Adelyn Baxter

The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority board has approved a land exchange of up to 40,000 acres in Southeast. The land will change hands between the trust and the U.S. Forest Service — including parcels like Mount Jumbo in Juneau.

Seven people have submitted applications to be considered for the District 1 Juneau Assembly seat held by outgoing member Jesse Kiehl, who was elected to the Alaska Senate in November. The Assembly Human Resources Committee will interview each candidate next Thursday.

This year marks 56 years for the organization, which has been renamed Juneau Animal Rescue. Director Samantha Blankenship said the change was prompted by a desire to make more people aware of their role in the community.

The city hopes a proposed land exchange with the owner of a waterfront property on South Franklin Street will help accommodate the continued growth in the number of cruise ship passengers visiting Juneau each year. But a recent court ruling may complicate how the city pays for the project.

The city has been working with a steering committee to figure out how to turn the quiet neighborhood overlooking Statter Harbor into a pedestrian-friendly hub for recreation and business.

Wells Fargo employees contacted police Thursday afternoon to report that a person came into the bank and passed a note to a teller demanding money. On Friday, the Juneau Police Department identified the suspect as Juneau resident David Glenn Waits, 54.