Juneau

Update | Dec. 6, 1:14 p.m.

The air emergency and wood burning restrictions in the Mendenhall Valley  have been lifted. The valley air quality monitor reported levels of harmful fine particulate matter falling into a safer range this morning.

Original story | Dec. 5, 8:43 p.m.

An air emergency and wood burning ban is in effect for the Mendenhall Valley.

The city issued the emergency Saturday afternoon after measurements of harmful fine particulate matter spiked.

According to preliminary data from the Department of Environmental Conservation’s rooftop monitor at Floyd Dryden Middle School, it peaked at 55 micrograms per cubic meter in the valley around 1 a.m. Saturday. The state’s threshold for unhealthy air is 35 micrograms.

Nicole Ferrin is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Juneau office. She said there have been inversion events in the valley over the last two days. An inversion is a weather phenomena in which cool, still air gets trapped near the surface. Inversions prevent air pollution from dispersing, and helped the fog persist that disrupted flights in and out of Juneau.

Ferrin said two weather fronts are near the area and may break up the inversion Saturday evening or during the day Sunday.

“Those larger synoptic features will be giving us more mixing in the atmosphere and should get rid of this inversion, but they’re also weakening as they move further north,” she said.

More information about the wood burning restrictions are available on the city’s air emergency website.

About 3,200 people in Juneau do not have health insurance, according to the nonprofit Enroll America.

Through grant funding, Juneau Alliance for Mental Health, Inc. has a dedicated navigator to help anyone in Juneau sign up for health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.

Jessie Menkens with the Alaska Primary Care Association said the navigator provides assistance for people from all walks of life.

“We get a sense of what opportunities are available to them, what are their options and then we answer questions along the way. We do not ever encourage someone to go one direction or another. This is free, impartial support,” Menkens said.

The largest uninsured age group in Juneau is 18 to 34-year-olds.

Open enrollment goes until Jan. 31. You must be enrolled by Dec. 15 to get coverage that takes effect Jan 1.

If you don’t have health insurance in 2016, you can be fined up to $2,085 the next time you file a tax return.

Call 463-3303 to schedule an appointment with the JAMHI navigator.

The Alaska Primary Care Association and JAMHI are holding an enrollment information session Saturday from 2-4 p.m. at the Mendenhall Valley Library.

Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and Enroll Alaska also offer free enrollment assistance to the general public. Alternatively, you can sign up directly on healthcare.gov.

Update | 10:34 p.m.

The Alaska Supreme Court has settled a boundary dispute between Juneau and Petersburg affecting about 1,500 square miles of Southeast land. Under the decision the court issued Friday, Petersburg Borough boundaries will stand as they are.

Petersburg Mayor Mark Jensen said his borough was ready for the decision.

“I think it’s good news, you know? Definitely for Petersburg. We’ve already been moving ahead like that was in our borough, so I’m glad to hear that it is,” Jensen said.

The previously contested land is almost completely uninhabited national forest — an old estimate puts the population at one. Still, local control and some revenue were at stake.

Petersburg Borough Manager Stephen Giesbrecht said the annexed land boosts state revenue sharing and some federal payments.

“If the borough formation would not have happened, our financial situation here in the borough would have been a lot different than it is today,” Giesbrecht said. “We’re like everybody else. We’re having to look for things to cut. But because of the borough formation, we’re not having to do it in ways that other communities have done.”

Petersburg fishermen are responsible for more than 90 percent of the commercial haul from the area; Juneau businesses and residents own most of the private land.

Goldbelt, Inc., Juneau’s urban Native corporation, owns about 30,000 acres in the annexed area around Hobart Bay. Since logging ended there in 1999, Goldbelt has explored turning it into a cruise ship destination, and planted seed for about 80,000 geoduck as part of an experimental aquaculture operation. Goldbelt anticipates Hobart Bay geoduck will be ready to harvest around 2023, according to its last annual report.

Attorney Amy Mead argued the case for Juneau before the Supreme Court in June. She said it was a worthwhile fight.

“I don’t necessarily consider it a loss,” she said. “We thought the law stood for something that needed clarification, and the court has now clarified. … I think it really solidifies that it’s the commission’s decision, how to frame the question in making a boundary determination.”

Since Mead is the City and Borough of Juneau’s staff attorney, fighting the case carried only incidental expenses.

Original story | 12:22 p.m., Dec. 4

The Petersburg Borough’s boundaries will stand as they are now that Juneau has lost its last legal challenge on the matter.

The Alaska Supreme Court issued a decision today upholding a lower court’s decision and the state Local Boundary Commission’s 2012 decision to grant Petersburg a huge boundary expansion. It puts to bed a dispute over about 1,500 square miles of Southeast Alaska both boroughs laid claim to.

The previously contested land is almost completely uninhabited national forest — an old estimate puts the population at one — but with the land goes potential federal receipts, some property and sales tax revenue and local authority.

