Kenai Peninsula

Seldovia as seen on Thursday, June 24, 2021. The steady rain didn’t stop boats filled with tourists from arriving in town. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)

Seldovia welcomes visitors to celebrate 4th of July

Visitors are invited to celebrate Independence Day in Seldovia with a day full of activities.

Seldovia as seen on Thursday, June 24, 2021. The steady rain didn’t stop boats filled with tourists from arriving in town. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)
A fisherman walks along the Kenai River near Sportsman’s Landing in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Sept. 8, 2018. (Clarion file)

Sockeye limits increased on Russian and Upper Kenai rivers

The limits are being increased to six per day and 12 in possession on Russian and Upper Kenai rivers.

A fisherman walks along the Kenai River near Sportsman’s Landing in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Sept. 8, 2018. (Clarion file)
A Piper J3C-65 crash site new Rabbit Foot Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Monday, June 28, 2021, on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. (Photo via Alaska State Troopers)

Plane crashes in refuge

Both occupants were uninjured and declined medical assistance

A Piper J3C-65 crash site new Rabbit Foot Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Monday, June 28, 2021, on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. (Photo via Alaska State Troopers)
Selma Casagranda, a recent Seward High School graduate and lifelong resident of Seward, stands in front of her former school on May 25, 2021. (Young Kim for The Hechinger Report)
Selma Casagranda, a recent Seward High School graduate and lifelong resident of Seward, stands in front of her former school on May 25, 2021. (Young Kim for The Hechinger Report)
Ventis Plume tends to his fire at the end of his 10-day setnet trip at the Kasilof River State Recreational Site in Kasilof, Alaska, on June 25, 2021. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)

Dipnetting: It’s a go

The Kasilof River is open for personal use dipnetting through Aug. 7

Ventis Plume tends to his fire at the end of his 10-day setnet trip at the Kasilof River State Recreational Site in Kasilof, Alaska, on June 25, 2021. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)
The Kenai River flows through Soldotna, Alaska, on July 14, 2020. (Clarion file)

Fish and Game now accepting habitat rehabilitation proposals

Selected proposals may have up to 50% of the cost of the project reimbursed through the program.

The Kenai River flows through Soldotna, Alaska, on July 14, 2020. (Clarion file)
When Dr. Paul Isaak began providing medical service to the Soldotna-Kenai area, his Soldotna Clinic was located near the current site of the Soldotna Fire Department. Here he stands with his airplane and his nurse, Elizabeth Meadows. (Photo courtesy of the Isaak family)

A hospital is born, slowly (Part 1)

The effort required 10 years — a decade rife with financial snafus, contract disputes, bitter in-fighting, and one delay after another.

When Dr. Paul Isaak began providing medical service to the Soldotna-Kenai area, his Soldotna Clinic was located near the current site of the Soldotna Fire Department. Here he stands with his airplane and his nurse, Elizabeth Meadows. (Photo courtesy of the Isaak family)
Part of the hose line laid around the perimeter of the 102-acre Loon Lake Fire to help firefighters extinguish any hot spots is seen on Thursday, June 17, 2021 on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. (Bryan Quimby/Gannett Glacier Fire Crew)

Loon Lake Fire reaches 100% containment

The 102-acre fire was first reported on the evening of June 12 and is said to have been caused by lightning.

Part of the hose line laid around the perimeter of the 102-acre Loon Lake Fire to help firefighters extinguish any hot spots is seen on Thursday, June 17, 2021 on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. (Bryan Quimby/Gannett Glacier Fire Crew)
A man fishes on the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)

New bait restrictions on Kenai and Kasilof king fishing

On the Kenai River, bait will be prohibited from the mouth upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake.

A man fishes on the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)
Bryan Quimby/Gannett Glacier Fire Crew
Part of the hose line has been laid around the perimeter of the 102-acre Loon Lake Fire to help firefighters extinguish any hot spots that are found, photographed on Thursday.

Loon Lake Fire 70% contained

The 102-acre fire was first reported on Saturday evening and is the result of lightning.

