Kenai Peninsula Borough

Audience members listen to Iris Fontana, of the Satanic Temple, deliver an invocation during a Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. Fontana was the last person to deliver an assembly invocation before a new borough policy, which says only borough volunteer chaplains may deliver the invocation, takes effect. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Satanic Temple gets last word as assembly ends open invocation policy

Effective Jan. 1, assembly invocations will be delivered exclusively by volunteer chaplains who serve the borough’s fire and emergency medical service areas

Audience members listen to Iris Fontana, of the Satanic Temple, deliver an invocation during a Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. Fontana was the last person to deliver an assembly invocation before a new borough policy, which says only borough volunteer chaplains may deliver the invocation, takes effect. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
A design of the proposed new Kenai Peninsula Borough logo, left, and the current borough logo. (Logos via Kenai Peninsula Borough)

Assembly mulls borough logo rebrand

The borough’s current logo is “dated, difficult to scale, and too detailed to be effective,” according to legislation proposing the change

A design of the proposed new Kenai Peninsula Borough logo, left, and the current borough logo. (Logos via Kenai Peninsula Borough)
Hoses pump water along Patrick Drive to help mitigate flooding near Kalifornsky Beach Road on Friday, July 21, 2023, near Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Hoses pump water along Patrick Drive to help mitigate flooding near Kalifornsky Beach Road on Friday, July 21, 2023, near Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Borough building in Soldotna is seen here on June 1. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Borough gets $243k for emergency management work

The program is offered by the Federal Emergency Management Area in order to help states and other emergency management agencies implement the National Preparedness System

The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Borough building in Soldotna is seen here on June 1. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
The borough’s welcome sign greets drivers as they enter the Kenai Peninsula on Milepost 75 of the Seward Highway, on Sunday, May 5, 2019, near Turnagain Pass, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Borough to include cities in tourism promotion materials

Borough code doesn’t allow the borough to promote city-specific tourism without entering into a partnership with that city

The borough’s welcome sign greets drivers as they enter the Kenai Peninsula on Milepost 75 of the Seward Highway, on Sunday, May 5, 2019, near Turnagain Pass, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
A firefighter from Cooper Landing Emergency Services refills a water tanker at the banks of the Kenai River in Cooper Landing, Alaska on Aug. 30, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
A firefighter from Cooper Landing Emergency Services refills a water tanker at the banks of the Kenai River in Cooper Landing, Alaska on Aug. 30, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Adam Bertoldo testifies in opposition to a resolution only permitting certain chaplains to deliver invocations before Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meetings on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly OKs changes to borough invocation policy

The new policy says only chaplains may give assembly invocations

Adam Bertoldo testifies in opposition to a resolution only permitting certain chaplains to deliver invocations before Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meetings on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
An arch marks the entrance to the Church of St. Nicholas on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023 in Nikolaevsk, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
An arch marks the entrance to the Church of St. Nicholas on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023 in Nikolaevsk, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Sockeye salmon are caught in a set gillnet at a test site for selective harvest setnet gear in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly calls for economic disaster declaration for east side setnet fishery

The resolution is in response to this year’s unprecedented closure of the fishery by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Sockeye salmon are caught in a set gillnet at a test site for selective harvest setnet gear in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
The Central Peninsula Landfill is seen on June 27, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion file)
The Central Peninsula Landfill is seen on June 27, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion file)
The entrance to the George A. Navarre Admin Building in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion file)

Assembly OKs overhaul of borough gravel pit regs

The unanimous vote in support of the ordinance caps more than a year of work by an assembly material site subcommittee

The entrance to the George A. Navarre Admin Building in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion file)
A plow truck clears snow from the Kenai Spur Highway on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

DOT commissioner: New road maintenance strategy could reduce brine use by 40%

Vehicle corrosion and associated costs, threats to public safety and environmental impacts were the top concerns

A plow truck clears snow from the Kenai Spur Highway on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Laura Burke speaks during a community conversation on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Home-school meeting draws dozens

The event was hosted by the Kenai Peninsula Borough and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

Laura Burke speaks during a community conversation on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Finance Director Liz Hayes, left, testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly during a budget work session on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Finance Director Liz Hayes, left, testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly during a budget work session on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche presents information about the borough during a chamber luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Micciche talks home-schooling, emergency services at joint chamber luncheon

He opened Thursday’s presentation by summarizing the results of a community survey that the borough circulated shortly in February

Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche presents information about the borough during a chamber luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Phil Daniel, left, joins supporters of both himself and Teea Winger in waving signs on the corner of Bridge Access Road and the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, for election day on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Phil Daniel, left, joins supporters of both himself and Teea Winger in waving signs on the corner of Bridge Access Road and the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, for election day on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Voters fill out their ballots at the Challenger Learning Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Election 2023: When, where to vote Tuesday

City council, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, the local school board races are all on the ballot

Voters fill out their ballots at the Challenger Learning Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly during a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly to let borough mayors speak sooner during meetings

The mayor’s report will now be given after the first round of public comments and before public hearings and new assembly business

Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly during a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Water pools near at the intersection of Patrick Drive and Bjerke Street, where contractors for the Kenai Peninsula Borough install a culvert to mitigate flooding off of Kalifornsky Beach Road on Friday, July 21, 2023, near Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Water pools near at the intersection of Patrick Drive and Bjerke Street, where contractors for the Kenai Peninsula Borough install a culvert to mitigate flooding off of Kalifornsky Beach Road on Friday, July 21, 2023, near Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Water flows over Big Eddy Road in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Borough declares state of emergency for flood response

The disaster declaration opens access to emergency funds

Water flows over Big Eddy Road in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)