For a slideshow of the Tustumena 200 sled dog race through the years, click here.
This year’s T200 starts at 11 a.m. at Mile 112 of the Sterling Highway. Vet check is noon to 5 p.m. today at the Soldotna Sports Center.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has recommended a plan for restructuring Soldotna-area schools in an effort to address declining enrollment.

While no decisions have been finalized, district spokesperson Pegge Erkeneff said the school district would be promoting a reconfiguration of the schools into six kindergarten through sixth-grade elementary schools, two seventh- through ninth-grade middle schools and one 10th- through 12th-grade high school.

An eight-person committee has become the center of disagreement between the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and its labor unions over how to manage the rising costs of the district’s self-funded health insurance.

During the first negotiation meeting since a non-binding arbitrator’s opinion was released in December, the school district presented an offer that adopted all but one of the arbitrator’s suggestions. While the arbitrator suggested not altering the structure of a health care committee, the district proposed changing its makeup.

Ten Upper Cook Inlet Task Force members met Monday to address the mountain of data generated since their last meeting, propose changes to salmon management plans and hear from local fishermen.

The day began with a presentation on a draft escapement goal recommendation of 15,000 to 30,000 late-run chinook salmon in the Kenai River.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Chief Fisheries Scientist, Bob Clark answered questions about the draft report and how the DIDSON-sonar based goal was developed.