Matt Miller, KTOO - Juneau
Matt Miller is a reporter at KTOO in Juneau.
LuLaRoe sales tax lawsuit dismissed, appeal still possible
Anchorage resident Katie Van claimed that she was charged sales taxes on LuLaRoe clothing purchases even though Anchorage and Alaska do not collect such taxes.
Fashion faux pas? MLM company LuLaRoe sued in Alaska over sales taxes.
Anchorage resident Katie Van says she was charged undue sales taxes on clothing she bought from outside of Alaska. But LuLaRoe says they fixed their sales tax automation software and already made refunds.
Federal court employees to work without pay if shutdown extends to February
U.S. Courts say they have enough money to continue operating until Jan. 31. But after that, court employees and federal public defenders will be working without pay.
New warm ocean Blob could affect Southeast winter weather, fisheries
Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska are averaging four degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal. That isn’t as hot or doesn’t extend quite as deep as the original Blob. At least not yet.
How the Princess Sophia grounded and sank with all aboard 100 years ago
What happened on Vanderbilt Reef in October 1918? And why was the sinking of the S.S. Princess Sophia quickly forgotten in Alaska and Canada? Listen now
Search suspended for cruise ship passenger missing in Glacier Bay
An unidentified 69-year-old male passenger of Westerdam disappeared July 13 while the vessel was in Glacier Bay. Listen now
DeSimone found guilty on first-degree murder charge in Excursion Inlet shooting death
The family of Tony Rosales wept in the front row of the gallery after the jury found Mark DeSimone guilty of first-degree murder. Listen now
Five Juneau residents ordered to pay fines, restitution for deer poaching
Most of the defendants — including the operator of Moore Charters in Auke Bay — have pleaded guilty or no contest to the charges and must pay fines and restitution. Listen now
Juneau Hidden History ‘docu-follow’, reality TV show premieres this week
Juneau Hidden History group shown searching for the lost Rocker Mine near Juneau. Listen now
Mendenhall Towers climbers presumed deceased; search ends
Alaska State Troopers say ropes used by Ryan Johnson and Marc-Andre Leclerc were spotted in a cravasse on the north face of the Mendenhall Towers. Listen now
AK: Mysterious pink pond prompts a question and a quest
A hydrologist’s marker dye is unlikely, but there are a variety of biological processes that could be responsible for discoloration of the pond that’s located about 4 miles down the Herbert Glacier trail. Listen now
With two Juneau judges retiring, court system seeks change to relieve bottleneck
Juneau District Court Judge Thomas Nave and Juneau Superior Court Judge Louis Menendez are both retiring on June 29. Listen now
State mandated review of Juneau’s untested sexual assault kits is underway
So far, Juneau Police Department officials say they haven’t found any unprocessed sexual assault kits that should’ve been sent off to the state crime laboratory in Anchorage. Listen now
AK: The Birdman of Alcatraz’s grisly Juneau connection
In this spooky pre-Halloween edition of AK, we revisit the scene of the crime, the site of a cold-blooded murder over a hundred years ago in Juneau. KTOO’s Matt Miller spent this summer researching what happened when the Birdman of Alcatraz killed for the first time. Listen now
The melancholy Juneau summer of blue ice
This year’s Juneau Icefield Research Program included a focus on art and science communication, in addition to the usual studies of the ice, ecology, and weather and climate of the icefield. Listen now
Juneau researcher helps discover new species of flying squirrel
Researchers say they’ve found a new species of flying squirrel, and a Juneau biologist’s data from almost two decades ago played a key role in the discovery.
AK: Fire investigators train to determine how blazes begin
When a fire breaks out, it’s not always obvious how it started. Not only could the entire structure be wiped out, but items that started the fire could be partially destroyed or altered beyond recognition. That’s the job of the fire investigator: interview witnesses and find clues at the scene that would help them determine how the fire started. Listen now
Report: Melting of Arctic sea ice taking heavy toll on marine species
The latest research shows that diminishing Arctic sea ice caused by climate change is forcing some species to travel further to find food or look for alternative food sources. Listen now
Years of budget cuts hamper monitoring of Alaska earthquakes, including Monday’s
Alaska seismologists say continuing budget cuts are affecting their ability to quickly detect and pinpoint earthquakes. Listen now
AK: Model Arctic Council simulates impending actual Arctic Council meeting
The Arctic Council returns to Alaska with meetings in Juneau next week (March 7-10) and in Fairbanks in May. Representatives from eight Arctic countries and six indigenous groups work on shaping Arctic policy. To understand the work of the Arctic Council first-hand, a group of university students met in Fairbanks last spring to form a model council with real-world impacts. Listen now