State Flags back up in 2021

• News Home
• More from News of the North

Tuesday, May 4th, 2021 6:58am

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Whatsapp

The Alaska State flag being set up. (Photo Courtesy of Travel Juneau.)

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - After their absence in 2020, the 50 state flags along Egan highway have returned atop the streetlights.

The flags went up Sunday morning.

News of the North spoke to Longtime Friend of the Flags volunteer Jim Caroll, who said it started with former Juneau Mayor Bill Overstreet when he was in Europe, possibly Switzerland, and saw an avenue of flags. When Overstreet came back from the visit in Europe he had the idea of putting up state flags in Juneau.

The Flags went up through work from Travel Juneau, who have been recently managing the flags.

Caroll said of the first flag raising "There were a lot of volunteers at that time. We used a fire truck, the old aerial bucket, to put the flags up."

More from News of the North

• Hunting season open for musk oxen stranded on ice off Alaska

  Juneau, Alaska (AP) - Hunting season is open for musk oxen stranded on ice floes in western Alaska.

• Alaska governor seeks $5 million for large farming project

  Juneau, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed $5 million in funding for the largest farming project the state has had in decades.

• Funter Bay cemetery bill approved by Senate

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska State Senate Monday took up and passed legislation that adds protections to about 250 acres of Funter Bay Marine Park near Juneau.

• Marine highway tops the Southeast Conference economic plan

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Southeast Conference is out with its 2025 Economic Plan for the region.

• Community update and Q&A scheduled for May 18

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center is holding a community update on Tuesday to talk about the updated masking guidelines and what they mean for Juneau.

• COVID in Juneau, May 15 through 17

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Two new resident cases of COVID-19 were identified for the period between May 15 and 17 in Juneau. One case is attributed to out-of-state travel and the other is secondary transmission

• HB 151 passes state House, could increase unemployment through 2021

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - A bill that would temporarily increase unemployment benefits from the state passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday. HB 151 still needs to be approved by the Senate.

• Governor Dunleavy declares disaster for flood impacted Buckland

  Buckland, Alaska (KINY) - A disaster has been declared for the Northwest Alaska City of Buckland and Native Village of Buckland after an ice jam on the Buckland River caused severe flooding in the city.

• Arbor day in Alaska

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska Division of Forestry encourages folks to celebrate the day by Planting a tree, Taking a stroll through the woods, Start recycling paperproducts, or just do an activity of your choosing to celebrate.

• Alaska Republican Party chair resigns, to move to Virginia

  Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Republican Party Chairman Glenn Clary has resigned from his position after accepting a job at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

• Half of Alaska residents 16 and up received one vaccine dose

  Kenai, Alaska (AP) — Alaska public health officials say nearly half of the state's residents 16 and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

• Departure of small cruise ship marks the start of the recovery of Juneau's cruise season

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Wilderness Discoverer, owned by Uncruise Adventures, departed Juneau Sunday for the first time in 19 months.