KTOO News Update

In this newscast: A popular downtown Juneau restaurant is now up for sale — but it’s not closing any time soon; About a dozen people gathered on the Alaska State Capitol building steps in Juneau this morning to oppose a proposed liquefied natural gas pipeline, while lawmakers inside debated a multibillion-dollar tax break for the project; Juneau’s downtown City Hall building will be up for sale soon. One interested buyer is its neighbor, Sealaska Heritage Institute; The latest campaign finance data in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race show Democrat Mary Peltola has vastly outraised incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained a state of Alaska lawyer who is originally from China, according to ICE officials; An Anchorage man died in the custody of the state Department of Corrections on June 21st, according to the DOC.

In this newscast: A Juneau non-profit is looking for local childcare providers to offer after-school care at two elementary schools that lost the service in recent years; The Juneau Police Department is seeking the public's help in locating the person who submerged a truck in Gastineau Channel near Douglas Harbor early this morning; Processors are paying more for commercial salmon this season than in recent years, and it has to do with international markets; For Tongass Voices, Xeetli.éesh Lyle James talks about learning and teaching Lingít for more than two decades.

In this newscast: A Juneau artist’s design will be printed on bear garbage cans downtown. Crystal Jackson’s painting of bears frolicking on a rainbow background is the winning artwork in a contest to decorate 44 new bear cans; A cruise ship dock and development project planned for downtown Juneau will be scaled down by more than half its original size but will cost an additional $100 million dollars; Juneau’s off-road vehicle park, years in the making, could open its first trail as soon as this September; An AI-generated story of a beluga whale escaping the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward received millions of views across social media last month. The center quickly issued a statement confirming the story was false. But the incident highlights how AI-generated content is becoming harder to identify. And for organizations like the SeaLife Center, how false information can harm their reputation and credibility; What does it mean for Alaska to get the maximum benefit from its resources?

In this newscast: Juneau's new off-road vehicle park could partially open as soon as this September; One of Juneau's most dangerous intersections, near Fred Meyer, will get a traffic light thanks to a federal grant; Sorely needed renovations at two affordable housing complexes in Juneau come with challenges for tenants; A new study suggests having a dog could more than double the chance of a bear conflict

In this newscast: Defenders of ranked choice voting and the open primary filed complaints to the Alaska Public Offices Commissions against a campaign supporting a measure to repeal both things; A Juneau resident shot and wounded a yearling black bear that was rummaging through trash downtown on Thursday morning; Alaska's three major cities continue to have higher living costs than most of the nation's urban areas; KTOO's Mike Lane speaks with Southeast Alaska Food Bank executive director Dan Parks about the organization's work to combat food insecurity.

In this newscast: Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill today that would have reimposed limits on campaign contributions in state elections; The City and Borough of Juneau released a new evacuation zone map in preparation for the glacial outburst flood expected later this summer; The Alaska Beacon reports Alaskans who have been wrongfully convicted can now apply to claim Alaska Permanent Fund dividends that were withheld while they were incarcerated, under a new law; The future of Juneau's city museum is uncertain as the effects of the Assembly's budget cuts begin to take hold.

In this newscast: The Juneau School District's chief financial officer is resigning; Some whale advocates want to relist Pacific gray whales under the Endangered Species Act; A team of experts is working to salvage a Coast Guard helicopter that crashed on Sitka's Harbor Mountain last month; A Soldotna swimmer brought home silver in the 50-yard freestyle at the Special Olympics USA games last month in Minnesota; Petersburg celebrated its second annual Amy Hallingstad Day on June 28.

In this newscast: Juneau's city-owned Eaglecrest Ski Area will soon have a new general manager; State lawmakers are debating whether to controversial tax change in a bill aimed at easing the financial case for the Alaska LNG project; A red-tailed hawk named Warrior escaped from the American Bald Eagle Foundation in Haines on Friday; Fairbanks scientists are tracking a tiny parasite that lives in local swimming holes and triggers a rash that rivals the worst bug bites.

