The retired neurosurgeon’s nomination raised eyebrows, given his lack of experience in the field, but the Senate voted 58-41 to confirm him.
Housing
Pederson Hill housing gets Planning Commission approval
A unanimous Juneau Planning Commission approved the first phase of the Pederson Hill subdivision, clearing a major hurdle for the city’s housing initiative. Now it will be up to the Juneau Assembly to decide how it will offload the 86 lots.
Developers wary of city-planned Pederson Hill subdivision
Boosters of Pederson Hill see scores of moderately priced homes for middle class families. Private developers fear competition from the city. Balancing free market principles against the barrier to home ownership experienced by middle class families is something the Assembly will have to grapple with.
Alaska farmers push for hemp legalization
The 2014 federal Farm Bill allows states to grow and harvest hemp through pilot programs. Sen. Shelley Hughes is sponsoring legislation that would establish such a program in Alaska. Supporters see it as a way to diversify Alaska’s economy.
Midtown Anchorage apartment fire kills 2, displaces many
A midtown Anchorage apartment building caught fire early Wednesday morning, killing two people and injuring 16 others. A portion of the three-story Royal Suite Lodge on Minnesota Drive in midtown has collapsed from the blaze, and the cause is currently unknown.
Juneau Assembly bans homeless from sleeping downtown
Downtown merchants have complained of the homeless using shuttered storefronts as shelters. Those concerns were heard by a majority of the Assembly that voted 5-4 to pass the ordinance.
Juneau count identifies homeless as predominately older, Alaska Native
In the data released Friday, 238 people were counted, including 50 people living in a place federal housing authorities says are not meant for habitation.
Juneau’s proposed ‘camping ban’ could affect HUD funding
The Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness has warned that a camping ban targeting the homeless could imperil Juneau’s access to federal grant dollars. This is an issue some Assembly members want addressed before the ordinance goes to a vote on Feb. 13.
Vote postponed over Juneau’s controversial ‘camping ordinance’
The Juneau Assembly heard more than 90 minutes of testimony from dozens of residents including merchants, social workers and homeless people themselves who all agreed on one thing: Juneau has a serious homeless problem. But speakers had radically different viewpoints.
ACLU: Juneau’s proposed ‘anti-camping’ law could be unconstitutional
Juneau Mayor Ken Koelsch introduced the ordinance following complaints from merchants that the numbers sleeping in front of doorways was hurting commerce in Juneau’s historic downtown.The ACLU of Alaska’s urges Juneau Mayor Ken Koelsch to reconsider his position saying criminalizing homelessness is unconstitutional.