A pedestrian walks past a pair of Christmas trees in Town Square Park on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 10, 2020. (Bill Roth / ADN)
The holiday season is a time of giving, but for many Alaskans, this season means tightening belts instead. Between rising costs, inflation and the lingering impacts of tariffs and supply chain disruptions, burdens may feel heavier than usual.
That’s exactly why it matters where we spend what we can, keeping dollars local.
This Small Business Saturday, on Nov. 29, the Alaska Small Business Development Center, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Visit Anchorage and the Small Business Administration are inviting Alaskans to take a small but meaningful step: pledge to spend at least 10% of your holiday gifting with local businesses.
Because in Alaska, sticking together isn’t just something we say, it’s a way of life.
Advertisement
Consider a $100 purchase. If bought from a major online retailer or national chain, about $22 stays in Alaska — mostly covering shipping, logistics and applicable local wages. The rest flows to corporate headquarters, distant warehouses and out-of-state shareholders.
Spend that same $100 at an Alaskan-owned business and about $63 stays here at home. It pays employee salary and benefits, allowing them to save for college or a first home, and to stay and grow their careers here. It supports local manufacturers and artists, suppliers and service providers. It funds youth sports, sponsorships and nonprofit donations. One purchase. Multiple local impacts.
The visible difference is keeping our main streets alive and our neighbors employed.
Buy Alaska: Go local first
We know shopping local isn’t always easy. Prices can feel higher, and options can be harder to find, especially across such a vast state.
Advertisement
That’s why BuyAlaska.com was created. This free online directory connects shoppers with more than 1,200 Alaskan-owned businesses across our great state. You can search by product, service or location, from Utqiagvik to Ketchikan, and discover just how many local options already exist. BuyAlaska also helps businesses find local suppliers through the B2B Exchange, keeping even more money circulating among Alaskans.
The 10% shift
Redirecting just 10% of your regular purchases to Alaska-owned businesses could keep hundreds of millions of dollars in our economy. That money fuels paychecks, keeps doors open and gives small-business owners breathing room to weather rising costs and invest in growth.
Before you click “add to cart,” check BuyAlaska.com. If there’s a local option, choose it. If not, that’s OK, just look for the next opportunity. Every small shift adds up.
Alaska’s entrepreneurs operate in one of the most complex business environments in the country: high shipping costs, unpredictable seasons and supply chains that stretch across oceans. Yet they continue to adapt, innovate and show up for their communities.
Advertisement
They’re not just business owners, they’re our neighbors, parents at the hockey rink, and volunteers at local schools. Nearly 140,000 Alaskans work for small businesses. When they thrive, so does Alaska.
Your economy, your choice
Downtown Anchorage will kick off Small Business Saturday with local deals, community events and the annual Holiday Tree Lighting, a bright start to the season. But the opportunity to support each other extends far beyond one weekend.
Leave a positive review on a small business you frequent. Share your favorite local finds. Take the 10% Challenge and encourage others to do the same.
Our state’s economy grows stronger when we grow together. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of community we want, one that is resilient, connected and uniquely Alaskan.
Advertisement
This Small Business Saturday, and every day, you have the power to help Alaska thrive, one meaningful choice at a time.
Kendra Conroy is acting state director and associate state director, UAA Alaska SBDC.
Gretchen Fauske is director of Special Programs & Strategy, UAA Alaska SBDC.
Radhika Krishna is executive director of the Anchorage Downtown Partnership.
Julie Saupe is president and CEO of Visit Anchorage.
Advertisement
Kathleen McArdle is president and CEO of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.
• • •
The Anchorage Daily News welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.
Alaska Airlines has given its chief financial officer, Shane Tackett, another responsibility — president. Tackett will assume his additional role at the SeaTac-based airline on June 29. (M. Scott Brauer/Bloomberg)
Alaska Airlines has given its chief financial officer, Shane Tackett, another responsibility — president.
Tackett will assume his additional role at the SeaTac-based airline on June 29, according to a news release Wednesday.
Tackett will continue leading the organization’s finance, fleet management, investor relations, supply chain, internal audit and information technology functions, according to the release. His new responsibilities as president include oversight of Alaska Airlines’ commercial division.
Tackett previously held positions in labor relations, e-commerce and financial planning at the company, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Advertisement
“I started at Alaska more than 25 years ago, and over that time we’ve built a stronger, more resilient airline with a clear strategy for the future,” Tackett said in a statement.
