Scott Jensen

For one week in each summer month, the APU Nordic and the U.S. Ski Teams train together high above Girdwood in a faux winter setting. The snow on Eagle Glacier at about 5,500 feet above sea level doesn’t all melt away in temperatures that reach into the 50s. It’s a perfect setting for these elite athletes … Continue reading Winter ski training in July

The Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program hosted 52 middle school students this week from across the state for a class on drone building, testing and operation. Drones are also known as unmanned aerial vehicles. This program is an effort to get students at a young age interested in science, technology, engineering and math.

Downtown Anchorage is not immune to the “Pokemon Go” craze. On Tuesday afternoon, dozens of players of the augmented reality game buried their faces in their smartphones as they walked through Town Square Park, and on Fifth and Sixth avenues, among other areas in town. One player, Dimanche Lek, took some time to explain the game … Continue reading Here is one man’s obsession with ‘Pokemon Go’

Popular interest in the technical and production achievements of the Alaska Dispatch News video story “Cars fly on the Fourth of July” inspired ADN multimedia journalist Scott Jensen to produce a companion video that answers many of the questions he received after the first story’s publication on July 5, 2016. In this video, Jensen explains his … Continue reading The making of ‘Cars fly on the Fourth of July’

Glacier View celebrated the Fourth of July with lots of food, a parade and an airplane flyover. They also launched three vehicles off the bluff.

Alaska Peony Distributors gave away flowers to their guests at an event on Monday to acknowledge the beginning Alaska’s short peony harvesting season, which runs from late June to early September. “Our climate, our position on the globe allows us to grow peonies later than anybody else,” said APD managing partner Mike Williams. “The demand never diminishes. … Continue reading If you’re concerned about Alaska’s economic challenges, maybe you could start a peony farm

Related story: ‘Day of reckoning’: Gov. Walker vetoes millions in spending, caps Permanent Fund dividend at $1,000

Each spring, the Anchorage Museum pits its Muse restaurant chefs against foodie guests from the community in an “Iron Chef” style cookoff in which competitors can use only camp stoves. This year, Heather Kelly, owner of Heather’s Choice Meals, created a simple camp meal of deviled eggs, salmon, green beans and rice. Muse chef Brad Harris created … Continue reading Chefs compete using only camp stoves

Joining many of Alaska’s budding marijuana businesses, Destiny Neade and her husband plan to open the retail portion of Frozen Budz this fall with an Alaska theme. Since they’re in Fairbanks, their self-proclaimed “farthest-north cannabis” tagline might have a shot at being true. They pride themselves on being homemade. Eventually, the Neades want to grow cannabis commercially, but for now they’re … Continue reading Fairbanks’ home-grown, one-stop pot shop

Great Land Trust threw a party yesterday evening at the top of Bodenburg Butte in Palmer for the hundred or so who made the one-and-a-half mile, nearly 900-foot climb. It was to celebrate the closing of a real estate deal that transferred 40 acres from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to Great Land Trust. … Continue reading Celebrating Bodenburg Butte with a summit party

Ultimately, it wasn’t difficult for Rosie Creek Farm owner Mike Emers to make the decision that he hopes will earn his family a significant pay raise. But there are drawbacks. Growing cannabis outside means paying for an eight-foot fence to surround his fields and installing cameras to cover the property. He is also dealing with concerns about safety and security for his … Continue reading Fairbanks farmer prepares to grow cannabis

As part of the International Conference on Bear Research and Management being held in Anchorage this week, National Outdoor Leadership School Curriculum Manager John Gookin is holding public demonstrations through Wednesday on the Park Strip, at Ninth Avenue and G Street, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. [There’s no good way to sugarcoat it: ‘I bear … Continue reading Watch an expert demonstrate how to use bear spray

On Saturday morning, the Anchorage neighborhood of Mountain View will celebrate its latest public art sculpture at the corner of Mountain View Drive and Park Street. “Whale Song” is a five-foot bronze sculpture of a whale flipping water onto its tail. Alaska birds and animals are carved into its fins and fluke. The sculpture is meant to … Continue reading Mountain View sculpture is a labor of love for this Anchorage artist

Chena Hot Springs Resort owner Bernie Karl has a lot of ideas intended to create a utopia of environmental sustainability at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road outside Fairbanks. Karl says Chena Hot Springs is in the middle of a 20-year development plan, which already includes a geothermal plant that began operating in 2006. It … Continue reading Take a trip with Chena Hot Springs Resort owner Bernie Karl

The kings have arrived at Ship Creek. The Bait Shack owner Dustin Slinker estimates 150-170 chinooks have been caught since May 13, just in the area of the creek around his business on West Whitney Road. At times, about 15 salmon were seen this week gathered underneath the pedestrian bridge just upriver of the cable … Continue reading In search of chinook salmon at Ship Creek