News

Kasilof red salmon at record-breaking levels

An emergency-order opening commercial set and drift gillnet fisheries in the Cook Inlet on Saturday was issued by Alaska Department of Fish and Game managers… Continue reading

  • Jun 27, 2014
  • By Rashah McChesney

Two men rescued from Cook Inlet mud, incoming tide

Central Emergency Services personnel rescued two men from the incoming tide after they had become stuck in the mud along Kalifornsky Beach Thursday night. According… Continue reading

  • Jun 27, 2014
Vitto Kleinschmidt is the new Circulation Director for the Juneau Empire.

New publisher brings decades of newspaper experience to Clarion

Over the course of 28 years, Vitto Kleinschmidt has risen through the newspaper ranks from a position in home delivery to publisher of the Peninsula… Continue reading

  • Jun 25, 2014
  • By KAYLEE OSOWSKI
Vitto Kleinschmidt is the new Circulation Director for the Juneau Empire.
Clarion file photo In this May 22, 2012 file photo Brent Keene works on his commercial drift-net boat in Kenai before having it towed to Homer for work last. The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association is offering a Saturday class on ergonomics and common fishing injuries targeted toward commercial fishing in the Cook Inlet.

AMSEA offers class on common commercial fishing injuries

A common and often-repeated maneuver on commercial fishing boats throughout Alaska involves reaching just below the head of a freshly caught fish into its gill… Continue reading

  • Jun 26, 2014
  • By Rashah McChesney
Clarion file photo In this May 22, 2012 file photo Brent Keene works on his commercial drift-net boat in Kenai before having it towed to Homer for work last. The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association is offering a Saturday class on ergonomics and common fishing injuries targeted toward commercial fishing in the Cook Inlet.
From left: Community Emergency Response Teams instructor Michael Huckabay coaches CERT students Delayna Baczkowski and Jackson Blackwell how to put out a small fire using the PASS method - pull, aim, squeeze and sweep - on Wednesday at the Central Emergency Services Station 2 on Mackey Lake Road. CERT classes started this week and run through July 12. Photo by Kaylee Osowski/Peninsula Clarion

Wildfire sparks interest in CERT

The classmates took turns in pairs — a leader with a fire extinguisher at the ready and a buddy with a hand on the leader’s… Continue reading

  • Jun 26, 2014
  • By KAYLEE OSOWSKI
From left: Community Emergency Response Teams instructor Michael Huckabay coaches CERT students Delayna Baczkowski and Jackson Blackwell how to put out a small fire using the PASS method - pull, aim, squeeze and sweep - on Wednesday at the Central Emergency Services Station 2 on Mackey Lake Road. CERT classes started this week and run through July 12. Photo by Kaylee Osowski/Peninsula Clarion

Alaska advances suit over federal refuge closures

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Arguments are scheduled for July in Alaska’s ongoing legal fight over the closure of national wildlife refuges during the partial shutdown… Continue reading

  • Jun 26, 2014

Soldotna reservoir to be built by Blazy

Construction on the 1 million-gallon Kalifornsky Beach Road water reservoir is set to begin immediately. Soldotna based Blazy Construction Inc. was awarded a contract by… Continue reading

  • Jun 26, 2014
  • By Kelly Sullivan
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion BBranden Bornemann, environmental scientists for the of the Kenai Watershed Forum, takes a water sample at the mouth of the Kenai River for an Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and City of Kenai program that measures bacteria in the water in Kenai, Alaska.

Bacterial monitoring to continue on the Kenai, starts again on the Kasilof

The Kenai Watershed Forum has been awarded a $96,000 grant to continue monitoring bacteria in the Kenai River. The 2014 monitoring program will also include… Continue reading

  • Jun 26, 2014
  • By Rashah McChesney
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion BBranden Bornemann, environmental scientists for the of the Kenai Watershed Forum, takes a water sample at the mouth of the Kenai River for an Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and City of Kenai program that measures bacteria in the water in Kenai, Alaska.
FILE - In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 file photo, soldiers participate in a combined special operations demonstration with commandos from Jordan, Iraq and the U.S. as part of Eager Lion multinational military maneuvers, at the King Abdullah Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC) in Amman, Jordan. The White House soon may sign off on a project to train and equip moderate Syrian rebel forces, according to Obama administration officials. The move would significantly boost U.S. support for rebels seeking military help to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. President Barack Obama is considering sending a limited number of American troops to Jordan to be part of a regional training mission that would instruct carefully screened members of the Free Syrian Army on tactics, including counterterrorism operations, the officials said.(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

Obama seeks $500 million to train, equip Syrian rebels

WASHINGTON — With the conflicts in Syria and Iraq becoming increasingly intertwined against the same Sunni extremist group, President Barack Obama moved on Thursday to… Continue reading

