Clarise Larson

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File
The sun beams down on a clock and nearby melting snow. A bill that calls for Alaska to choose to remain in Daylight Saving Time for the entirety of the year and say farewell to the switch to Standard Time has been reintroduced to the Alaska Legislature this session.

Alaska lawmakers push to make daylight saving permanent

A bill calls for Alaska to choose to remain in daylight saving time for the entirety of the year

 

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire
Climate activists hold a rally outside the Alaska State Capitol Friday afternoon in advocacy for legislative action to improve Alaska’s renewable energy development and future sustainability.

Climate activists hold rally near the Capitol

Statewide organizations advocate for legislative action

 

Students smile as they walk to their classes for the first day of fall semester at the University of Alaska Southeast. The University of Alaska is set to receive 360,000 acres of federal land within the next four years, set in motion by a clause included in the recently passed $1.7 trillion federal spending bill. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

University of Alaska set to receive 360,000 acres of federal land

The transfer was set in motion by a clause included in the recently passed $1.7 trillion federal spending bill

Students smile as they walk to their classes for the first day of fall semester at the University of Alaska Southeast. The University of Alaska is set to receive 360,000 acres of federal land within the next four years, set in motion by a clause included in the recently passed $1.7 trillion federal spending bill. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A school bus sits in the parking lot of the University of Southeast Alaska Tech Center downtown. In the fall of 2024, a new commercial driver’s license education training program is expected to be offered at the campus. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

UAS to establish Juneau-based CDL program amid driver shortage

New program could put driver shortage in the rear-view mirror.

A school bus sits in the parking lot of the University of Southeast Alaska Tech Center downtown. In the fall of 2024, a new commercial driver’s license education training program is expected to be offered at the campus. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
During a hearing at the Juneau Courthouse, 34-year-old Anthony Michael Migliaccio pleaded not guilty after he was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of a 55-year-old Juneau woman. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Man arrested in Juneau killing pleads not guilty

News follows a two-month investigation.

During a hearing at the Juneau Courthouse, 34-year-old Anthony Michael Migliaccio pleaded not guilty after he was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of a 55-year-old Juneau woman. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire
Two Dungeness crabs charge one another while standing on the deck of Charlie Blattner’s boat named “Marco” berthed at the Aurora Harbor on Monday afternoon. According to data from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, this summer’s Dungeness crab fishery dropped around $10 million in value compared to last year.

Dungeness crab summer harvest drops $10M from previous season

Some Southeast fishermen skipping fall season entirely, other’s say season has been “hit or miss”

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire
Two Dungeness crabs charge one another while standing on the deck of Charlie Blattner’s boat named “Marco” berthed at the Aurora Harbor on Monday afternoon. According to data from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, this summer’s Dungeness crab fishery dropped around $10 million in value compared to last year.
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire
An Alaska Coach Tours bus sits parked beside the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau. Alexandra Pierce, the CBJ tourism manager, said this year’s season went “relatively smoothly” and said the revival of tourism was overall well received by the residents and downtown businesses.

Final cruise ship of 2022 leaves Juneau

Capital city says farewell to its last ship of the season

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire
An Alaska Coach Tours bus sits parked beside the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau. Alexandra Pierce, the CBJ tourism manager, said this year’s season went “relatively smoothly” and said the revival of tourism was overall well received by the residents and downtown businesses.
More than 60 people joined in on a Zoom meeting Monday afternoon to participate in an Indigenous Language revitalization class and panel that addressed the future of Lingít, X̱aad Kíl, and Smʼalgya̱x. (Screenshot / Clarise Larson)

Celebrating learning on Indigenous Peoples Day

Community leaders talk future of Indigenous Southeast Alaska languages

More than 60 people joined in on a Zoom meeting Monday afternoon to participate in an Indigenous Language revitalization class and panel that addressed the future of Lingít, X̱aad Kíl, and Smʼalgya̱x. (Screenshot / Clarise Larson)
Clarise Larson/ Juneau Empire
City officials have deemed the city’s contribution to the cleanup efforts complete. Further cleanup efforts are the responsibility of property owners.

City of Juneau wraps up landslide cleanup

Remaining debris is in the hands of property owners, according to city officials.

Clarise Larson/ Juneau Empire
City officials have deemed the city’s contribution to the cleanup efforts complete. Further cleanup efforts are the responsibility of property owners.
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire
On Thursday morning at what police described as an active crime scene, JPD Officer Austin Thomas and Officer Taylor Davis walk the fielded area which was blocked off by crime scene tape. Multiple tents and a police vehicle sat in the field where the tape surrounded, another police vehicle sat in a dirt parking area.

