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Different vaccine mandates for long term care workers
The Biden administration recently rolled out several steps toward getting more Americans vaccinated with two different new rules covering more than 100 million workers and specific guidelines for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The...
Disclosing huge campaign contributions is not enough
After the 2020 election in Alaska the hidden backstory came out: GCI donated $100,000 to the national Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), which gave $380,000 to the Alaska Council on Good Government, which launched late-in-the-campaign...
American Indians have the highest COVID vaccine rate
In May 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Twitter that its COVID-19 data tracker now displays U.S. vaccination progress by race and ethnicity. The tracker,...
Concern for a loved one's medication use
Q: I have been watching the TV series “Dopesick” about opioid addiction. How do I talk to my mom‘s doctor about whether or not the medication she is on needs to be adjusted as she ages? A:...
Shopping sprees were rare and memorable
One winter while living in Slana, a couple months after our devastating 2002 Denali Fault earthquake, I took a two month leave of absence from my school aide job, and my husband, Gary, and I drove...
Alaska's island of mystery
Capt. James Cook reported seeing a tall, sail-like rock about 60 miles west of Dutch Harbor in 1778. Unbeknownst to him and his crew, a 6,000-foot volcano lay beneath the conical mountain and its...
Claude Jarman Jr. recalls family classic, "The Yearling"
Premiering in Los Angeles a few days before Christmas 75 years ago this year, "The Yearling" depicted the post-Civil War Baxter family struggling to survive in the backwoods of Florida....
Who's gonna drive you home?
Many of our Senior Voice readers will remember Ric Ocasek. He was the lead singer of a band called The Cars which had quite a few hits in the late 70s and early 80s. And if you were paying attention...
Installing Windows 11; Last minute gifts; Keeping devices connected
Q. I was able to install Windows 11 on my PC. What should I do now? A. Move that Start button back where it belongs! The Start button has been at the bottom left of my screen for decades, and that is where I think it belongs. To move it, right-click...
Top taken off campaign spending limits
It appears the sky may soon be the limit on campaign donations in Alaska. In the case Thompson v. Hebdon, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently struck down three provisions of Alaska law. With the chief justice dissenting, the two-judge...
Indigenous elders as repositories of culture
During 2020, while COVID-19 was raging across the nation, my tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, N.C., took intense measures early on, shutting down the Qualla Boundary (our...
Choosing a Medigap policy that works for you
As you may know, Original Medicare Part B covers 80 percent of the cost of most health care needs. But what about the remaining 20 percent, or even the other out-of-pocket costs like deductibles or copayments? This is where supplemental insurance pla...
Don't fall victim to the many types of elder fraud
Q: Today I read about a San Francisco couple who had $363,000 stolen from their bank accounts by their caregiver. How do I protect myself so this doesn’t happen to me? A: I read about that incident...
Not my dog: Loss and other life lessons
One November many years ago my son taught me something about how the streams of love and loss flow through our family. It was the day our dog died, an eight-and-a-half-year-old Springer spaniel named...
Anchorage's first mayor faced weighty issues
Anchorage's first mayor, elected on Nov. 29, 1920, bore the responsibility of governing a railroad town of 1,856 people after five years of Alaska Engineering Commission management ended. When Judge...
Plenty of advice from (and to) Susan Sullivan
Best known for her extensive television career that includes starring roles in shows such as "Falcon Crest," "Castle" and "Dharma and Greg," Susan Sullivan is always keen to offer advice to others and...
Putting into place the irrevocable
Lots of people get living trusts. For many folks, they’re a better way to avoid costs, disputes and delays when they shuffle off this mortal coil, as opposed to just having a will (or nothing at...
Windows 11, personalize a device, account passwords
Q. What is the latest information on the Windows 11 upgrade? A. Since I wrote about it last month, the picture is much clearer. Windows 11 will be available on October 5. Moreover, thanks to Microsoft’s refreshed PC Health Check app, you should be...
Protesters rally for state campaign finance reform
On Sept. 17, a group met outside the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Anchorage with Senator Bill Wielechowski to protest a recent decision by the 9th District Federal Court that would strike d...
Analysis: Big benefits for seniors in 'human infrastructure' proposals
Making omelets for a group of people is often a messy process, inevitably breaking a lot of eggshells. Ingredients can be changed hundreds of ways to experiment and adjust flavors. Ultimately, if it’s done well, the result is a delicious omelet...
Recruiting help when you're the 'designated' caregiver
Q: Why am I always the one everyone expects to take care of Uncle Joe? Just because I don’t have a family, it doesn’t mean there aren’t work or personal demands on my time. A: Demands of...
The effects of exercise and where you live on longevity
It’s never too late to get active A study in more than 30,000 heart patients shows that becoming active later in life can be nearly as beneficial to survival as continued activity. “These...
Immigrant puts the right foot forward
One of Anchorage's now-closed department stores can trace its roots to the Gold Rush days of the Klondike when a young Swede hunkered down with pick and ax and chipped out a small fortune. John W....
Mumy and Cartwright launch new 'Lost in Space' book
If you were a child growing up during the 1960s and a fan of sci-fi television of the day, the nostalgic value of shows like "Lost in Space" can't be overstated. Cast members Bill Mumy and Angela...
Advance directive: Gotta do it, like it or not
I used to do a lot of litigation – trial lawyer work – and I still read the decisions the Alaska Supreme Court sends out each week. There was one this spring which had me shaking my head in...
