Pablo Arauz Peña, KTOO

In this newscast:

• State health officials say 26,800 doses of a second, new COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Alaska today.
• Scientists are on the lookout for an invasive crab species expected to move north into Alaskan waters.
• An Alaska-based theater company is putting a Tlingit twist on a holiday classic.

In this newscast:

• A Juneau health care worker yesterday had the nation’s first reported case of a serious allergic reaction to the new COVID-19 vaccine from drug company Pfizer.
• Wednesday’s snowfall in Juneau is only the beginning. The National Weather Service says a second storm is headed for Southeast Alaska that could dump a lot more snow.
• Coastal Alaska lawmakers say they’re unhappy with Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposal to cut more than $2 million from the state ferry system’s operating budget.
• Juneau’s first electric city bus arrived by barge today.
• Rep. Lance Pruitt violated Alaska’s campaign finance laws and should pay a penalty, according to the state’s elections watchdog agency.

In this newscast:

• A few members of Bartlett Regional Hospital’s vaccine distribution team greeted the plane this afternoon carrying Juneau’s first 975 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• A city-owned Mendenhall Valley property sold to a local developer in 2018 will return to the City and Borough of Juneau ownership.
• Juneau resident Majid Sateri was allegedly killed by a neighbor in his apartment building in November.
• The City and Borough of Juneau stopped accepting applications for its COVID-19 Individual Assistance Grant program yesterday.

The City and Borough of Juneau stopped accepting applications for its COVID-19 Individual Assistance Grant Program on Monday afternoon.

The funds are for people who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. The city says it’s stopping the process because it expects to use all its available funds for people who have already applied.

The Juneau Assembly set aside $2 million of federal CARES Act funding to help people pay for basic needs like food, healthcare and transportation.

Catholic Community Service, the organization administering the program, received about 1,800 applications within the first six days, according to a city press release.

Staff are currently processing applications and will email eligible applicants.

The city’s Housing Assistance Program also stopped accepting applications over the weekend, but not because it anticipated running out of funds. It was already scheduled to close on Dec. 12.

In this newscast:

• Juneau is expected to get its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine tomorrow, weather permitting.
• Alaska set a record for the number of COVID-19-related deaths reported in a single day when health officials announced that 18 Alaskans had died from the disease.
• This month’s storm and landslides revealed that much of Haines, where there are no building codes, wasn’t constructed with landslide risk in mind.
• Alaska’s three Electoral College members cast their votes for President Donald Trump today.

Juneau resident Majid Sateri was killed in his apartment building in November. Since his work for the school district meant he was often on a school bus, his friends, neighbors and coworkers held a memorial bus ride on Saturday to honor his life. 

Majid Sateri worked for the Juneau School District as a school bus aide — someone who helps bus drivers load and unload kids safely. He was known to his friends, neighbors and coworkers as Mark. 

On an icy Saturday afternoon, about half a dozen school buses lined up in front of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. Dressed in winter clothes, masked up and socially distanced, those who knew him best were there to honor him.

Inside the lead bus, Kevin Hanson, one of Sateri’s co-workers, directed the driver on the route to each stop as somber music plays on the radio. 

“He was an amazing man,” Hanson said. “I can’t stress how great he was to the people that he worked for. The smile on his face is something that is near and dear. So, he was a good man.”

Mick Lowry knew Sateri for the last 20 years. He said they were like extended family. 

A neighbor has been charged with murder in connection to Sateri’s death, but Lowry said the school bus memorial wasn’t about how his friend died.

“We’re not really involved in an outcome or anything. What we’re doing is we’re just trying to have a memorial for Mark and show everybody that we cared and appreciated him and that’s, that’s what this is all about. It’s not anything else,” Lowry said.

Lowry said Sateri really loved his job.

“The kids always loved Mark. He was just the nicest guy, he always had a big smile on his face,” said Lowry.

He was also known as a helpful neighbor.

“When he wasn’t working and helping out with the school bus, he was driving his neighbors around and helping them do things,” said Lowry. “He always just seemed to be there to help people when they needed it.”

The bus caravan stopped by various places in the community where people knew Sateri, including Glacier Valley Elementary and Mendenhall River Community School, as well as his home.

A small group of his neighbors waved to the buses from outside the Mountain View apartments, where he lived. Friends said Sateri is already dearly missed.