He said he is excited to lead more of the organization in his new role and deliver to guests, employees and owners.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said Tackett has led the company through challenges and helped it grow over his 25-year tenure.
“Bringing commercial and finance leadership together under Shane will strengthen alignment and accelerate our priorities as we continue advancing our strategy and creating long-term value for our stakeholders, said Minicucci, who also serves as CEO and president of the airline’s parent company, Alaska Air Group.
Tackett’s promotion comes as the airline navigates challenging macroeconomic factors, including rising fuel costs and weakening consumer demand for travel.
Advertisement
Alaska Air Group — which includes Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as regional carrier Horizon Air and ground support company McGee Air Services — saw its profits drop 70% in 2025 year over year. It continued to face financial woes in 2026.
The company lost $193 million in the first three months of 2026 as it dealt with skyrocketing jet fuel prices due to the war in Iran.
Alaska study sees mixed results on links between kelp farms and CO2 levels
Published 5:30 am Thursday, June 18, 2026
A study into the amount of CO2 absorbed at a pair of Alaska kelp farms is throwing some cold water on hopes that seaweed could be an answer to climate change.
Alaska kelp farms, which have been viewed as a potential boon for reducing local carbon-dioxide levels, have surprisingly murky effects on atmospheric CO2 removal, according to a new study.
A University of Alaska Fairbanks-led project measured the amount of CO2 that was emitted and absorbed at two kelp farms in the Gulf of Alaska during the 2023-2024 growing season. The outcome was mixed — one farm slightly reduced carbon dioxide in the local environment while the other added more to it.
Advertisement
Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) has been touted as a potential strategy to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, with the ocean serving as a sink for human-produced CO2.
The study, which was recently published in the journal Ocean Science, is the first to measure mCDR in Alaska waters. It focused on kelp farms, which can draw down CO2 through the process of photosynthesis.
“It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon that seaweed is going to change the world, but ultimately we want to be honest to the public,” said Amanda Kelley, an associate professor at UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and a contributor to the study.
“Really, it’s very nuanced, and there are a lot of factors that affect kelp’s ability to do that.”
Josianne Haag, who led the project as a UAF doctoral student, installed sensors both inside and outside kelp farms in Windy Bay near Cordova and Kalsin Bay on Kodiak Island. From seeding to harvest, hourly data was collected on ocean chemistry, temperature, salinity and oxygen levels.
Advertisement
The two sites had numerous differences, including the type of seaweed being planted, the timing of their growing seasons and the size of the farms. Also, Windy Bay’s tides are more extreme than Kalsin Bay’s.
The results were striking and varied. The farms flipped between absorbing and releasing carbon dioxide depending on the amount of sunlight and the time of day. Extreme low tides affected CO2 levels by flushing groundwater into the area, briefly raising carbon dioxide levels.
A film of marine fauna grew on some of the farm equipment in Kalsin Bay, leading to a burst of carbon dioxide production through their respiration.
Overall, the Windy Bay farm slightly reduced nearby atmospheric marine carbon dioxide levels while the Kalsin Bay farm boosted them. Measurements will continue at the farms for at least two more years, but the first season revealed that a kelp farm’s recipe for carbon intake and output is surprising and complex.
“It’s really not doing much in either direction,” Haag said. “The farms aren’t necessarily harming anything, but we shouldn’t be blowing out of proportion that they’re going to save us from climate change.”
Advertisement
The study was part of the Mariculture Research and Restoration Consortium project, which is an ongoing effort to look at the impacts and benefits of mariculture in Alaska. Mar ReCon research is funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.
By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protectionon
At approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, a fire was reported off Healy Spur Road. The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, along with the Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Anderson Fire Department, responded to the Gagnon Coal Seam Fire (#206).
Estimated at 3 acres, the fire was burning in grass with approximately 50% of the perimeter actively burning. A five person Initial Attack squad, helicopter, and engine responded. Light rain was reported at the incident upon arrival.
There are no structures threatened, and there are no evacuations in place. This will be the last update on this incident, unless conditions change.
Advertisement
This map shows the location of the Gagnon Coal Seam Fire (#206) located on the Healy Spur Road east of Usibelli on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Click on the image to download a PDF type file to enlarge or print.
‹ DFFP is responding to the Bulchitna Fire in the Fish Lakes area of the Yentna River
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)
Tags: 2026 Alaska Fire Season, coal seam, DFFP Northern Region, Gagnon Coal Seam Fire
