May 4, 2025 by Some immigrants living in Juneau left the United States recently after an email from the U.S Department of Homeland Security told them they had to leave But one family who received the email hasn’t left her husband and teenage daughter fled Venezuela in May 2023 and eventually resettled in Juneau with temporary parole status She spoke to KTOO on the condition of anonymity  because of her unstable immigration status along with thousands of other people across the country the family got an email from the Trump Administration saying it was time for them to leave the United States It said they would be subject to prosecution if they stay “Really they don’t feel safe at all,” said Gwenna Corvez She’s a local English language teacher who translated the woman’s answers to KTOO’s questions that there’s a process for all of this But they see on the news that the government now doesn’t respect the process and that they could be arrested and deported and that there’s no guarantee that they’ll get to stay,” she translated The woman said they can’t go back to Venezuela Her family was targeted by the government there because her husband was a member of a union at a metal plant that Venezuelan authorities deem a threat Her lawyer told her the email is unenforceable but they are in the process of applying for other forms of legal status The email was sent to thousands of people who legally entered the U.S. through a mobile app — CPB One. It wasn’t addressed to any specific name, or signed by anyone. Immigration experts say it’s a scare tactic The woman says she did everything right to legally come to the United States and that’s what makes getting this message so frustrating The family’s journey from Venezuela to Juneau took a year and they feared for their lives throughout They crossed the notoriously dangerous Darien Gap They heard stories of other migrants who were killed on the same journey they spent five months in Mexico City applying for an appointment to seek asylum in the U.S the woman has worked in housekeeping and her husband in construction She said through Corvez that the community has been welcoming and supportive “It was the best decision that they made,” Corvez translated “And they knew a group of people who volunteer at St Vincent de Paul and they treated them like family and took really good care of them and never let them be alone And she says it’s a very beautiful thing that’s happened here.”  And those volunteers even helped her teenage daughter adapt to high school in Juneau very scared because she didn’t speak any English but then a volunteer from St Vincent came and helped and now she speaks English relatively well and has really good grades,” Corvez  translated She teaches English to students who belong to immigrant families in Juneau She also taught the youngest members of another family that got the email – but they decided to leave “They were sitting at their desks just a few days ago and some of them had to leave,” Corvez said “And so you have empty desks where these wonderful students were.” And those empty desks leave other children from immigrant families in fear “Some of the children who are left behind here are other legal immigrants who now wonder if and when the same thing might happen to them “Young children are paying closer attention to the news than ever before and they kind of sense the new uncertainty in their lives.” Part of that uncertainty stems from the way immigration orders are coming from the administration This is part two of a two-part series about immigration impacts in Juneau. Read part one here.  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." Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week Copyright © 2025 KTOO Public Media Tlagóo! We\'re rolling out some improvements to the layout and design of KTOO.org. Read more Search Tip: Use quotes to find results containing your phrase Laa.éi Kathleen John leads the Yées Ḵu.oo dance group through the Haida entrance song at the Juneau Maritime Festival on Saturday This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2024 schedule.… Continue reading A museum’s interactive exhibition featuring the works of a range of local… Fourteen members of Carolou’s family moved to Juneau after fleeing unrest in Haiti “My country is not doing well right now,” she said Carolou has protected status in the United States but is using an old family nickname in this story because that protection ends in August Immigrants and refugees across the country are getting emails from the Trump administration that say they have to leave the United States or face prosecution “Do not attempt to remain in the United States,” the email Carolou’s family received reads Please depart the United States immediately.” She said her family was heartbroken when some of them got the email Carolou has a sister who already lives in Canada so seven members of the family went quickly to join her – including her sister and daughter so their immigration status is not as secure as other members of the family Many immigrants in Juneau have a couple of different forms of temporary legal status which make it easier for people fleeing violence and instability to get to the United States compared to the sometimes more than a decade-long process to gain refugee status Carolou has temporary residency and works as a paraeducator She has been in Juneau for more than a decade She and her family members have built lives here.  This same email has gone out to tens of thousands of people who legally entered the U.S this app was how immigrants were able to make appointments with U.S Customs and Border Patrol to seek asylum at legal points of entry instead of crossing the border illegally President Donald Trump has pledged to not only end some of these temporary statuses Margaret Stock is an immigration attorney in Anchorage and she doesn’t think it’s legally enforceable “The messages do not appear to actually have any legal force of law there’s no such thing as an email message ordering you to leave the country that’s legally effective,” she said “You have to have a deportation order from a judge.” Stock said it’s not even clear if the people who received the email are actually on immigration enforcement’s radar She said she thinks it was meant to scare people into leaving which aligns with the Trump administration’s goal to remove immigrants from the United States But she said forcing immigrants to leave Alaska is especially damaging to the state’s economy — like Carolou “We have huge shortages in the health care industry and teaching profession and assisted living facilities actually no sector of the economy right now I think that has enough workers in Alaska that I can think of.” Carolou’s son helped her apply for permanent residency but she said it was rejected because of a missed signature on one of the forms Carolou’s temporary status has usually been extended for immigrants from countries where instability remains a risk to its citizens’ health and safety But Trump has vowed to end that status for Haitians