While some other states — actually, most other states — are struggling to balance their budgets, Alaska is awash in money and boosting spending.

Even in tougher times, however, Alaska can do something that most other states cannot do: It can spend more than it brings in. Over the last two decades, Alaska hasn’t balanced its budget about half the time, but has instead used savings to meet its expenses, according to division of Division of Finance records.

That’s been done by setting aside money in boom times to spend in down years.

Gov. Sean Parnell is trying to rein in his energetic lieutenant governor, Mead Treadwell, who won a hotly contested race for the position with Parnell’s backing.

The Alaska office of lieutenant governor is one of only two statewide offices, and succeeds to the governorship if the position becomes vacant, but has few other duties.

In addition to overseeing the state’s Division of Elections, the lieutenant governor’s official duties are mostly symbolic and administrative, as well as special duties assigned by the governor.

Alaska unemployment rates remained persistently high in June, with new job seekers entering the market more rapidly than summer hiring could absorb them, according to data from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development released Friday.

While the Alaska seasonally adjusted unemployment rate moved from 7.3 percent in May to 7.5 in June, it remained below last June’s 7.9 percent.

JUNEAU — Sealaska foresters working on Prince of Wales Island have unearthed a partially complete Haida canoe from the forest floor, and are estimating its age at more than 100 years old.

A Sealaska Timber Corp. surveyor working in the area during the winter discovered the canoe. Later, when snow melted, it was confirmed to be an ancient canoe, the company said.