KTOO News Department

In this newscast: The City and Borough of Juneau is warning residents about urban avalanches a bit differently this year; After Juneau residents helped raise more than $1 million this fall, a local boy with a rare genetic disease will be able to receive a potentially life-changing gene therapy in the New Year; Alaska will get $272 million from the federal government next year to upgrade its rural health system; For Alaskans, the New Year means it’s time to apply for the Permanent Fund dividend; In a special feature highlighting some of KTOO’s favorite stories from this year, the KTOO newsroom revisits a story about the city’s short term rental task force

In this newscast: The city issued an alert this afternoon to residents living in downtown Juneau that avalanche conditions are elevated in the areas above Behrends Avenue and Thane Road; City and state facilities remain closed again today after record-breaking snowfall in Juneau; Chief Rich Etheridge is retiring from Capital City Fire/Rescue and his last day is tomorrow; In a special feature highlighting some of KTOO’s favorite stories from this year, the KTOO newsroom revisits a story about a school field trip in Juneau

In this newscast: This week marks six months since 42-year-old Juneau resident Benjamin Stepetin was last seen in downtown Juneau; The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development found that the Juneau School District did not provide occupational therapy services to some students that were supposed to receive them last school year; The next legislative session is less than a month away, and lawmakers are preparing to return to Juneau; In a special feature highlighting some of KTOO’s favorite stories from this year, the KTOO newsroom revisits a story about a refugee family in Juneau split in half by an email from the Trump administration.

In this newscast: Juneau saw two destructive residential fires in a mobile home park in the course of just three days, and one fire resulted in a fatality; A federal grand jury has indicted two Alaska State Troopers shown on body-camera video beating, tasing and pepper-spraying a Kenai man in a case of mistaken identity; Juneau residents celebrated the winter solstice with a “light the night” Nordic ski club gathering at the Mendenhall Campground; After more than 16 years as a staple at Juneau’s State Office Building, a local musical has played his last theater organ concert.

In this newscast:  A civil lawsuit aimed at preserving a historic neighborhood in Juneau is set for trial next summer. Juneau’s city government, meanwhile, plans to demolish the neighborhood before then; KTOO spoke with Juneau Fire Chief Rich Etheridge about a recent incident of someone falling through the ice, what to do if it happens, and other safety precautions when venturing out on frozen bodies of water; Over a dozen Southeast Alaska tribal governments have banded together to form a new partnership; Federal funding for libraries and museums has been reinstated nine months after the Trump administration sought to eliminate the agency that provides the money; A 37-year old Kodiak man, who has been held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Washington state for months, had a toe amputated after advocates say he was denied medical care while in ICE custody 

In this newscast: Juneau’s homeless shelter is once again offering daytime meals and other services after stopping them in August due to safety concerns; Officials say to be prepared as Juneau is expected to see frigid temperatures starting this weekend and stretching into the next couple of weeks; A U.S. Forest Service plan to revamp the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center to accommodate more tourists could be upended by a lawsuit brought by a nearby homeowner; Two finalists in the running for fire chief at Capital City Fire/Rescue got a chance to share their vision for the department during public presentations earlier this week;A Juneau musician is giving his final organ performance in the State Office Building this Friday; A United States Coast Guard and Sitka Search and Rescue is searching for two overdue mariners near Sitka today