Wire Service

Bob Franken: The fake-potpourri column

The word “potpourri” has a few definitions, but for a columnist it means writing about a bunch of unrelated stuff because he’s too lazy to… Continue reading

Traffic moves west along I-70 near Lawrence, Kan., Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. I-70 is closed west of Junction City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Pioneer Potluck: About blizzards in Northern Colorado

East and north of Fort Collins, Colorado 1940s and 1950s In Alaska, what someone called a blizzard does not hold a candle to the blizzard… Continue reading

Traffic moves west along I-70 near Lawrence, Kan., Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. I-70 is closed west of Junction City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
In this Nov. 30, 2018 file photo, provided by Jonathan M. Lettow, people walk along Vine Road after an earthquake in Wasilla, Alaska. Alaska State Troopers are asking that people do not take selfies in front of the buckled roadway north of Anchorage, Alaska. (Jonathan M. Lettow via AP, File)

Alaska selfie-takers told to stay off quake-buckled road

ANCHORAGE — With sizable shockwaves still emanating from last week’s powerful earthquake, authorities in Alaska are urging the selfie-taking public to stay away from a… Continue reading

In this Nov. 30, 2018 file photo, provided by Jonathan M. Lettow, people walk along Vine Road after an earthquake in Wasilla, Alaska. Alaska State Troopers are asking that people do not take selfies in front of the buckled roadway north of Anchorage, Alaska. (Jonathan M. Lettow via AP, File)
Kenai National Wildlife Visitor Center (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

Refuge fills December with fun, despite lack of snow

Despite the winter’s darkness and this year’s lack of snow, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has a host of events scheduled for December to entertain… Continue reading

Kenai National Wildlife Visitor Center (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Mueller recommends no prison for Flynn, citing cooperation

Mueller recommends no prison for Flynn, citing cooperation

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser provided so much information to the special counsel’s Russia investigation that prosecutors say he shouldn’t do… Continue reading

Mueller recommends no prison for Flynn, citing cooperation
‘The Noel Stranger’ — a familiar, yet cozy holiday tale

‘The Noel Stranger’ — a familiar, yet cozy holiday tale

You thought you knew what was inside the box. Though it was wrapped, you could tell what it was. You shook it, upended it, and… Continue reading

‘The Noel Stranger’ — a familiar, yet cozy holiday tale

George H.W. Bush: Man of character

I first met the man who would become America’s 41st president in 1968. He was a Houston congressman and I was a young reporter for… Continue reading

Dunleavy sworn in as Alaska governor after location changes

Dunleavy sworn in as Alaska governor after location changes

JUNEAU — Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy was sworn into office Monday, taking his oath in a school gym in the western Alaska city of Kotzebue… Continue reading

Dunleavy sworn in as Alaska governor after location changes
A plastic bag is discarded at the side of C Street in Midtown on August 15, 2018. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Habits change month after plastic bag ban

A month after banning single-use plastic bags in Soldotna, consumers and retailers throughout the community have adjusted to the change. “In my personal interactions with… Continue reading

A plastic bag is discarded at the side of C Street in Midtown on August 15, 2018. (Marc Lester / ADN)
In this Nov. 4, 2018 file photo, Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Dunleavy stands with his wife, Rose, on stage during a GOP rally in Anchorage, Alaska. Dunleavy was sworn in as governor on Monday, Dec. 3, days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked heavily populated Southcentral Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

Dunleavy sworn in as Alaska governor after location changes

JUNEAU — Republican Mike Dunleavy was sworn in Monday as Alaska’s new governor, taking his oath in a school gym in the western Alaska city… Continue reading

In this Nov. 4, 2018 file photo, Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Dunleavy stands with his wife, Rose, on stage during a GOP rally in Anchorage, Alaska. Dunleavy was sworn in as governor on Monday, Dec. 3, days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked heavily populated Southcentral Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)
Kenai Peninsula judo fighters dominate the Alaska judo scene

Kenai Peninsula judo fighters dominate the Alaska judo scene

A late beginning to the 2018-2019 judo season for the reigning Alaska State Judo Champion Sterling Judo Club quickly resumed with the club’s winning ways.… Continue reading

Kenai Peninsula judo fighters dominate the Alaska judo scene
Go classy; go green — Switch to cloth napkins