even though the dangers there haven’t gone away Organized crime runs Haiti, and according to Human Rights Watch, it’s only getting worse I will be murdered if I go there,” she said but doesn’t want to leave her job as a paraeducator – and the responsibility of care for her aging parents People in Juneau gather in the rain at the Alaska State Capitol for a global May Day protest on Thursday The State Office Building in downtown Juneau on Saturday A path leading from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in 1962 An Arctic “fogbow” is seen from the deck of the Coast Guard cutter Healy during the 2016 Hidden Ocean mission to the High Arctic area known as the Chukchi Borderland The Healy cruise was part of a project carried out over several years to map the extended continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean beyond the nation’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone That extended area includes the Chukchi Borderland (Photo provided by Caitlin Bailey/Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration) Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Kai Ciambor (14) puts a shot past West Anchorage senior Porter Youngman (19) and sophomore Nathan Conlon (12) during the Crimson Bears’ 7-1 loss to the Eagles on Saturday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park Sometime in April, a friend alerted me to some odd ball-shaped structures… Continue reading West Anchorage and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé players react to the Eagles’ game-winning goal by senior Hattie Luckasson (5) during the Crimson Bears’ 2-1 loss to the Eagles on Saturday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore June Troxel catches a pop-up during the Crimson Bears’ 10-5 loss to Ketchikan at Dudley Field on Friday Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Riley Fick throws a pitch during the Crimson Bears’ 10-0 victory over Ketchikan at Norman Walker Field on Friday The Alaska Senate Finance Committee meets on Friday Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior defender Reed Maier (19) marks an attack by West Anchorage senior Noah Robinson during the Crimson Bears’ 1-1 tie with the Eagles on Friday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park Some immigrants living in Juneau left the United States recently after an email from the U.S She spoke to KTOO on the condition of anonymity because of her unstable immigration status But they see on the news that the government now doesn’t respect the process and that they could be arrested and deported and that there’s no guarantee that they’ll get to stay,” she translated The email was sent to thousands of people who legally entered the U.S. through a mobile app — CPB One. It wasn’t addressed to any specific name, or signed by anyone. Immigration experts say it’s a scare tactic And she says it’s a very beautiful thing that’s happened here.” very scared because she didn’t speak any English but then a volunteer from St Vincent came and helped and now she speaks English relatively well and has really good grades,” Corvez translated The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday May 1, 2025 by Last month was unusually rainy across Southeast Alaska and was Juneau’s fourth wettest April on record The capital city saw 6.12 inches of rain across 26 days last month meaning residents experienced just four dry days Rainfall was more than 2.5 inches above average in Juneau Yakutat more than doubled its usual precipitation for the month making this its second rainiest April recorded the lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Juneau said it’s not typical for it to be so soggy this time of year “April tends to be one of our driest months of the year,” he said But areas of low pressure lingered over the Gulf of Alaska throughout the month “That tended to force moisture into the Panhandle from either the southwest or from the south which generally just brings more rain and more fronts,” Bezenek said With the mountains pressed against the sea It looks like there won’t be much sunshine to start May off Bezenek said to expect showers through much of next week he reminds us that April showers will bring May flowers “It’s always that way — and the sun is always there we just can’t see it because of the clouds,” Bezenek said The National Weather Service will issue an official April climate report for Southeast next week Websites can be scrubbed of climate change references and the U.S. halted from international and national climate assessments but rising temperatures leave their own evidence especially in the nation’s most northern state Temperatures have climbed for decades in Alaska, where it’s warming two- to three-times faster than the global average. The heat warms surrounding waters, shrinks glaciers and sea ice and creates more hazardous conditions for people National Weather Service offices in Juneau and Fairbanks will start issuing heat advisories for the first time this summer climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska special weather statements were used to communicate heat risks The new advisories starting June 1 will “more clearly identify the hazardous heat” and allow easily seen heat alerts on websites, according to the public notice from the weather service an advisory will be sent out if the temperature is forecast to reach 75 degrees advisories will kick in when the temperature is forecast for 80 degrees or higher Thoman joked with a colleague that 75 degrees would “get some chuckles in the lower 48.” Those who live in sunbaked southern states in the nation may scoff but in parts of Alaska that’s enough to make conditions dangerous The 30-year average overnight minimum temperature has climbed more than 4 degrees in Fairbanks since 1960 it works “whether it’s 40 below outside or 85,” he said it’s also during the longest days of the year “It’s not only that temperatures are going up, but in many areas we’re getting increasing wildfire smoke in the summer,” Thoman said “So the impact of the temperatures is changing.” Fairbanks residents have to ask themselves if they want to be cool “If you have to have your windows closed for three days you don't have air conditioning and your house is built to hold heat pretty soon your indoor air temperature is higher than it is outside." Even a small increase in temperature means more evaporation which leaves plants and shrubs drier than normal and more likely to burn In the more wildfire-prone parts of the state which dries things out sooner than it used to The start of Alaska's wildfire season has been moved forward from May 1 to April 1 and the frequency of “really big” fire seasons with 2 million to 3 million acres burning has doubled this century compared with the last half of the 20th century “We are getting more wildfire in places that used to hardly ever see wildfire The state is on the frontlines of climate change with dramatic changes “real and visible," according to The Nature Conservancy chapter in Alaska especially rural Alaskans and Indigenous Peoples have learned by experience “Alaskans are experiencing and adapting to a changing climate and its ramifications at breakneck speed.” Studies have linked the deaths of billions of snow crabs in the region to warming temperatures The shrinking sea ice also has been a concern of the U.S. military for decades Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate change and the environment for USA TODAY. She's been writing about wildfire since the Florida firestorm of 1998 Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal April 14, 2025 by The Norwegian Bliss and its more than 4,000 passengers arrived in Juneau this afternoon to kick off the 2025 cruise ship season.  