Petersburg Mayor Mark Jensen said his borough was ready for today’s decision.

“I think it’s good news, you know? Definitely for Petersburg. We’ve already been moving ahead like that was in our borough, so I’m glad to hear that it is,” he said.

City and Borough of Juneau attorney Amy Mead said she doesn’t necessarily consider it a loss.

“We thought the law stood for something that needed clarification, and the court has now clarified,” she said.

The Supreme Court heard the case in June.

This is a developing story, check back for updates. Coast Alaska’s Ed Schoenfeld contributed to this report.

As Juneau’s mayor, Mary Becker is establishing regular office hours at city hall, attending meetings scheduled by the late mayor and educating herself on her new role. At the same time, she wants to follow through with some of Greg Fisk’s initiatives.

Since Tuesday, Mary Becker has been going to city hall every day and working in the office of the mayor.

“This is Greg’s office. This is the mayor’s office. And now that I’m in this position, this is my office now,” Becker said.

She hasn’t moved anything around. She’s barely touched anything.

Becker was re-elected to serve as deputy mayor by the Assembly in October. Per city charter, that position succeeds as mayor in the event of a vacancy

“When you say yes to being deputy mayor, you know that it’s always a possibility,” Becker said. “It’s not just a title. It comes with a responsibility.”

A lot of her time as mayor so far has been spent talking about Fisk. His death on Monday attracted national attention and for a couple of days she had reporters from all over the country calling her from 5 a.m. to midnight.

When Fisk was elected in October, Becker said he was a breath of fresh air for the community.

“It was a new regime,” she said.

One of Fisk’s new ideas was how to run the annual assembly retreat, which will still take place on Dec. 14.

“Greg wrote such a well-thought-out method for us to use … . We’ll be honoring his memory to be doing this process,” Becker said.

In a Nov. 25 memo, Fisk wrote that he wanted the assembly to identify a big picture “common vision” for the community to work toward for many years to come. He didn’t want to just focus on current issues facing Juneau or to look only at the upcoming year.

In the past, City Manager Kim Kiefer said the assembly retreat has focused on 10 to 15 different priorities. This year, she said, Fisk wanted the assembly to establish just a few overarching goals.

“It was just a different way to approach a process that’s happened in the past, and put it more into the – let’s look at where we want to go and figure out what the steps are that we need to take now to get ourselves to that point,” Kiefer said.

Along with the memo, Fisk provided links to websites of cities that have established visions, goals and ideals.

Kiefer said she was excited for the changes Fisk had planned.

“He was also very respectful of the process that was set in place already. He made the determination not to change up committees because he knew he was the new person on the assembly,” Kiefer said. “So he wasn’t into ‘This is Greg Fisk as mayor, (this is) how it’s going to happen.’ It was, ‘How do we bring everyone along to that new vision?’”

Prior to becoming mayor, Fisk was co-chair of a NOAA Task Force formed by the assembly in 2014. The goal of the task force was to lure federal research jobs to Alaska. He had a meeting scheduled in a few weeks with local NOAA staff; Kiefer said that meeting will still happen.

“We need to continue to move that forward. Because of his expertise, he added a lot of knowledge, so we will miss that knowledge definitely. But we need to have that meeting. We owe it to him,” Kiefer said.

As city business continues to move forward with Becker as mayor, the assembly needs to appoint someone to the now vacant assembly seat. Then, the assembly can opt to call a special election for mayor or wait until the next regular election in October when both seats will be on the ballot.

Becker said she’s comfortable being mayor till October. A special election would cost the city about $35,000, Kiefer said.

The assembly’s next regular meeting is Dec. 21.

Update | 6:32 p.m.

Police charged a 19-year-old Juneau man with murder Thursday, alleging he stabbed two men, killing one and injuring the other. The victims were father and son. Police say the men were fighting over piece of property.

The capital city’s police department says the alleged murder took place at Cedar Park, a housing development in West Juneau on Douglas Island.

Kevin Scott Nauska fatally stabbed 37-year-old Jordon J. Sharclane in the early morning, police say. Nauska has been charged with murder and attempted murder in the first degree, as well as assault.

Police were still at the apartments collecting evidence around 9:30 a.m.

Police Chief Bryce Johnson says there was no indication drugs were involved, but his department is investigating alcohol as a factor.

Police say the stabbing occurred after a fight over a piece of property but they wouldn’t identify what it was.

“There was one fatality and then a second person was also injured and taken to the hospital,” Johnson said. “The other person involved is in police custody and we are talking to them.”

That second person is the victim’s son: Michael Sharclane. The 19-year-old was taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital with serious injuries. A hospital spokesperson said, as of this afternoon, Sharclane’s condition was stable.

Not far from the crime scene, a group of people clustered together under a shelter, waiting for the bus. Ursula Stewart lives at Cedar Park and says she’s frightened by this recent death.

