Signs on Saturday, March 28, 2020, at the main entrance to South Peninsula Hospital in Homer, Alaska, warn visitors not to enter until they have been met by hospital staff. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Suspected foodborne illness outbreak under investigation in Homer

DHSS is investigating an outbreak after 70 hospital employees experience gastrointestinal illness.

Signs on Saturday, March 28, 2020, at the main entrance to South Peninsula Hospital in Homer, Alaska, warn visitors not to enter until they have been met by hospital staff. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
A young volunteer chases three piglets named Mary Hamkins, Petunia and Sir Oinks-a-lot through the race Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds during the Kenai Peninsula Fair pig races on Friday, Aug. 16, 2019 in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

Fair coming back to Ninilchik this weekend

This year the fair celebrates 70 years.

A young volunteer chases three piglets named Mary Hamkins, Petunia and Sir Oinks-a-lot through the race Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds during the Kenai Peninsula Fair pig races on Friday, Aug. 16, 2019 in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Anglers gather along the banks of the Kenai River near Sportsman’s Landing in Cooper Landing in September 2018. (Peninsula Clarion file)

Sockeye limits increased on Upper Kenai and Russian rivers

The new limits are six per day and 12 in possession.

Anglers gather along the banks of the Kenai River near Sportsman’s Landing in Cooper Landing in September 2018. (Peninsula Clarion file)
COVID-19. (Image via CDC)

Man in 30s latest COVID death, hospitalizations and cases up

Over the weekend the state reported another 826 resident and 37 nonresident COVID cases.

COVID-19. (Image via CDC)
Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby waves to the crowd in Seward during her celebratory parade on Thursday, August 5, 2021. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Jacoby taking time for herself

After medaling in Tokyo, Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby is enjoying the last of summer before senior year.

Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby waves to the crowd in Seward during her celebratory parade on Thursday, August 5, 2021. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel cuts a ribbon during a ceremony at Kenai Municipal Airport on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

‘I think everyone got it right’

Ribbon-cutting at Kenai Municipal Airport caps airport renovations

Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel cuts a ribbon during a ceremony at Kenai Municipal Airport on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Courthouse is photographed on February 26, 2019 in Kenai, Alaska. (Clarion file)
Kenai Courthouse is photographed on February 26, 2019 in Kenai, Alaska. (Clarion file)
Alaska State Troopers logo.
Alaska State Troopers logo.
Nathan Erfurth speaks before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education on Monday, July 12, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Nathan Erfurth speaks before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education on Monday, July 12, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad personnel land and disembark from a Hughes 369D helicopter on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, at Temsco Helicopters Inc in Ketchikan, Alaska. The KVRS, U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers and U.S. Forest Service responded to a radio beacon alert from a downed Southeast Aviation de Havilland Beaver float plane that was carrying five passengers from the Holland America Line cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam, according to Coast Guard, Holland America and KVRS information. The sightseeing plane crashed Thursday in southeast Alaska, killing all six people on board, the U.S. Coast Guard said. (Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News via AP)

Poor weather hampers recovery of Southeast plane crash victims

The plane crashed Thursday as the pilot was returning five passengers to Ketchikan from Misty Fjords National Monument.

  • Aug 7, 2021
  • By Becky Bohrer and Mark Thiessen Associated Press
  • State News
Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad personnel land and disembark from a Hughes 369D helicopter on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, at Temsco Helicopters Inc in Ketchikan, Alaska. The KVRS, U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers and U.S. Forest Service responded to a radio beacon alert from a downed Southeast Aviation de Havilland Beaver float plane that was carrying five passengers from the Holland America Line cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam, according to Coast Guard, Holland America and KVRS information. The sightseeing plane crashed Thursday in southeast Alaska, killing all six people on board, the U.S. Coast Guard said. (Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News via AP)
In this webcam image provided by the Alaska Volcano Observatory, is the Pavlof Volcano in a state of eruption with episodic low-level ash emissions on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Three remote Alaska volcanos are each in a state of eruption, one producing lava and the other two blowing steam and ash. So far, no small communities near any of the three have been impacted, Chris Waythomas, a geologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, said Thursday. (Alaska Volcano Observatory via AP)

3 volcanoes spitting lava or ash clouds

Webcams on Thursday clearly showed episodic low-level ash emissions from Pavlof Volcano.

  • Aug 7, 2021
  • By Mark Thiessen Associated Press
  • State News
In this webcam image provided by the Alaska Volcano Observatory, is the Pavlof Volcano in a state of eruption with episodic low-level ash emissions on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Three remote Alaska volcanos are each in a state of eruption, one producing lava and the other two blowing steam and ash. So far, no small communities near any of the three have been impacted, Chris Waythomas, a geologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, said Thursday. (Alaska Volcano Observatory via AP)
The Homer Spit is evacuated during the July 28 tsunami warning at about 10:50 p.m. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)

Lessons learned from surviving country’s largest earthquakes

Memories resurface of ‘64 earthquake for woman who survived it.

The Homer Spit is evacuated during the July 28 tsunami warning at about 10:50 p.m. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)
State data shows the current COVID-19 spike in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. (Image via the Department of Health and Social Services)
State data shows the current COVID-19 spike in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. (Image via the Department of Health and Social Services)
Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby waves to the crowd in Seward during her celebratory parade on Thursday, August 5, 2021. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

‘So thankful for you all’

Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby returns as Seward’s hometown hero

Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby waves to the crowd in Seward during her celebratory parade on Thursday, August 5, 2021. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
File

Local World War II vet’s 100th birthday to be celebrated Saturday

Bill Fields, who lives in the Kenai area, is turning 100 over the weekend.

File
Richard Derkevorkian speaks at a borough and district work session on Tuesday, March 2 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly rejects 3-minute time limit for member comments

The ordinance would have limited assembly members’ closing comments to three minutes during assembly meetings.

Richard Derkevorkian speaks at a borough and district work session on Tuesday, March 2 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
A sign instructs patients and visitors on the COVID-19 screening process in the River Tower of Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska, on April 7, 2020. The hospital recently matched the number of hospitalizations reported during the peak of the pandemic in 2020 as a resurgence of COVID-19 is reported across the state. (Peninsula Clarion file)

‘We’ve been super, super busy’

Local hospitalizations reach levels not seen since pandemic’s peak last year

A sign instructs patients and visitors on the COVID-19 screening process in the River Tower of Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska, on April 7, 2020. The hospital recently matched the number of hospitalizations reported during the peak of the pandemic in 2020 as a resurgence of COVID-19 is reported across the state. (Peninsula Clarion file)
COVID-19. (Image via CDC)

2 more COVID deaths as cases rise

As of Tuesday, every census region in the state was categorized as high alert status.

COVID-19. (Image via CDC)
Parent Nicole Darwin testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. Darwin testified in opposition to universal masking. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Parent Nicole Darwin testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. Darwin testified in opposition to universal masking. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
A clinic at the intersection of the Kenai Spur and Sterling Highways in Soldotna is now offering COVID-19 vaccines with no appointment necessary. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Delta variant accounts for 90% of new COVID cases, state reports

Data suggests that on average, one person with the delta variant will infect between five and eight other people.

A clinic at the intersection of the Kenai Spur and Sterling Highways in Soldotna is now offering COVID-19 vaccines with no appointment necessary. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)