Column

Photo courtesy of the UAF Geophysical Institute
Carl Benson pauses during one of his traverses of Greenland in 1953, when he was 25.

Carl Benson embodied the far North

Carl Benson’s last winter on Earth featured 32 consecutive days during which temperatures in his chosen town did not rise above zero degrees Fahrenheit. “It’s… Continue reading

 

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Minister’s Message: Rhythms and routines

Your habits are already forming you.

 

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Dunleavy writing constitutional checks he can’t cover

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in the final year of his 2,918-day, two-term career in the job, is picking at the plate of a long-term fiscal plan… Continue reading

 

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Minister’s Message: So your life story can be better

Last month the Christmas story was displayed in nativity scenes, read about from the Bible and acted out in church pageants. The excitement of the… Continue reading

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Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: It’s OK not to be one of the beautiful people

This is for all of us who don’t have perfect hair — and for those of us with no hair left to style, fluff, slick… Continue reading

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)
Van Abbott.

Looting the republic

A satire depicting the systematic extraction of wealth under the current U.S. regime.

Van Abbott.
Six-foot-six Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres possesses one of the fastest slap shots in the modern game. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell

The physics of skating and slap shots

When two NHL hockey players collide, their pads and muscles can absorb enough energy to power a 100-watt light bulb for a minute and a… Continue reading

Six-foot-six Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres possesses one of the fastest slap shots in the modern game. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell
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Minister’s Message: The longest distance

It is very common today to be able to measure everything. Just my watch can pinpoint where I am globally while also calculating my steps… Continue reading

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Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Trying to deny voters a choice is getting to be a bad habit

Alaskans this fall will vote for the third time whether they prefer open primary elections to choose their favorite candidates for Congress, governor and the… Continue reading

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)
Pam Groves of the University of Alaska Fairbanks looks at bones of ancient creatures she has gathered over the years from northern rivers. The remains here include musk oxen, steppe bison and mammoth. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell

What killed the world’s giants?

Most of the large animals that have walked the surface of Earth are no longer here. Why? Dan Mann thinks it’s because our recent climate… Continue reading

Pam Groves of the University of Alaska Fairbanks looks at bones of ancient creatures she has gathered over the years from northern rivers. The remains here include musk oxen, steppe bison and mammoth. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell
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Minister’s Message: Relating to people on a deeper level

One of the real benefits of working with people in ministry is the opportunity to relate to people on a deeper level. When I entered… Continue reading

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Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Reelection should not be the measure of success

The Alaska Legislature will reconvene in Juneau in less than two weeks, with a stack of difficult issues weighing on lawmakers: School funding, disaster rebuilding,… Continue reading

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)
A 9-year-old female wolf with a satellite collar limps alongside the highway near Denali National Park in February 2019. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell

The Riley Creek pack’s sole survivor

As I was driving down the highway one spring day eight years ago, I saw a shaggy, gray-black canine cruising along on the snowpack, right… Continue reading

A 9-year-old female wolf with a satellite collar limps alongside the highway near Denali National Park in February 2019. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell
UAF seismologist Carl Tape, age 9, stands outside on his family’s Fairbanks deck at minus 50 degrees F on Jan. 23, 1989. “Carl was ahead of his time,” said Rick Thoman. “Now people pose in front of the UAF sign.” Photo courtesy Walt Tape

Fuzzy memories of a real Alaska cold snap

More than 35 years have ticked away since I turned my pickup left onto a North Pole road and noticed the clutch pedal remained on… Continue reading

UAF seismologist Carl Tape, age 9, stands outside on his family’s Fairbanks deck at minus 50 degrees F on Jan. 23, 1989. “Carl was ahead of his time,” said Rick Thoman. “Now people pose in front of the UAF sign.” Photo courtesy Walt Tape
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Minister’s Message: God’s gift to us

Another Christmas in the bag. Another round of wrapped boxes deconstructed. Another season saturated in the story of a baby born in a manger all… Continue reading

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Community members enjoy skating at Kevin Bell Arena during the Christmas Eve community free skate on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)

Out of the Office: A metaphor on ice

I went ice skating for the first time in years last week, during the annual community Christmas Eve skate at Kevin Bell Arena. The last… Continue reading

Community members enjoy skating at Kevin Bell Arena during the Christmas Eve community free skate on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Seismologist Carl Tape stands at the site of Dome City in summer 2025. Dome City ghosted out many years ago, but not before miners unearthed many fossils, some of which they donated to the University of Alaska. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell

A whale of a mammoth tale

Matthew Wooller couldn’t believe his ears after a California researcher rang his cellphone recently. The radiocarbon expert said a few of Wooller’s submitted fossils were… Continue reading

Seismologist Carl Tape stands at the site of Dome City in summer 2025. Dome City ghosted out many years ago, but not before miners unearthed many fossils, some of which they donated to the University of Alaska. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell
Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Low oil prices a ‘bah humbug’ for state treasury

It’s the season of warm wishes, goodwill, families and friends. It’s a time for gifts, sharing old memories and making new memories with the new… Continue reading

Larry Persily. (Juneau Empire file photo)
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Minister’s Message: Love born to endure

I spend time with people in the final chapters of their lives. In those moments, people speak with remarkable clarity about the things that matter… Continue reading

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A 1958 earthquake on the Fairweather Fault that passes through Lituya Bay shook a mountaintop into the water and produced a wave that reached 1,740 feet on the hillside in the background, shearing off rainforest spruce trees. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell

A wrinkle beneath the icy face of Alaska

A few days ago, the forces beneath Alaska rattled people within a 500-mile radius: A magnitude 7 earthquake ripped under Hubbard Glacier. The earthquake’s main… Continue reading

A 1958 earthquake on the Fairweather Fault that passes through Lituya Bay shook a mountaintop into the water and produced a wave that reached 1,740 feet on the hillside in the background, shearing off rainforest spruce trees. Photo courtesy Ned Rozell