In this newscast: A black bear entered Juneau's historic Alaskan Hotel on Sunday; Ship traffic is growing in the Arctic and scientists are looking at how that affects marine mammals; A California couple set out to play a game of croquet on the lawn of every state capitol, but Alaska's doesn't have a lawn; The Alaska state House's ethics committee says Homer Republican Representative Sarah Vance likely violated state law by using publicly funded resources to criticize a local newspaper's coverage

In this newscast: Two cruise ships in Southeast Alaska have reported norovirus outbreaks in recent weeks; Tlingit and Haida's president spoke about addiction prevention during the grand opening of Juneau's first casino; Cancer Connection now has its first executive director; Alaska lawmakers failed to meet an informal deadline Wednesday to vote on a bill reducing taxes for the Alaska LNG project

In this newscast: Juneau's city clerk's office certified a citizen ballot proposition late last week that seeks to raise the city's cap on the local property tax rate; A draft environmental assessment looking at homeporting up to two Coast Guard icebreakers in Juneau is open for public comment; A glacial lake outburst flood on the Taku River south of Juneau crested early Wednesday morning; Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland came to Juneau last weekend as a stop on a tour of her new memoir "A Voice Like Mine"; School districts across Alaska are set to receive up to $115 million in one-time funding this year thanks to high oil prices; In June, the Sitka Sound Science Center's marine debris cleanup program crew found a message in a bottle

In this newscast: Juneau residents will see a 5% hike in their water and sewer utility rates starting Wednesday. Service and program fees at many city parks and recreation facilities will also increase; Juneau’s city clerk’s office certified a citizen ballot proposition last week that seeks to raise the city’s cap on the local property tax rate, also known as the mill rate. The move would return the tax rate back to where it was before voters approved lowering it last fall; During the last weekend of LGBTQ+ Pride month, Juneau’s drag artists put together a sold-out show at a new venue in town. People there said the show is a celebration of community, love and resistance; The Alaska Supreme Court says Dan J. Sullivan must be included on the ballot for U.S. Senate seat. The court sent the case back to the Division of Elections to decide how the challenger’s name will appear; A group of Alaska Native organizations is launching  a new rural veterinary public health program next month [in July] to provide care for animals in dozens of villages across the state. 

In this newscast: A group of state lawmakers tasked with drafting a final version of an Alaska LNG tax relief bill kicked off work this weekend; Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed nearly half a million dollars from the state budget Wednesday that would have gone toward efforts to retain and recruit teachers in Alaska; A new nonprofit Jiu Jitsu studio opened this month; One Alaska couple shares their experience over a 50 year relationship for pride month

In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly made a number of appointments and reappointments to city boards during a special meeting Wednesday; Former Alaska state senator Natasha Von Imhof has thrown her hat in the ring in the race for Anchorage's next mayor; Gov. Mike Dunleavy told lawmakers he'd vetoed six bills, and dozens more have passed into law; KTOO's Mike Lane speaks with Walk Southeast organizers

In this newscast:  Gov. Mike Dunleavy trimmed nearly $90 million from the state budget with line-item vetoes before signing a series of appropriations bills Wednesday afternoon; Bookings opened Thursday morning for Juneau's new public use cabin at the Mendenhall Campground; There is a new social media trend of people dancing around Alaska Native totem poles. Tribal organizations across Southeast Alaska are speaking out; Harmful toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisonings are again present in the waters around Southeast Alaska; Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill on Wednesday naming a longtime University of Alaska Anchorage economic research center after its first director, Vic Fischer

In this newscast: A Juneau man was arrested last week after he allegedly chased two girls in the Mendenhall Valley; The former Juneau Police officer who slammed a man to the ground during an arrest last summer is asking a court judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him; A new state law enacted Monday allows charitable organizations to gamble on snowfall; A U.S. Department of Defense agency is preparing to exhume the remains of an unidentified WWII soldier buried in Sitka National Cemetery this week

In this newscast: The Juneau Community Foundation is giving the Alaska Legislature 16 two-bedroom apartments as part of a long-term effort to keep the state's capital in Juneau; Four U.S. Coast Guard crew members involved in a helicopter crash in Sitka Monday morning have been reported safe with "non-serious injuries;" Juneau residents say they want to see the city's tourism task force address issues like helicopter noise, downtown bus traffic and whale watching congestion; Alaska State Troopers recovered the body of an Anchorage paddleboarder who went missing in Turnagain Arm after a weekend-long search; A man seeking to challenge U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan has filed suit after the Alaska Division of Elections removed him from this year's ballot; The winning team in a race from Washington state to Ketchikan crossed the finish line Monday night.