City officials say tourism this year is uncertain but visitors and vendors started the season with  optimism The familiar sounds of tourists chatting on the seawalk shuttle buses in the street and chicken sizzling at Bernadette’s barbecue filled the air into downtown stores and to the Mendenhall Glacier Patricia Cespedes was headed to the Goldbelt Tram with her sister She’s from Peru but currently lives in Los Angeles “It was always my wish that I really wanted to come and see Alaska It always looks so beautiful,” Cespedes said was on her way to catch a bus to the Mendenhall Glacier She said she booked a trip early in the season on purpose “I took the cruise because I want to see glaciers and I want to see mountains with snow and anything they have to offer The blustery spring day might have felt like winter for some visitors coming from down south Tyrone Payne with Juneau Tours said sales were great and there hadn’t been any hiccups “We sold out of our whale watches immediately and all of our times for the shuttle have been sold out already,” he said City officials have warned of economic uncertainty this season. That’s amid the Trump Administration’s tariffs and recent federal firings that could impact the operation of the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center which is Juneau’s most popular tourist attraction staff greeted the tourists who trickled in It was Saaní Liana Wallace’s first day greeting the public as a cultural ambassador and she said she was excited to talk to the visitors The ambassadors were hired by the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska to share Indigenous language This year they may serve a larger role at the glacier after the Trump administration’s federal firings left the Forest Service’s presence at there in flux we’re going to do the best we can with what we got and I’m feeling very optimistic about it,” said Cultural Ambassador Supervisor Aankadax̱steen Jeremy Timothy Timothy said he was eager to see how the first day of cruises goes so the ambassadors can prepare for the rest of the season we’ve gone through quite a bit of hardships and things back and forth I’m hoping that things kind of turn out in a positive aspect for us,” he said There won’t be any staff at the glacier on Saturdays and Timothy said he doesn’t know what that means for visitors the people coming off the buses were enchanted by the glacier She was a little overcome by the view — and the cold weather — but she said not even her imagination prepared her for the glacier “The things that I’m seeing today—Sorry Juneau is expected to see around 1.65 million passengers come off ships between now and late October when the season ends April 30, 2025 by Wednesday marked Juneau International Airport Manager Patty Wahto’s final day on the job after a nearly three-decade-long career During her tenure as both deputy manager and manager Wahto helped the airport navigate major industry changes like travel and security reforms after the 9/11 attacks Managing a small airport meant she never knew what she might have to do each day to ensure planes got on and off the runway safely She recalled a particularly memorable day back in 2006 “It was snowing so hard that our airfield crew couldn’t keep up with the lights So we had some of our management crew — including myself — out there clearing the lights out on the runway,” she said you never know from day to day whether it’s going to be all hands on deck out on the airfield or assisting with everything here in the office.” She announced her plans to retire late last year The city is already searching for her permanent replacement Former Airport Manager Dave Palmer will serve as interim manager Palmer was also Juneau’s city manager at one point Wahto said she is optimistic for the future of the airport. City leadership and the airport’s board are currently updating its master plan.  But she said she is curious to see how the recent federal funding cuts and workforce reductions may impact Juneau’s airport directly. While federal revenue is only projected to make up about 2% of the airport’s overall budget this fiscal year millions in federal grants help pay for infrastructure and safety projects I think the telltale is going to be next year – next federal fiscal year – to see what happens,” she said Wahto said she is not aware of any significant changes to the airport’s federal grant funding or its workforce as she departs. But nationally, former Federal Aviation Administration employees and their union say hundreds of workers have been let go from their positions including roles related to aircraft safety The city closed the window to apply for Wahto’s position earlier this week The airport board will make the final decision Wahto said she’s not sure how she wants to enjoy her retirement yet Forest Service Juneau District Ranger Michael Downs and Barb Miranda acting supervisor for the Tongass National Forest answer questions at a Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday Should public media be spared the budget cutting axe of President Donald… Continue reading Dear Alaska legislators: Our need for an educated, rationally informed voting majority… Continue reading Retaining representative democracy requires due diligence and informed votes from all citizens… Continue reading On national news, Sen. Murkowski said that people should continue contacting their… Continue reading Juneau’s 5% sales tax on groceries is among the highest in the… Continue reading According to a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, with cuts… Continue reading Why have Juneau city leaders supported an extensive list of municipal sales… Continue reading Argentina was a 20th-century economic powerhouse, considered too modern and successful to… Continue reading Why have Juneau city leaders supported an extensive list of municipal sales… According to a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office Juneau’s 5% sales tax on groceries is among the highest in the… Retaining representative democracy requires due diligence and informed votes from all citizens… Should public media be spared the budget cutting axe of President Donald… Murkowski said that people should continue contacting their… Dear Alaska legislators: Our need for an educated rationally informed voting majority… Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighter