FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) – Growing food during the Alaskan winter requires a lot of energy use, but research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) aims to use existing technologies to make the process more efficient and allow more gardeners to cultivate plants year-round.

This research ultimately comes with the goal of increasing local food production in the Interior, leading to greater food security.

“We don’t want to be dependent on other regions because you never know what can happen. We can be cut off and then food security becomes really important that we can sustain ourselves with what we can grow locally,” said Professor of Horticulture Meriam Karlsson.

UAF is hosting an hourlong seminar starting at noon on Tuesday to show members of the community where their research into light-emitting diode (LED) technology has taken them.

“There is a lot of technology and new innovations that are being developed, but not necessarily for growing plants,” Karlsson explained, “so we need to be observant and take advantage of what’s being developed in other areas, engineering and marketing, and all these other areas as well.”

These lights, which are able to be purchased by anyone, tend to be more efficient than older technology in generating light, which is a necessity for many plants to grow.

“Of course, up here, we don’t have much natural light at this time of the year, so we do need to have supplemental lighting, and that has become much more affordable… In the past, it really cost a lot of money and took a lot of energy,” Karlsson said, who is presenting the seminar.

She added that LED lights also allow for more control of the quality and spectrum of light emitted, and the university has been researching which factors are ideal for plant growth.

“It’s very different for plants depending on if we are trying to find crops that will produce… leafy greens or microgreens or just have the vegetative parts or the leaves versus reproductive and flowering because flowering often have very specific requirements, both in form of light quality and the day length,” Karlsson explained.

Currently, the university is growing fruits, vegetables and flowers at its Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station Greenhouse, attached to the Arctic Health Research Building.

With the knowledge gained, Karlsson hopes the growing season in the Interior could be expanded for both those in the industry and those who grow in their home.

“We can do it commercially, but also there is a lot of applications and a lot of opportunities for gardeners or those who want to grow something in the winter, even in their kitchen or their garage or their basement, because some of this technology can be adapted and used in all kinds of different sizes of production,” she said.

The seminar, part of a monthly series covering issues with agriculture in circumpolar regions, is open to UAF students as well as the general community, with both in-person and online attendance provided, and is expected to be available online sometime after it is completed.

Karlsson said the university is also planning a conference for a couple of years from now, dealing with agriculture in polar regions to expand collaboration with other arctic nations.

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Gov. Katie Hobbs put her focus squarely on making life more affordable for Arizonans feeling the pinch of higher costs in the final State of the State speech of her first term as governor.

Hobbs’ 45-minute speech was given to Arizona lawmakers and their guests at the state House of Representatives, but its message appeared targeted to Arizona voters stressed by risings costs. Hobbs, a Democrat seeking reelection this November, repeatedly turned back to efforts to make life more affordable, and the governor portrayed that as one area to find common ground with the Republican majority at the Capitol.

Hobbs spoke about the issue in personal terms, noting that she worked at Pizza Hut to put herself through college and took extra jobs to support her family when she was a lawmaker.  

“Affordability isn’t a joke or some hoax,” Hobbs said. “It’s a real and consequential challenge that families across Arizona must grapple with every day. Pocketbooks are strained, and Arizonans need their elected officials to take action.”

Hobbs called on lawmakers to “immediately” pass her version of a plan to replicate part of President Donald Trump’s massive tax package, signed into law in July.

The speech was light on new policy announcements, but Hobbs did reiterate her goals to create new fees on short-term rentals and data centers in order to fund aid for families to pay their utility bills and water conservation, respectively.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Three Colorado Springs figure skaters are heading to this year’s Olympics!

The City of Colorado Springs announced that Amber Glenn and pairs skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea will be on Team USA’s Olympic U.S. Figure Skating team for the 2026 Winter Games.

Glenn, Kam and O’Shea all live and train in Colorado Springs.

“Their hard work, resilience, and world-class dedication make our entire community proud,” the city said.

This year’s Olympic Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

The Olympics run from February 6 through 22.

Copyright 2026 KKTV. All rights reserved.