No arrests made as Juneau death investigation continues

Shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday that a woman’s body was found

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire
On Thursday morning at what police described as an active crime scene, JPD Officer Austin Thomas and Officer Taylor Davis walk the fielded area which was blocked off by crime scene tape. Multiple tents and a police vehicle sat in the field where the tape surrounded, another police vehicle sat in a dirt parking area.
AP Photo / Evan Vucci
President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in Washington. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at right.

White House estimates over 60K Alaskans to benefit from student loan forgiveness plan

The state adds a small portion to the estimated 40M borrowers eligible for relief across the country

AP Photo / Evan Vucci
President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in Washington. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at right.
From left to right, puppies Mike, Bos'n and Skipper cuddle up in their doghouse at Denali National Park and Preserve. (Courtesy / National Park Service)

Even when it’s not National Dog Day, it’s puppies 24/7 with Denali’s sled dog cam

The national park celebrates its 100th year owning sled dogs with 3 new puppies

From left to right, puppies Mike, Bos'n and Skipper cuddle up in their doghouse at Denali National Park and Preserve. (Courtesy / National Park Service)
President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in Washington. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at right. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)

How will the student loan forgiveness plan impact Alaskans?

President Joe Biden recently announced his plan to do a long-awaited deed that has had many past and present university students across America holding their… Continue reading

President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in Washington. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at right. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
Steven Ireland-Haight sits in his retired packraft early on in his yearlong trip to paddle and walk from Juneau to Washington, D.C., to raise money and awareness about climate change. (Photo courtesy Owen Squires)

Crossing the country for climate change: A Juneau student is paddling and walking from Juneau to Washington, D.C., for climate change awareness and action

If you told Steven Ireland-Haight a year ago he’d be two months into a yearlong journey to cross the waters and land between Juneau and… Continue reading

Steven Ireland-Haight sits in his retired packraft early on in his yearlong trip to paddle and walk from Juneau to Washington, D.C., to raise money and awareness about climate change. (Photo courtesy Owen Squires)
Sockeye salmon return to Steep Creek to spawn. Alaska’s overall commercial salmon harvest across all species is currently up 15% from 2021 (2020 for pinks) with Bristol Bay and the Prince William Sound largely carrying the weight while other regions lag, according to data from the most recent Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute weekly salmon harvest update. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Statewide salmon harvest on the upswing compared to last year

Bristol Bay and Prince William Sound are mainly pulling the weight

Sockeye salmon return to Steep Creek to spawn. Alaska’s overall commercial salmon harvest across all species is currently up 15% from 2021 (2020 for pinks) with Bristol Bay and the Prince William Sound largely carrying the weight while other regions lag, according to data from the most recent Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute weekly salmon harvest update. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Aaron Surma, the executive director for National Alliance on Mental Illness Juneau and the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition, leads a safety plan workshop Tuesday night hosted by NAMI and the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition. The workshop was a collaborative brainstorming session with Juneau residents about how to create a safety plan that people can use to help someone who is experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Study shows a rise in anxiety and depression among children in Alaska

Increase may indicate growing openness to discussing mental health, according to experts

Aaron Surma, the executive director for National Alliance on Mental Illness Juneau and the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition, leads a safety plan workshop Tuesday night hosted by NAMI and the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition. The workshop was a collaborative brainstorming session with Juneau residents about how to create a safety plan that people can use to help someone who is experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
The project area is about 10.5 miles of the Seward Highway from Mileposts 36.6, near the turnoff onto the Sterling Highway, to Milepost 25.5,
The project area is about 10.5 miles of the Seward Highway from Mileposts 36.6, near the turnoff onto the Sterling Highway, to Milepost 25.5,
Employees use large knives to chop up bull kelp as it makes it was down the conveyor belt. (Clarise Larson // Juneau Empire)

Mariculture farming is on the rise

Kelp farming could help combat climate change

Employees use large knives to chop up bull kelp as it makes it was down the conveyor belt. (Clarise Larson // Juneau Empire)
Flathead Lake Biological Station researchers Erin Sexton (right) and Chris Sergeant watch spawning salmon in a groundwater channel of the mine-impacted Tulsequah River in British Columbia. (Courtesy Photo / Jonathan Moore, Simon Fraser University)

New paper sheds light on mining’s impact on salmon and transboundary watersheds

Decisions can have centuries of impact, according to researchers.

Flathead Lake Biological Station researchers Erin Sexton (right) and Chris Sergeant watch spawning salmon in a groundwater channel of the mine-impacted Tulsequah River in British Columbia. (Courtesy Photo / Jonathan Moore, Simon Fraser University)