Jenna Habig transports a hospital gurney in an undated photo Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore forward Clairee Overson (18) moves a ball past West Anchorage freshman Kiana Isenberg (28) during the Crimson Bears 0-0 tie with the Eagles on Friday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park Overson earned the Crimson Bears’ Hard Hat Award in the game Pati Jinich explores the sister cities of Alaska’s capital and the capital of Canada’s Yukon Territory Pati greets Juneau over the airwaves where she’s invited to take over a radio show and interview members of the city’s thriving Filipino community who are documenting their history they take her to try traditional foods at a Filipino community center who is bringing Indigenous art to the modern world who found his identity through Arctic Sports and dreams of getting them into the Olympics She shares a meal and an emotional conversation about Native adoptions with activist Jennifer Quinto who completed a legendary dogsledding feat nearly 100 years ago Pati gets her bearings at the local market with food writer Miche Genest before foraging in the Mt Then she connects with artist and fellow Mexico City native Anick Fernandez who finds inspiration in family roots and a connection to nature Pati meets a former police officer who found an alternative way to promote safety in indigenous communities and she ends in the hottest place in Whitehorse: the studio of glassblower Luann Baker-Johnson she finds a pioneering culture of artistry and entrepreneurship and small tight-knit communities producing big characters who forge unique lives adjacent to the unforgiving wilderness A community service of Arizona State University and an affiliate of ASU Media Enterprise, Arizona PBS is one of the nation’s leading public media organizations reaching viewers across five broadcast channels and an array of digital platforms Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents April 7, 2025 by The Juneau Assembly voted Monday night to approve a tidelands lease for a fifth cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau It paves the way for the construction to move forward after a years-long process we will still have five ships in town,” said Deputy Mayor Greg Smith ‘what is the future of tourism?’ That is still undecided and unknown This is ‘should we allow a fifth dock and the benefits that it brings?’ And in my opinion The dock will be constructed in Gastineau Channel, accompanied by a waterfront development called Áak’w Landing. The development — which was approved by the Juneau planning commission in 2023 — will include underground parking retail space and a culture and science center located along Egan Drive next to Juneau’s U.S The tidelands lease is set to last for 35 years The Assembly’s vote Monday night came after multiple rounds of public testimony both in favor and against the development Huna Totem and supporters of the new dock say it would help disperse tourism downtown and ease vehicle congestion who leads the local International Longshore and Warehouse Union “I spend about 2,000 hours a summer downtown I’m the dock foreman for all four docks and we service all the ships that are over 1,000 feet,” he testified “I can assure you that the downtown congestion will definitely be dissipated with the new dock.” said she worries about the dock’s proximity to where she lives and the health impacts the ships could have on air quality She asked the Assembly to postpone the vote “Adding yet another ship pumping more poison into the air right under our windows is not welcome,” she said In the conditional use permit for the dock approved by the planning commission Huna Totem is required to provide electrified shore power within two years after a power line to connect it is built within 25 feet of its property line all large ships using the dock must use shore power instead of ship power Other conditions include only allowing ships with 4,500 passengers or fewer and agreeing that the development will not obstruct the downtown seawalk who was the only member to vote against the lease said she doesn’t think it’s in the best interest of the residents who will feel the impacts the most Have we truly done the planning to make this decision?’ And I do not think we have,” she said was not immediately available for comment on the project’s approval or to share more information about the development’s next steps April 29, 2025 by More than 100 parents, children, lawmakers and advocates carried signs and babies outside the Alaska State Capitol on Tuesday They were asking the Legislature to prioritize child care funding The rally comes after the Alaska Senate cut more than $13.8 million in child care funding from the budget Hannah Weed is raising two children and runs Tumbleweeds She said the only way she could afford taking care of her younger child was to start a business providing child care to others at the same time “I can’t actually afford to stay home with him but I don’t have anywhere to send him,” Weed said Child care is part of a long list of cuts as the Senate works on drafting their version of a budget that balances a nearly $2 billion deficit Advocates also pushed for supporting several bills to bolster several early childhood education and development programs Blue Shibler is the executive director for the Southeast Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children She’s advocated for child care support for years She said it’s legislators’ job to look for ways to make money to fund child care “We shouldn’t have to beg and plead for these things They’re just basic things that every family needs to thrive in a state.” At a Senate Majority press conference after the rally Cathy Giessel said she agrees with rally-goers on the importance of child care “The problem is we don’t have any money And child care funding is one of them,” she said Giessel added that advocates shouldn’t give up as the Senate finds other ways to drum up revenue for the state “We’re not at a fiscal cliff anymore We’re actually falling over the cliff,” she said “And so what we’re trying to do is be creative to find new ways and yet not place burdensome taxes on Alaskans that are struggling and businesses that are struggling.” The Legislature is required to pass a balanced budget by the end of the session or face a state government shutdown The last day of session this year is May 21 May 2, 2025 by Juneau Afternoon features the Alaska State Museum opening of “In a Time of Change: Boreal Forest Stories,” Juneau Jazz & Classics, SEAGLA May events, and Rotary District Conference keynote speakers who flew around the world in a Cessna 210 to help eradicate polio Livestream timestamps:00:50 Show begins/Intro03:13 Rotary members fly around the world to raise funds for polio eradication22:45 Alaska State Museum opens “In a Time of Change: Boreal Forest Stories”36:22 SEAGLA slate of May events including 1st Annual Bloom Fest49:33 Juneau Jazz & Classics begins with Mark & Maggie O’Connor