This is the time of year when indoor houseplants come back into clear focus. Where have they been? We spent our entire summer paying attention to things outdoors. Without question, most houseplants in Alaska suffer as a result.
Given that we do have such a unique fixation with our summer flowers and vegetables, it comes as a surprise to many Alaskans that the No. 1 plant category in the U.S. now happens to be houseplants. Something about the pandemic is the probable cause. People fell in love with their plants and started to buy more.
The internet also has something to do with the heightened interest in houseplants. It is not always easy to get plants shipped up here throughout the year, but fortunately local nurseries and box stores bring them in when you cannot rely on mail, and as long as the car is heated, they can be easily transported home.
Of course, many of us in Alaska have some very special houseplants that we simply cannot let die. These were brought up the Alaska Highway when we moved here. A snippet from, say, Grandma’s Christmas cactus became instant family when settling so far away from home. Today, that Christmas cactus has extremely high sentimental value (not to mention size). So start paying attention.
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First of all, your house’s heating system has kicked in for the winter. Make sure all your plants are appropriately situated away from heat sources (as well as drafts). This is when I start getting questions about spider mites. Look for tiny mites and webs at intersections of stem and leaves and underneath leaves as well as sap under plants.
Thrips are another complaint. These tiny, annoying flies lay eggs in soil. Keep the soil surface dry or put paper over soil so females won’t lay eggs.
Humidity is sometimes of concern. My vote is to keep plants that don’t care (like mother-in-law tongues, spider plants, philodendrons — the big ones) for around the house. If you want a collection of something, say African violets or gloxinia, set up a room or a location where you can add humidity, maybe even enough to fog the windows occasionally! A humidifier works, obviously.
Of course you should clean up your plants. Get rid of dead leaves and those that are half dead as they are not coming back. Shape the plant if it needs it.
Less obvious is whether to repot a plant. If it has outgrown its container, go for it. If not, water regularly and see how it does. If it looks healthy, leave it alone.
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A little bit of store-bought compost or even homemade compost on the soil surface is a good idea. The compost should be enough, but you can add diluted commercial ferts, preferably organic if you see new growth.
One reason why you might see new growth is because you finally took my strongest advice and set up a system to provide extra light to your plants. Whether you grow a collection of plants under it or simply move plants around to give each a turn at some “sun” this winter, set things up now. You will enjoy the results for nine months, not three, and you will be able to start seeds under it, both this winter as well as next spring.
In the early days of this column, I suggested a double or quadruple, fluorescent, shop light fixture. Today I urge you to just hop on the internet and search “Indoor plant lights.” You will find something to suit your needs be it the above suggestion, T-5 bulbs or one of myriad other options. You can and should buy locally, however, if possible. We gotta stick together.
Jeff’s Alaska Garden calendar:
Alaska Botanical Garden: Have you joined? There is as much going on there in the winter as there is in the summer.
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Faucets: Did you disconnect hoses and timers and turn off the outdoor water? Had troubles in the past? Get and use a foam faucet cover.
Driveways and walks: Mark them so you know where the snow should be piled.
A Starlink satellite internet antenna sits outside a house on May 17, 2023 in Bethel, Alaska. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
The state has won a key federal approval for its plan to award nearly $630 million to more than a dozen companies to help modernize internet service in Alaska.
The money represents the largest single chunk of federal funds ever committed to improving online access across the state, officials said.
It will extend high-speed internet to more than 46,000 homes and businesses in the state, bringing at least 100 megabyte download speeds to areas currently considered “unserved” or “underserved” when it comes to digital connectivity.
Many are located in rural sections of the state. But the program will also be deployed in the outskirts of Anchorage and other cities, improving service to houses and cellphones.
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Once built, the projects will transform life even in Alaska’s most remote corners, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement.
“This will open up new opportunities for Alaskans to access jobs and education, start new businesses, and connect with healthcare providers in real time, which has not been possible until now,” he said.
The money is part of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, or BEAD.
Created in the bipartisan, Biden-era infrastructure bill, it seeks to bridge the nation’s digital divide.
The Alaska Broadband Office still awaits one last federal approval that’s viewed as a formality, officials say. But the 15 award recipients, ranging from the state’s largest telecommunications company to small tribal entities, should begin receiving final approval for the awards in the coming months, they say.
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The companies plan 29 projects to deliver fiber, wireless or satellite services, or hybrid versions.
Large providers, such as GCI and Alaska Communications, are on deck to receive more than $100 million apiece under the program.
Tiny entities are poised to also receive grants, such as the tribal government for Atka in the Aleutian Islands, set for a $4.9 million grant to deliver wireless service to 432 homes and businesses.
Christine O’Connor — head of the Alaska Telecom Association, which represents many telecommunications providers — said internet service has improved a lot in Alaska.
