Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up:

• Spam blocker: Local entrepreneur finds way to block spam, support nonprofits.

• Bus service: Anchorage School District returns to full bus service. Parents rejoice.

• Safe season: Alaska’s commercial fishing industry goes a full year with zero fatalities.

• Social media: Homer Police Department’s social media should win an award. This is how it’s done, folks.

Thumbs down:

• Flu: Is everyone you know sick? Flu season arrives with a vengeance.

• Delta Junction bison: Bison herd reduced in size by one-third. State reduces harvest limits as a result.

• Hourly wage: Alaska begins to lose its edge as a state with a higher-than-average wage.

– Sarah Erkmann Ward, Blueprint Alaska