In this newscast: A Juneau man who was reported missing earlier this month has been found dead; The Juneau Assembly passed a resolution declaring a local emergency in anticipation of the annual glacial outburst flood later this summer; The Juneau Assembly also passed a resolution to support the homeporting of a second Coast Guard icebreaker in Juneau; KTOO’s Community News Intern Elan Chappell recently chatted with people outside the Juneau-Douglas City Museum to learn more about what having access to local history means to them; One couple in Juneau, Maureen Longworth and Lin Davis, have dedicated their lives to advocating for LGBTQ+ rights; Alaska's acting attorney general announced a $20,000 settlement with a jewelry company that operates in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway

In this newscast: Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a structure fire at the site of two historic, abandoned cabins in the Mendenhall Valley Thursday afternoon. Smoke could be seen from the surrounding area. No injuries were reported; Juneau residents will have their first chance to testify in front of Juneau’s Visitor Industry Task Force Thursday at City Hall or online at 5:30 p.m; A critical deep ocean observation network that includes a long-standing station off the coast of Alaska has been saved from getting dismantled. As first reported by the New York Times, the Trump administration dropped its plan to get rid of the ocean and climate tracking system after the U.S. Senate unanimously blocked the move this week; An attorney advising the state Legislature says the Division of Elections likely lacked legal justification for disqualifying Dan. J. Sullivan of Petersburg from running in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race; Salmon is a staple traditional food in Alaska. But a growing number of Alaskans are discovering they have a unique intolerance to the fish. It’s an allergy not to the seafood itself but to the parasites that live in it.

In this newscast: The local firefighter union and the City and Borough of Juneau reached an agreement on a labor contract last week; Gov. Mike Dunleavy has until tomorrow to veto or sign two dozen bills into law; Denali National Park's sled dog puppies will begin sowing off their training to visitors this month; Residents of Anuktuvuk Pass can now use four wheelers to subsistence hunt in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

In this newscast: Assembly members Christine Woll, Alicia Hughes-Skandijs not running for reelection this fall; Juneau Assembly addresses a fairness issue regarding glacial outburst flood wall funding; Back Loop Bridge trailhead closed for glacial outburst flood wall construction; What earrings mean at Celebration, to buyers and sellers

In this newscast: The City and Borough of Juneau has a finalized budget for the next fiscal year, but it didn't come easy; This Celebration counted some political candidates among its attendees; Former Gov. Bill Walker wants to end the Permanent Fund dividend with a one-time $10,000 payment to each eligible Alaskan; The State of Alaska has opened an investigation into whether Dan Sullivan of Petersburg is intentionally running for U.S. Senate to confuse voters

In this newscast: A Juneau family reported a 29-year old man missing on Friday. He was last seen on May 26 near Safeway; The Juneau School Board will decide on whether to adopt the school district’s new strategic plan Tuesday night at its last regular meeting of the fiscal year; Tickets at Eaglecrest Ski Area are about to get more expensive; The U.S. Forest Service is now saying mining interests played an important role in its decision to cancel a recreational cabin project near Juneau’s Herbert Glacier, after denying it months ago; The Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy program unveiled a Lingit comic book during Celebration last week; A sale on oil and gas drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge garnered more than $3.7 million in winning bids

In this newscast: The Alaska State Board of Education unanimously approved a new master's in teaching program for Indigenous languages at the University of Alaska Southeast Thursday; Residents will have a chance to testify on some major budget topics and glacial outburst funding decisions at the Juneau Assembly's upcoming meeting on Monday; An unusual partnership is sailing Alaska's waters this summer; Leqpquinm Gumilgit Gagoadim Tsmsyen Dancers leader Se'iga Liimii Marcella Asicksik talks about a song her dance group wrote for Celebration.

In this newscast: Democratic incumbent Rep. Andi Story now has an opponent in the race for her current seat in the state House: Annette Kreitzer, Haines’ former borough manager; After years of planning, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska soft-opened a casino on Douglas Island this week. It’s Juneau’s first casino; The National Science Foundation plans to yank a long-standing ocean observation station from the sea floor far off the coast of Alaska next year. It’s one in an entire ocean monitoring system slated to be dismantled as part of the Trump Administration’s rollback on federal science programs that help researchers study the changing climate; The developer of the Alaska LNG project released its first specific public cost estimates Wednesday for the proposed 800-mile gas pipeline and associated infrastructure.

In this newscast: Celebration officially starts with a Grand Entrance tonight; Carvers have developed a new method to build traditional canoes without relying on old growth trees; Some cruise ship companies in Southeast Alaska say customers are concerned about Hantavirus, but state health officials are more worried about other diseases; Dozens and dozens of candidates officially kicked off their campaigns for governor, Congress and the state Legislature on Monday

In this newscast: Twelve people were infected by an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness while aboard a cruise ship traveling through Southeast Alaska last week; A new public use cabin opened near Ward Lake this week; Thirteen canoes bringing Alaska Native paddlers from across Southeast Alaska and Canada arrived in Juneau Tuesday afternoon; A soon-to-be change in shipping services for Juneau's Costco is expected to make it more difficult for small businesses in outlying communities to get products to their towns; Petersburg residents give items at the dump a second life through the borough's salvaging program.

