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The brands you wear don’t always say a lot about your political stance and moral compass. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

Sports

I Went to the Woods: Passive activism

I almost didn’t watch the Super Bowl because I was tired of the Chiefs, indifferent toward the Eagles…

This painting, “Abandonment of the Whalers in The Arctic Ocean September 1871,” depicts the New England whaling ships trapped in pack ice off northern Alaska. Wainwright Inlet is in the background. (Photo courtesy Ted and Ellie Congdon, Huntington Library)

Sports

Alaska Science Forum: When the Civil War came to Alaska

About 150 years ago, a few days after summer solstice, the gray skies above the Diomede Islands were…

Viewed from a certain angle, a lake on Heintzleman ridge appears to be in a Valentine’s Day mood. (Klas Stolpe)

Sports

Pure Sole: A first love

An old, old, old, old, old (key word is old here), old flame of mine from my freshman…

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Gwen Nizich (11) shoots from past the arc over Ketchikan junior Kylie Brendible (32) during the Crimson Bears’ 52-23 win over the Lady Kings on Thursday in Juneau. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

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JDHS girls greet conference rival Kayhi with win

Crimson Bears defeat Lady Kings 52-23 in home den

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Ahmir Parker (2) guards Ketchikan senior Marcus Stockhausen (34) during their series early in the season at JDHS. Parker has been a "jack-of-all-trades" for the Crimson Bears this season. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

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Crimson Bears boys taking on Kings at Ketchikan

JDHS playing final Southeast Conference games on the road.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Mary Johnson protects the ball from Wasilla junior Mielee Merchant (4) and senior Mylee Anderson (14) during a Crimson Bears loss to the Warriors last weekend in the George Houston Gymnasium. JDHS will host Ketchikan at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

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JDHS girls to host Kayhi for final conference games

Crimson Bears invite Lady Kings to their den Thursday, Friday

The author in one of his favorite pastimes — sitting in the mountains. (Photo courtesy Becky Bohrer)

Sports

Pure Sole: My Mudrooms

A friend of mine from the Haa Yaitx’u Saiani’s Kin Support Program asked me to speak at the…

Twigs of red huckleberry are green all year, but brighter in summer than winter. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)

Sports

On the Trails: Tree bark

The center of a tree or shrub stem (from roots to trunk, branches, and twigs) is woody, composed…

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Nordic Ski Team member Ida Meyer competes at the Region VI Championships Friday in Fairbanks. Meyer placed seventh overall in the girls 7.5km Mass Start. The JDHS girls team placed second in the two-day regions, the boys third. JDHS senior Finn Lamb led the Crimson Bears boys with a sixth place finish in the 7.5km. (Photo courtesy JDHS Nordic Ski)

Sports

JDHS Crimson Bears take snow show on the road

Nordic Ski Team girls second, boys third at Region VI Championships.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Layla Tokuoka (14) floats a jump shot over Wasilla senior Layla Hays (52) during the Crimson Bears’ 46-30 loss Saturday to the Warriors in the George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

A small Layla, a tall Layla give highlight plays on Saturday

JDHS’ Tokuoka, Wasilla’s Hays key second matchup of the weekend as Warriors prevail 46-30.

Wasilla junior Katie Jackson drives and passes around Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé seniors Cailynn Baxter and Addison Wilson (10) during the Warriors’ 65-34 win Friday over the Crimson Bears in the George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

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Wasilla girls storm Juneau-Douglas home court

Warriors down Crimson Bears in George Houston Gymnasium

Lucas Bovitz of Juneau-Douglas: Yadaa.at Kale carries the puck with attention from Kenai Central goalie Evyn Witt and William Howard at the First National Cup Division II state hockey tournament Saturday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna. (Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

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Crimson Bears hockey place third on state ice

Juneau-Douglas gets revenge win over Kenai

In this file photo Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Dylan Sowa (35) is congratulated on a scoring goal by senior captain Luke Bovitz (4) during senior night weekend against Kenai. Sowa had two goals Friday in the Crimson Bears’ 5-2 loss to Palmer at the 2025 ASAA Division II Hockey State Tournament in Soldotna. JDHS will face Kenai in the 3rd/5th-place game Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Moose push Crimson Bears aside 5-2 in state semifinals

Palmer will play for title, JDHS for third at state hockey tournament.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Dylan Sowa (35) beats Bartlett senior Wyatt Rust (13) in a faceoff earlier this season. Sowa scored four goals in Thursday’s 5-4 extra-time win over the Houston Hawks to open the 2025 ASAA Division II Hockey State Tournament at Soldotna. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

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Crimson Bears open postseason by devouring Hawks on extra-time ice

Sowa wears big hat for sixth-seed JDHS in win against third-seed Houston at state hockey tournament.

Jessica Larsen of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute describes her research on Alaska’s Mount Churchill at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Dec. 9, 2024. (Photo by Ned Rozell)

Sports

Alaska Science Forum: The threat within an Alaska mountain

Mount Churchill stands in a white corner of the Alaska map, deceptive in its cold, windblown silence. At…

Snow is also a four letter word with more than one proper use. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Pure Sole: WTF with the F word

The F word.

Glacier Swim Club athletes Valerie Peimann, Emma Fellman, Pacific Ricke, Lily Francis and Lucia Chapell dress for the cool pool weather at the 2025 Alaska Senior Championships in Soldotna last weekend. (Photo courtesy GSC)

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Peimann, Fellman lead GSC at Alaska Senior Championships

Glacier Swim Club brings 11 swimmers to Soldotna meet, set club record.

Wasilla’s Layla Hays blocks a Colony shot in the Warriors win over the Knights in last season’s state title game. Hays, a senior, and her number-one ranked Warriors play JDHS inside the George Houston Gymnasium on Friday and Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

Sports

Sports on tap for this week feature current and future state champs

Sports fans living in Juneau, or visiting, will be treated to a possible preview of this season’s girls…

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Nordic Ski Team and community cross-country skiers start the Shaky Shakeout Invitational six-kilometer freestyle mass start race Saturday at Eaglecrest Ski Area. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

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Crimson Bears cross-country skiers in sync

JDHS Nordic Ski Team tunes up for state with practice race

An adult double-crested cormorant flies low. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)

Sports

On the Trails: Some January observations

One day, late in January, a friend and I watched two Steller sea lions swimming near Pt. Louisa.…