Pablo Arauz Peña, KTOO

In this newscast:

• Juneau public health officials reported Friday that another four people linked to bar activity tested positive for COVID-19.
• The first tenants began moving into the new wing of Juneau’s Housing First facility this week.
• The Southeast Alaska community of Angoon has extended its emergency travel order until further notice.
• A muskox was recently spotted in the Bristol Bay village of Manokotak.

In this newscast:

• Juneau is holding a pop-up testing event this weekend at Centennial Hall for people who have visited bars recently.
• As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the Northwest Arctic Borough, local stakeholders remain concerned over a steady rise in positive cases.
• Vision Maker Media’s First Indigenous Online Film Festival is showcasing three films focused on stories about Alaska Native and First Nations history.
• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced Wednesday that it plans to study the environmental impacts of a potential lease sale in the Cook Inlet.

In this newscast:

• The City and Borough of Juneau is trying to decide where to put its cold weather shelter, but the people staying there have been mostly absent from the conversation.
• There are a lot of downsides to the kind of heavy, prolonged rainfall in Southeast Alaska this summer but it did have some silver linings.
• Juneau emergency management officials say they’re considering escalating the community’s risk status following a new cluster of COVID-19 cases.

In this newscast:

• There’s a torrent of viral misinformation undermining the COVID-19 pandemic response.
• Winter is coming and competition over a popular trail in Juneau has pit winter sports enthusiasts against each other.
• Alaska has reached a settlement with an advocacy group in a dispute over involuntary commitments of people suffering mental health crises.
• Jack Little figures a $500 tip can give some waiters a boost during tough times.
• Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he currently does not need to fill the state House seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Gary Knopp.

Capital City Fire and Rescue recently refurbished one of its ambulances. It saved the city the expense of buying a new one. And as an added bonus, the ambulance serves as a piece of public art.

Both sides of the newly revamped ambulance feature Tlingit formline designs by Mary Goddard and Crystal Kaakeeyáa Worl; they symbolize the human power of healing.

Capital City Fire and Rescue’s Assistant Chief Chad Cameron said the department’s chief, Richard Etheridge, came up with the idea to add a decal to represent Southeast Alaska.

“We liked the idea and we thought, ‘Well, you know, we need to make sure that it’s culturally appropriate for Juneau and make sure we check it in with everybody,’” Cameron said.

Cameron reached out to Sealaska Heritage Institute to find the right artist. Sealaska then partnered with a collaborative organization of Native entities and tribal governments in Southeast known as Unity Group. Tesla Cox works with the group.

“We wanted artists that represented our community in Juneau, and both artists are local to our region.”

After looking through art proposals, the group chose Goddard and Worl to create the design.

But they had to meet an unusual requirement. According to federal regulations, ambulance bodies must be at least 70% reflective.

Worl said she and Goddard worked to create a unified concept.

“We did a series of sketches and brainstorming and the thing that kept coming up was the human hand. And we talked about the hand being sort of like the sign of healing, and also it’s also a universal symbol that’s recognizable by anyone,” she said.

Worl said it meant a lot to represent indigenous art in a public space.

Goddard said the spirit face also has significance to Tlingit culture.

“I guess a good example would be like the nest house,” she said. “On the nest of the artwork, there’s a face in that nest and basically that represents the spirit or the life that the nest brings or holds or gives.”

Cameron said the unveiling of the freshly painted ambulance was one of the proudest moments of his 29 years in service.

“The message of being a healing hand and healing nature, I really enjoy,” he said. “I really think for me, specifically, I think when you look at the ambulance, I really think it does incorporate the character of the large aspect of our community here in Juneau.”

Cox said she hopes the public work will inspire other communities to represent and support their local artists as well.

In this newscast:

• The declining price of oil and the COVID-19 pandemic has some oyster farmers worried about the future.
• Capital City Fire and Rescue recently refurbished one of its ambulances and the ambulance serves a second purpose as a piece of public art.
• Alaska’s Supreme Court has blocked the state’s plan to borrow money to pay off hundreds of millions in debt to oil and gas companies.
• A federal judge has denied a request seeking to have Alaska election officials send absentee ballot applications to all registered voters in the state.
• The U.S. Forest Service has issued a deadline to the operator of an Alaska island boat shop to tear down the historic complex and leave but the owner says the agency’s demands are unrealistic.