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Hazy skies are seen as the sun sets on Cook Inlet, seen from South Kenai Beach, on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Wildfires in western Alaska pushed smoke to the Southcentral area over the weekend. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

Lower Yukon River wildfire is among Alaska’s largest tundra fires on record

It is also part of a trend of increasingly frequent tundra fires in that region

  • Jun 14, 2022
  • By Yereth Rosen Alaska Beacon
  • State News
Hazy skies are seen as the sun sets on Cook Inlet, seen from South Kenai Beach, on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Wildfires in western Alaska pushed smoke to the Southcentral area over the weekend. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
A group spanning the length of five blocks marches in downtown Soldotna, Alaska, to celebrate Pride Month on Saturday, June 12, 2021. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)

Pride coming to Soldotna on Friday

The event will begin at 5:45 p.m. on Friday with a march from the Sports Complex to Soldotna Creek Park

A group spanning the length of five blocks marches in downtown Soldotna, Alaska, to celebrate Pride Month on Saturday, June 12, 2021. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)
Alaska State Troopers logo.

Troopers announce launch of online reporting tool

The new system aims to eliminate the need to file police reports by calling the non-emergency line or going to a trooper post

Alaska State Troopers logo.
A construction crew works near the entrance of the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna revisits field house project

City council members and administrators convened last week to talk about the project

A construction crew works near the entrance of the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
A female harbor seal pup is admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, June 2, 2022, after she was abandoned on a beach in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Kaiti Grant, Alaska SeaLife Center)

Seal pups rescued in Kasilof

A passerby reported an abandoned female harbor seal pup on the beach

A female harbor seal pup is admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, June 2, 2022, after she was abandoned on a beach in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Kaiti Grant, Alaska SeaLife Center)
A roll of “I voted” stickers await voters on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at the Alaska Division of Elections office in Juneau. (Ben Hohenstatt/Juneau Empire)

Hundreds of peninsula special primary ballots rejected

The peninsula’s roughly 2% rejection rate is on par with other regions in the state

A roll of “I voted” stickers await voters on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at the Alaska Division of Elections office in Juneau. (Ben Hohenstatt/Juneau Empire)
The Kasilof River can be seen in June 2019. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Sport Fish announced on Monday a new wave of fisheries closures affecting fisheries in Ninilchik, Kasilof and Cook Inlet beginning this week. (Clarion file)

New wave of peninsula fisheries closures announced

Division of Sport Fish said that king salmon runs are not showing signs of improvement

The Kasilof River can be seen in June 2019. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Sport Fish announced on Monday a new wave of fisheries closures affecting fisheries in Ninilchik, Kasilof and Cook Inlet beginning this week. (Clarion file)
A video of former President Donald Trump speaking is displayed as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol continues to reveal its findings of a year-long investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, June 13, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP)

Trump ‘detached from reality’ in defeat, panel told

The House 1/6 committee spent the morning hearing delving into Trump’s claims of election fraud

  • Jun 13, 2022
  • By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
  • State News
A video of former President Donald Trump speaking is displayed as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol continues to reveal its findings of a year-long investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, June 13, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP)
Former Alaska Gov. and current congressional hopeful Sarah Palin speaks with attendees at a meet and greet event outside of Ginger’s Restaurant on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

2022 Special Primary Election live updates: Palin takes early lead

As of 10 p.m., Sarah Palin, Nick Begich, Al Gross and Mary Peltola were in the top 4

Former Alaska Gov. and current congressional hopeful Sarah Palin speaks with attendees at a meet and greet event outside of Ginger’s Restaurant on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Fay Herold of Seward holds a sign during a demonstration opposing gun violence on Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. The local protest was part of a nationwide call to action issued by the nonprofit organization March for Our Lives, which was formed after a 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and aims to end gun violence. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Protesters call for ‘common-sense’ gun reform

The protest was one of many that took place in communities throughout the United States as part of a second March for Our Lives event

