An area cleared to make way for the Cooper Landing bypass project can be seen above the intersection of the Kenai River and Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Preservation efforts advance along Cooper Landing highway project

67 acres of wetland habitat was conserved around the Sterling Highway Milepost 45-60 project

An area cleared to make way for the Cooper Landing bypass project can be seen above the intersection of the Kenai River and Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Signage marks the entrance of the City of Kenai’s slash disposal site on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai slash site up and running

The site gives locals a place to get rid of their personal slash, including trees killed by spruce bark beetles

Signage marks the entrance of the City of Kenai’s slash disposal site on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The entrance to the Kenai Municipal Cemetery is seen on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai cemetery expansion complete; moratorium on plot sales lifted

Council members approved sweeping changes to city code about cemeteries on Wednesday

The entrance to the Kenai Municipal Cemetery is seen on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Artwork up for auction is displayed at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank as part of its Spring Festival celebration on Thursday, June 16, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Solstice brings celebration to peninsula

The Kenai Peninsula Food Bank is hosting its Spring Festival fundraiser on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Artwork up for auction is displayed at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank as part of its Spring Festival celebration on Thursday, June 16, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
From left: Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel, Kenai City Manager Paul Ostrander and Kenai Vice Mayor Jim Glendening discuss legislation during an at-ease at a council meeting on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai council OKs comprehensive inventory of city land

The “City of Kenai Land Management Inventory and Recommendations” is meant to be a “city-wide approach” to managing land owned by the city

From left: Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel, Kenai City Manager Paul Ostrander and Kenai Vice Mayor Jim Glendening discuss legislation during an at-ease at a council meeting on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Tyson Cox, left, speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Tyson Cox, left, speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
People visit at the Loved & Lost Memorial Bench on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at the Homer Public Library in Homer, Alaska, for a memorial for Anesha “Duffy” Murnane and the dedication of the bench. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Memorial honors Murnane, other missing and murdered people

Event also included dedication of Loved Lost Memorial Bench

People visit at the Loved & Lost Memorial Bench on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at the Homer Public Library in Homer, Alaska, for a memorial for Anesha “Duffy” Murnane and the dedication of the bench. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
A health care professional prepares to administer a COVID-19 test outside Capstone Clinic in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. Capstone announced Wednesday it will end public COVID-19 testing at the end of the month. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Capstone to discontinue public COVID testing

The public COVID-19 testing program will end at the end of the month

A health care professional prepares to administer a COVID-19 test outside Capstone Clinic in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. Capstone announced Wednesday it will end public COVID-19 testing at the end of the month. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Former Alaska Governor 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)

AP: Palin, Begich and Gross to head to special election

The candidate order has not changed since Saturday, though Palin’s share of votes dropped slightly

Former Alaska Governor 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)
Traffic passes through the “Y” intersection of the Kenai Spur and Sterling highways on Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. The Kenaitze Indian Tribe this week announced plans for its fixed-route bus service, which would run between Nikiski and Sterling. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion file)

Kenaitze announces plans for public bus route

Kahtnu Area Transit will offer service between Nikiski and Sterling

Traffic passes through the “Y” intersection of the Kenai Spur and Sterling highways on Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. The Kenaitze Indian Tribe this week announced plans for its fixed-route bus service, which would run between Nikiski and Sterling. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion file)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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