Two other federal programs, ReConnect and Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, have together injected about $1 billion into the state in recent years, she said.
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Those were also supported with funding from the infrastructure act.
O’Connor said this latest funding will help complete the build-out. It represents the largest federal investment at one time for improving digital connectivity in Alaska, she said.
Dozens of communities in the state still have extremely limited internet service, she said.
This will change that, allowing many families for the first time to do things like stream video-conference calls with multiple people, download movies or better promote their businesses on social media.
“If you’ve got really slow or no internet, and then all of a sudden you have a 100-megabit minimum speed, that goes from being barely able to function in the digital landscape of our world to having complete access,” she said.
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“So it’s night and day when you think of everything we do online these days,” she said.
SpaceX among the winners
Space Exploration Technologies, the owner of Starlink, is set to receive $23.6 million to deliver service to more than 15,000 homes and businesses across the state.
The win for SpaceX came after the Trump administration revised rules to create what it described as a technology neutral program that gave satellite-based providers a better chance of winning a grants over fiber, considered the gold standard for internet service.
O’Connor said that even without that revision, satellite-based internet would have been part of the grant-supported programs in Alaska, given the state’s many far-flung communities.
“It’s not cost effective or even possible to reach everyone without using some satellite capacity,” she said.
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U.S. Commerce Assistant Secretary Arielle Roth recently approved the state’s $629 million in proposed awards, the state said in a prepared statement.
The awards still must be approved by National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal agency, O’Connor said. But that’s expected to be a routine review, she said.
After that, the state will have six months to finalize the contracts, which then will start the clock on a four-year period for providers to complete the projects, she said.
In total, Alaska has been allocated $1 billion under the program.
The federal government has not yet said exactly how the remainder of the state’s allocation can be spent, O’Connor said. It will also support broadband access.
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Alaska Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski praised the approval of the state’s program, in a prepared statement. They had joined the late Republican Rep. Don Young in voting for the infrastructure act in 2021.
“These funds will go a long way toward the goal of connecting every Alaskan” and unlock telehealth, education and business opportunities, Sullivan said.
“Importantly, it will better allow Alaskans to connect with one another,” he said.
GCI will expand rural network
GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications company, is set to receive three grants, said Megan Webb, a spokesperson.
She said federal approval of the state’s proposal is a “major milestone for Alaska.”
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It comes after years of planning by telecommunications companies, she said.
The largest grant to GCI, at $115 million, will help expand the company’s rural Airraq network, adding 16 villages in Southwest Alaska, Webb said.
The plan involves hybrid services using fiber and microwave, to improve slow internet speeds in those communities, she said.
The locations include Mountain Village, Chefornak, St. Mary’s, Mekoryuk, Kipnuk, Goodnews Bay and Togiak, she said.
The company also won two additional grants, totaling almost $6 million, to improve service on the fringes of Anchorage and Eagle River.
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That will be useful for first responders in remote areas, cellphone users and households, she said.
“It will improve access to broadband and support improved mobile connectivity in Ship Creek, Bear Valley, Rabbit Creek and the south fork of Eagle River,” she said.
ACS adding thousands of homes
Alaska Communications is set to receive three grants totaling more than $123 million.
The company plans to deliver fiber and advanced wireless infrastructure to over 9,000 homes and businesses. It also plans to invest $26.7 million of its own capital to extend broadband to an additional 12,000 locations, said Heather Cavanaugh, a spokesperson.
The expansion will deliver speeds of up to a gigabyte in Anchorage, Bird Creek and Indian; along with communities on the Kenai Peninsula, such as Hope, and Kodiak Island, Cavanaugh said. Fairbanks, Manley Hot Springs, Salcha and Delta Junction areas will also see the improved service.
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“This investment will make a real difference for families, students, healthcare providers and entrepreneurs who rely on strong connectivity to thrive,” said Paul Fenaroli, president of Alaska Communications, in a prepared statement.
Quintillion has been selected for two projects totaling $48 million, to extend its Arctic fiber network in the Lower Yukon region and on St. Lawrence Island.
“In the Lower Yukon region, Quintillion will extend connections from its Nome-to-Homer Express fiber backbone and build local fiber networks within each community,” said Michael “Mac” McHale, president of the company.
“Some locations will connect to the backbone through existing microwave links, while others will connect directly via fiber,” he said in a prepared statement.
“On St. Lawrence Island, the project will deploy fiber-to-the-home networks supported by satellite backhaul due to the island’s remote location,” he said.
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SpitwSpots, launched about 20 years ago to provide hotspot service on the Homer spit, is set to receive $16.7 million. It will also invest some of its own capital to support the project.
The company plans to provide fixed wireless service in the Matanuska Valley, Kenai and Kodiak areas, state records show.