Bostin Christopher hosts the conversation. Juneau Afternoon airs at 3:00 p.m. on KTOO and KAUK with a rebroadcast at 7:00 p.m. Listen online or subscribe to the podcast at ktoo.org/juneauafternoon Juneau Afternoon is a production of the KTOO Arts and Culture Team. Bostin Christopher produced today’s show with help from Erin Tripp Juneau Afternoon features Taylor Dallas Vidic on the making of her first album and events from the Juneau Chamber of Commerce and Juneau Arts & Humanities Council On this episode of Juneau Afternoon: Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Theater presents the musical "Anastasia;" Juneau Public Libraries summer reading begins this May; Walk Southeast and more events from CBJ Parks and Recreation has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of producing child pornography April 11, 2025 by The first cruise ship of the 2025 tourism season is set to sail into Gastineau Channel and arrive in downtown Juneau Monday afternoon The season kicks off as the Trump Administration’s tariffs shake the global economy and federal firings leave dozens of residents in Juneau without jobs Juneau’s Tourism Director Alix Pierce said that puts the city’s tourism industry in a state of uncertainty “We have an economy that’s in a different place than it was last year lost jobs that they thought were long-term career-type jobs in our community,” she said “I think it’s a bit of a wait and see in terms of how it impacts the number of visitors that we have.” For the past two seasons the capital city has seen more cruise passengers visit than ever before — about 1.7 million passengers visited last year The Mendenhall Glacier is Juneau’s most popular tourist attraction, drawing more than 1 million people last year. There’s been staffing uncertainty at the glacier’s visitor center since widespread federal firings in February left it with just one Forest Service employee.  As Monday approaches, the U.S. Forest Service released a plan to use existing employees from its Juneau offices to fill vacant positions They’ll be working alongside employees from partner organizations that have had a presence at the glacier previously Pierce said having the visitor center up and operating is critical to the industry and local residents “Obviously a lot of small businesses rely on the glacier as their income source We have nonprofits that operate out there and receive a lot of their funding through the visitors out there,” she said “We’re concerned about it as a public entity that has a major economic impact on our community.” Once the season begins, about one to three ships will come to Juneau per week before ramping up to three to five ships per day by mid-May Ships will continue to arrive almost every day until their numbers dwindle in October Power remained on in downtown Juneau on Sunday night while two damaged poles left much of the rest of the town in the dark Brian Lauth bags groceries at Super Bear Supermarket IGA in February of 2020 (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file photo) Senate Minority Leader Mike Shower (R-Wasilla) explains why he is changing his vote on a compromise education bill during Wednesday’s floor session at the Alaska State Capitol The Juneau Arts and Culture Center on Tuesday Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon and Deputy Mayor Greg Smith discuss the city’s proposed budget for next year during a pair of meetings by Assembly members Wednesday night at City Hall A decades-old proposal to build a controversial road between Juneau and the communities of Haines and Skagway was put to rest in 2016 But that just changed. The state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities unveiled plans last week to launch a new study to examine the feasibility of building a road – and other infrastructure – that it says could create more cost effective and reliable transportation for the region It plans to pay a firm at least $1 million for the study According to agency spokesperson Sam Dapcevich the road could help Haines residents get to Juneau and back in one day reducing the need for mainliner ferries in the region “If you knock 14 hours or more out of the mainliner schedule on Lynn Canal you can do a lot better for some of the other communities in southeast while even improving the service to Haines and Skagway,” Dapcevich said Whether such a road would achieve those goals has been debated for decades the state is looking at the west side of Lynn Canal Supporters say the terrain on that side is less avalanche-prone than on the east side They also say it would open more of Haines to recreation and provide a more reliable way to get to Juneau which is only accessible by boat or airplane you could almost set your clocks by it,” said long-time Haines resident Jerry Lapp a former mayor and assembly member who supports the road you don’t know if you’re going to get to Juneau and back.” said the new study will focus on a west-side road that would need a ferry across Lynn Canal near Juneau and bridge across the Chilkat River near Haines Another possibility would be to extend the road further where it could connect with Chilkat Lake Road near Mosquito Lake That route would require a bridge across the Tsirku River the executive director of Southeast Alaska Conservation Council “I'm very skeptical that they're going to learn anything new other than the price has gone up significantly in the last decade and the potential environmental impacts have not gone down,” Rabb said Others say the money put toward the study and potentially the road would be better spent on fixing the ferry system itself “The road that’s made out of water works year-round nothing to plow,” said Haines Mayor Tom Morphet “If you just stop and think about it for about 10 minutes The state will accept bids through March 25 from consulting firms interested in conducting the study Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story did not include a second route the road could take.  Twin rainbows are seen from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Wednesday 04/30/2025: During the first three weeks of April technical consultants from USACE inspected and approved the work performed thus far for compliance with USACE and manufacturer standards The project reached approximately 70% completion as of April 28 04/09/2025: CBJ contractors have installed over 2500 linear feet of HESCO barriers along the project route Bank armoring and the installation of new one-way storm drain check valves continues 03/24/2025: CBJ contractors began installing the first HESCO barriers along the project route (see left photo) 03/21/2025: CBJ encourages riverfront property owners in the HESCO barrier project area to research their property’s drainage system to identify the inlet and outlet to all drainpipes. CBJ released an FAQ document with guidance on this topic Alaska is under imminent threat of unusual flooding from what scientific experts expect will be recurring and likely record-breaking glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF) events