News

Gov. Bill Walker walks into the Cabinet Room to present his compromise plan to the House Minority. (Courtesy photo/Office of the Governor)

House cool to Walker compromise

In a bid to avoid a state-spanning government shutdown, Gov. Bill Walker on Monday proposed a compromise to bring the Alaska Senate and Alaska House… Continue reading

Gov. Bill Walker walks into the Cabinet Room to present his compromise plan to the House Minority. (Courtesy photo/Office of the Governor)
Charles Woodcock of Woodcock’s Hydroseeding sprays a mix of water, fertilizer, paper pulp, and wildflower seeds across the soon-to-be Kenai Field of Flowers on Monday, June 5. Since 2014, Kenai’s municipal government has been turning the vacant city-owned lot into a summer attraction by seeding it with 15 varieties of wildflower, which Kenai Parks and Recreation Director Bob Frates said include lupin, poppies, cosmos, columbine, cornflower, baby’s breath, flax, and forget-me-not. After a drizzling Monday morning, Woodcock started spraying the field at noon — the ground’s dampness, he said, makes it better for seeding. In past years, the flowers have usually started to sprout in mid-July. Frates said that hydroseeding the approximately 55,000 square feet of the field costs about $5,400.

Sow with the flow

Charles Woodcock of Woodcock’s Hydroseeding sprays a mix of water, fertilizer, paper pulp, and wildflower seeds across the soon-to-be Kenai Field of Flowers on Monday,… Continue reading

Charles Woodcock of Woodcock’s Hydroseeding sprays a mix of water, fertilizer, paper pulp, and wildflower seeds across the soon-to-be Kenai Field of Flowers on Monday, June 5. Since 2014, Kenai’s municipal government has been turning the vacant city-owned lot into a summer attraction by seeding it with 15 varieties of wildflower, which Kenai Parks and Recreation Director Bob Frates said include lupin, poppies, cosmos, columbine, cornflower, baby’s breath, flax, and forget-me-not. After a drizzling Monday morning, Woodcock started spraying the field at noon — the ground’s dampness, he said, makes it better for seeding. In past years, the flowers have usually started to sprout in mid-July. Frates said that hydroseeding the approximately 55,000 square feet of the field costs about $5,400.

Veteran enrollment increases at KPC

Over the past decade, the veteran population at the Kenai Peninsula College has continually increased, and with it, the impact of those students on the… Continue reading

A mountain goat, one of a herd of nine grazing on grasses and lichens on the slope of Point Hope, stands guard atop a ridge on Saturday, June 3, near Hope.

Hoofing it in Hope

… Continue reading

A mountain goat, one of a herd of nine grazing on grasses and lichens on the slope of Point Hope, stands guard atop a ridge on Saturday, June 3, near Hope.
Juneau airport prepares for Uber’s arrival

Juneau airport prepares for Uber’s arrival

With Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft on the verge of returning to Alaska, Juneau organizations are beginning to prepare. At its… Continue reading

Juneau airport prepares for Uber’s arrival
Walkers circle the track during the six-hour Relay for Life fundraiser event for the American Cancer Society on Friday, June 2, 2017 at Skyview Middle School near Soldotna, Alaska. Central peninsula Relay for Life organizer Johna Beech said that this year she began conducting various fundraising events for cancer research in January and will continue until November. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Relay for Life fundraises for American Cancer Society

This year’s annual Relay for Life walk — at which cancer survivors, their friends and family, and interested members of the community spent six hours… Continue reading

Walkers circle the track during the six-hour Relay for Life fundraiser event for the American Cancer Society on Friday, June 2, 2017 at Skyview Middle School near Soldotna, Alaska. Central peninsula Relay for Life organizer Johna Beech said that this year she began conducting various fundraising events for cancer research in January and will continue until November. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Items to watch for in the borough budget discussions

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly has some decisions to make this week that boil down to a debate between raising the budget for education or… Continue reading

Jim Harpring, Funny River resident and co-chair of the Funny River Boat Launch Coalition, speaks to a crowd assembled Friday at the Funny River Community Center in Funny River to discuss the pros and cons of a boat launch on that road to increase public access to the Kenai River. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Funny River residents discuss pros, cons of a boat launch

A group of Funny River residents committed to seeing additional public access to the Kenai River along its south side is resurrecting the topic after… Continue reading

Jim Harpring, Funny River resident and co-chair of the Funny River Boat Launch Coalition, speaks to a crowd assembled Friday at the Funny River Community Center in Funny River to discuss the pros and cons of a boat launch on that road to increase public access to the Kenai River. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)
Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion The entryway to the River Pavilion, the new wing of Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, was recently finished. Doctors will move in in February, and a public open house will follow.

Central Peninsula Hospital expands, looks to reform

Courtesy of Sunday’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake, there are cracks in the walls of Central Peninsula Hospital’s brand-new River Pavilion addition. Fortunately, it’s mostly cosmetic damage… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion The entryway to the River Pavilion, the new wing of Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, was recently finished. Doctors will move in in February, and a public open house will follow.
Central Peninsula Hospital sees sharp drop in net income

Central Peninsula Hospital sees sharp drop in net income

Central Peninsula Hospital’s revenue dropped 91 percent the third quarter of fiscal year 2017 as compared to the year before. The Soldotna-based hospital’s board and… Continue reading

Central Peninsula Hospital sees sharp drop in net income
Photo by Greg Skinner/Peninsula Clarion The state recently denied a portion of Central Peninsula Hospital's plans to build an 89,000 square-foot specialty clinics expansion. The hospital is now waiting to hear if the state accepted its revised budget plan.

