It wasn’t long before Gov. Sean Parnell took office after Gov. Sarah Palin’s July 26 resignation that he told Juneau he’d be coming to the capital for a Governor’s Picnic.

The downtown standoff that began Wednesday afternoon ended peacefully just after noon today with the unidentified 49-year-old man leaving the apartment he had barricaded himself inside.

Let’s be clear about jobs for Juneau and the Kensington mine. It doesn’t take too many workers to take mine waste and just dump it in a lake. It saves money that would have been paid to workers to build and manage mine tailings piles.

SITKA – Sitka police and wildlife officials say the recent death of a cub shows why residents must do a better job of dealing with trash.

KENAI – Indescribable. Unlike anything else. Too unique for words.

PALMER – The mother of the man former Gov. Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol had planned on marrying has reached a plea deal in her drug case.

FAIRBANKS – Police have formed a task force to enact a zero tolerance policy for crime in downtown Fairbanks.

ANCHORAGE – A magnitude-5.0 earthquake rattled buildings Wednesday in Anchorage and other communities in Alaska.

WASHINGTON – No fish can escape mercury pollution.

Today, I will convene a U.S. Senate field hearing in Anchorage on an issue of great importance to Alaska, our nation and the world at large – the opportunities and challenges that we face as melting sea ice opens up the Arctic for energy and mineral production, shipping, tourism and other commercial activities.