Elizabeth Earl

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion A moose grazes on a lawn in a neighborhood on Cannery Road near the Kenai River's south beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Kenai, Alaska.

Photo: Watch for moose

A moose grazes on a lawn in a neighborhood on Cannery Road near the Kenai River’s south beach Friday in Kenai. Moose can be hard… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion A moose grazes on a lawn in a neighborhood on Cannery Road near the Kenai River's south beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Kenai, Alaska.

Independent Living Center reapplies for transit voucher funding

After a year of unstable funding, the Independent Living Center is applying to restore the state support for its voucher transportation program. The center, which… Continue reading

Knopp wins District 30 race

Gary Knopp will represent the residents of Kenai and Soldotna in the Alaska Legislature for the next session, according to unofficial election results. In a… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion The road to Gray Cliff and Moose Point extends past the pavement in Captain Cook State Park, shown on Monday, April 11, 2016. Apache Corporation, which was exploring for oil and gas in the area, had announced plans to extend the road to Gray Cliff before the company's withdrawal from Alaska in March 2016. The company is engaged in talks with the Kenai Peninsula Borough to potentially donate its preliminary environmental and engineering work to the borough so it could pick up the project.

Borough moves forward on North Road extension plans

Plans are moving forward for the long-awaited Kenai Spur Highway extension past the current terminus at Captain Cook State Recreation Area. The road would provide… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion The road to Gray Cliff and Moose Point extends past the pavement in Captain Cook State Park, shown on Monday, April 11, 2016. Apache Corporation, which was exploring for oil and gas in the area, had announced plans to extend the road to Gray Cliff before the company's withdrawal from Alaska in March 2016. The company is engaged in talks with the Kenai Peninsula Borough to potentially donate its preliminary environmental and engineering work to the borough so it could pick up the project.

State opioid task force issues recommendations

The task force considering how to address the growing opioid addiction crisis in Alaska is seeking public comment on its first draft of recommendations. The… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Kareasa McElwain of Soldotna paints the front windows of the Kenai Specialty Clinics on Trading Bay Road on Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 in Kenai, Alaska. McElwain, who teaches painting classes through her business K Maria Arts, began offering custom window decoration for businesses this winter. She said she's done about 10 so far this season.
Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Kareasa McElwain of Soldotna paints the front windows of the Kenai Specialty Clinics on Trading Bay Road on Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 in Kenai, Alaska. McElwain, who teaches painting classes through her business K Maria Arts, began offering custom window decoration for businesses this winter. She said she's done about 10 so far this season.

Agencies, organizations work to count peninsula homeless

Right now, it’s impossible to say exactly how many people are homeless on the central Kenai Peninsula at any given time.Different agencies have guesses based… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Sterling Elementary School's Kindness Ambassador speak at a school assembly kicking off the school's "21 Days of Kindness" challenge. Students are challenged throughout November to perform five acts of kindness every day and write it down on slips of paper in their classrooms and in the school office. At the end of the month, the slips will be chained together and hung around the school.

Sterling Elementary School focuses on kindness

Beyond just gifts, hugs and kind words, the teachers and staff at Sterling Elementary School are hoping students will find many ways to be kind… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Sterling Elementary School's Kindness Ambassador speak at a school assembly kicking off the school's "21 Days of Kindness" challenge. Students are challenged throughout November to perform five acts of kindness every day and write it down on slips of paper in their classrooms and in the school office. At the end of the month, the slips will be chained together and hung around the school.

Knopp combines past, present experience in office

When Gary Knopp returned to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in October 2015, he didn’t waste any time jumping back into leadership roles. Within the… Continue reading

Thornton brings energetic, giving attitude to race

Most of Shauna Thornton’s afternoon on Oct. 29 was spent spinning out cotton candy. The next day, she manned a station on the Tsalteshi Trails… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Christie Abbott's "Skinny Salmon" necklaces hang on display at the Central Peninsula Hospital Auxiliary Bazaar on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 in Soldotna, Alaska. Abbott makes the jewelry out of real salmon skin that she treats, colors and sets into the necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets herself. The skin comes from salmon she and her husband catch - depending on how the season goes, it's mostly either sockeye or coho salmon, she said. The necklaces are also regularly for sale at Trustworthy Hardware and Fishing in Soldotna. The bazaar continues Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Photo: Tis the season

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Christie Abbott’s “Skinny Salmon” necklaces hang on display at the Central Peninsula Hospital Auxiliary Bazaar on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Christie Abbott's "Skinny Salmon" necklaces hang on display at the Central Peninsula Hospital Auxiliary Bazaar on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 in Soldotna, Alaska. Abbott makes the jewelry out of real salmon skin that she treats, colors and sets into the necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets herself. The skin comes from salmon she and her husband catch - depending on how the season goes, it's mostly either sockeye or coho salmon, she said. The necklaces are also regularly for sale at Trustworthy Hardware and Fishing in Soldotna. The bazaar continues Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion The three candidates for the House of Representatives District 30 seat, nonpartisan Daniel Lynch (left), Republican Gary Knopp (center) and Democrat Shauna Thornton met for a forum at a joint Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce luncheon Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. The three and the Alaska Constitution Party's candidate, J.R. Myers, will face off Nov. 8 to replace current representative Kurt Olson.