In this newscast: Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium opened a new urgent care facility in downtown Juneau over the weekend; King salmon sport fishing opened today in Juneau’s hatchery harvest areas; Monday was the last day to officially begin a campaign for state or federal office in Alaska, after a few shakeups late last week. As Alaska Public Media’s Eric Stone reports, there were also some twists in the hours before today’s deadline; Petersburg’s local tribe launched its first canoe in a century last Sunday setting out on a canoe Journey to the biennial Celebration Festival in Juneau. Pullers from around the region joined the highly-anticipated launch out of Petersburg, and dozens of people gathered dockside to see them off on the multi-day Journey.

In this newscast: Thousands of people will converge in Juneau next week to dance, sing and showcase their Indigenous culture; More than 100 Sitkans gathered at the Starrigavan boat launch Thursday morning for a blessing and send-off of the “Ancestral Echoes” canoe heading to Celebration in Juneau. Lingít elders Ed Peele and Harvey Kitka offered a blessing accompanied by drumming and singing before the 12 paddlers got into the red, blue, and black canoe to leave on their five-day journey to the capital city; The state’s first Justice Summit for Alaska’s missing and murdered Indigenous people got underway in Anchorage on Wednesday with a call to push harder for healing, learning, and action; Oil prices are going up because of the war in Iran, and in turn, the price of plane tickets has increased. Some of the hardest hit passengers are those in Unalaska, an 800-mile plane ride from Anchorage; May in Utqiagvik means whaling. But the community just landed its first spring whale last weekend, very late in the season.

In this newscast: The estate of a man who died after he was struck by a City and Borough of Juneau-owned truck has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and the employee driving the vehicle; Former Gov. Bill Walker is considering another run for the state’s top elected office. Walker filed a letter of intent with Alaska campaign regulators this morning; A Juneau lawmaker’s bill that seeks to increase state funding for free legal aid to vulnerable Alaskans passed into law without the governor’s signature last weekA federally funded program aims to install thousands of heat pumps across southern Alaska by late 2029. ; But the program’s first year has been slow. As Avery Ellfeldt reports for the Alaska Desk, the groups managing the effort are ramping up advertising in hopes of boosting interest, and reducing energy bills; As the Arctic takes on greater geopolitical significance, Alaska has assets of interest to the U.S. military. 

In this newscast: Juneau Representative Andi Story says she will seek reelection for a fifth term in the Alaska Legislature this fall; An 82-year-old Juneau man has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing his brother; State lawmakers voted to increase state unemployment benefits for the first time since 2009 during the state Legislature’s race to the finish last week; Several proposed mines in British Columbia are located along transboundary rivers that wind through Southeast Alaska. Residents on the Alaska side of the border say there’s a lack of tribal consultation and some worry about pollution in salmon-bearing streams vital to the region’s fisheries; State lawmakers passed two bills on the last day of the legislative session aimed at fulfilling requirements of a federal health care expansion effort.

In this newscast: As lawmakers spar over a wide range of issues in the final days of the Alaska Legislature’s regular session, one idea is bringing them together. The state House of Representatives voted unanimously on Wednesday to make the giant green cabbage Alaska’s official state vegetable; A Canadian company proposing to reopen a gold mine in British Columbia plans to drive a large boat up Alaska’s Taku River – south of Juneau – to get to the site this summer. Some locals worry it could run aground; The Alaska Legislature’s regular session ends in just over a week, and lawmakers are racing to pass a wide range of bills and resolutions before the deadline. Alaska Public Media’s Eric Stone has been at the Capitol tracking what lawmakers are up to, and he spoke with Alaska News Nightly host Casey Grove; With a week left in the session, the Alaska House yesterday passed a bill focused on how students are counted.

