Ben Boettger

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Kenai city planner to return south

In summer 2014 Matt Kelley came from a county planner’s office in California to become Kenai’s city planner. In February he’ll be returning to county-level… Continue reading

DNR grants one of three Chuitna Citizens Coalition water reservations

Editor's note: This story has been changed to add additional information and to correct the year of CCC's lawsuit against DNR. The Alaska Department of… Continue reading

Earthquake causes small refinery spill

Editor's note: This story has been changed to correct an inaccurate use of the term "secondary confinement." The correct term is "secondary containment." While so… Continue reading

Lack of drilling leads to lease default for Furie

A Cook Inlet natural gas extractor that relied heavily on state tax credits — and which partially blamed undrilled wells over the past two years… Continue reading

Ways to go

Learning to move is a task that comes along just a few times per life. As an infant you get two opportunities: first learning to… Continue reading

Kenai council discusses dipnet vendors

Kenai council discusses dipnet vendors

As Kenai’s city government more actively attempts to make the summer dipnet fishery a boost to the local economy, beach vendors may be getting some… Continue reading

Kenai council discusses dipnet vendors

Hilcorp plans $285 million Alaska investment in 2018

Hilcorp is planning to spend about $285 million in Alaska during 2018, the oil and gas company’s Operations Manager Chad Helgeson told audiences at the… Continue reading

With the shop’s distinctive painted cieling panels above her, barrista Sarah Rawson steams milk to make a latte at Kaladi Brother’s Coffee during a busy evening on Saturday, Jan. 13 in Soldotna. Rawson and fellow barrista Hallie Riddall practiced latte art — creating designs by carefully and precisely pouring steamed milk into coffee — between serving customers Saturday evening. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Kaladi’s Krew

With the shop’s distinctive painted ceiling panels above her, barista Sarah Rawson steams milk to make a latte at Kaladi Brother’s Coffee during a busy… Continue reading

With the shop’s distinctive painted cieling panels above her, barrista Sarah Rawson steams milk to make a latte at Kaladi Brother’s Coffee during a busy evening on Saturday, Jan. 13 in Soldotna. Rawson and fellow barrista Hallie Riddall practiced latte art — creating designs by carefully and precisely pouring steamed milk into coffee — between serving customers Saturday evening. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)
In this December 2016 photo, cannabis plants grow in a standard cultivation space inside Croy’s Enterprises near Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Local pot business expecting slight chill from federal change

The practicalities of running a state-legal business based on a nationally-illegal product have became more complicated in some respects but unchanged in others, after U.S.… Continue reading

In this December 2016 photo, cannabis plants grow in a standard cultivation space inside Croy’s Enterprises near Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Borough may fund closer look at landfill gas

Editor's note: This story has been changed to correct the planned capacity of the initial landfill gas generator. The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly faces a… Continue reading

This map shows in red the two possible reroutes of the Kenai Spur Highway that the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation is considering around its planned natural gas liquefaction and export terminal in Nikiski. (Courtesy of Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, modified by Peninsula Clarion to show LNG facility area)

AGDC narrows Spur Highway relocation to two routes

  Editor's note: This story has been updated to mention AGDC's Feb. 19 meeting with the Nikiski Community Council. The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation has… Continue reading

This map shows in red the two possible reroutes of the Kenai Spur Highway that the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation is considering around its planned natural gas liquefaction and export terminal in Nikiski. (Courtesy of Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, modified by Peninsula Clarion to show LNG facility area)
In April 2017 Hilcorp’s Bruce Platform, pictured here, was shut in along with its neighboring platform Anna after the later released a sheen from its flaring system that turned out to be roughly three gallons of natural gas condensate. The incident was one of the 2017 hydrocarbon leaks from Cook Inlet’s aging platforms and pipelines that prompted the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council to begin an overview of Cook Inlet oil and gas infrastructure, leading to recommendations for preventing future leaks. (Photo courtesy of Ground Truth Trekking.)

