70
Joel Jackson, longtime Haida and Lingít advocate and president of the Organized Village of Kake, died on August 30 at age 70. Jackson spent much of his life advocating for cultural revitalization and continued protections in the Tongass National Forest.
Tongass Voices: Playwright Vera Starbard on writing a Lingít Opera
T’set Kwei Vera Starbard is an Emmy-nominated writer who has written six plays and multiple episodes of shows like Molly of Denali and Alaska Daily. Starbard is the librettist for Ḵutulagaaw — an opera about the 1802 battles between Lingít people and Russian invaders in Southeast Alaska. That means she wrote the script, which language teacher X̱’unei Lance Twitchell translated, and composer Ed Littlefield put to music. The production premiers at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Friday Sept. 11. The show runs through Sept. 20.
Volunteers mark 5 years of cleaning Douglas cemeteries
A group of volunteers has been restoring cemeteries on Douglas Island in Juneau for five years. They’ve beat back invading plants, and uncovered and righted headstones.
Tongass Voices: Holly Huber on competing for Miss USA
Holly Huber is the first Miss Alaska USA from Juneau. After being crowned this summer, she’s currently competing on a national stage in Miami.