Sharon Gaiptman couldn’t forget what a prison inmate told her two years ago.

It was at “Success Inside & Out” at Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau, a one-day annual event that helps inmates prepare for life outside of prison by having them talk to volunteers about job opportunities and education.

For the fourth of the prison population that is eligible for the event, it’s also a rare day of fun that features motivational speakers, musical acts and even a fashion show.

The man who literally rang the bell for statehood in 1958, and who later became a beloved fixture and icon in the Juneau community, died this week.

Romer Derr, born in 1936, was 75 years old. Family said he died unexpectedly on Thursday of a heart attack as he was making his way out of the garage to plow snow.

Originally from Green Lane, Penn., Derr first moved to Fairbanks in 1956 when he was 20 years old during the time of the Constitutional Convention.

Police say a Juneau man has been arrested for allegedly shooting another man in the face with a handgun.

The Juneau Police Department said in a release they arrested Kenneth Edward Nalan, 35, on Wednesday for second-degree assault, a class ‘B’ felony. The victim, John Nicholas Duran, 33, is in stable condition in a Seattle hospital, the release states.

The police investigation in the case is still ongoing, said Lt. Kris Sell, one of the investigating officers.

JUNEAU — Eight members of Juneau Mountain Rescue were roused from their sleep on a recent Saturday with a phone call, text message and email.

“Search and rescue mission for missing hiker, Come to Eagle Crest Lodge Douglas Island now” was all the information the vague dispatch provided.

It was one of the local search-and-rescue group’s monthly drills, but drills in the digital age look a little bit different.

“We’re trying to do more scenario-based training,” said Sarah Morin, a four-year JMR member and a lieutenant in the Coast Guard.