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An adult female snakeworm gnat that scientists recently described as a new species found, as yet, only in Alaska. (Photo by Derek Sikes)

Sports

Alaska Science Forum: ‘Snakeworm’ mystery yields species new to science

Add another species to the list of organisms oozing over Alaska.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Mila Hargrave (#24) and Bella Whisenant (#44) fight for the ball during Saturday’s game at JDHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS gets pair of home court wins — one easy, one in a battle — against Ketchikan

Gwen Nizich scores 25 of Crimson Bears’ 45 points Saturday, including game-clinching free throws.

A deer’s eyes reflect headlights from an approaching vehicle. (Harold Neal / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Sports

On the Trails: Eyeshine and rumination

The eyes of a wary cat or dog on the roadside at night can reflect the light of…

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Caden Morris (#15) and Sonny Monsef (#11) face off against Homer High School’s Aria Hill (#27) and Cody Thomas (#8) in front of the Homer net during Saturday’s game at Treadwell Arena. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS shuts out rebuilding Homer in 16-0, 13-0 matchups at Treadwell Arena

Both teams say focus was on future, with Crimson Bears giving several JV players lots of ice time.

The author’s wife lines up to hit a golf ball at a driving range in Tucson last week. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

Sports

I Went to the Woods: Not missing out

I took a breath, followed what I could remember from my pre-swing routine, then brought the club down…

Trees living at their environmental limits in Alaska often preserve past climate clues in their tree rings. (Photo by Ned Rozell)

Sports

Alaska Science Forum: Alaska’s year without a summer

Two-hundred and forty-one years ago, when General George Washington marched back into New York City as British troops…

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé guard Alwen Carrillo (#3) looks to drive inside against Albuquerque High School during the final game of the Capital City Classic at JDHS on Saturday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Albuquerque holds off rallies by JDHS girls’ and boys’ teams to win Capital City Classic

Crimson Bears boys lose double-OT thriller, girls come up short in final minutes.

This adult male Anna’s hummingbird was captured, banded and released in Soldotna in June 2023. (Photo by T. Eskelin, USFWS)

Sports

On the Trails: Nectar-feeding birds

Nectar is a rich, sugary food source used by plants to attract pollinators, and many animals exploit that…

The boys’ all-tournament team at last week’s Clarke Cochrane Christmas Classic in Ketchikan includes Thunder Mountain High School guards Thomas Baxter and Samuel Lockhart. TMHS finished third among the eight boys’ teams in the tournament. (Photo courtesy TMHS basketball)

Sports

TMHS boys finish third in Clarke Cochrane Christmas Classic in Ketchikan

Falcons open with OT victory, fall short in comeback against champs before win in consolation game.

Sean Oliver (11) of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé and Mande Wanlemvo of Auburn Mountainview High School fight for the tipoff at the start of their first Capital City Classic game Wednesday night at JDHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Tipoff of Capital City Classic goes in both directions for JDHS

Crimson Bears girls open hometown tournament with dominant victory, boys follow with lopsided loss.

John Eichelberger of Fairbanks took this photo of the full moon on Dec. 26 north of Fairbanks. At the time he took this photo — solar noon in Fairbanks or about 1 p.m. local time — the full moon appeared due north of him. (Photo by John Eichelberger)

Sports

Alaska Science Forum: The super moons of this Alaska winter

Has the moon seemed exceptionally noticeable this winter? There’s a reason: The full moon currently never sets for…

Juneau athletes compete in the state softball title (left), Gold Medal Basketball Tournament (center) and ASAA State Swim & Dive Championships during some of 2023’s local highlight sports moments. (Juneau Empire)

Sports

Juneau’s top 10 sports stories of 2023

State titles for many, a historic losing season and death of a coaching icon among headline moments.

American coots gathered at Kingfisher Pond this winter. (Photo by Helen Unruh)

Sports

On the Trails: Wintering birds

Shortly before the winter solstice, I walked with a friend on the Boy Scout Camp Trail. There was…

A coyote pauses on its way through the Presidio of San Francisco, a two-square mile former military base that is now managed by workers for the National Park Service. (Photo by Heather Liston)

Sports

Alaska Science Forum: The coyotes of San Francisco

A person is bound to notice changes if he bicycles the same pathways for 20 years. Such is…

Travelling with a pack other than his hunting pack gave the author a false sense of security. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Lund)

Sports

I Went to the Woods: A holiday surprise from TSA

“There a knife in here?”

A pair of skiers are among the first to board the Ptarmigan lift on the first day of the 2023-24 season at Eaglecrest Ski Area shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Eaglecrest Ski Area opens at last with fresh snow, early-season conditions

Skiers describe conditions as excellent, but ski patrol warns people to watch for hazards.

Mila Hargrave pitches for Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé against Sitka High School on June 3 during the ASAA Division II State Softball Championships. (Courtesy of JDHS Softball)

Sports

JDHS all-star softball player to pitch for U.S. team at international tournament

Mila Hargrave selected for one of 16 teams at The Cup in the Netherlands next month.

A firefighter clears loose brush from around a sequoia tree in Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park, Calif., in July 2022. (Garrett Dickman/National Park Service)

Sports

On the Trails: Fire-adapted trees

In areas subject to fairly frequent wildfires, especially surface fires, we find many plants that have evolved resistance…

People line up at the Ptarmigan lift on Sunday morning in the hope Eaglecrest Ski Area would begin limited operations during the day, but high winds prevented the lift from opening. The ski area is scheduled to begin its daily holiday schedule on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Eaglecrest Ski Area)

Sports

Eaglecrest’s attempted ‘early’ opening Sunday blown by wind, but ski area expects to open Wednesday

Heavy snow prompts effort for limited weekend opening after delays, but high winds prevent lift use.

Wrestlers for South Anchorage High School, which won the ASAA Division I state wrestling tournament on Saturday, were easy to identify by their bleach blond hair. (Steven Glasheen / Alaska Sports Report)

Sports

South Anchorage High School wins D1 wrestling title

One TMHS competitor finishes fourth; two finish sixth in weight divisions during two-day tournament.