The impact and inundation area of these events have increased each of the last three years; a pattern that puts hundreds of homes and thousands of vulnerable residents and community and medical services at risk State and local partners to gather the additional information and resources needed to identify and implement a long-term solution a long-term solution will take years before it can be implemented due to the unusual source and nature of the flooding and the complex hydraulics and engineering required emergency mitigation and immediate flood resilience action is needed to protect the most vulnerable in our community before the 2025 GLOF season With extensive consultation and involvement from United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) flood fighting experts CBJ plans to install USACE provided HESCO barriers as a near-term solution to mitigate potential widespread damage from future releases Based upon factors such as the high-water marks obtained after the 2024 GLOF and the resources available to implement a solution before July 2025 a 2 mile stretch of riverbank was identified which would provide the most protection to the highest number of flood-vulnerable residents and homeowners This is considered Phase 1 of CBJ’s formal flood mitigation efforts This interim solution is intended to protect against GLOFs that are up to 20 ft high CBJ will integrate the work of a comprehensive hydrological and hydraulic analysis to implement Phase 1 in a manner to avoid downstream impacts HESCO Barrier Phase 1 includes additional bank armoring site preparation (obstruction relocation/removal Additional project and associated information can be found in the Relevant Resources tab We greatly appreciate the continued cooperation and communication with riverfront homeowners and the wider community 03/24/2025: CBJ contractors began installing the first HESCO barriers the project route 03/19/2025: Contractors began site and access preparation for the HESCO barriers Please watch for construction equipment and personnel Four contractors have been selected to perform construction and installation work for Phase 1: Admiralty Construction and stay alert while in and around the work areas to ensure the safety of yourself and others We appreciate your understanding and patience 02/03/2025: The proposed LID passed by at the February 3, 2025 Assembly meeting. View the public hearing meeting materials and objections submitted here 12/16/2024: The CBJ Assembly amended and approved for distribution a proposed Local Improvement District (LID) which would distribute the anticipated $7.8 million project cost across the 466 property owners in the project area that would be impacted by a 16-foot flood event (40% of cost) 11/14/2024: CBJ and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hosted public events on November 12 and 14 to share knowledge and answer questions about flood preparations for homeowners. An electronic copy of the presentation is available HERE and a recording of the presentation and Q&A is available at https://youtu.be/Ohy0oD4uAU0  At the March 3. 2025 Assembly meeting the Assembly and the public were provided with a copy of the Notice to Property Owners and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) being sent to riverfront property owners who will have HESCO barriers installed on their property CBJ distributed copies of the Notice to Property Owners and the Memorandum of Understanding to all affected property owners Project managers in the field will have copies of the MOU and will work with property owners to document their unique circumstances and conditions Links to all of the public meetings and associated meeting packets and recordings can be found under the “Public Meetings” section of the CBJ Flood Response webpage City and Borough Of Juneau155 Heritage Way February 28, 2025 by More federal workers were fired in Alaska Thursday this time at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Agency staff could not confirm how many people were fired from NOAA offices in the Juneau area says he was one of at least four people who cleared out their desks at NOAA’s Alaska Regional Office in the Federal Building downtown Lambert says he saw it coming – he was a ‘probationary employee’ who was with the agency for six months But that didn’t buoy the “sinking feeling” when he received the email at 11:35 a.m Thursday officially firing him because his “ability knowledge and/or skills do not fit the agency’s current needs,” according to the email as I received multiple positive performance reviews from two different managers,” Lambert said adding that he even received an award recognizing his work there His job was to estimate how many salmon are in Southcentral’s Cook Inlet and how many need to return and reproduce each year to support a sustainable fishery “It’s really important for making sure you harvest enough of the fish but also allow for conservation to have a future fishery essentially,” Lambert said It’s the only federally managed coastal salmon fishery in Alaska and funnels millions of dollars into the state each year Lambert said NOAA’s sustainable fisheries department at the regional office in Juneau was already a lean operation “There’s a good chance that next year the stock assessment won’t be conducted they’ll be pulled off a different project,” he said “Work is already spread amongst pretty sparse staff there.”   Staff at NOAA’s National Weather Service office in Juneau put out free forecasts and are developing community warning systems for landslides and glacial outburst floods in Southeast Alaska Agency staff could not confirm Friday whether NWS staff were included in the cuts The Southeast Alaska Landslide Information and Preparedness Partnership sent an email to its subscribers in support of the agency: “Here in Southeast Alaska we depend on weather forecasts for our livelihoods and our life blood,” it read subsistence food gatherers and people who enjoy the natural world make decisions based on NWS forecasts And we are saddened this administration cut forecasters in our regional office.”  Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency known as DOGE and headed by billionaire Elon Musk says public servants were let go to slash government spending The directive is receiving significant public pushback Wages and benefits for public servants make up just 4% of the federal budget Layoffs are expected to strike more agencies soon A road north of Juneau would have to negotiate the steep terrain of the east side of Lynn Canal (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file pohoto) April 28, 2025 by black bears are emerging from hibernation and roaming around Juneau in search of food pet food and bird feeders if given the chance a regional management coordinator at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said residents should avoid leaving stinky or edible things out “Trash is the biggest attractant that causes folks to have problems with bears,” Churchwell said bears should be eating grass and sedge in open areas and skunk cabbage that’s erupting from forest marshes as salmon return upstream and berries grow plump bears will frequent streams and shrublands Churchwell said hikers and others recreating outside should carry bear spray and keep dogs leashed Another way to stay safe on trails is to call out “hey bear” every few minutes so they know to steer clear Tourists visiting Juneau should be aware that it’s normal to see bears sauntering downtown “I know everyone wants to get their photo opportunity with a bear but it’s better just to stand back and let the bear do what it’s going to do,” Churchwell said he said the most important thing to do is stand your ground and don’t run February 27, 2025 by On Valentine’s Day Maria Diaz was delivering flowers — her winter job — when she got a call from the District Ranger’s office She was told she was “laid off” from her seasonal job with the U.S “And then I had to go continue delivering flowers and it looked like I just got broken up with on Valentine’s Day,” she said “But it was just the Forest Service breaking up with me instead.” Diaz worked at the glacier for two seasons — one as an intern and one as a ranger to stay in Juneau for years and continue moving my way up And they didn’t give us a choice to do that.” The roughly one million visitors coming to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau this summer will have less staff monitoring their experience – including their safety Forest Service fired nearly all the visitor center staff only two public-facing staff are left ahead of this tourist season Officials with the Trump administration say the workers were laid off to increase government efficiency and reduce spending But a Forest Service official confirmed that the recreation area’s revenue in visitor fees and permits exceeds its operating costs by more than a million dollars – in other words the park earns enough to pay employees and more Diaz is one of more than a dozen employees recently terminated from the visitor center leaving only two public-facing staff and a few maintenance staff She and other fired staff expect the people left behind will have to do multiple jobs to keep things running They’re worried about what this will mean for the future of the glacier — and the people who love to go there Diaz said boots-on-the-ground roles like hers are essential Rangers enforce safety on the trails near the glacier That’s critical at the Mendenhall Glacier where visitors from across the country may see bears for the first time Visitors often don’t know how to react when they encounter a bear — sometimes crowding it instead of moving away “And there’s been plenty of times throughout the past two years that I have seen people really put themselves in dangerous situations,” she said “And the only reason why something bad didn’t happen was because there was somebody there When asked about the firings, the tribe responded with a statement that said it remains committed to co-stewardship with the Forest Service. It said they are actively recruiting cultural ambassador positions for the summer season. Mason Hearn worked at the glacier as a ranger, too. He was also fired. He said he thinks that even if the Forest Service can keep the visitor center open with volunteers and reallocated staff, the visitors will feel the effects of the cut jobs.  “They’re going to have to make a sacrifice somewhere, and I think it’s going to mainly be the user experience,” he said. Hearn said he hopes the Forest Service can continue to provide safety precautions, even if there won’t be Forest Service staff out speaking with tourists about the landscape, local flora and fauna.  Hillary Hunter said rangers frequently use their first responder training to treat patients on the trail while they wait for an emergency medical team, which could take as long as an hour. Hunter is another Forest Service ranger at the visitor center who’s been terminated.  “There have been heart attacks at the visitor center before, and we have people go into diabetic shock,” she said. Like the others, Hunter’s termination letter cited poor performance as the reason for being fired. But, she said, there was no performance review to inform that. “And the person who the email is signed from is someone in Washington who has not met us,” she said.  Hunter grew up in Petersburg. Her dad worked on trails there, and she learned about the natural world around her and how to safely enjoy it from an early age.  “I didn’t realize what a privilege that was as a child until I got older, and then that made it more important to me to increase access to others,” she said.  Isabel Dziak has been working at the Mendenhall Glacier since her summer internship in 2019. She was fired, too, but she’s going to do whatever she can to get her job back.  “I am not going anywhere,” she said. “I’m not gonna be quiet.” Dziak plans to appeal her firing, arguing that the basis — her alleged poor performance — isn’t valid.  She said she’s known since she started that this job isn’t about the money.  “When I was an intern, I was talking to a wiser, older ranger, and they said, ‘If you’re in this field, you get paid in sunsets,’” Dziak said. “You’re here because you love your national forests, you love your national parks, and to serve your community and your nation.” Forest Service officials have not released a plan to staff the visitor center.  February 19, 2025 by As a wilderness ranger for the Tongass National Forest he patrolled Tracy Arm Fjord by kayak in the summer season monitoring environmental data and providing information to mariners and visitors aboard cruise ships Forest Service staff in Juneau were called into a meeting “The bomb was dropped that nine people were getting fired that day in Juneau an indefinite amount of waves,” Brodsky said that basically every single probationary employee in the Forest Service was going to be fired for the exact same reason The letter from the Forest Service director of human resources in Washington that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest.” and knowing for a month that I’m probably going to lose my job it didn’t really dampen how that read and what a slap in the face that was to actually see it in writing from some person I’ve never met and who has no idea Most federal employees must complete a one-year probationary period after they’re hired But Brodsky was hired under a Forest Service program aimed at recruiting people already in Alaska that included a two-year probationary period He says some of his coworkers had just a few weeks left in theirs Many of them are now struggling with whether to stay in Juneau “I don’t want to leave this community,” he said “I know people that probably will have to – a lot of young people who saw themselves living here and starting a life here or they did start a life here … not just for Juneau Shortly after President Donald Trump took office last month more than two million federal employees received an email from the Office of Personnel Management offering