“I’m from a really bad neighborhood in California and I’ve never seen something like that,” Stewart said.

She said she watched responders wash the blood off the street where the victim’s body was found.

“I was glad that it washed off before my kids had to go on the bus because I was really worried about my kids seeing that kind of stuff. I mean, this is Juneau?” she said.

This is the fourth violent death to happen in Juneau in the past three months. To put that in perspective, no murders were reported in 2014 according to the State of Alaska’s Uniform Crime Report filed with the FBI. And police still have no suspects in custody after a double-homicide in November.

Chief Johnson said some investigators have been working on the cases nonstop.

“If you get a chance to find a family member, JPD detective, give them a hug, because they’re sacrificing their family member to make sure we’re all staying safe,” Johnson said.

Kevin Scott Nauska is being held at Lemon Creek Correctional Center without bail.

Update | 12:48 p.m.

Juneau police released a statement identifying Kevin Scott Nauska as the suspect in the fatal stabbing. Nauska has been charged with murder in the first degree, attempted murder in the first degree, assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the third degree and tampering with physical evidence. He has been transported to Lemon Creek Correctional and is being held without bail.

The victims of the stabbing have been identified as 37-year-old Jordon J. Sharclane. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The surviving victim, 19-year-old Michael Sharclane, was transported to Bartlett Regional Hospital with serious injuries. The investigation is ongoing.
-Elizabeth Jenkins

Update | 11:29 a.m.

Juneau police say a murder occurred on Douglas Island early Wednesday morning at Cedar Park. Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson said the victim, a 37-year-old male, died from stab wounds after a fight broke out. Johnson said there wasn’t any indication that drugs were involved. But police are investigating if alcohol may have been a factor.

The fight was over a piece of property.

“Officers at Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to that report. There was one fatality and then a second person was also injured and taken to the hospital,” Johnson said. “The other person involved is in police custody and we are talking to them.”

The other victim, a 19-year-old male, was taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital. A member of the public Facebook group Juneau Community Concern identified that person as Michael Sharclane. Bartlett spokesperson, Jim Strader, confirmed there is a male with that name at the hospital. Strader said that Michael Sharclane is in stable condition.

Chief Johnson said the crime appears to be an isolated incident.

Ursula Stewart, who lives at Cedar Park, said she was scared. Stewart said she saw emergency responders put the victim inside the body bag.

“It was horrendous. I’m from, like, a really bad neighborhood in California and I’ve never seen something like that,” Stewart said.

The Police are not looking for any other suspects but are asking witnesses to come forward with any information. You can contact JPD at 586-0600.
-Elizabeth Jenkins

Update | 10:08 a.m.

The deceased victim was a 37-year-old male and the victim in the hospital was a 19-year-old male. The police report that the fight resulted from a dispute over property.
-David Purdy

The alleged murder was reported in the 3400 block of Foster Ave

Original story

Juneau Police Department reports that one man is dead and another in the hospital after a fight in the 3400 block of Foster Avenue on Douglas Island.

Juneau Police and Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to 911 call at 3:49 a.m. reporting a stabbing in the area. The police have a suspect in custody and are not seeking any additional suspects at this time.

Witnesses or anyone with additional information are encouraged to call Juneau Police at (907) 586-0600.
-David Purdy

This is a breaking story – check back for updates. 

Editor’s note: the caption for the Facebook group screenshot has been updated with the correct name of the 19-year-old victim

As world leaders discuss climate change in Paris this week, Juneau residents get a chance Thursday night to explore what climate change means on a local level.

In “A Pain in the Crevasse,” performers such as Juneau playwright Frank Katasse and assemblymember Maria Gladziszewski will read six short plays on climate change at the Mendenhall Glacier pavilion.

The free event is being organized by Perseverance Theatre and University of Alaska Southeast.

Perseverance Theatre’s Shona Osterhout said the plays will provide an interesting angle on a serious issue.

“These are all plays that have been written all over the world, but you can really take it in and have your own thoughts about it,” Osterhout said. “I think art is really great to talk about issues like these.”

The theater event is one of many taking place around the world through the initiative Climate Change Theatre Action. Short plays on climate change are being performed in cities throughout the U.S. and in more than 20 countries.

One of Thursday night’s plays is called, “An Average Guy Thinking Thoughts on Global Warming.”

“You get an average guy who doesn’t know a lot and he’s being honest and he’s showing himself to the audience for what he is and it’s hilarious and at the same time, it’s very poignant and you take something away after you read it,” said UAS student Bryan Crowder.

Following the six short play readings, the audience is invited to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center for a panel discussion with glaciologists and local climate change experts. Panelists include UAS professors Eran Hood and Cathy Connor, UAS assistant professor Glenn Wright and Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Director John Neary.

“A Pain in the Crevasse” begins at 7 p.m. Thursday.