Jacob Dye

Pumpkins submitted to the pumpkin decorating contest are seen at the 5th annual Kenai Fall Pumpkin Festival in Kenai, Alaska, on Oct. 10, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Pumpkins — on the ground and from above — to make appearance at annual festival

The Kenai Fall Pumpkin Festival is back on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

Pumpkins submitted to the pumpkin decorating contest are seen at the 5th annual Kenai Fall Pumpkin Festival in Kenai, Alaska, on Oct. 10, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Elementary school students line up to touch a salmon during the annual egg take demonstration at the Anchor River on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, in Anchor Point, Alaska. Students leave the egg take event with fertilized salmon eggs to raise into fry throughout the year through the Salmon in the Classroom project hosted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Sport Fish Division. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News file)

Kids to get close-up look at fish life cycle

Alaska Department of Fish and Game representatives will conduct presentations at coho salmon egg takes

Elementary school students line up to touch a salmon during the annual egg take demonstration at the Anchor River on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, in Anchor Point, Alaska. Students leave the egg take event with fertilized salmon eggs to raise into fry throughout the year through the Salmon in the Classroom project hosted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Sport Fish Division. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News file)
Fat Bear Week bracket (Photo courtesy Katmai National Park & Preserve)

Fat bears face off

Voters decide on the heftiest Katmai brown bear

Fat Bear Week bracket (Photo courtesy Katmai National Park & Preserve)
A sign welcoming visitors to the Literary Haunted House at the Kenai Community Library can be seen here on Oct. 30, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
A sign welcoming visitors to the Literary Haunted House at the Kenai Community Library can be seen here on Oct. 30, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion file)

Libraries host haunted houses, scary storytimes, seasonal crafts

It’s all about Halloween at Kenai and Soldotna libraries

A sign welcoming visitors to the Literary Haunted House at the Kenai Community Library can be seen here on Oct. 30, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
A sign welcoming visitors to the Literary Haunted House at the Kenai Community Library can be seen here on Oct. 30, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion file)
Grace Christian’s David Sliwinski and Homer’s Seamus McDonough both make their last push to the finish chute during the Region 3/Division II race on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

SoHi’s Jedlicki, Seward’s Ingalls nab 1st region titles

The Region 2 and Region 3 cross-country running championships were held at Tsalteshi Trails behind Skyview Middle School on Saturday, gathering runners from around the… Continue reading

Grace Christian’s David Sliwinski and Homer’s Seamus McDonough both make their last push to the finish chute during the Region 3/Division II race on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Fire Marshal Jeremy Hamilton is seen by one of Kenai Fire Department’s Tower trucks on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 at Kenai Fire Department in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

‘Get up, get out and get safe’

Kids taught about fire safety as part of prevention effort

Kenai Fire Marshal Jeremy Hamilton is seen by one of Kenai Fire Department’s Tower trucks on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 at Kenai Fire Department in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski's Oliver Parrish blocks Seward's Lane Peterson during the Denali Conference title match on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski football defeats Seward to secure playoff berth; Chugiak nips Homer

The Nikiski Bulldogs football team secured a Division III playoff spot and took the top spot in the Denali Conference with a victory over the… Continue reading

Nikiski's Oliver Parrish blocks Seward's Lane Peterson during the Denali Conference title match on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski's Alexa Iyatunguk leaps to block a ball on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 at Nikiski Middle/High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

SoHi volleyball sweeps Nikiski’s homecoming match

The Nikiski Bulldogs were swept by the Soldotna Stars in Nikiski’s homecoming volleyball game Thursday. SoHi rises to 4-5 in nontournament play. Nikiski falls to… Continue reading