Election approaches in contested District 30

There’s still a week to go until Election Day, but many Alaskans can’t wait to vote.So far, 36,229 people statewide have already cast their ballots.… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion The three candidates for the House of Representatives District 30 seat, nonpartisan Daniel Lynch (left), Republican Gary Knopp (center) and Democrat Shauna Thornton met for a forum at a joint Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce luncheon Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. The three and the Alaska Constitution Party's candidate, J.R. Myers, will face off Nov. 8 to replace current representative Kurt Olson.
Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Fire Marshal Tommy Carver sprays off smoldering material taken from the wall of the Cowan, Gerry, and Aaronson law office on Monday, Oct. 31 in Old Town Kenai. A patient leaving the nearby Cook Inlet Dental office called the Kenai Fire Department after seeing smoke from the building, and two Kenai fire engines responded at 2:11 pm. Kenai Fire Chief Jeff Tucker said the damage was confined to the corner wall and the two people inside the building weren't hurt.

Fire damages wall in Old Town Kenai

Editor's note: The photo caption running with this story has been changed to correct Kenai Fire Department's time of response.  The Kenai Fire Department put… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Fire Marshal Tommy Carver sprays off smoldering material taken from the wall of the Cowan, Gerry, and Aaronson law office on Monday, Oct. 31 in Old Town Kenai. A patient leaving the nearby Cook Inlet Dental office called the Kenai Fire Department after seeing smoke from the building, and two Kenai fire engines responded at 2:11 pm. Kenai Fire Chief Jeff Tucker said the damage was confined to the corner wall and the two people inside the building weren't hurt.
Photo courtesy Kenaitze Indian Tribe In this Aug. 23, 2016, Nancy Nelson (left) and Laura Hobson look at antiques in a curio store during a shopping trip the two women shared in Kenai, Alaska. Both are participating in the Kenaitze Indian Tribe's Senior Companion Program.

Kenaitze program connects seniors for companionship, help

Soldotna was lonely when Laura Hobson and her husband moved there from Anchorage two years ago to retire. These days, she keeps busy visiting other… Continue reading

Photo courtesy Kenaitze Indian Tribe In this Aug. 23, 2016, Nancy Nelson (left) and Laura Hobson look at antiques in a curio store during a shopping trip the two women shared in Kenai, Alaska. Both are participating in the Kenaitze Indian Tribe's Senior Companion Program.

As tourism grows, industry associations look to new marketing funding

Alaska likely saw another record-breaking tourism year in 2016, according to preliminary numbers from the industry. More than 1 million cruise ship passengers came through… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Karbon Lindley, 18 months, dressed up as an Alaska State Trooper, sneaks a look at his candy stash on a walk through the trails system during the annual Tsalteshi Trails Spook Night on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 in Soldotna, Alaska. Families walked through the trail system and visited at stations sponsored by local businesses, government agencies and political candidates, collecting every kind of goodie from candy to keychains to reflective shoelaces - handed out by the City of Soldotna - just before a group of runners took off into the trails for a 5K.

Photo: Sneaking a peek

Karbon Lindley, 18 months, dressed up as an Alaska State Trooper, sneaks a look at his candy stash on a walk through the trails system… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Karbon Lindley, 18 months, dressed up as an Alaska State Trooper, sneaks a look at his candy stash on a walk through the trails system during the annual Tsalteshi Trails Spook Night on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 in Soldotna, Alaska. Families walked through the trail system and visited at stations sponsored by local businesses, government agencies and political candidates, collecting every kind of goodie from candy to keychains to reflective shoelaces - handed out by the City of Soldotna - just before a group of runners took off into the trails for a 5K.

Fake ‘trooper’ scamming peninsula residents

Alaska State Troopers are warning Kenai Peninsula residents to be aware of a scam in which a caller pretends to be a trooper.Recently, a number… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Central Emergency Services first responders retrieve belongings from the inside of an overturned vehicle on Carver Drive near the intersection of Gene Street on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016 near Kenai, Alaska. Alaska State Troopers and CES responded to a report of a single-vehicle rollover around 5 p.m. Wednesday. The car's seven occupants got out safely, though CES transported one to Central Peninsula Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Photo: Shake, rattle and roll

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Shake, rattle and roll Central Emergency Services first responders retrieve belongings from the inside of an overturned vehicle on Carver… Continue reading

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Central Emergency Services first responders retrieve belongings from the inside of an overturned vehicle on Carver Drive near the intersection of Gene Street on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016 near Kenai, Alaska. Alaska State Troopers and CES responded to a report of a single-vehicle rollover around 5 p.m. Wednesday. The car's seven occupants got out safely, though CES transported one to Central Peninsula Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Healthcare Task Force finalizes recommendations

The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s task force on health care reached a set of final recommendations to the borough Wednesday night.The Healthcare Task Force, which has… Continue reading

Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Alaska Rep. Don Young (Joe Rizzo) responds to comments from other candidates in a forum during a dress rehearsal for Triumvirate Theatre's "Lame Ducks and Dark Horses" political satire play Monday, Oct. 24, 2016 near Kenai, Alaska.

Triumvirate Theatre’s ‘Lame Ducks and Dark Horses’ pokes political fun

Though there’s plenty of fodder for a few jokes in the Alaska political scene this time around, the presidential drama was too good to leave… Continue reading

Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Alaska Rep. Don Young (Joe Rizzo) responds to comments from other candidates in a forum during a dress rehearsal for Triumvirate Theatre's "Lame Ducks and Dark Horses" political satire play Monday, Oct. 24, 2016 near Kenai, Alaska.