Go classy; go green — Switch to cloth napkins

Cloth napkins add such a nice touch to a meal, be it a picnic or a formal gathering. They can be plain or highly decorative.… Continue reading

Go classy; go green — Switch to cloth napkins
Empty shelves where bread is normally located are shown at a grocery store in Anchorage, Alaska, on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, two days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake was centered about 7 miles north of the city. Anchorage officials urged residents not to stock up and hoard supplies because the supply chain of goods was not interrupted. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

Earthquake doesn’t disrupt food, fuel supply to Alaska

ANCHORAGE — The supply chain of food and other goods delivered to the Port of Anchorage from the Lower 48 has not been disrupted by… Continue reading

Empty shelves where bread is normally located are shown at a grocery store in Anchorage, Alaska, on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, two days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake was centered about 7 miles north of the city. Anchorage officials urged residents not to stock up and hoard supplies because the supply chain of goods was not interrupted. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
In this Nov. 4, 2018 file photo, Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Dunleavy stands with his wife, Rose, on stage during a GOP rally in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska Gov.-elect Mike Dunleavy takes office Monday, Dec. 3, days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked heavily-populated south-central Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

New Alaska governor takes office amid ongoing quake recovery

JUNEAU — Alaska Gov.-elect Mike Dunleavy takes office Monday, days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked heavily-populated south-central Alaska. Dunleavy initially planned to make a… Continue reading

In this Nov. 4, 2018 file photo, Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Dunleavy stands with his wife, Rose, on stage during a GOP rally in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska Gov.-elect Mike Dunleavy takes office Monday, Dec. 3, days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked heavily-populated south-central Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)
Peninsula schools to start late due to weather conditions

Peninsula schools to start late due to weather conditions

Weather conditions have prompted schools across the peninsula to delay school times on Monday, Dec. 3. All Kenai Peninsula Borough School District schools will have… Continue reading

Peninsula schools to start late due to weather conditions
Schools briefs for the week of Dec. 3-9, 2018

Schools briefs for the week of Dec. 3-9, 2018

Soldotna Elementary Mark your calendars for these upcoming events: December 4 K-6th Winter Concert at Soldotna High School 6:30pm December 5-6 Holiday Wonderland Shop December… Continue reading

Schools briefs for the week of Dec. 3-9, 2018
The R/V Sikuliaq’s Third Mate Arthur Levine scans the entire vessel on Nov. 27 for safety concerns before the ship departs for Seattle via the Gulf of Alaska. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

R/V Sikuliaq connects scientists to a sea of research

After over a month spent docked in Seward, the R/V Sikuliaq set sail last Wednesday. The vibrant blue-hulled, 261-foot oceanographic research vessel left on a… Continue reading

The R/V Sikuliaq’s Third Mate Arthur Levine scans the entire vessel on Nov. 27 for safety concerns before the ship departs for Seattle via the Gulf of Alaska. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Rich Lowry: Sorry, you can’t protect Mueller

Mitch McConnell just did our constitutional order an enormous favor by burying the so-called Robert Mueller protection bill, hopefully never to rise again. There’s been… Continue reading

In this Nov. 22, 1990 file photo, President George H.W. Bush is greeted by Saudi troops and others as he arrives in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, for a Thanksgiving visit. Bush died at the age of 94 on Friday, about eight months after the death of his wife, Barbara Bush. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

George H.W. Bush dies at 94

HOUSTON — He was the man who sought a “kinder, and gentler nation,” and the one who sternly invited Americans to read his lips —… Continue reading

In this Nov. 22, 1990 file photo, President George H.W. Bush is greeted by Saudi troops and others as he arrives in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, for a Thanksgiving visit. Bush died at the age of 94 on Friday, about eight months after the death of his wife, Barbara Bush. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Good Buds store manager Brandon Mason, from left, and owners Charles Spalding and Jared Wallace mark the grand opening of the first retail cannabis store on the eastern Kenai Peninsula. Tekoa Wallace of Hawaii is also a part owner of the business. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Eastern peninsula welcomes retail cannabis

As of Saturday morning, the eastern Kenai Peninsula has a retail cannabis shop. Just a half hour after opening the doors, the employees of Good… Continue reading

Good Buds store manager Brandon Mason, from left, and owners Charles Spalding and Jared Wallace mark the grand opening of the first retail cannabis store on the eastern Kenai Peninsula. Tekoa Wallace of Hawaii is also a part owner of the business. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)