In this newscast: The Juneau School Board will consider what to add back to its budget for this fiscal year during a regular meeting Tuesday night. The district has more unspent funds than what it’s allowed under state law to carry over into the next fiscal year that begins in July; Juneau residents will see higher electricity bills starting next month; More than 100 middle school students in Juneau are getting hands-on experience to learn about traditional Lingít carving by crafting their own canoe paddles in the classroom; The City and Borough of Juneau clerk’s office has certified two proposed citizen ballot propositions for the 2026 local election. That means the groups behind them are approved to start collecting signatures of support to put the questions on the ballot this fall; Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration yesterday for two Interior Alaska communities, after they were inundated with severe ice jam flooding. The declaration covers the areas near Chalkyitsik on the Black River and Hughes on the Koyukuk River

In this newscast: Young Juneau musicians got a chance to bring down the house over the weekend at a dual fundraiser for the Juneau Soccer Club and a music program that groups kids who want to play in rock bands,; Researchers have spent months studying the Tracy Arm tsunami landslide, and they conclude it was the second largest on record; The Alaska Legislature is asking the federal government for some flexibility when it comes to implementing a massive program intended to "transform" rural healthcare across the state; New survey results show Alaskans' confidence in the economy is at nearly the lowest point since the survey began 16 years ago; A bill that seeks to make it easier for Alaskans to repair consumer electronics cleared the state Senate today

In this newscast: Huna Totem Corporation officials say they are full steam ahead with the plan to open downtown Juneau’s fifth cruise ship dock by 2028. That’s despite unexpected timeline delays and price hikes that may scale down the project; In early April, two people allegedly severely beat a man in the Marine Parking Garage in downtown Juneau. He was medevaced out of town. Nearly a month later, Alfred Torres Sr. was pronounced brain dead and taken off of life support on Monday; KTOO’s Mike Lane recently sat down with Area Management Biologist Carl Koch with Fish and Game Wildlife Conservation to talk about how best to keep safe in bear country,; Juneau woman Tracy Day has been missing for more than seven years. And while her disappearance has become a rallying cry for the families of missing and murdered Indigenous people in Juneau, her daughter, Kaelyn Schneider, also wants people to know who she was before she went missing

In this newscast: The Juneau Police Department has arrested a man suspected of assaulting three people over the weekend in the Mendenhall Valley; Kaelyn Schneider has a lot of questions about the police investigation into her mother’s disappearance. Tracy Day, a Lingít woman from Juneau, went missing in 2019 and police say they have no suspects; A bill aimed at stabilizing school district budgeting process made its way out of the House Finance Committee Tuesday; A Juneau lawmaker’s bill to increase state funding for free legal aid to vulnerable Alaskans is headed to the governor

In this newscast: Tuesday was a day of remembrance, awareness and calls to action to address the crises of Alaska Native and other Indigenous people facing extreme rates of violence; City and federal contractors originally planned to build the flood wall along the Mendenhall River much higher this summer, after it just barely protected hundreds of homes from Juneau’s largest glacial outburst flood last August. But after the project cost ballooned, leaders decided to scale it back; Gov. Mike Dunleavy is pressing lawmakers to act quickly on his proposal to cut taxes for the Alaska LNG project; Lawmakers in the Alaska House unveiled their first draft of the state's capital budget on Monday. It adds about $100 million in spending to the roughly $250 million capital budget that passed the Senate last month

In this newscast: As the Juneau Assembly moves forward with ending the city’s involvement in Eaglecrest Ski Area’s controversial gondola project, they’re now trying to figure out what to do with the parts; Last year, missing woman Tracy Day’s family requested a death declaration hearing as a way to ask police officers questions about their investigation. But the judge said their questioning wasn’t allowed – even though it was allowed for the family of another Alaska Native woman who went missing elsewhere in the state; The Norton Sound community of Shaktoolik said their goodbyes to Kelly Hunt at a memorial service this weekend; The Alaska Legislature failed to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy's veto of a closely watched election reform bill yesterday

In this newscast: The Goldbelt Tram in downtown Juneau will remain closed for at least the next three weeks, after a tram car came to an abrupt halt at its bottom terminal last week; Public service is nothing out of the ordinary for Scott Ciambor, a longtime employee of the City and Borough of Juneau. He’s worn different hats within CBJ, from chief housing officer to planning manager to his newest role as director of the Community Development Department; A new exhibit by an Alaska nonprofit dedicated to archiving Filipino American history in Alaska features the stories, photos, and belongings of Filipino elders in Juneau; A confidential informant is suing the state public safety department, two Alaska State Troopers and the A&E Television Network

In this newscast: Two people were sent to Bartlett Regional Hospital for minor injuries after a Goldbelt Tram car came to an abrupt halt at its bottom terminal while making its way down Mount Roberts last night. That’s according to Capital City Fire and Rescue; The University of Alaska system will have a new president this summer. The Board of Regents appointed Fairbanks attorney Matt Cooper to the role this morning. He formerly served as general counsel for the university; It’s that time of year again when we’re all told to be “bear aware.” Bear encounters can happen when we’re hiking, camping or even just walking through town. KTOO’s Mike Lane recently sat down with Area Management Biologist Carl Koch with Fish and Game Wildlife Conservation to learn what attracts the bears and how we can limit encounters; Decisions about Alaskan schools are almost always made by administrators, school board members and lawmakers. But students also play a role. Twice a year, student leaders from across the state gather at the Alaska Association of Student Government conference to decide on goals to improve their schools. 

