November 2026 Edition
November 2026 Edition
On a cloud-covered, chilly day in late September, a group of seniors gathered in the men's chapel at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. We were hosted by Sarah Russell, assistant shelter director. Six of the seniors were participants in the community service employment program called MASST (Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training). Funded by the federal Department of Labor and administered by the Alaska Department of Labor, MASST recruits low-income seniors, 55 and older, to volunteer for 20 hours a...
Fifty years ago this month, Alaskans voted to establish the Alaska Permanent Fund, supporting annual dividend payments from oil revenues to residents of the state. It was the culmination of one visionary governor with a bush pilot's boldness and a homesteader's practicality who tried to ensure Alaska's black gold would benefit Alaskans for generations. The seeds for Gov. Jay Hammond's efforts were sown in 1969, when Alaska received a $900 million windfall from the Prudhoe Bay oil lease sale....
With gas and groceries costing more in Alaska, you might be trying to make some extra income. Then a text arrives offering a remote job with good pay and full benefits. The timing is so perfect that you may overlook a red flag: you never applied. Before you reply, it's worth knowing what a fake job text looks like, how these scams work, and how to check whether an offer is real. What does a fake job text look like? A fake job text often promises Alaskans more than it explains. You may see...
The semiannual Consign49 Pop-Up Consignment sale at Raven Hall on the Alaska State Fairgrounds is my favorite thrift shopping experience. It quickly outgrew its first location in the Palmer Train Depot years ago. Held every spring and fall, it is a four-day sale (Thursday through Sunday). Admission and parking are free, credit cards accepted, dressing rooms available, and large sturdy plastic shopping bags are provided. It is like shopping at a huge department store, with everything organized...
Election Day is Nov. 3. Early voting started on Oct. 19. Two resources can help you. Help to find your polling place. However, some polling places in rural Alaska have not opened. Help to locate where to vote early or how to file an absentee ballot …. The 44th annual Athabascan Music Festival is Nov. 5, beginning at 1 p.m. in Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall, 111 Clay St., Fairbanks. The event celebrates Interior Alaska culture with traditional Athabascan old-time fiddling, acoustic village...
The USS Ted Stevens, an advanced Navy destroyer, was commissioned Oct. 3 in Whittier amid much fanfare. The vessel, technically a DDG 128, is one of the newest Advanced Arleigh Burke Class (Flight III) Guided Missile Destroyer. Sen. Stevens represented Alaska as one of the longest-serving senators in history. He died in 2010 in a plane crash near Dillingham, less than two years after leaving office. Before his political career, Stevens was a decorated World War II aviator. He supported the...
The Thanksgiving Blessing is an annual event organized by the Food Bank of Alaska that provides boxes of holiday food for needy families. Several other organizations participate in helping with distribution and hundreds of volunteers lend time to the effort. This year, food boxes are available in three Alaska cities. To donate to the Food Bank of Alaska, go to https://bit.ly/4zm12e6. It costs $40 to feed a family. To volunteer, go to http...
Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, is the part of Medicare that covers most outpatient prescription drugs. Part D is offered through private companies as a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) for those enrolled in Original Medicare. Sometimes a Part D plan’s costs change or the plan no longer covers your medication(s). Today I will discuss how you can review your current plan, or choose to enroll in a new Part D plan. The goal is to ensure you have the lowest cost coverage...
In Alaska, distance has always been part of life. We measure it in miles of highway, hours on the water and flights between communities. We know what it means to live somewhere where the nearest specialist, hospital or service may be hundreds of miles away. We also know what it means to depend on one another. For an Alaskan family navigating Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, those distances can suddenly feel much greater. The changes may have started slowly. A parent begins...
A promising new test could one day act like a health radar, spotting multiple cancers and organ diseases early from a single vial of blood. Investigators are now reporting that they have developed a blood test designed to detect multiple cancers. It can pick up cancer signals from 17 broad cancer types, such as ovarian, lung, breast and colorectal cancers. Today, many of these lack adequate screening tests for early detection. Cancer blood tests are one of the many tools that healthcare...
The road ahead looks wet, but it's not. That's ice, as smooth as glass. The first clue is when your steering wheel suddenly feels light in your hands. Winter comes to Alaska's roads before the calendar says it should. By the end of October, the pavement starts playing tricks on you. There are steps you can take to make driving safer. Start with your car. A battery that worked fine in July can fail when it's 20 below zero. Check your tire pressure, wiper blades, washer fluid, antifreeze, belts,...
It was not exactly an easy drive to reach Cape Flattery. From my home in the Southeast to this furthest northwest corner of the continental United States, the trip was roughly 2,800 miles-one way. If driving nonstop, that translates to around 45 hours behind the wheel. (If driving from Anchorage, it's about the same distance). The final 20 miles or so from Sekiu, a gorgeous small fishing village overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Canada beyond, may give your passenger a few heart...