SpitwSpots, whose programs include discounted or free service for low-income households, has recently expanded into the Anchorage market, said Aaron Larson, the company’s founder.
He said there are over 2,000 unserved houses and buildings in Anchorage.
“You’d be surprised,” he said. “There’s a lot of places that don’t have any access to internet, or only have access to DSL,” he said, referring to old, slow digital subscriber lines.
“Looking for Alaska,” by John Green, was added to Utah’s growing list of prohibited titles.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) People read together in the Capitol Rotunda as part of a read-in to protest Utah book bans, hosted by Let Utah Read, in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
The Freeride World Tour Finals officially kicked off in the most high-stakes arena on the planet: the steep, spine-chilling faces of Haines, Alaska. After an eight-year hiatus from this specific venue, the Tour returned to find a massive 740-meter vertical drop draped in 20 cm of fresh powder. For the riders who made the cut, this wasn’t just another competition; it was a heavy test of survival and style in the world’s most technical big mountain terrain.
Photo: C Arisman // Freeride World Tour
A Historic Return to the Alaskan Spines
The YETI Alaska Haines Pro proved why this location is the “dream stop” for freeriders. The face was a technical maze of vertical flutes and massive cliff bands that demanded absolute focus from every athlete. Competing on a sustained pitch of 45 degrees, there was zero room for error. The legendary Alaskan terrain lived up to its reputation, as the technical descent took its toll on many, with only half of the ski women and half of the ski men making it to the finish corral without a crash.
Ski Men: A Career Milestone for Rafford
The Ski Men’s field delivered one of the closest finishes in history, with only 1.67 points separating the entire podium. In the end, it was American Toby Rafford who left the crowd speechless, securing his first-ever FWT victory.
He showcased incredible speed and precision, navigating a rock field that resembled a World Cup slalom course at Mach 10.
His score of 90.67 propelled him into first place in the overall rankings, earning him the Golden Bib heading into the season finale.
Ugo Troubat (FRA) took second place with impeccable “Air & Style” and a huge 360 of his own, while Ross Tester (USA) rounded out the podium, pioneering a new line on the rider’s right side and stomping two giant 360s.
Ski Women: Blanjean’s Masterful Control
The Ski Women faced an all-or-nothing day on the face, but Sybille Blanjean (SUI) proved that control is king.
Blanjean delivered a masterful performance, lacing her turns avoiding the heavy slough piles that claimed several other competitors.
Her run featured a solid big air, earning her 75.67 points and her first victory of the season.
This win moves her into the top spot just in time for the finals at her home mountain.
Rookies Lou Barin (FRA) and Zoé Delzoppo (FRA) followed in second and third, the next generation of French rippers.
Snowboard Men: De Le Rue’s Masterclass
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In the Snowboard Men’s category, the legend of Victor de Le Rue (FRA) continued to grow. A four-time world champion, de Le Rue used his bag of tricks and experience to dismantle the Alaskan face.
He opened his run with a massive frontside 540 right off the initial cornice, a trick rarely seen in FWT competition.
His ability to manage heavy slough was a masterclass in big mountain control, linking technical freeride sections with freestyle flair.
This dominant performance earned him 91.67 points, securing the victory and reinforcing his position at the top of the overall rankings.
Snowboard Women: Mia Jones Dominates the Deep
Women’s Snowboard saw rookie Mia Jones, part of the Teton Gravity Research family, dominate steep lines.
In her first-ever trip to the Alaskan spines, Jones looked like a seasoned veteran, earning a massive 91.00 points.
She demonstrated excellent sluff management and precise control through the steep terrain, maintaining impressive speed from top to bottom.
Jones’ win on home turf provides a boost to her confidence as she carries the Golden Bib into the title races.
The Road to Verbier: Who Will Claim the Crown?
As the snow settles in Haines, the focus shifts to the final showdown: the Bec des Rosses in Verbier, Switzerland. With the points from Alaska shaking up the leaderboard, the title races are wider open than ever. Toby Rafford and Sybille Blanjean are carrying the momentum (and the Golden Bibs) into the Alps, but with the steep, technical face of the Bec waiting, anything can happen.
Haines reminded us why Alaska is the ultimate proving ground, but Verbier will decide who enters the history books. Stay tuned to TGR as we follow the crew to Switzerland to see who survives the final drop of the 2026 season.
Marlee Knight
Content & Event Coordinator
Marlee Knight is a Content & Event Coordinator at Teton Gravity Research, helping support film premieres, events, and the stories that bring the action sports community together. When she’s not working, she’s usually outside — snowboarding, backpacking, or out with a camera.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/HVCTCTSJEZE4XFZSQJS2WVBUEA.jpg?ssl=1 "Give your houseplants a little love and they’ll help you get through winter")