Bryan Quimby/Gannett Glacier Fire Crew
Part of the hose line has been laid around the perimeter of the 102-acre Loon Lake Fire to help firefighters extinguish any hot spots that are found, photographed on Thursday.
A boat is lifted out of the water at Northern Enterprises Boat Yard on Kachemak Drive. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)

Northern Enterprise Boat Yard in Homer expands business

The largest privately owned dry dock marina in Alaska is expanding its docks and boat-lifting capabilities

A boat is lifted out of the water at Northern Enterprises Boat Yard on Kachemak Drive. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)
An aerial photo of the 102-acre Loon Lake Fire footprint taken at approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 15, 2021. Swan Lake is in the background to the right. (Kale Casey/Alaska DNR-Division of Forestry)

Loon Lake Fire 30% contained

The fire covered about 102 acres as of Wednesday.

An aerial photo of the 102-acre Loon Lake Fire footprint taken at approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 15, 2021. Swan Lake is in the background to the right. (Kale Casey/Alaska DNR-Division of Forestry)
Kale Casey/Alaska DNR-Division of Forestry
An aerial photo of the 102-acre Loon Lake Fire footprint taken at approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Swan Lake is in the background to the right.

Burn suspension in effect as firefighters work to contain Loon Lake Fire

The fire, about 10 miles northeast of Sterling, had grown to just over 100 acres as of Tuesday.

Kale Casey/Alaska DNR-Division of Forestry
An aerial photo of the 102-acre Loon Lake Fire footprint taken at approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Swan Lake is in the background to the right.
Cheechako News file photo from KPC’s Kenai Peninsula Historical Photo Repository
Joe Faa, who in 1965 sold 10 acres of his Soldotna homestead as a construction site for a new hospital, poses here in about 1961 with his prize horse Danny. Faa’s horse corral and hay fields are the reason for the name Corral Street in Soldotna.

A hospital is born, slowly (Part 5)

It had been almost five full years since the start of a project to establish a hospital for the central Kenai Peninsula.

Cheechako News file photo from KPC’s Kenai Peninsula Historical Photo Repository
Joe Faa, who in 1965 sold 10 acres of his Soldotna homestead as a construction site for a new hospital, poses here in about 1961 with his prize horse Danny. Faa’s horse corral and hay fields are the reason for the name Corral Street in Soldotna.
Smoke can be seen rising from areas scarred by the Swan Lake Fire on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 at Mile 10 of Skilak Loop Road, on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Study finds scientific evidence of “zombie fires” in Alaska, Arctic

Zombie fires in boreal forests are associated with hot summers and deep burning into organic soil.

Smoke can be seen rising from areas scarred by the Swan Lake Fire on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 at Mile 10 of Skilak Loop Road, on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Sockeye salmon. (Photo via Alaska Department of Fish and Game)

Sockeye fishing opens Friday

The run might be a little slow the first week.

Sockeye salmon. (Photo via Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
Furie Operating Alaska’s Julius R Platform, installed in 2015 in Cook Inlet, is seen in this courtesy photo. (Furie Operating Alaska/courtesy)

State sells oil and gas leases covering 21,000 acres of Cook Inlet

Furie Operating Alaska, LLC, HEX, LLC and Strong Energy Resources, LLC were all identified as bidders.

Furie Operating Alaska’s Julius R Platform, installed in 2015 in Cook Inlet, is seen in this courtesy photo. (Furie Operating Alaska/courtesy)
People participate in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s BARK ranger program on June 5, 2021 for National Trails Day in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo provided by Michelle Ostrowski)

Refuge celebrates National Trails Day with visitor center reopening

The refuge’s visitor center has been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

People participate in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s BARK ranger program on June 5, 2021 for National Trails Day in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo provided by Michelle Ostrowski)
Homer Halibut Tournament logo

Homer Halibut Tournament scheduled Sept. 24-25

The Homer Chamber of Commerce is hosting the first annual Homer Halibut Tournament Sept. 24-25

Homer Halibut Tournament logo
This is an early promotional photo of Merrill Mael, an enthusiastic Anchorage radio personality with a Hollywood background. Mael was hired by the Central Kenai Peninsula Hospital Association as its hospital project manager in the fall of 1963. (Photo from www.theradiohistorian.org)

A hospital is born, slowly (Part 4)

Dr. Paul Isaak, Soldotna physician and a founder of the hospital project, believed that centrality of location was crucial.

This is an early promotional photo of Merrill Mael, an enthusiastic Anchorage radio personality with a Hollywood background. Mael was hired by the Central Kenai Peninsula Hospital Association as its hospital project manager in the fall of 1963. (Photo from www.theradiohistorian.org)