Columns

The Nogahabara Sand Dunes in the Koyukuk Wilderness Area west of Koyukuk River. (Keith Ramos / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Alaska Science Forum: Mystery of the glass tool kit in the sand

From space, the Nogahabara Dunes are a splotch of blond sand about six miles in diameter surrounded by green boreal forest. Located west of the… Continue reading

The Nogahabara Sand Dunes in the Koyukuk Wilderness Area west of Koyukuk River. (Keith Ramos / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Tari Stage-Harvey is the pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. (Photo courtesy of Tari Stage-Harvey)

Living and Growing: Mixtape for the nation

The world would be a little more beautiful if we still shared mixtapes. If you don’t know what a mixtape is, then you weren’t paying… Continue reading

Tari Stage-Harvey is the pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. (Photo courtesy of Tari Stage-Harvey)
The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Tuesday. The court granted an unprecedented expansion of executive power, worrying the country’s allies. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)

Opinion: A gift-wrapped Supreme Court decision for Republicans

On Monday, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan gave us another example of his fair-weather fidelity to the Constitution. He said the Supreme Court decision on presidential… Continue reading

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Tuesday. The court granted an unprecedented expansion of executive power, worrying the country’s allies. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)
The Assembly Room at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the original U.S. Constitutional Convention took place. (Antonie Taveneaux / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Opinion: Let’s celebrate our country this Fourth of July

On July 4, 1776, a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, steeple bells rang throughout Philadelphia. John Hancock, President of the Continental… Continue reading

The Assembly Room at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the original U.S. Constitutional Convention took place. (Antonie Taveneaux / CC BY-SA 3.0)
A bumblebee pollinates the flower of shy maiden, which will turn upward soon afterward. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)

On the Trails: Flowers, showy and otherwise

The spring and summer flower show at Cowee Meadows (way out on the Point Bridget Trail) is always a treat, and the broad uplift meadows… Continue reading

A bumblebee pollinates the flower of shy maiden, which will turn upward soon afterward. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board members, staff and advisors meet Oct. 30, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: The concerns of reasonable Alaskans isn’t ‘noise’

It’s been two months since Alaska Landmine published leaked emails that suggest Gabrielle Rubenstein, vice-chair of the Permanent Fund Board of Trustees, may have violated… Continue reading

Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board members, staff and advisors meet Oct. 30, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Photo by Pixabay under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license)

Gimme A Smile: What’s in your pockets?

You might have seen a recurring conversation online. It goes like this: the woman receives a compliment on her beautiful dress. She responds, “Yes, and… Continue reading

(Photo by Pixabay under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license)
Page Bridges of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Juneau. (Photo courtesy of Page Bridges)

Living and Growing: Not a single bug

I just read a great shocking and informative article about our treatment of creation. A photo of a field of flowers illustrates the article. The… Continue reading

Page Bridges of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Juneau. (Photo courtesy of Page Bridges)
A brush turkey on a mound the size of a car (Flickr.com photo by Doug Beckers /CC-BY-SA-2.0)

On the Trails: Nest-building by male birds

Most birds build some sort of nest where the eggs are incubated. In many species, the female does that job, and in many others both… Continue reading

A brush turkey on a mound the size of a car (Flickr.com photo by Doug Beckers /CC-BY-SA-2.0)
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom addresses the crowd during an inaugural celebration for her and Gov. Mike Dunleavy at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Jan. 20, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: The many truths Dahlstrom will deny

“Now more than ever, we need real conservative leadership in Washington to right the ship,” Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom said after earning the endorsement of… Continue reading

Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom addresses the crowd during an inaugural celebration for her and Gov. Mike Dunleavy at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Jan. 20, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Trout Unlimited's Matt Boline holds a container with coho fry for official documentation of anadromous fish use in an unnamed creek in the vicinity of Juneau. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

I Went to the Woods: Survey says…

Our floatplane cleared the notch in the snowy ridge then turned slightly north as the mountain dropped below us. The pilot gave Mark, Matt and… Continue reading

Trout Unlimited's Matt Boline holds a container with coho fry for official documentation of anadromous fish use in an unnamed creek in the vicinity of Juneau. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
(Bahá’í Community of Juneau photo)

Living and Growing: Empowering youth through service — the Baha’i Junior Youth Group in our community

We would like to take a moment to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Áakʼw Ḵwáan, the original inhabitants of Lingít… Continue reading

(Bahá’í Community of Juneau photo)
A person departs Bartlett Regional Hospital on July 26, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: The importance of a strong, independent community hospital

Juneau’s city-owned Bartlett Regional Hospital (BRH) is in the news, presenting our community with yet another challenging situation. According to hospital officials, over the last… Continue reading

A person departs Bartlett Regional Hospital on July 26, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
At least one female wood duck has invented a novel feeding technique. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)

On the Trails: Wood ducks, redstarts, yellowlegs and flowers

Mid-June, and a few days ago we saw a wood duck with two tiny chicks on Moose Lake. Another female with two fluffy ones came… Continue reading

At least one female wood duck has invented a novel feeding technique. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)
Competitors in the AlaskAcross 2024 race prepare to depart from Eagle Summit at 10 a.m. on June 8, 2024. From left are Bruno Grunau, Mark Ross, Forest Wagner, Mike Fisher, Sarah Hurkett, Clinton Brown, Tracie Curry and Curtis Henry. (Photo by Ned Rozell)

Alaska Science Forum: Journey through a sub-Arctic summer night

“You guys are the result of thousands of years of selection,” Fran Kohl said. “You haven’t scratched the surface of what you can do with… Continue reading

Competitors in the AlaskAcross 2024 race prepare to depart from Eagle Summit at 10 a.m. on June 8, 2024. From left are Bruno Grunau, Mark Ross, Forest Wagner, Mike Fisher, Sarah Hurkett, Clinton Brown, Tracie Curry and Curtis Henry. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
Downtown Juneau in late October of 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Mitigating the loss of tax revenue from cruise ship free Saturdays

The cruise ship free Saturday initiative presents us with a modified lesson in Newton’s law of motion. Every action has a reaction whether it’s equal… Continue reading

Downtown Juneau in late October of 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
Donna Leigh is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Courtesy photo)

Living and Growing: Small things

Have you ever had a small pebble in your shoe? Very irritating, that one small pebble. Have you ever had a bad day? Did a… Continue reading

Donna Leigh is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Courtesy photo)
Barn swallows firmly attach their nests to walls, so they support the weight of nestlings and visiting adults.  (Photo by Bob Amrstrong)

On the Trails: Spring to summer

Spring temperatures were cool this year, but the lengthening days gave birds the signals they needed to start the baby business. By mid-May, a few… Continue reading

Barn swallows firmly attach their nests to walls, so they support the weight of nestlings and visiting adults.  (Photo by Bob Amrstrong)
Matushka Olga Michael, a Yup’ik woman from Kwethluk. (Photo provided by Maxim Gibson)

Living and Growing: A new Alaskan saint

“God is wonderful in His saints: the God of Israel is He who will give power and strength to His people.” So proclaims the Psalmist… Continue reading

Matushka Olga Michael, a Yup’ik woman from Kwethluk. (Photo provided by Maxim Gibson)
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower after he was found guilty of all counts in his criminal trial in New York on May 30. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times)

Opinion: Trump’s new fixers

“Alaska Republicans back Trump after historic conviction in hush money case,” the Anchorage Daily News headline read as if anyone might have expected otherwise. It… Continue reading

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower after he was found guilty of all counts in his criminal trial in New York on May 30. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times)