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State attorneys Elizabeth Bakalar, foreground left, and Margaret Paton-Walsh, foreground right, listen to arguments made by attorney Jon Choate on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 in Alaska Superior Court in Juneau. At background left is Judge Philip Pallenberg, who is expected to decide the Alaska Democratic Party’s lawsuit against the state next week. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire File)

Alaska Supreme Court allows independents into Dems’ primary

With an order released Wednesday morning, the Alaska Supreme Court has allowed independents to challenge Democrats in the Democratic Party’s primary elections. The decision has… Continue reading

State attorneys Elizabeth Bakalar, foreground left, and Margaret Paton-Walsh, foreground right, listen to arguments made by attorney Jon Choate on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 in Alaska Superior Court in Juneau. At background left is Judge Philip Pallenberg, who is expected to decide the Alaska Democratic Party’s lawsuit against the state next week. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire File)

Defense seeks info on search dogs in Homer murder case

Defense attorneys representing a man accused in a 2013 Homer murder are seeking information on search and rescue dogs used in the investigation. Lee John… Continue reading

Mark Hamilton, the vice president of external affairs for the Pebble Limited Partnership, speaks to a crowd gathered for a joint luncheon of the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 in Kenai, Alaska. The Pebble Limited Partnership, which has been working on plans for a gold, copper and molybdenum mine in the Bristol Bay region for about a decade, recently applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit with scaled-back plans. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Pebble lays out smaller mine plan

The Pebble Limited Partnership is changing its plans and its tone as it continues its permitting process. The Pebble Mine, a gold, copper and molybdenum… Continue reading

Mark Hamilton, the vice president of external affairs for the Pebble Limited Partnership, speaks to a crowd gathered for a joint luncheon of the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 in Kenai, Alaska. The Pebble Limited Partnership, which has been working on plans for a gold, copper and molybdenum mine in the Bristol Bay region for about a decade, recently applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit with scaled-back plans. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
This cover image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Tye Sheridan, left, in the scene of “Ready Player One.” (Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Reeling it in: Information overload in ‘Ready Player One’

“Ready Player One” Warner Bros. 2 hours, 20 minutes Ernest Cline published his exhaustive love letter to ‘80s pop culture in 2011 and ever since… Continue reading

  • Apr 4, 2018
  • By Chris Jenness
This cover image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Tye Sheridan, left, in the scene of “Ready Player One.” (Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Assembly revisits hospital boundary move

The debate over who has to pay property taxes to which of the borough’s hospitals is getting into gear again. The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly… Continue reading

School board changes K-Selo school site selection

Spurred by a fear of landslides, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education has officially revised their site selection for a new school… Continue reading

After squall, fish board nominees sail through committee

After a rapid upheaval in the Board of Fisheries nomination process in March, Gov. Bill Walker’s two nominees sailed quietly through the Alaska Legislature’s committees… Continue reading

A Central Emergency Services firefighter emerges from a burning home on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 off of Poppy Lane near Kalifornsky Beach Road. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion) 

No injuries in home fire near Kalifornsky Beach Road

There were no injuries reported from a home fire near Kalifornsky Beach Road on Tuesday afternoon. No one was in the home when it burned… Continue reading

A Central Emergency Services firefighter emerges from a burning home on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 off of Poppy Lane near Kalifornsky Beach Road. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion) 

School board passes preliminary budget

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Sean Dusek got the go-ahead from the school board to formally request maximum funding from the borough for fiscal… Continue reading

Road construction to tie up central peninsula this summer

The snow is melting, the aspens are budding and the construction contractors are gearing up to work on the Kenai Peninsula’s roads. This summer will… Continue reading

Hiker rescued from glacier

A young hiker was rescued on Easter Sunday after falling into a crevasse on Portage Glacier. The teenager was hiking with family when he fell… Continue reading

Two men accused of stealing trailer

Two men accused of stealing trailer

A man who recently pleaded guilty to attempted vehicle theft and another man accused of theft, burglary and trespassing in a separate case were indicted… Continue reading