Nikiski's Alexa Iyatunguk leaps to block a ball on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 at Nikiski Middle/High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Members of Kenai Central High School Esports gather around coach Shane Lopez before their League of Legends match Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Members of Kenai Central High School Esports gather around coach Shane Lopez before their League of Legends match Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
A still from “Casting Maya,” a film about Ascension Bay on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is seen in this screenshot. From Pure Films, the short will be one of nine shown at the International Fly Fishing Film Festival on Aug. 10 in Kenai, Alaska. (IF4/flyfilmfest.com)

Anglers’ night out

Annual International Fly Fishing Film Festival returns to Kenai

A still from “Casting Maya,” a film about Ascension Bay on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is seen in this screenshot. From Pure Films, the short will be one of nine shown at the International Fly Fishing Film Festival on Aug. 10 in Kenai, Alaska. (IF4/flyfilmfest.com)
Alaska State Troopers logo.

Soldotna man found dead in lake, troopers report

State Troopers were notified of a deceased person floating in Browns Lake

Alaska State Troopers logo.
COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

COVID hospitalizations, cases down from last week

The state reported no new resident deaths from COVID-19 this week

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)
Engineer Lake Cabin can be seen in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Nov. 21, 2021. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, that $14.4 million of a larger $37 million package will be used to build cabins in the Chugach and Tongass National Forests. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

Millions designated for cabins in Tongass, Chugach

$18 million is allocated to the construction and maintenance of cabins and historic buildings — of which $14.4 million is destined for Alaska

Engineer Lake Cabin can be seen in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Nov. 21, 2021. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, that $14.4 million of a larger $37 million package will be used to build cabins in the Chugach and Tongass National Forests. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Puffin sits by a scratching tower in front of his main pad of buttons on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, in Nikiski, Alaska. Owner Geri Litzen says Puffin can communicate by pressing different buttons on the pad to form sentences. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Puffin with the buttons

Verbose Nikiski cat earns TikTok followers

Puffin sits by a scratching tower in front of his main pad of buttons on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, in Nikiski, Alaska. Owner Geri Litzen says Puffin can communicate by pressing different buttons on the pad to form sentences. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Examples of contemporary books that have been banned or challenged in recent years are displayed on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at the Soldotna Public Library in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna library hosts Banned Book Club

Books have been challenged or banned for their content nationwide.

Examples of contemporary books that have been banned or challenged in recent years are displayed on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at the Soldotna Public Library in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Members of the community attend the first part of the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska’s Food Security and Sustainability Series in August 2022. (Photo courtesy Challenger Learning Center of Alaska)

Challenger Learning Center workshop focuses on food sustainability

Gathering, growing and preserving food in the form of plants, fish and other animals will be discussed

Members of the community attend the first part of the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska’s Food Security and Sustainability Series in August 2022. (Photo courtesy Challenger Learning Center of Alaska)
Avery White and Ashlynne Playle leap to block a spike from Emma Beck on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022 at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai volleyball sweeps Nikiski

The Kenai Kardinals won out over the visiting Nikiski Bulldogs 3-0 during their homecoming volleyball match Thursday. The scores were 25-18, 25-17 and 25-18. Kenai… Continue reading

Avery White and Ashlynne Playle leap to block a spike from Emma Beck on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022 at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Homer’s Carter Tennison runs with the ball, pursued by Nikiski’s Drake Brankel, on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Homer football comes back to defeat Nikiski

Homer won out in a nonconference match in Nikiski on Friday. The final score was 46-36. The Mariners are now 6-1 overall, while the Bulldogs… Continue reading

Homer’s Carter Tennison runs with the ball, pursued by Nikiski’s Drake Brankel, on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Viola Davis stars in “The Woman King.” (Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.)

On the screen: Women reign in latest action flick

‘The Woman King’ is a standout that breaks new ground

Viola Davis stars in “The Woman King.” (Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.)
Artwork donated for the Harvest Auction hangs at the Kenai Art Center on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Auction, juried show to showcase local talent

Kenai Art Center will host its annual Harvest Auction this weekend, juried art show next month

Artwork donated for the Harvest Auction hangs at the Kenai Art Center on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)