  • Jun 26, 2014
  • By JULIE PACE
FILE - In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 file photo, soldiers participate in a combined special operations demonstration with commandos from Jordan, Iraq and the U.S. as part of Eager Lion multinational military maneuvers, at the King Abdullah Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC) in Amman, Jordan. The White House soon may sign off on a project to train and equip moderate Syrian rebel forces, according to Obama administration officials. The move would significantly boost U.S. support for rebels seeking military help to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. President Barack Obama is considering sending a limited number of American troops to Jordan to be part of a regional training mission that would instruct carefully screened members of the Free Syrian Army on tactics, including counterterrorism operations, the officials said.(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

Alaska senators take another crack at J-1 visa program

A few processing plants are finding themselves shorthanded as salmon catches increase around the state, but an item in pending U.S. Senate legislation could make… Continue reading

  • Jun 26, 2014
  • By Molly Dischner
Glenn Merrill, 45, holds Jackson Merrill in front of their broken skylight in their living room on Tuesday. A black bear climbed up on their roof and crashed through the skylight on Saturday minutes before Jackson's first birthday party.

Bear with sweet tooth crashes children’s party

A black bear with a sweet tooth crashed a little kid’s birthday party on Saturday. Literally.The uninvited guest shimmied its way up onto the roof… Continue reading

Glenn Merrill, 45, holds Jackson Merrill in front of their broken skylight in their living room on Tuesday. A black bear climbed up on their roof and crashed through the skylight on Saturday minutes before Jackson's first birthday party.
Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion The brick gas-fire kiln inside the Kenai Potter's Guild. The Peninsula Art Guild terminated the lease of the potters guild after an insurance inspection found the studio uninsurable. The space will need to be cleared out by September 30.

Art guild terminates potters lease over insurance issues

After 41 years in the same space, the Kenai Potters Guild is homeless. The guild shared a space with the Peninsula Art Guild at the… Continue reading

  • Jun 25, 2014
  • By DAN BALMER and RASHAH McCHESNEY
Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion The brick gas-fire kiln inside the Kenai Potter's Guild. The Peninsula Art Guild terminated the lease of the potters guild after an insurance inspection found the studio uninsurable. The space will need to be cleared out by September 30.
Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion A 16-year-old girl on a motorbike was struck by a white Chevy truck when she attemped to cross Kalifornsky Beach Road between VIP Drive and Bowpicker Lane Wednesday at about 2:30 p.m. in Kenai. Alaska State Troopers said the girl sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Central Peninsula Hospital. The minor was wearing a helmet, but troopers said she did not look before she crossed the street.

Girl suffers broken leg in truck/motorbike collision

A 16-year-old girl riding a motorbike sustained non-life threatening injuries after a truck hit her when she attempted to cross Kalifornsky Beach Road Wednesday afternoon.… Continue reading

  • Jun 25, 2014
  • By DAN BALMER
Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion A 16-year-old girl on a motorbike was struck by a white Chevy truck when she attemped to cross Kalifornsky Beach Road between VIP Drive and Bowpicker Lane Wednesday at about 2:30 p.m. in Kenai. Alaska State Troopers said the girl sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Central Peninsula Hospital. The minor was wearing a helmet, but troopers said she did not look before she crossed the street.

Rushin’ the rushing Russian

The battle has begun on the Russian River where an unexpectedly large run of sockeye salmon prompted managers to loosen restrictions on fishing the early… Continue reading

Fishing still strong on Russian river

Sockeye Reports of sockeye salmon catches on the Russian River are still ranging between “good and excellent” two weeks after the opening of the fishery,… Continue reading

DOT&PF shares progress in highway study

How many lanes should there be? How should the lanes be divided? What are environmental concerns? Is lighting an option? How much room is available… Continue reading

  • Jun 25, 2014
  • By KAYLEE OSOWSKI

Groups petition to list yellow cedar

ANCHORAGE (AP) — Four conservation groups have petitioned the Interior Department to list an iconic Alaska tree as threatened or endangered because of climate change.Yellow… Continue reading

  • Jun 25, 2014

Judge requires CIFF to reimburse state for lawsuit costs

ANCHORAGE — A judge ruled Wednesday that a commercial fishing group should pay part of the State’s cost for the lawsuit regarding management of the… Continue reading

  • Jun 25, 2014
  • By Molly Dischner

Soldotna adds proposition to fall ballot

During the regular election this fall, Soldotna residents will vote on how their municipal officials and candidates will be required to disclose personal finances. At… Continue reading

  • Jun 25, 2014
  • By Kelly Sullivan

Business news

The Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce will host a joint luncheon at noon on July 8 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. Gov. Sean… Continue reading

  • Jun 25, 2014