full pay and benefits through September in return for their resignation Brodsky and many of his coworkers didn’t actually have access to the email when it was first sent out – they’re seasonal and didn’t return to pay status until this month some federal employees have reported being fired even after accepting the offer though the Trump Administration said Sunday that was a mistake Requests for information about the total number of firings within the Tongass region were directed to the Forest Service’s Washington But a local union representative said 124 Forest Service employees across the state had been terminated as of Tuesday According to a report from the Juneau Economic Development Council Juneau had roughly 700 federal civilian employees as of 2023 more than 1,300 people were federally employed Across the state, about 15,000 people work for the federal government The layoffs weren’t limited to the Forest Service – the National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration were also affected National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees in Juneau have been told to expect layoffs too The anxiety Brodsky talked about doesn’t just affect workers on probation Several federal employees shared their concerns with KTOO anonymously because they were afraid of losing their jobs One NOAA employee said the atmosphere at work is grim He said the federal government’s actions show that probationary workers are being targeted regardless of their performance “I didn’t really think that the administration would break the law in that way the fear of that went from a scare tactic to more of a reality,” he said He said the unilateral decisions make federal workers like him feel powerless “I’m really sad for people who have lost their jobs and I’m really sad for America … I don’t think this is what Americans wanted when they chose Trump as president and don’t think anyone who’s making these decisions actually knows the impact Another federal employee in natural resources management said the threat of a layoff meant she had cut back on spending “I’ve spent close to 30 years serving my country and protecting the environment and thinking I was responsible and had a good plan and now I don’t know if I can rely on that anymore And I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said She called the emails from the federal government “emotional terrorism” and said she didn’t think it will end with federal employees I don’t know who it’ll be next,” she said “Who would have ever thought that federal employees would be targeted as the enemy?” Lisa Murkowski criticized the terminations which her office estimated could be anywhere from dozens to more than a hundred “Many of these terminations will do more harm than good stunting opportunities in Alaska and leaving holes in our communities,” the statement reads She wrote that she shared the administration’s goal of downsizing the government “Indiscriminate workforce cuts aren’t efficient and won’t fix the federal budget but they will hurt good people who have answered the call to public service to do important work for our nation.” More than 500 people rallied against the layoffs and other Trump administration actions outside the Capitol in Juneau on Monday as part of nationwide protests Among them were recently terminated federal workers and federal workers who feared for their jobs who didn’t give her name because she is afraid of retaliation said workers received an email over the weekend that said it is likely that all probationary employees in her office will be let go “Alaska has a lot of subsistence people that need to understand how their weather and their climate and their environment’s changing they’re not going to have those services,” she said But the loss of federal workers in Juneau ripples out into the private sector Especially for the approaching tourism season “I’ve heard a lot of the staff at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center have lost their jobs or won’t be there There’s going to be about 900,000 people coming to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center area this summer managing the buses and the taxis and the people.” he said it was great to see so many people outraged even as a torrent of changes come from the Trump administration but we’re going to keep fighting,” he said says he has no plans to leave Juneau at the moment and he hopes he’ll find something he loves as much as the last one Are you a federal worker in Juneau? Share your perspective with KTOO.  The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Feb (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo) March 31, 2025 by the sexual assault case against a former Juneau chiropractor is slated to go to trial April 21 Jeffrey Fultz is accused of assaulting more than a dozen women under the guise of medical care. Police arrested Fultz in 2021 based on initial accusations that he had assaulted three patients while he was a chiropractor for Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and he now faces 18 felony sexual assault charges and one misdemeanor harassment charge Some of the alleged crimes date back more than a decade According to Assistant District Attorney Jessalyn Gillum several factors have delayed the trial over the years the number of witnesses and a backlog of criminal cases in Juneau leftover from the  pandemic In the time the case has been awaiting trial the first judge assigned to the case retired the investigating Juneau police officer died and Fultz’s first attorney was deemed “mentally unable” to continue with the case The Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica reported early this year that felony cases in Alaska often face years of delays requested by defense attorneys and approved by judges Fultz’s case was finally scheduled to begin trial in February but was delayed yet again as the court continues to process and release outstanding records Due to new limitations established by the Alaska Supreme Court, cases filed before 2023 will have a limit of 270 days before they must go to trial starting in May.  The order says the defense and prosecution are each allotted 90 days of delay requests, and a further 90 days is included for “other periods of delay for good cause.” If Fultz’s case is delayed further, it would be subject to that ruling.  Fultz has been living in Colorado since he posted bail three years ago. He has made one in-person appearance in Juneau court since. In early 2021, the Indian Health Services established a hotline for callers to report suspected sexual abuse by calling 1-855-SAFE-IHS (855-723-3447) or submitting a complaint online on the IHS.gov website. The hotline may be used to report any type of suspected child abuse within the IHS, or any type of sexual abuse regardless of the age of the victim. The person reporting by phone or online may remain anonymous. Locally, people can call AWARE in Juneau at (907) 586-1090. Tlagóo! We\'re rolling out some improvements to the layout and design of KTOO.org. Read more.