Columns

Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)

Gimme a smile: My roommate’s name is Siri

She hasn’t brought a lot of stuff into the house, and she takes up very little space.

 

Ned Rozell/Submitted 
A map showing some of Alaska’s more unique place names.

Alaska Science Forum: What’s in an Alaska name?

I once asked a snowmachiner heading out on a trail from Nome where he was going. “Boston,” he said before speeding off. Not knowing of… Continue reading

 

Tone and Charles Deehr in Fairbanks, October 2021. (Photo courtesy Charles Deehr)

Alaska Science Forum: Red aurora rare enough to be special

Charles Deehr will never forget his first red aurora. On Feb. 11, 1958, Deehr was a student at Reed College in Portland, Ore. He asked… Continue reading

 

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Governor’s early Christmas spirit is misplaced

“I told the president, it’s like Christmas every morning,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said at last week’s staged event in Washington, D.C., where the Department of… Continue reading

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)
“Hair ice” grows from the forest floor in Fairbanks, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Ned Rozell

‘Hair ice’ enlivens an extended fall in Interior Alaska

Just when you thought you’d seen everything in the boreal forest, a reader points out white whiskers sprouting from the ground. Chris Greenfield-Pastro of Fairbanks… Continue reading

“Hair ice” grows from the forest floor in Fairbanks, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Ned Rozell
Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)

Gimme a Smile: Top ten most terrifying Halloween costumes

These last-minute costumes can likely be found throughout your home.

Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks during a press conference at the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Dunleavy hides in the shadow of Trump’s assault on free speech

Using the power of the presidency to censor anyone who recognizes that is not only un-American, it’s an act of utter cowardice

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks during a press conference at the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)
Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)

Gimme a smile: _______ is good for you

We all have different ways to fill in the blank for what is good for you

Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)
Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)
The Alaska Capitol is photographed Friday, July 11, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire)

Opinion: Alaska needs to be a smart shopper for taxes

Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry, you’ll make too many wrong choices

The Alaska Capitol is photographed Friday, July 11, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire)
FBI agents leave with boxes from the home of John Bolton, President Trump’s former national security adviser, after serving a warrant in Bethesda, Md., Aug. 22, 2025. The investigation into Bolton began to pick up momentum during the Biden administration, when U.S. intelligence officials collected information that appeared to show that he had mishandled classified information, according to people familiar with the inquiry. (Jason Andrew/The New York Times)

Opinion: Trump’s war against Americans

There’s no guarantee American democracy will survive Trump’s presidency

FBI agents leave with boxes from the home of John Bolton, President Trump’s former national security adviser, after serving a warrant in Bethesda, Md., Aug. 22, 2025. The investigation into Bolton began to pick up momentum during the Biden administration, when U.S. intelligence officials collected information that appeared to show that he had mishandled classified information, according to people familiar with the inquiry. (Jason Andrew/The New York Times)
Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)

Gimme a Smile: Time travel, 10 minutes at a time

I woke up Monday morning to the weird sight of my oven clock running 10 minutes fast

Peggy McKee Barnhill (Courtesy photo)
Guy Crockroft (Courtesy photo)

Living and Growing: Consistency — An underrated quality

How did “Steady Eddie” do it? By working hard and being consistent.

Guy Crockroft (Courtesy photo)
Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

My Turn: It’s the exact opposite of what we teach children

Breaking the rules and treating people unfairly is not the answer, even if others do it first.

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)
Win Gruening (courtesy)

Opinion: Juneau seasonal sales tax proposal is a permanent tax increase

A seasonal sales tax likely would increase the tax burden for many Juneau families

Win Gruening (courtesy)
Fred LaPlante is the pastor at Juneau Church of the Nazarene. (Courtesy photo)

Living and Growing: What’s coloring your view?

The world around me hadn’t changed — only my vision had

Fred LaPlante is the pastor at Juneau Church of the Nazarene. (Courtesy photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump begin to leave the stage after making statements following their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. After that meeting, Trump adopted Putin’s preference for pursuing a sweeping peace agreement that would require Ukraine to cede territory to Russia. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Opinion: Trump embarrasses America. Again.

What mattered to Putin at this moment in history was how easy it would be to get almost everything he wanted

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump begin to leave the stage after making statements following their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. After that meeting, Trump adopted Putin’s preference for pursuing a sweeping peace agreement that would require Ukraine to cede territory to Russia. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
An entryway to the Alaska Governor’s Mansion is seen July 11, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire)

Opinion: Good pay, free housing, free parking, 4-year contract

Applications are now being accepted for the job of governor of Alaska

An entryway to the Alaska Governor’s Mansion is seen July 11, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire)
President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Opinion: Trump is not a peacemaker

Alaska’s news sites were buzzing last week after President Donald Trump announced he would be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin somewhere in the state on… Continue reading

President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
A home is photographed on Telephone Hill in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Skip Gray/courtesy)

Living and Growing: Our green oasis

We have lost so many of our beloved spots in recent years that it would create too much sadness to destroy our our beloved refuge

A home is photographed on Telephone Hill in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Skip Gray/courtesy)
Win Gruening (courtesy)

Opinion: Sen. Dan Sullivan’s actions speak louder than his critics

He keeps proving he can deliver on his promises

Win Gruening (courtesy)