Fay Herold of Seward holds a sign during a demonstration opposing gun violence on Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. The local protest was part of a nationwide call to action issued by the nonprofit organization March for Our Lives, which was formed after a 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and aims to end gun violence. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
A man fishes in the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)

Fishing report: King salmon fishing closed on Kenai amid poor run

June 8 fishing report outlined opportunities for anglers in the north Kenai area

A man fishes in the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)
A sample special primary ballot. (Courtesy Alaska Division of Elections)

US House candidates await the end of Alaska’s first statewide election by mail

The Alaska Division of Elections expects a first round of results before 9 p.m. on Saturday

A sample special primary ballot. (Courtesy Alaska Division of Elections)
Larry Zarella, left, and Danielle Aslanian of Denali Cooks performs at the 2022 Kenai River Festival at Soldotna Creek Park on Friday, June 10, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

River Fest returns

The festival, which runs through Sunday, features live music, food booths, a wine and beer garden, a “Kids Zone” and the “Run for the River” race event

Larry Zarella, left, and Danielle Aslanian of Denali Cooks performs at the 2022 Kenai River Festival at Soldotna Creek Park on Friday, June 10, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
In this aerial photo provided by the BLM Alaska Fire Service, the East Fork Fire burns about 25 miles north of St. Mary’s, Alaska on June 2. The largest documented wildfire ever burning through tundra in southwest Alaska is within miles of two Alaska Native villages, prompting dozens of residents with respiratory problems to voluntarily evacuate. (Pat Johnson, BLM Alaska Fire Service via AP)

Large tundra wildfire in southwest Alaska threatens villages

Officials on Friday put the communities of St. Mary’s and Pitkas Point into “ready” status

  • Jun 10, 2022
  • By Mark Thiessen Associated Press
  • State News
In this aerial photo provided by the BLM Alaska Fire Service, the East Fork Fire burns about 25 miles north of St. Mary’s, Alaska on June 2. The largest documented wildfire ever burning through tundra in southwest Alaska is within miles of two Alaska Native villages, prompting dozens of residents with respiratory problems to voluntarily evacuate. (Pat Johnson, BLM Alaska Fire Service via AP)
This photo shows a return envelop for 2022 special primary. Ballots must be postmarked or received by the Alaska Division of Elections by June 11. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Judge rules against Alaska in ballot access case

A state court judge said elections officials cannot certify special primary results until visually impaired voters “are provided a full and fair opportunity to participate”

This photo shows a return envelop for 2022 special primary. Ballots must be postmarked or received by the Alaska Division of Elections by June 11. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
A sign describing bluff erosion is seen on Kenai North Beach in Kenai, Alaska, on Aug. 6, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai, borough look to extract rock for bluff stabilization

In moving hard rock out of Seldovia, the borough could kill a few birds with one stone

A sign describing bluff erosion is seen on Kenai North Beach in Kenai, Alaska, on Aug. 6, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Project Gabe, named after a young man who died of an opioid overdose, aims to bring overdose kits to the fisheries industry in the Southeast. Volunteers assembled 150 kits on Friday, June 10, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

‘This is stoppable’: Program works to bring opioid overdose kits to seafood industry

The project began with a tragic death, but proponents hope it can prevent more

Project Gabe, named after a young man who died of an opioid overdose, aims to bring overdose kits to the fisheries industry in the Southeast. Volunteers assembled 150 kits on Friday, June 10, 2022. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)
Screenshot via Alaska Department of Fish and Game website

Mobile app for anglers, hunters launched

The app will also include information about hunting and sport fishing regulations

Screenshot via Alaska Department of Fish and Game website
The entrance to the Homer Electric Association office is seen here in Kenai, Alaska, on May 7, 2020. (Peninsula Clarion file)

Storm knocks out power for 10,000 HEA customers

The outage was caused by a possible lightning strike

The entrance to the Homer Electric Association office is seen here in Kenai, Alaska, on May 7, 2020. (Peninsula Clarion file)
A spruce bark beetle rests on the photographer’s thumb on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in Cantwell, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
A spruce bark beetle rests on the photographer’s thumb on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in Cantwell, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)