Coronavirus

House Speaker Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, listens to representatives debate a COVID-19 disaster declaration on Thursday, March 25, 2021. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

House passes emergency declaration bill

The House Coalition is made of mostly Democrats and independents and is led by Speaker Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak.

House Speaker Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, listens to representatives debate a COVID-19 disaster declaration on Thursday, March 25, 2021. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)
Passengers at the Juneau International Airport make their way past signage notifying the public about the state’s travel restrictions on Monday, Nov. 15, 2020. Alaska Department of Health and Social Services released a request for information seeking to determine interest among potential contractors to provide a one-dose vaccine to interested travelers in a secure section of the airports in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks and Ketchikan. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

Alaska health department floats idea of airport vaccinations

Could vaccines be coming to Alaska’s busiest airports?

Passengers at the Juneau International Airport make their way past signage notifying the public about the state’s travel restrictions on Monday, Nov. 15, 2020. Alaska Department of Health and Social Services released a request for information seeking to determine interest among potential contractors to provide a one-dose vaccine to interested travelers in a secure section of the airports in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks and Ketchikan. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)
COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

DHSS: 145 new cases

Affected peninsula communities include Soldotna with six cases and Kenai with one case.

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)
RN Rachel Verba (right) administers a dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to Dr. Chris Michelson on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Bruce Richards/CPH)

Several hundred vaccination slots still open

Appointments are available at multiple central peninsula clinics.

RN Rachel Verba (right) administers a dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to Dr. Chris Michelson on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Bruce Richards/CPH)
Point of view

Voices of the Peninsula: Take it for Team Alaska

COVID-19 has a vaccination — yours for the taking.

Point of view
COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

DHSS: 210 new cases

Affected peninsula communities include Kenai with three cases and Soldotna with one case.

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

More large vaccine clinics planned for the central peninsula

As of Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., there were multiple large-scale vaccine clinics planned on the central peninsula.

Jesse Bjorkman speaks at a borough work session on Tuesday, March 2 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

KPBSD to save teaching positions with federal funds

Through the federal CARES Act, the district received about $2.3 million in original ESSER funds.

Jesse Bjorkman speaks at a borough work session on Tuesday, March 2 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The Kenai River Brown Bears celebrate the first-period goal of Logan Ritchie (far left) on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Voices of the Peninsula: Brown Bears are back and need your support

Our club will resume hockey operations at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex beginning April 16.

The Kenai River Brown Bears celebrate the first-period goal of Logan Ritchie (far left) on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
A vial of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is seen at Central Emergency Services Station 1 on Friday, Dec. 18 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

1 in 5 eligible borough residents fully vaccinated

More than half of peninsula seniors are fully vaccinated.

A vial of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is seen at Central Emergency Services Station 1 on Friday, Dec. 18 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion
Todd Duwe hands a food box to Brad Nyquist as Mark Larson looks on Dec. 22, 2020, at Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna. The church volunteers were distributing food from the United States’ Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program, delivered by the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank. The food bank saw a surge in demand last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Looming benefit loss causes food security concerns

Two bills are being considered to keep increased food stamp benefits.

Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion
Todd Duwe hands a food box to Brad Nyquist as Mark Larson looks on Dec. 22, 2020, at Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna. The church volunteers were distributing food from the United States’ Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program, delivered by the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank. The food bank saw a surge in demand last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

DHSS: 178 new COVID-19 cases

The state also reported 11 new hospitalizations and two new deaths among Alaska residents.

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)
A vial of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is seen at Central Emergency Services Station 1 on Friday, Dec. 18 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

1 in 4 eligible Alaskans are fully vaccinated

In the Kenai Peninsula Borough, just over one in five residents over the age of 16 — 21.2% — are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and… Continue reading

A vial of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is seen at Central Emergency Services Station 1 on Friday, Dec. 18 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
In this June 9, 2016, file photo shows then-Alaska Marijuana Control Board member Brandon Emmett at the board’s meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Regulators amid much fanfare in early 2020 approved the first cannabis lounges in Alaska. It was a milestone for the state’s legal marijuana industry. Then the pandemic hit. An owner of one of the shops hopes to open later this year. An owner of the other said his shop opened briefly last fall before having to hit pause amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the state. Emmett, a former member of the Marijuana Control Board who strongly advocated for rules to allow onsite use, said he thinks the number of cannabis lounges or cafes in the state will be limited “for at least a couple years.” (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)

Pandemic puts pause on on-site use for pot shops

Records show a small number of other shop owners have filed paperwork signaling plans to seek approval for consumption hangouts.

In this June 9, 2016, file photo shows then-Alaska Marijuana Control Board member Brandon Emmett at the board’s meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Regulators amid much fanfare in early 2020 approved the first cannabis lounges in Alaska. It was a milestone for the state’s legal marijuana industry. Then the pandemic hit. An owner of one of the shops hopes to open later this year. An owner of the other said his shop opened briefly last fall before having to hit pause amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the state. Emmett, a former member of the Marijuana Control Board who strongly advocated for rules to allow onsite use, said he thinks the number of cannabis lounges or cafes in the state will be limited “for at least a couple years.” (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)
COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

DHSS: 52 new cases

The borough is considered to be at intermediate risk level.

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)
Rep. Chris Kurka, R-Wasilla, leaves the chambers of the Alaska House of Representatives on Friday, March 19, 2021, after an hour of delays concerning the wording on his mask. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Rep. Chris Kurka, R-Wasilla, leaves the chambers of the Alaska House of Representatives on Friday, March 19, 2021, after an hour of delays concerning the wording on his mask. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
A vial of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is seen at Central Emergency Services Station 1 on Friday, Dec. 18 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

COVID update: Senior vacciation rate nears 70% statewide

Nearly one in four eligible Alaska residents — 24.8% — were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday. That milestone comes the week after Alaska… Continue reading

A vial of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is seen at Central Emergency Services Station 1 on Friday, Dec. 18 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
RN Rachel Verba (right) administers a dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to Dr. Chris Michelson on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Bruce Richards/CPH)

Vaccine hesitancy among local health care workers mirrors national trends

CPH will continue to follow up with employees to see if they are interested in being vaccinated.

RN Rachel Verba (right) administers a dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to Dr. Chris Michelson on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Bruce Richards/CPH)
Adam Crum, commissioner of the Alaska state health department, testifies before a state Senate committee on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

Opinion: Looking back on 1 year of the pandemic

For me, this anniversary provides a reflective opportunity to think about not only what happened in the past year, but how we can continue to move forward as a state.

Adam Crum, commissioner of the Alaska state health department, testifies before a state Senate committee on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
Kenai Peninsula Borough Administration building in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

Trends: Grants on tap for local businesses

Across the peninsula, CARES dollars funded grant programs offering financial relief to residents, workers and businesses.

Kenai Peninsula Borough Administration building in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)