Two men accused of stealing trailer
Scott Aleckson (left) clips wires to the ignition contacts of a model rocket while students at his model rocketry session observe in the parking lot of the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska on Saturday, May 31, 2018. Aleckson said he made and launched his first plastic, balsa wood, and cardboard rocket as a 4th grade student at Soldotna Elementary School. Since then he’s built a custom launch system, he said, “with recycled electronics and a lot of soldering time.” Aleckson taught Saturday’s rocketry class through the Soldotna Community Schools program, and said he’d like to continue spreading the hobby. “If I could get a model rocket club going, that’d be great,” he said. “Stuff like this is much more fun in a group.” (Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

The right stuff

Soldotna Community Schools hosted a model rocketry class with instructor Scott Aleckson at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna on Saturday. Aleckson said he… Continue reading

Scott Aleckson (left) clips wires to the ignition contacts of a model rocket while students at his model rocketry session observe in the parking lot of the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska on Saturday, May 31, 2018. Aleckson said he made and launched his first plastic, balsa wood, and cardboard rocket as a 4th grade student at Soldotna Elementary School. Since then he’s built a custom launch system, he said, “with recycled electronics and a lot of soldering time.” Aleckson taught Saturday’s rocketry class through the Soldotna Community Schools program, and said he’d like to continue spreading the hobby. “If I could get a model rocket club going, that’d be great,” he said. “Stuff like this is much more fun in a group.” (Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Man accused of attacking woman with wooden bat

A Soldotna man faces assault charges for two separate incidents of alleged domestic violence. On March 15, Mark A. Weinberger Jr., 32, reportedly attacked a… Continue reading

Soldotna man indicted for allegedly putting woman in chokehold

A Soldotna man was indicted last week for felony assault just weeks after pleading guilty in two separate domestic violence-related cases. Matthew F. Scarito, 36,… Continue reading

Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel (left) talks with Dr. Peter Hansen (right) a retirement party for Hansen hosted by Peninsula Community Health Services at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center on Thursday, March 29, 2018 in Kenai, Alaska. Hansen arrived in Kenai in 1967 and has practiced family medicine since in private practice, with Central Peninsula Hospital and with Peninsula Community Health Services. He plans to retire but to stay in the community and work on a book about his experiences. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Longtime Kenai doctor plans to retire

Editor's note: This article has been updated to show that Central Peninsula Hospital opened in 1971. Though the main room at Kenai Visitors and Cultural… Continue reading

Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel (left) talks with Dr. Peter Hansen (right) a retirement party for Hansen hosted by Peninsula Community Health Services at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center on Thursday, March 29, 2018 in Kenai, Alaska. Hansen arrived in Kenai in 1967 and has practiced family medicine since in private practice, with Central Peninsula Hospital and with Peninsula Community Health Services. He plans to retire but to stay in the community and work on a book about his experiences. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
About 2 1/2 oz. of dried marijuana. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Wells Fargo forces cannabis lab closure

One of Alaska’s three marijuana testing labs has been shut down by Wells Fargo bank, leaving the state’s growers with only two options for state-mandated… Continue reading

About 2 1/2 oz. of dried marijuana. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Ruffner files to run against Seaton for House seat

A Board of Fisheries member is planning to challenge Rep. Paul Seaton (R-Homer) for his seat in the Alaska Legislature. Robert Ruffner of Kasilof filed… Continue reading

Sales tax increase back on assembly agenda

The public will have a chance to weigh in Tuesday on a proposition to ask voters whether the Kenai Peninsula Borough should raise the sales… Continue reading

ABOVE: High school students from across the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District attended the Supreme Court Live event at Kenai Central High School on Thursday, which was the culmination of nearly a month of lessons about the case and court system. LEFT: Attorney Jon Choate, left, representing the Alaska Democratic Part discusses the ins and outs of the case after the oral arguments on Thursday as part of the Supreme Court Live event moderated by Marilyn May, right at Kenai Central High School. (Photos by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Alaska Supreme Court comes to Kenai

The Alaska Supreme Court has the final say in the case of Alaska Democratic Party versus the state of Alaska, but high school students from… Continue reading

ABOVE: High school students from across the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District attended the Supreme Court Live event at Kenai Central High School on Thursday, which was the culmination of nearly a month of lessons about the case and court system. LEFT: Attorney Jon Choate, left, representing the Alaska Democratic Part discusses the ins and outs of the case after the oral arguments on Thursday as part of the Supreme Court Live event moderated by Marilyn May, right at Kenai Central High School. (Photos by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)