KTOO News Update

In this newscast: Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed a $450 million fast-track budget bill Thursday afternoon, according to his spokesman; Alaska Airlines increased checked bag fees for most customers duet to volatile fuel prices and global uncertainty; Juneau's three Democratic state lawmakers met with constituents downtown on Wednesday for a mid-session town hall event; Starting today, Alaska Seaplanes can use new, proprietary approaches and departures to improve flight safety and reliability for Southeast communities when pilots can't see anything but clouds; At least three cruise lines have changed their itineraries this year to avoid the Tracy Arm Fjord south of Juneau.

In this newscast: A 17-year-old boy who was reported missing for nearly three weeks in Juneau was located earlier this week and returned home; Earlier this week, Huna Totem and the City and Borough of Juneau finalized the tidelands lease agreement for a fifth cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau, which gives the final stamp for its development; The City and Borough of Juneau stopped accepting septic waste from Gustavus last March due to concerns over the impacts of PFAS-contaminated sludge; A Juneau boy has now undergone a potentially life-saving treatment for a rare genetic disease after years of fundraising; Leaders of the state Senate are throwing cold water on hopes for a super-sized Permanent Fund dividend; Main stage Alaska Folk Festival performances continue tonight at Centennial Hall

In this newscast: Juneau's teachers union voted earlier this week in favor of approving a tentative contract agreement with the Juneau School District; After months of public pushback, the Juneau Assembly will revisit the current redevelopment plan for the Telephone Hill neighborhood in downtown Juneau; The 2026 Traditional Games begin in the capital city Friday; A behind-the-scenes look at the 51st Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau

In this newscast: The Anchorage Forestry Sciences Lab is set to close and the future of the Pacific Northwest Research Station lab in Juneau is uncertain since the U.S. Forest Service began a national restructuring last week; The city's cold weather emergency shelter, which was set to close for the season next week, is turning into a year-round operation; Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a federal class-action lawsuit filed against the Alaska Office of Children's Services last week; Tongass Voices: Hiram Henry on the volunteers who drive Alaska Folk Festival