Elizabeth Earl

Local leaders brainstorm on future economic development

Local business and government leaders discussed ways to expand the Kenai Peninsula and Alaska beyond relying primarily on resource extraction at a two-day forum at… Continue reading

Kenaitze Executive Director resigns

After 10 years as executive director of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Jaylene Peterson-Nyren has resigned. Peterson-Nyren resigned effective June 16, according to a statement issued… Continue reading

Raindrops glisten on the petals of woolly geranium flowers growing near the boardwalk in Soldotna Creek Park on Sunday, July 9, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. Heavy rainfall Saturday night cleared off briefly Sunday morning before turning back to heavy showers Sunday afternoon on the central peninsula, dousing anglers out fishing on the Kenai River briefly before abating and allowing a little blue sky to peek through. After a rainy weekend, the National Weather Service is predicting the weather to warm in the coming week and for the clouds to clear by Wednesday, with temperatures reaching the high 60s and low 70s. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Photo: Summer showers, wildflowers

Raindrops glisten on the petals of woolly geranium flowers growing near the boardwalk in Soldotna Creek Park on Sunday in Soldotna. Heavy rainfall Saturday night… Continue reading

Raindrops glisten on the petals of woolly geranium flowers growing near the boardwalk in Soldotna Creek Park on Sunday, July 9, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. Heavy rainfall Saturday night cleared off briefly Sunday morning before turning back to heavy showers Sunday afternoon on the central peninsula, dousing anglers out fishing on the Kenai River briefly before abating and allowing a little blue sky to peek through. After a rainy weekend, the National Weather Service is predicting the weather to warm in the coming week and for the clouds to clear by Wednesday, with temperatures reaching the high 60s and low 70s. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Avery Walden, then 9, poses at the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with her father Chris Walden (right) and a family friend on Jan. 6, 2017. The group climbed the famous mountain in January, making Avery the youngest female to ascend the mountain. (Photo courtesy Chris Walden)

Mountain-climbing family plans rock gym, next adventures

Editor's note: This article has been edited to clarify that because Mt. Kilimanjaro is near the equator, January is not technically winter there. A little… Continue reading

Avery Walden, then 9, poses at the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with her father Chris Walden (right) and a family friend on Jan. 6, 2017. The group climbed the famous mountain in January, making Avery the youngest female to ascend the mountain. (Photo courtesy Chris Walden)
Samson, a 15-week-old dogo argentino puppy, gets a scratch from owner Richard Politte of Sterling, while on a walk in Soldotna Creek Park on Thursday, July 6, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. Politte said he adopted Samson about 5 weeks ago from a litter of puppies borne by a dog that escaped a house fire in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Politte and Samson were out enjoying the sunshine along with dozens of other people in the park Wednesday, where anglers were fishing for sockeye and children played in the shallows where Soldotna Creek meets the Kenai River. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Photo: Finding a good home

Samson, a 15-week-old dogo argentino puppy, gets a scratch from owner Richard Politte of Sterling, while on a walk in Soldotna Creek Park on Thursday… Continue reading

Samson, a 15-week-old dogo argentino puppy, gets a scratch from owner Richard Politte of Sterling, while on a walk in Soldotna Creek Park on Thursday, July 6, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. Politte said he adopted Samson about 5 weeks ago from a litter of puppies borne by a dog that escaped a house fire in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Politte and Samson were out enjoying the sunshine along with dozens of other people in the park Wednesday, where anglers were fishing for sockeye and children played in the shallows where Soldotna Creek meets the Kenai River. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Study indicates boroughs are more dependent on state dollars

Since the turn of the century, Alaska’s boroughs have become much more dependent on state dollars to operate. That’s a problem their assemblies and administrations… Continue reading

Ethan Tyler to take over as Parks director

Alaska’s state parks have a new director. Ethan Tyler will take over the role of director at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Division of… Continue reading

Hilcorp plans new gas wells near Ninilchik

The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas has approved a Plan of Operations for Hilcorp Alaska to develop a new pad outside Ninilchik to support… Continue reading

This section of a property ownership map shows some of Cook Inlet Region Incorporated’s lands along the Kenai River near Soldotna, with surface ownership depicted in dark red. CIRI has erected signs this year letting the public know where its privately owned lands are and asking people not to use them to fish without a permit, which is available for free through the corporation. (Courtesy Cook Inlet Region Incorporated)

CIRI steps up enforcement on Kenai River lands

Kenai River anglers will have to keep an eye out for private property this year as Cook Inlet Region Incorporated steps up its efforts to… Continue reading

This section of a property ownership map shows some of Cook Inlet Region Incorporated’s lands along the Kenai River near Soldotna, with surface ownership depicted in dark red. CIRI has erected signs this year letting the public know where its privately owned lands are and asking people not to use them to fish without a permit, which is available for free through the corporation. (Courtesy Cook Inlet Region Incorporated)

Commercial fishing season kicks off with higher prices, slow runs

Commercial fishermen in Upper Cook Inlet have been out since late June, kicking off what’s predicted to be a fairly slow sockeye salmon season. As… Continue reading