CIRCAC studying pipeline leaks

After 2017 began with a natural gas leak in Cook Inlet, local spill prevention experts are preparing a comprehensive look at Cook Inlet’s aging oil… Continue reading

In April 2017 Hilcorp’s Bruce Platform, pictured here, was shut in along with its neighboring platform Anna after the later released a sheen from its flaring system that turned out to be roughly three gallons of natural gas condensate. The incident was one of the 2017 hydrocarbon leaks from Cook Inlet’s aging platforms and pipelines that prompted the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council to begin an overview of Cook Inlet oil and gas infrastructure, leading to recommendations for preventing future leaks. (Photo courtesy of Ground Truth Trekking.)

Kenai bluff project gained ground in 2017

In 2017, the mile of bluff between Old Town Kenai and the Kenai River mouth may have receded three feet — the amount of ground… Continue reading

Orca Theatre manager Jordan Gruber makes popcorn for the next rush of movie-goers on Monday, Dec. 25, 2017 at the Orca Theatre on Kalifornsky Beach Road near Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Christmas at the Orca

While the muffled sounds of lightsabers buzzing and TIE fighters screaming came through one wall of the lobby and jungle drums through the other, the… Continue reading

Orca Theatre manager Jordan Gruber makes popcorn for the next rush of movie-goers on Monday, Dec. 25, 2017 at the Orca Theatre on Kalifornsky Beach Road near Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)
Alaska Gasline Development Corporation President Keith Meyer addresses the attendees at a joint luncheon of the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017 in Kenai, Alaska. Meyer explained some of the details of the recently signed Joint Development Agreement between the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation and several Chinese investors to develop the Alaska LNG Project, an 800-mile pipeline and liquefaction facility terminating in Nikiski designed to monetize the natural gas reserves on the North Slope. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Despite uncertainties, state moves forward with LNG

When Alaska Governor Bill Walker spoke Tuesday to members of the Soldotna and Kenai Chambers of Commerce, he wore an Alaska-shaped lapel pin marked with… Continue reading

Alaska Gasline Development Corporation President Keith Meyer addresses the attendees at a joint luncheon of the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017 in Kenai, Alaska. Meyer explained some of the details of the recently signed Joint Development Agreement between the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation and several Chinese investors to develop the Alaska LNG Project, an 800-mile pipeline and liquefaction facility terminating in Nikiski designed to monetize the natural gas reserves on the North Slope. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
A novel approach to ocean acidification

A novel approach to ocean acidification

Pteropods may look otherworldly, but they are a real and threatened species of minuscule marine snail whose appearance in Homer author Nancy Lord’s new novel… Continue reading

A novel approach to ocean acidification

AGDC shares new plans for LNG pipeline

Editor's note: This story has been changed to clarify that realtor Katie Uei has based her sales price estimates on conversation with Nikiski residents and… Continue reading

Gabriel Dravis sticks a gumdrop on to the gingerbread house he built from graham crackers, frosting, and candy in Stacy Tronnier’s first and second grade class at Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science on Friday, Dec. 15 in Kenai, Alaska. Three first and second grade classes at Kaleido- scope made gingerbread houses on Friday to take home for display and/or eating. (Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Graham cracker architects

Three first and second grade classes at Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences made gingerbread houses on Friday, Dec. 15, 2017 to take home for display… Continue reading

Gabriel Dravis sticks a gumdrop on to the gingerbread house he built from graham crackers, frosting, and candy in Stacy Tronnier’s first and second grade class at Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science on Friday, Dec. 15 in Kenai, Alaska. Three first and second grade classes at Kaleido- scope made gingerbread houses on Friday to take home for display and/or eating. (Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Central Kenai pot store permitted on second try

A strip mall location in central Kenai is both a blessing and a curse for the planned marijuana retailer East Rip, whose city permit was… Continue reading

A smartphone user interacts with the Dipnet Kenai app — created by the city of Kenai for the 2017 dipnet fishery — on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the Peninsual Clarion office in Kenai. In its debut year, the app had 8,474 downloads. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Dipnet Kenai app looks back on debut year

Kenai is shifting the emphasis of how it manages the roughly 20,000 personal-use dipnet fishermen who come to town from July 10–31 from merely keeping… Continue reading

A smartphone user interacts with the Dipnet Kenai app — created by the city of Kenai for the 2017 dipnet fishery — on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the Peninsual Clarion office in Kenai. In its debut year, the app had 8,474 downloads. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)