Kake
Kake, AK · Business
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Lawsuit Challenges the Approval of an Exploratory Drilling Program in Alaska Petroleum Reserve
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A new lawsuit seeks to overturn the recent approval of an exploratory drilling program in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. It alleges that the program was improperly analyzed by the federal government and could harm caribou and important habitat areas. The lawsuit was filed Thursday by two conservation groups and Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic against the Department of the Interior and other defendants. It challenges a program proposed by ConocoPhillips Alaska that includes plans to drill four exploration wells. An Interior Department spokesperson says the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
Alaska Updates
Juneau Residents to See Sales Tax Exemption on Residential Water and Wastewater Bills Starting December 2025
Starting in December 2025, the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) will stop collecting sales tax from residential, non-commercial water and wastewater utility customers. This change comes after voters approved Proposition 2 in the October 2025 municipal election.
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Juneau’s sole electricity provider appeals state approval for second one
Juneau’s sole electricity provider, Alaska Electric Light & Power, is appealing the Regulatory Commission of Alaska’s decision to approve Juneau Hydropower as a new public utility. Last week, the Superior Court of Alaska consolidated two separate cases involving disputes between the hydroelectric companies. The appeal follows more than...
Alaska Updates
New Sales Tax Exemptions on Groceries and Home Utilities Coming for Juneau Residents This November
The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) will introduce new sales tax exemptions for essential food and non-commercial utilities. This follows the approval of Proposition 2 in the October 2025 municipal election. The exemptions will start on November 20, 2025. The goal is to remove sales tax from certain household items and services.
ktoo.org
Juneau is facing a housing shortage. These high school students are helping combat it.
Juneau high school students are getting real-world building experience while creating much-needed affordable homes in the community. That’s thanks to a house build program that’s a partnership between the Juneau Housing Trust and Juneau School District. On Wednesday, Raegan Adams fed pink fluffy insulation into a machine in...
ktoo.org
Juneau Hydropower plans to start building Sweetheart Lake hydroelectric facility next year
The City and Borough of Juneau’s planning commission approved Juneau Hydropower’s permit to build its Sweetheart Lake hydroelectric project at a meeting on Tuesday night. Duff Mitchell is the managing director of Juneau Hydropower. He said in an interview that this is one of the last permits the new utility needed before breaking ground.
ktoo.org
A developer’s plan to build dozens of new downtown apartments failed. He blames the city.
A project meant to bring more than 70 units of new workforce housing to downtown Juneau is dead before it could even break ground. The developer blames the city for stopping it. The city says the project was a risk to public safety. In late 2023, the city’s planning commission...
juneau.org
October 28 Planning Commission Agenda to Discuss Juneau Hydropower Permit
October 28 Planning Commission Agenda to Discuss Juneau Hydropower Permit. The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Planning Commission will be considering a Conditional Use Permit hearing for Juneau Hydropower, Inc. (JHI) at its upcoming meeting on October 28 at 6 p.m. The full agenda and meeting materials are available at juneauak.portal.civicclerk.com.
nwbooklovers.org
USA Today profiles Hearthside Books of Juneau, AK
Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center diverse and new authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way and actively support the right to read and access to books in their communities.
ktoo.org
Unknown issue causes areawide power outage for Juneau
A power outage hit all of Juneau on Tuesday just after 11 a.m. Alaska Electric Light & Power switched on diesel back-up generation about an hour later and restored regular hydropower by 2 p.m. Debbie Driscoll is the vice president of AEL&P. She said the outage occurred on a transmission...
ktoo.org
Juneau residents voice opposition to proposed New Polaris gold mine in British Columbia
Canagold representatives faced resistance from residents about their proposed New Polaris underground gold mine at an open house in Juneau last month. The mine site is a remote area where the Tulsequah River joins the Taku River in British Columbia, around 40 miles northeast of Juneau. As the mine goes through its environmental assessment across the border, some Alaskans feel they don’t have a meaningful say in the process.
ktoo.org
Preliminary results show Juneau voters in favor of affordability measures, against seasonal tax
Preliminary results are in for Juneau’s 2025 municipal election. They show that most residents don’t want to implement a new seasonal sales tax system in Juneau next year, but are in favor of the two measures that aim to reduce the tax burden on individual residents. According to...
ktoo.org
Juneau voters weigh costs and benefits of removing tax on local food and utilities
Juneau voters will decide in this fall’s municipal election whether to exempt essential food and residential utilities from local sales tax. Economists say that taxes on food hit low-income people the hardest. Whether you head to Costco, Foodland or Fred Meyer or any other grocery store in Juneau, you...
ktoo.org
Staff at 3 Alaska newspapers quit after owners give in to pressure from Republican lawmaker
Most of the staff running three Alaska newspapers in Homer, Kenai-Soldotna and Juneau resigned in protest Monday. The decision came after the corporate owner of the Homer News, Kenai Peninsula Clarion and Juneau Empire forced revisions to a story after pressure from a Republican state lawmaker. The four journalists —...
Axios
Hands-on baking studio Sweet Spot finds new owner as Charlotte baker moves to Alaska
Sweet Spot Studio owner Jossie Lukacik is preparing for a major life change: She's relocating to Juneau, Alaska, and handing over her Charlotte baking school to a new owner. Why it matters: Lukacik has spent nearly a decade building Sweet Spot into one of Charlotte's best-known baking hubs, popular for its sourdough and pastry classes. Instead of closing, the studio will live on under new ownership, ensuring its staff and loyal students still have a home.
ktoo.org
Goldbelt reveals details of proposed $500M cruise port on Douglas Island
Goldbelt Incorporated is finally sharing more about its proposed $500 million cruise ship port on the backside of Douglas Island. Its president and CEO, McHugh Pierre, presented the plan to the Juneau Assembly for the first time at a committee meeting Monday night. “We have some really big, bold ideas,”...
ktoo.org
Study at Juneau’s only oyster farm lays out challenges and opportunities for growing oysters in Southeast
In Bridget Cove, Meta Mesdag grows thousands of oysters arranged in rows of floating mesh bags. She owns Salty Lady Seafood Co., the only Pacific oyster farm in Juneau. Some years, naturally occurring toxic algal blooms have shut down her farm for weeks at a time. That motivated Mesdag to ask researchers: Can she predict when it will happen?
ktoo.org
What do residents and tourists think of Juneau’s proposed seasonal sales tax this election?
Voters will decide this fall whether to adopt a seasonal sales tax to make the most of the more than a million cruise ship passengers who visit Juneau each summer. Some residents are wary of the idea. It was a rainy September day on Thursday, but the wet sidewalks and...
ktoo.org
Sayéik students harvest vegetables and knowledge at school garden
Joel Bos stands outside Sayéik: Gastineau Community School, rinsing tray after tray of freshly harvested potatoes with a hose. He’s a naturalist with Discovery Southeast, a nonprofit that connects Juneau residents to the outdoors. They partnered with the school to build and maintain a garden. Bos has been...