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Dorothy Thomson stands while giving a thumbs down as Gov. Mike Dunleavy gives his State of Alaska Address during the 2019 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019. The 2019 convention was the last in-person convention as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the meeting to go digital for the second year in a row. (Eric Engman/Fairbanks Daily News-Miner via AP)

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‘Relationships are key’: AFN Convention brings leaders to the table

All levels of leadership.

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Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board ousts CEO Rodell

The board that oversees Alaska’s multibillion dollar investment portfolio on Thursday removed Angela Rodell as chief executive officer.

Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer is seen on the floor of the Alaska House on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, in Juneau, Alaska. Meyer, a Republican who oversees elections in Alaska, in November 2020, announced plans for a hand-count review of votes cast on a successful ballot initiative, which would change how elections in Alaska are conducted, casting the review as a way to calm questions that had been raised about the validity of election results. The Associated Press received emails on Nov. 30, 2021, hat were received by Meyer’s office with complaints or concerns about the election, more than a year after they were requested. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

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Email complaints scarce before ballot review

By Becky Bohrer

A student pets Wilson, a therapy dog, in a hallway at French Middle School, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, in Topeka, Kan. The dog is one of the tools designed to relieve stresses faced by students as they return to classrooms amid the ongoing pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Health officials: Youth mental health issues, suicides worsened by pandemic

Anxiety and depression.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy spoke with reporters at the Alaska Governor's Mansion on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, before greeting guests for the traditional Christmas open house. The event was suspended last year due to COVID-19 but was back this year with limited health mitigation rules in place. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

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Juneauites fill Governor’s Mansion as annual open house returns

Kids more interested in cookies than governor.

Astronaut Candidate Deniz Burnham, of ASCAN Class of 2021, poses for an official photo on Dec. 3, 2021. (Robert Markowitz / NASA)

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‘Find a passion and stay the course’: Burnham joins newest group of astronauts

From the Last Frontier to the Final Frontier.

A joint investigation between the FBI and Canadian law enforcement agencies resulted in the arrest of a Canadian man for cybercrimes on Nov. 30, 2021. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

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Canadian man indicted in international cybercrime case

His attacks targeted State of Alaska computers as well as Canadian ones.

An Alaska Seaplanes Pilatus PC-12 sits on the tarmac at Yakutat Airport on Dec. 5, 2021, a charter flight to help stranded travelers leave after an airport instrument failure prevented any commercial flights from reaching the small city. The National Weather Service is currently working on fixing the problem. (Courtesy photo / Norton Gregory)

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Yakutat airport weather instrument malfunction strands travelers

Without the dead sensor, commercial flights can’t land there, severely limiting travel options.

This photo provided by NASA shows its 2021 astronaut candidate class, announced on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. The 10 candidates stand for a photo at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Dec. 3, 2021. From left are U.S. Air Force Maj. Nichole Ayers, Christopher Williams, U.S. Marine Corps Maj. (retired.) Luke Delaney, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jessica Wittner, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anil Menon, U.S. Air Force Maj. Marcos Berríos, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jack Hathaway, Christina Birch, U.S. Navy Lt. Deniz Burnham, and Andre Douglas. (Robert Markowitz / NASA)

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NASA’s 10 new astronauts: pilots, doctor, physicist, cyclist

An Alaskan is among those selected.

This February 2020 file photo shows the Alaska state flag on the bow of the MV Matanuska at the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal. The infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress includes significant funding for the ferry system, but coastal communities are still feeling the pinch of reduced service. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

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Infrastructure bill will boost ferries, but winter service still sparse

New funds, old problems.

This 2010 photo shows the soon-to-be-replaced Tustumena come into Homer after spending the day in Seldovia. Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced on Saturday the state would be replacing the ferry. The replacement vessel has not yet been named, and a statewide contest will be held to name the new vessel, Dunleavy said. (Homer News File)

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State begins process of replacing ferry Tustumena

The state also has other plans for updating the marine highway.

Coast Guardsmen and state employees load the Together Tree bound for the Alaska Governor’s Mansion on a truck on Nov. 29, 2021. The annual open house at the governor's mansion is back this year, after having been suspended last year due to COVID-19. (USCG photo / Petty Officer 2nd Class Lexie Preston)

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Christmas open house at governor’s mansion returns

Open to all.

AP Photo / Jae C. Hong Air China flight crew members in hazmat suits walk through the arrivals area Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport. The U.S. on Wednesday reported its first case of the omicron variant.

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Biden to announce testing, booster expansion

Announcement Thursday.

A flu shot is administered at a free vaccine clinic in Juneau on Nov. 23, 2021, and on Thursday health officials nationwide urged people to get inoculated for both COVID-19 and the flu ahead of the holiday season. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire file)

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Health officials push vaccines, boosters to combat variant

A lot of unknowns.

A man missing for more than 40 years was identified by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation as a Chugiak resident who was last seen in 1979 before being discovered murdered years before on an island near Anchorage in 1989. (Courtesy photo / Alaska Department of Public Safety)

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Body found in ’80s ID’d with DNA analysis

The body, found in 1989, had been unidentified until now.

Nick Begich III, seen here in this undated photo, is challenging Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives saying Alaska needs new energy in Washington D.C. (Courtesy photo / Alaskans for Nick Begich)

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Nick Begich III touts fiscal conservatism in U.S. House race

Young is old.

This photo shared under a Creative Commons license shows Wrangell. About 100 homes were without power on Wednesday with the outage expected to extend into Thursday. Power was knocked out by high winds on Tuesday afternoon. (Courtesy Photo / Wikimedia)

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High winds knock out power in ‘about 100’ homes in Wrangell

Multiple downed trees knocked out high-voltage lines.

fund

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Study: PFD increases spending on kids among low-income families

More research needed.

People pass through Waterloo train station, in London, during the morning rush hour, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. The new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European countries on Saturday, just days after being identified in South Africa, leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the spread. No cases have yet been reported in Alaska, according to the Department of Health and Social Services. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

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Health officials urge caution and calm amid new variant

No cases confirmed in Alaska but officials urged vaccinations.

Rep. Chris Kurka, R-Wasilla, leaves the chambers of the Alaska House of Representatives on Friday, March 19, 2021, after an hour of delays concerning the wording on his mask. On Monday, Kurka announced he was running for governor in 2022. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

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Wasilla Rep announces gubernatorial bid

Open primaries and ranked choice.