Wire Service

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, shakes hands with members of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, following her annual address in the state Capitol. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski again endorses Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola

Alaska’s senior U.S. Senator endorsed Peltola in 2022 and says cross-party collaboration is important.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, shakes hands with members of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, following her annual address in the state Capitol. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Sheet pan tomato soup garnished and served. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Sheet pan tomato soup

Whenever I get my hair done at Salon Cedar, owner Brendan Sullivan and I talk about food nonstop. During my last visit he shared with… Continue reading

Sheet pan tomato soup garnished and served. (Photo by Patty Schied)
A short-tailed weasel pauses at the entrance to a building on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (Photo by Ned Rozell)

Alaska Science Forum: Weasels are cute, natural born killers

Weighing as much as a cup of walnuts and resembling a squeaky dog toy, the short-tailed weasel is easy to underestimate. The spunky little creature… Continue reading

A short-tailed weasel pauses at the entrance to a building on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Begich wants to join the herd of timid followers

On the very top of his campaign website, Nick Begich III claims he’s a “commonsense leader.” There aren’t many of those left in today’s Republican… Continue reading

(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Image by the New Jersey Division of Elections)

Gimme A Smile: Halloween/Election Day merger

We’ve got a couple of important holidays coming up: Halloween and Election Day. But the budget is tight with all this inflation, so I don’t… Continue reading

(Image by the New Jersey Division of Elections)
Pershlie Ami, a citizen of the Hopi tribe, shares her experience of attending Phoenix Indian School when she was a kid during the Road to Healing tour hosted by the U.S. Department of Interior at the Gila Crossing Community School on Jan. 20, 2023. (Shondiin Silversmith/Arizona Mirror)

‘We have persevered’: Biden will apologize for Native American boarding school history

For the first time in history, a sitting U.S. president is set to apologize to Indigenous communities for the role the federal government played in… Continue reading

Pershlie Ami, a citizen of the Hopi tribe, shares her experience of attending Phoenix Indian School when she was a kid during the Road to Healing tour hosted by the U.S. Department of Interior at the Gila Crossing Community School on Jan. 20, 2023. (Shondiin Silversmith/Arizona Mirror)
Prince of Wales Alaska Youth Stewards crew members perform landslide assessment fieldwork. (Photo by Zofia Danielson)

Woven Peoples and Place: Ḵutí expands across Southeast Alaska

Project seeks to address community concerns about landslides and other natural hazards in the region.

Prince of Wales Alaska Youth Stewards crew members perform landslide assessment fieldwork. (Photo by Zofia Danielson)
A blacktail buck approaches the author. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

I Went to the Woods: ‘Are you going to regret that?’

Stealth was abandoned. Completely. The obvious game trail had betrayed me and disintegrated into the sloppily woven patchwork of salmonberry and blueberry bushes mixed with… Continue reading

A blacktail buck approaches the author. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Police calls for Monday, Oct. 21, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Police calls for Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

Police calls for Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
A voter receives his ballot for Alaska’s primary election at the Mendenhall Mall Annex on Aug. 17. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

My Turn: Not voting for a Republican in general election for first time in more than 50 years

As a voter in Alaska for over 50 years, the 2024 general election will be my first in which I will not be supporting a… Continue reading

A voter receives his ballot for Alaska’s primary election at the Mendenhall Mall Annex on Aug. 17. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)
A student texts on a cellphone in this stock photo. (Ariel Skelley/Getty Images)

Alaska joins growing number of states considering crackdown on cellphones in schools

Most U.S. adults support cellphone bans in middle and high schools, research shows

A student texts on a cellphone in this stock photo. (Ariel Skelley/Getty Images)
Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out The Native Vote, stands by her business’ booth on Saturday at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in Anchorage. Sparck, wearing a button identifying her as a Cup’ik voter, is urging Alaska Natives to be more diligent about voting in both state and local elections. In addition to her voter-education work, Sparck has a beauty-products business, ArXotica, that she and her sisters founded. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Campaign to boost Native voting combats both apathy and logistical challenges

Advocates are pushing for both engagement and easing of barriers affecting rural residents.

Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out The Native Vote, stands by her business’ booth on Saturday at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in Anchorage. Sparck, wearing a button identifying her as a Cup’ik voter, is urging Alaska Natives to be more diligent about voting in both state and local elections. In addition to her voter-education work, Sparck has a beauty-products business, ArXotica, that she and her sisters founded. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letter: Best choice is Begich

I don’t know about you, but I am ready to vote, learn the results, and move on. I am old enough to remember when on… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Brent Merten is the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Juneau. (Courtesy photo)

Living and Growing: The eye of the needle

One day, a rich young man approached Jesus, asking him what he had to do to inherit eternal life. He was convinced that he could… Continue reading

Brent Merten is the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Juneau. (Courtesy photo)
In this sample primary ballot released by the state, fictional candidates compete in a primary election. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: An opportunity to vote yes on something – Ballot Measure 2

Every few years, moderate and conservative voters seem to find themselves in the position of voting against propositions generated by left-of-center entities. We haven’t yet… Continue reading

In this sample primary ballot released by the state, fictional candidates compete in a primary election. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letter: Rank choice voting is good for businesses

We are small business owners in Juneau and know that rank choice voting is good for business. Alaska is unique in having an overwhelming percentage… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Harold Axel Stolpe and Patricia Anne Cox Stolpe on their wedding day in 1959.

Pure Sole: Powerless and powerful

So all my columns will not be rainbows and unicorns. This one, for instance, involves a recent incident and me trying to understand the different… Continue reading

Harold Axel Stolpe and Patricia Anne Cox Stolpe on their wedding day in 1959.
The lower Stikine River is seen in British Columbia, Canada, in an undated photo. (Photo by Marek Stefunko/Getty Images Plus)

Above Stikine River, Canadian government boosts huge mining project you’ve probably never heard of

Road goes along a major salmon bearing river that flows into Southeast Alaska near Wrangell.

The lower Stikine River is seen in British Columbia, Canada, in an undated photo. (Photo by Marek Stefunko/Getty Images Plus)