In this newscast: State House lawmakers rolled a new draft of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposal cutting taxes for the Alaska LNG project on Monday; A lot of people – from toddlers to teens to retirees – had a lot to say to the Juneau Assembly at a special meeting Wednesday. It was the first chance for residents to testify about a list of possible city service cuts and facility closures the Assembly is considering as the city grapples with a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall; The temporary flood wall along the Mendenhall River just barely protected hundreds of homes from Juneau’s largest glacial outburst flood last summer. Now, city and federal contractors are racing to repair the damage and bolster it for the flood expected this summer.

In this newscast: Community members can provide feedback on the City and Borough of Juneau's budget Wednesday during a special meeting; Juneau student Cassie Lumba advanced to the national finals of Poetry Out Loud after competing in the semifinals in Washington D.C; Two groups of Juneau residents filed proposed citizen propositions this week in hopes of putting questions on the 2026 local election ballot; The U.S. Forest Service has released a draft environmental impact statement for a timber sale on Prince of Wales Island; Mt. Edgecumbe High School is cutting staff for the second year in a row amid ongoing budget and enrollment issues.

In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly discussed a list of more than 40 city services and facilities that could face reductions or closures for the first time at a finance committee meeting Wednesday night; A week after a Ward Air plane crashed and sank into Favorite Channel near Juneau, officials are still piecing together what happened; The U.S. Forest Service is rethinking how it defines areas of the Tongass National Forest. One of its ideas is to designate recreation areas according to commercial use, which could guide where the Forest Service concentrates permits for tour operators; The state Senate Finance Committee released its first revision of the state’s operating budget Wednesday, including a $1,000 Permanent Fund dividend and a $150 energy relief check; Civil rights advocates are suing over Alaska’s decision last year to share confidential voter data, including home addresses, dates of birth and partial Social Security numbers, with the federal government.

In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly will discuss potential city service reductions at a finance committee meeting on Wednesday night; The kickoff of the 2026 cruise ship tourism season is just around the corner in Juneau. The first ship, the MS Eurodam, arrives Monday afternoon; A proposal to raise Alaska’s age of consent from 16 to 18 took a step forward on Friday as a key part of an omnibus package of crime legislation proposed by Anchorage Democratic Sen. Matt Claman; An Alaska inmate died last week under the care of the state department of corrections; A key Alaska Senate committee is out with a new take on the governor’s proposal to cut taxes for the Alaska LNG project — with a much smaller tax cut.

In this newscast: Leadership of the Juneau School District will undergo a major changeover this summer; Juneau's cold-weather warming shelter was supposed to close for the season last week, but, instead, the shelter will be open year-round, thanks to a decision by the Juneau Assembly earlier this month; April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Aware is planning a fashion show to celebrate survivors of sexual assault; The U.S. Coast Guard announced last week that the first of its two medium-weight icebreakers will be homeported in Alaska

In this newscast: A year-long investigation into Anchorage and Mat-Su massage parlors has led to seven arrests involving sex trafficking; As part of a crime bill passed by the Legislature two years ago, the Department of Corrections contracted with the Alaska Federation of Natives to conduct a study looking at ways to reduce the overrepresentation of Alaska Native People in the state’s prison population. The study was released recently; Normally Alaska has three people at the U.S. Capitol arguing for federal land and natural resources policies that boost the state’s economy. Last week, 150 Alaskans fanned out across the Capitol to make the case for their industries, ranging from drilling and mining to tourism and fishing; The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that it has opened an Office of Seafood within the department. This first of its kind office comes after years of advocacy from Alaska’s Congressional delegation and fishermen

In this newscast: Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau was evacuated Thursday after a fire broke out in a utility closet: Officials say a plane made a crash landing in Favorite Channel near Juneau Thursday morning: Tlingit and Haida’s Generations Southeast Juneau Campus is offering free community emergency response team training beginning April 25th.