Jonathan Grass

Alaska's 477th Fighter Group can trace its roots directly to the famed Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. This heritage was honored when Lucasfilm recently gave select reservists an early screening of the company's new film "Red Tails."

In the dead of winter, the air outside swings past zero on the Fahrenheit scale around the Anchorage area. Farther north around Fairbanks, it gets even colder. But none of this dissuades tourists who see this as a time to take in some of the attractions that have built Alaska's tourism reputation.

Alaska's home construction continues to follow national patterns: first up, then down, now maybe up again, according to an Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development report published in the December issue of Alaska Economic Trends magazine.

Black bears in residential neighborhoods aren't exactly unheard of in Juneau. While many people stay inside when bears are about, one local woman says she had a different instinct when she saw her dog was in trouble.

Books about seaweeds aren't a common sight on bookstore shelves, so two local authors took it on themselves to change that.

Selling Alaska Native art is a big draw downtown, but some shopkeepers and artists say stocking it on the shelves isn't as easy as it used to be.