ongass Trading Company in Ketchikan has supplied Alaskans and visitors for decades with everything from mining gear to prom tuxedos to vacation mementos. From its earliest days as a mining supplier, maturing to match the needs of evolving regional industries, and growing into its multi-layered modern presence today, it has spent 125-plus years planting roots and growing strong into its identity as an essential player in the Southeast economy.

Now big changes are ahead for this Ketchikan staple. In January 2026, Tongass Trading Company will split its business into two operations, retaining curio sales under the longstanding Tongass Trading Company banner and standing up a new business called Tongass Outfitters that will sell all other items under the operations umbrella.

rofessional accounting firms are vital components of Alaska’s business environment, providing bookkeeping, auditing, tax preparation, financial advisory, and a host of other offerings.

The variety of beans in a bean-counting salad includes accounting solutions to help clients optimize operations, comply with regulatory standards, and thrive. Accounting and bookkeeping services range from general ledger and financial statement preparation to computerized payroll and business tax report preparation. Auditing ensures financial records are accurate and comply with regulatory standards, thereby enhancing transparency and trust among stakeholders. Tax preparation services help businesses navigate the complexities of tax legislation, optimizing tax liabilities, and ensuring timely filing to avoid penalties. And financial advisory services offer strategic insights and guidance in areas like investment opportunities, risk management, and long-term financial planning.

laskans now have the option to put their ID at their fingertips with the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) new mobile identification card (mID). The mobile credential, which became available to the public in March, is a digital representation of the information included on an Alaska driver’s license, state-issued ID card, or permit that is accessed through an app on the ID holder’s smart device. The mobile credential enhances security and privacy by putting the user in control of the information shared when verifying their identity with third parties.

“Instead of handing over your driver’s license to strangers—which has your name, address, date of birth, all this information—with the mobile credential, you will be able to simply verify that you’re over the age of 18 or over the age of 21,” says DMV Division Operations Manager Lauren Whiteside. “You don’t have to share additional information if you don’t want to.”

oel Caldwell was passionately focused on serving his community in Kenai with local scheduled commuter airline service when he purchased Kenai Aviation in 2018 with his son Jacob. Actually, the Caldwells were just breathing a second life into the oldest family business in Kenai, dating to the year of Alaska statehood.

Bob Bielefeld left California for Alaska in 1959, lured by lucrative work on the Swanson River oil find. The young pilot soon saw a need for aviation support in oil field services. He purchased a Piper Tri-Pacer in 1961 and began performing pipeline surveys and hauling passengers and materials for oil companies in the Cook Inlet region under his new company, Kenai Aviation.

ivery is a uniform. In Medieval Europe, clothes delivered to servants as part of room and board marked them as part of the household. Before long, horses wore the same colors, and then carriages. By extension, livery refers to the unifying paint scheme of any vehicle fleet, allowing planespotters, for instance, to identify an airline by tail markings.

At its core, aviation livery is a marketing tool that communicates the essence of an airline carrier. However, liveries also tell stories about location, collaborations, and culture. Some air carriers have changed their designs very little over the decades, while others have special graphics used for a limited time and purpose. In all cases, the goal is to have a lasting impact on customers and the communities in which the plane flies.

hwump-thwump-thwump. The noise from rotor blades is hard to ignore as choppers fly overhead. They could be on their way to any number of important jobs. Helicopters play a critical role in emergency services, including search and rescue, medical evacuations, and firefighting. Helicopters transport equipment and provide access to remote construction sites. They are employed in logging operations, aerial surveys, and geological studies. Helicopters facilitate the study of Arctic environments, wildlife, and various scientific fields. Helicopters are vital in the travel and tourism industry, offering distinctive scenic tours and access to remote locations such as glaciers and wildlife observation sites. Alaska’s oil and gas industry also relies on helicopters. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company engages aviation providers for integrity surveillance and emergency preparedness along the 800-mile route.

The multidimensional maneuverability of rotorcraft suits them to tasks that fixed-wing airplanes can’t match, so helo drivers have set up shop to satisfy that demand. Here are some examples.

rom the depths of the Great Recession in 2009, a conduit of federal funding has plugged municipalities and tribes into a pot of money for transportation infrastructure. Prior to the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program, US Department of Transportation (USDOT) grants were reserved mainly for states or transit agencies.

The program known as TIGER was rebranded in 2017 as BUILD, or Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development. Another rebranding followed in 2021, when it became the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. In that form, Alaska communities tapped into funding for highways and ports.

Alaska is expected to receive more than $47 million from the latest round of RAISE grants to invest in critical transportation projects. Some of those are shovel ready, but others might see additional bureaucratic hurdles before the money can be spent.

he Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) continues to adapt and evolve as it fulfills its crucial role connecting coastal communities across Southeast. Recent developments in funding mechanisms, fleet renovations, and service schedules highlight both the challenges and innovations that keep this essential transportation network afloat.

ood news on greenhouse gas emissions. The United States has continued to decrease its output of carbon dioxide (CO2), never again rising above the 2007 peak. From 6 billion tons per year, the country is down to about 5 billion tons, despite an increased population and higher economic productivity. Per capita emissions, otherwise known as an individual’s carbon footprint, have likewise declined.

The silver lining doesn’t change the fact that the very thin cloud of CO2 in the atmosphere still traps more heat than in pre-industrial times, warming the global climate. In Alaska, the US Environmental Protection Agency reports that, over the past sixty years, most of the state has warmed 3°F on average and 6°F during winter.

stimations and scheduling are among the core functions of building contractors, as surely as moving earth or erecting walls. Yet smaller companies might choose to outsource those tasks, or large and complex projects might need extra support. Companies providing that support are in the construction business for sure, but they are not builders themselves.

“The easy way to describe it is that we’re there to remove obstacles for the project,” says Mike Kruse, Alaska location leader for Arcadis, a global full-service engineering consulting firm. Services beyond engineering include Kruse’s specialties: project management and construction management.

“Our bread-and-butter project is a client building new construction or remodeling an existing facility, something outside of their normal wheelhouse,” he says. “We come in and provide staff augmentation and expertise on project delivery. We help them from inception to close-out completion, into the warranty phase, and even getting them operationally moved in.” Post-construction activation and pre-construction preparation are, in his view, trickier than the relatively straightforward execution of a building plan.

oward the end of March, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) biologists head skyward in a spotter plane to look for the milky signs of milt that signal spring and the start of sac roe and spawn-on-kelp herring season in Southeast. Spotters report the length of the milt, which can extend for miles, and the number of predators about.

“Typically, sac roe and spawn-on-kelp fisheries occur in the spring—in March, April, and May—with fisheries occurring later as you move north in the state,” says Acting Director of Commercial Fisheries Forrest Bowers. “Timing depends on herring spawn occurrence, which usually occurs earlier in warmer springs and later in colder springs. Food and bait fisheries typically occur in the winter from October through February. Specific openings are established through emergency order.”

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