Central Peninsula Hospital updates EHR

Central Peninsula Hospital has received the green light from the assembly to purchase a $6.34 million electronic records system. The system, called Epic, is the… Continue reading

Photo by Greg Skinner/Peninsula Clarion The state recently denied a portion of Central Peninsula Hospital's plans to build an 89,000 square-foot specialty clinics expansion. The hospital is now waiting to hear if the state accepted its revised budget plan.

Assembly approves multi-million hospital expansion

Central Peninsula Hospital is moving forward with plans to update its obstetrics wing and to install the Kenai Peninsula’s first catheterization lab. The hospital, located… Continue reading

This Feb. 19, 2013, file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. On Thursday, the Alaska Senate voted 17-1 to restrict the amount of opioid painkillers that may be prescribed with a single prescription. House Bill 159 now returns to the House for a procedural vote. (Associated Press file)

Senate approves overdose-fighting bill

The Alaska Senate voted Thursday to restrict the ability of doctors to prescribe opioid painkillers. House Bill 159, proposed by Gov. Bill Walker, is part… Continue reading

This Feb. 19, 2013, file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. On Thursday, the Alaska Senate voted 17-1 to restrict the amount of opioid painkillers that may be prescribed with a single prescription. House Bill 159 now returns to the House for a procedural vote. (Associated Press file)

Soldotna keeps capital projects in mind during budget process

The Soldotna City Council discussed future planning for capital improvement projects within the city as part of this year’s budget process, even as the likelihood… Continue reading

Ted and Elaina Spraker stand in the yard of their home Thursday in Soldotna. The Legislature recently confirmed Ted Spraker for his sixth consecutive term as a member of the Board of Game, where he currently serves as chairman. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

After 14 years, Board of Game chairman stays in game for a final term

Ted and Elaina Spraker tackle most things as a team, from hunting to Ted’s 14-year tenure on the Alaska Board of Game. He handles the… Continue reading

Ted and Elaina Spraker stand in the yard of their home Thursday in Soldotna. The Legislature recently confirmed Ted Spraker for his sixth consecutive term as a member of the Board of Game, where he currently serves as chairman. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Brian Tye Kuhr, 14 of Kasilof, maneuvers his drone at UP STREAM Academy, a week-long program aimed to provide a STEM camp for Title VI Students in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Thursday, June 1, 2017. The academy was held at the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska Center in Kenai, Alaska. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Alaska Native students go UP STREAM

From Nanwalek to Kenai, 36 Alaska Native students from across the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District were brought together at the Challenger Learning Center of… Continue reading

Brian Tye Kuhr, 14 of Kasilof, maneuvers his drone at UP STREAM Academy, a week-long program aimed to provide a STEM camp for Title VI Students in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Thursday, June 1, 2017. The academy was held at the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska Center in Kenai, Alaska. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion Tom Wilkinson, director of nurses, talks about surgical recovery rooms while Jake Savely, surgical tech listens during a tour of the Surgery Center of Kenai, LLC., Tuesday July 22, 2014 in Kenai, Alaska.

Surgery Center of Kenai seeks transfer agreement with CPH

The Surgery Center of Kenai recently opened its doors to patients on Trading Bay Road in Kenai, but it is facing some restrictions on which… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion Tom Wilkinson, director of nurses, talks about surgical recovery rooms while Jake Savely, surgical tech listens during a tour of the Surgery Center of Kenai, LLC., Tuesday July 22, 2014 in Kenai, Alaska.
Victoria Evans of Soldotna fishes the Ninilchik River opener on Saturday, May 27, 2017 in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Ninilchik opens slow and steady

The spirits of anglers at the Ninilchik River season opening weekend were a stark contrast to the dreary weather that plagued the holiday weekend. “This… Continue reading

Victoria Evans of Soldotna fishes the Ninilchik River opener on Saturday, May 27, 2017 in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
In this August 2016 photo, people walk along the main historic downtown street of Hope, Alaska. Hope, a small unincorporated town along the Turnagain Arm at the end of the 18-mile Hope Highway, is a popular tourist destination in the summer months for its hiking and boating opportunities and for its historical value. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file) In this August 2016 photo, people walk along the main historic downtown street of Hope. Hope, a small unincorporated town along the Turnagain Arm at the end of the 18-mile Hope Highway, is a popular tourist destination in the summer months for its hiking and boating opportunities and for its historical value. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Hope community works to manage services, infrastructure

The residents of the small village of Hope are trying to keep their community well-maintained and safe with what resources they have available. Hope, an… Continue reading

In this August 2016 photo, people walk along the main historic downtown street of Hope, Alaska. Hope, a small unincorporated town along the Turnagain Arm at the end of the 18-mile Hope Highway, is a popular tourist destination in the summer months for its hiking and boating opportunities and for its historical value. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file) In this August 2016 photo, people walk along the main historic downtown street of Hope. Hope, a small unincorporated town along the Turnagain Arm at the end of the 18-mile Hope Highway, is a popular tourist destination in the summer months for its hiking and boating opportunities and for its historical value. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, left, with Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, speaks during a news conference Wednesday, May 31, 2017, in Anchorage, Alaska. Zinke announced steps during a speech earlier in the day that could lead to expanded petroleum drilling in two areas of northern Alaska where environmental groups want protections for wildlife. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

Interior Secretary Zinke orders petroleum reviews in Alaska

ANCHORAGE — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has announced steps that could lead to expanded petroleum drilling in two areas of northern Alaska where environmental groups… Continue reading

  • May 31, 2017
  • By Dan Joling
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, left, with Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, speaks during a news conference Wednesday, May 31, 2017, in Anchorage, Alaska. Zinke announced steps during a speech earlier in the day that could lead to expanded petroleum drilling in two areas of northern Alaska where environmental groups want protections for wildlife. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)