Kenai hunters required to complete moose orientation

Hunters aiming to take home some moose meat this year on the Kenai Peninsula will have to take an additional step before heading out —… Continue reading

In this July 2016, a fishing guide pilots a boat up the Kenai River near Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Late king run starts off with bait in lower river

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct an error. On the Kenai River, bait is allowed between the mouth of the river and… Continue reading

In this July 2016, a fishing guide pilots a boat up the Kenai River near Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
Clouds drift above the peak of Slaughter Ridge and Kenai Lake on Saturday, July 1, 2017 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. Southcentral Alaska so far has had a cool, wet summer, and may see below-normal temperatures with above-normal precipitation over the next eight to 14 days, according to the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. Sunday was rainy on the central peninsula, with temperatures hovering in the mid-50s. However, the sun is predicted to make a steadier appearance for the Fourth of July week, with temperatures rising to the low 60s by Tuesday and some sunshine, according to a Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service. “The warm and mostly dry weather pattern looks like it will hold through at least the end of the week,” the announcement states. “There may still be some afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms forming on area mountains, but sunshine will be abundant for the valleys.” (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Photo: Warmer weather on the way

Clouds drift above the peak of Slaughter Ridge and Kenai Lake on Saturday near Cooper Landing. Southcentral Alaska so far has had a cool, wet… Continue reading

Clouds drift above the peak of Slaughter Ridge and Kenai Lake on Saturday, July 1, 2017 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. Southcentral Alaska so far has had a cool, wet summer, and may see below-normal temperatures with above-normal precipitation over the next eight to 14 days, according to the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. Sunday was rainy on the central peninsula, with temperatures hovering in the mid-50s. However, the sun is predicted to make a steadier appearance for the Fourth of July week, with temperatures rising to the low 60s by Tuesday and some sunshine, according to a Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service. “The warm and mostly dry weather pattern looks like it will hold through at least the end of the week,” the announcement states. “There may still be some afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms forming on area mountains, but sunshine will be abundant for the valleys.” (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Halibut hang from the display rack at North Country Charters on the Homer Spit on Sunday, June 25, 2017 in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Study shows Homer halibut charters stay closer to town

A pair of University of Alaska researchers want to know more about how halibut charter fishermen in the state carry out their trips. Halibut have… Continue reading

Halibut hang from the display rack at North Country Charters on the Homer Spit on Sunday, June 25, 2017 in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Borough finalizing plans for North Road extension

About two decades after the Kenai Peninsula Borough first got federal funding to extend the Kenai Spur Highway northward, the borough is working on finalizing… Continue reading

This map included in a geographic names report by the Alaska Historical Commission shows the proposed names for three peaks and a ridge near Moose Pass, Alaska. (Courtesy the Alaska Historical Commission)

Assembly denies support for naming Moose Pass mountains

What’s in a mountain’s name? Sometimes it’s the history of a mountain, like Mount Marathon, named for the annual race run there since 1915. Sometimes… Continue reading

This map included in a geographic names report by the Alaska Historical Commission shows the proposed names for three peaks and a ridge near Moose Pass, Alaska. (Courtesy the Alaska Historical Commission)
An angler fillets his sockeye salmon caught on the Kenai River near the confluence with the Russian River on Sunday, June 11, 2017 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Russian River Sanctuary opens, bag limit doubles

Starting Saturday, anglers at the Russian River confluence can head up into the heart of the fishery to target sockeye salmon and can retain more… Continue reading

An angler fillets his sockeye salmon caught on the Kenai River near the confluence with the Russian River on Sunday, June 11, 2017 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
In this November 2016 photo, the Seward Highway stretches southward toward the town of Seward near Moose Pass, Alaska. The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly recently approved an ordinance forming an emergency medical service area corridor along the highway system on the eastern Kenai Peninsula to provide more thorough emergency response coverage for the thousands of travelers that cross the highway every year. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Assembly confirms Eastern Peninsula Highway Emergency Service Area board members

The five seats on the newly formed East Peninsula Highway Emergency Service Area’s board of directors have been filled. The board’s first job is to… Continue reading

In this November 2016 photo, the Seward Highway stretches southward toward the town of Seward near Moose Pass, Alaska. The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly recently approved an ordinance forming an emergency medical service area corridor along the highway system on the eastern Kenai Peninsula to provide more thorough emergency response coverage for the thousands of travelers that cross the highway every year. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
This March 29, 2017 photo shows Central Peninsula Hospital’s River Tower, which houses specialty medical services, in Soldotna, Alaska. The tower was completed in January 2017 as part of a multi-year service and infrastructure expansion at the hospital. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly introduces new hospital operating agreement

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly is wading into the legal thicket of renewing Central Peninsula Hospital’s lease and operating agreement. The Kenai Peninsula Borough owns… Continue reading

This March 29, 2017 photo shows Central Peninsula Hospital’s River Tower, which houses specialty medical services, in Soldotna, Alaska. The tower was completed in January 2017 as part of a multi-year service and infrastructure expansion at the hospital. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Bait authorized for lower Kenai kings

Bait is now legal for king salmon on the Kenai River below Slikok Creek. Effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, anglers can use bait to target kings… Continue reading