News

The road at Mile 19 of the Kenai Spur Highway cracked down the middle after Friday morning’s earthquake. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Peninsula faces minimal damage after Friday’s quake

The Kenai Peninsula sustained minor damage and no life-threatening injuries after Friday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake. In a statement released Monday, Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie… Continue reading

The road at Mile 19 of the Kenai Spur Highway cracked down the middle after Friday morning’s earthquake. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
A father helps his daughter light a candle on their menorah at the Briat Elohim Jewish Congregation Hanukkah party on Dec. 1, 2018, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Local Jewish congregation celebrated Hanukkah with the tradition of latkes

Hanukkah, which began Sunday, is an eight-day event celebrating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. when the Maccabees… Continue reading

A father helps his daughter light a candle on their menorah at the Briat Elohim Jewish Congregation Hanukkah party on Dec. 1, 2018, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
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)
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

  • Dec 3, 2018
  • By MARK THIESSEN Associated Press
  • earthquakes
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)
Troopers apprehend armed man on highway near Ninilchik

Troopers apprehend armed man on highway near Ninilchik

Alaska State Troopers on Sunday have taken into custody an armed man involved in a stand-off this morning near Mile 131 Sterling Highway near Ninilchik.… Continue reading

Troopers apprehend armed man on highway near Ninilchik
Gov. Bill Walker talks about his four years as governor during an interview on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire) Gov. Bill Walker talks about his four years as governor during an interview on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Walker laments how fiscal crisis dominated tenure

Walker reflects.

Gov. Bill Walker talks about his four years as governor during an interview on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire) Gov. Bill Walker talks about his four years as governor during an interview on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
In this photo taken Nov. 23, 2018, Tlingit elder Paul Marks presents the Sayéik Sacred Site Memorial in Juneau, Alaska. The memorial, placed at Sayéik Gastineau Community School, is a tribute to the people who were buried in the Tlingit burial ground that was paved over for the road and school. (Alex McCarthy/The Juneau Empire via AP)

New monument pays respect to Tlingit burial ground

JUNEAU — Clarence Laiti stood in the cafeteria of Sayéik Gastineau Community School — which was built on a Tlingit burial ground — and reflected… Continue reading

In this photo taken Nov. 23, 2018, Tlingit elder Paul Marks presents the Sayéik Sacred Site Memorial in Juneau, Alaska. The memorial, placed at Sayéik Gastineau Community School, is a tribute to the people who were buried in the Tlingit burial ground that was paved over for the road and school. (Alex McCarthy/The Juneau Empire via AP)
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

  • Dec 2, 2018
  • By MICHAEL GRACZYK Associated Press
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)
Alaska House District 1 candidate Democrat Kathryn Dodge, right, watches the election recount at the Department of Elections’ Juneau office on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. A single mystery ballot found on a precinct table on Election Day but not counted then could decide a tied Alaska state House race and thwart Republican efforts to control the chamber and all of state government. The ballot arrived in Juneau last Friday in a secrecy sleeve in a bin with other ballot materials. Officials were investigating its origins and handling before deciding whether to tally it. (Michael Penn/The Juneau Empire via AP)

Republican takes House race by 1 vote after recount

JUNEAU — Republican Bart LeBon has won an Alaska state House race by one vote after a ballot recount, officials said. Before Friday’s recount, LeBon… Continue reading

Alaska House District 1 candidate Democrat Kathryn Dodge, right, watches the election recount at the Department of Elections’ Juneau office on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. A single mystery ballot found on a precinct table on Election Day but not counted then could decide a tied Alaska state House race and thwart Republican efforts to control the chamber and all of state government. The ballot arrived in Juneau last Friday in a secrecy sleeve in a bin with other ballot materials. Officials were investigating its origins and handling before deciding whether to tally it. (Michael Penn/The Juneau Empire via AP)
This aerial photo shows damage on Vine Road, south of Wasilla, Alaska, after earthquakes Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.7 shattered highways and rocked buildings Friday in Anchorage and the surrounding area, sending people running into the streets and briefly triggering a tsunami warning for islands and coastal areas south of the city. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP) This aerial photo shows damage on Vine Road, south of Wasilla, Alaska, after earthquakes Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.7 shattered highways and rocked buildings Friday in Anchorage and the surrounding area, sending people running into the streets and briefly triggering a tsunami warning for islands and coastal areas south of the city. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

‘Maybe this isn’t going to stop’: Hundreds of aftershocks shake Alaskans following big quake

ANCHORAGE — Chris Riekena was driving his 7-year-old son to school when his car started acting up. As he pulled over, he realized the problem… Continue reading

  • Dec 1, 2018
  • By RACHEL D’ORO and DAN JOLING Associated Press
  • earthquakes
This aerial photo shows damage on Vine Road, south of Wasilla, Alaska, after earthquakes Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.7 shattered highways and rocked buildings Friday in Anchorage and the surrounding area, sending people running into the streets and briefly triggering a tsunami warning for islands and coastal areas south of the city. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP) This aerial photo shows damage on Vine Road, south of Wasilla, Alaska, after earthquakes Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.7 shattered highways and rocked buildings Friday in Anchorage and the surrounding area, sending people running into the streets and briefly triggering a tsunami warning for islands and coastal areas south of the city. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
A car belonging to Homer resident Tom Sulczynski is trapped on a collapsed section of the offramp of Minnesota Drive in Anchorage, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. Sulczynski and passenger Bekah Taylor escaped the car without injury. Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.8 rocked buildings and buckled roads Friday morning in Anchorage, prompting people to run from their offices or seek shelter under office desks, while a tsunami warning had some seeking higher ground. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)

Homer residents abandon vehicle in quake chasm

Homer residents got a rough wake up call Friday morning in the form of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rattled the Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, and… Continue reading

A car belonging to Homer resident Tom Sulczynski is trapped on a collapsed section of the offramp of Minnesota Drive in Anchorage, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. Sulczynski and passenger Bekah Taylor escaped the car without injury. Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.8 rocked buildings and buckled roads Friday morning in Anchorage, prompting people to run from their offices or seek shelter under office desks, while a tsunami warning had some seeking higher ground. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)
Area sports canceled after earthquake

Area sports canceled after earthquake

Local high school sports events for Friday have been canceled following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that rattled Southcentral Alaska on Friday morning. Event cancelations include both… Continue reading

Area sports canceled after earthquake
7.0 magnitude earthquake rocks buildings in Kenai and Anchorage

7.0 magnitude earthquake rocks buildings in Kenai and Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked buildings Friday morning in Anchorage and Kenai. It caused lamp posts and trees to sway, prompting… Continue reading

7.0 magnitude earthquake rocks buildings in Kenai and Anchorage
Hannah Young, who played a prosecutor, questions a witness during Nikiski High’s Thursday mock murder trial at the Kenai Courthouse on Thursday. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski seniors perform mock trial to better understand judicial system

Senior students from Nikiski High School’s American government class spent Wednesday and Thursday afternoon performing mock murder trials at the Kenai Courthouse. With the help… Continue reading

Hannah Young, who played a prosecutor, questions a witness during Nikiski High’s Thursday mock murder trial at the Kenai Courthouse on Thursday. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
A boat is tethered to the shore of Skilak Lake on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska on Oct. 11, 2017 during a fly fishing trip. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna sees small dip in summer visitors

From July to September, Soldotna saw only a small decrease in visitors despite a poor salmon run. “We had almost 19,000 visitors come the the… Continue reading

A boat is tethered to the shore of Skilak Lake on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska on Oct. 11, 2017 during a fly fishing trip. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)