Charlie Cunningham stands behind the bar at Good Time Charlies on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Good Time Charlies closes its doors

The 50-year-old club is making way for state highway improvements

Charlie Cunningham stands behind the bar at Good Time Charlies on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Central Emergency Services Fire Chief Roy Browning stands in the agency’s ambulance supply room on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

‘Maxed out’ CES seeks new Soldotna station

Voters to decide on $16.5 million bond question on the Oct. 4 municipal ballot

Central Emergency Services Fire Chief Roy Browning stands in the agency’s ambulance supply room on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Raymond Bradbury preserves his salmon while dipnetting in the mouth of the Kenai River on Saturday, July 10, 2021. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Raymond Bradbury preserves his salmon while dipnetting in the mouth of the Kenai River on Saturday, July 10, 2021. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Jonathan Parducho, a pharmacist, removes a tray of vials of of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox from a box containing 20 doses, in the vaccine hub at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Friday, July 29, 2022, in San Francisco. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Alaska reports 1st case of monkeypox

Monkeypox can spread through close, personal and, often, skin-to-skin contact

Jonathan Parducho, a pharmacist, removes a tray of vials of of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox from a box containing 20 doses, in the vaccine hub at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Friday, July 29, 2022, in San Francisco. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Cars are seen at the intersection of the Kenai Spur and Sterling highways on Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. Motorists will be unable to turn from the Sterling Highway onto East Redoubt Avenue temporarily next week. (Peninsula Clarion file photo)
Cars are seen at the intersection of the Kenai Spur and Sterling highways on Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. Motorists will be unable to turn from the Sterling Highway onto East Redoubt Avenue temporarily next week. (Peninsula Clarion file photo)
Vendors sell locally grown and crafted products at the Soldotna Saturday Farmers Market during the 2019 season. (Photo provided)

Soldotna to observe Farmers Market Week

The city’s market convenes every Saturday

Vendors sell locally grown and crafted products at the Soldotna Saturday Farmers Market during the 2019 season. (Photo provided)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, center, holds a copy of House Bill 123, providing state recognition for Alaska’s 229 federally recognized Native tribes, at an event hosted by the Alaska Federation of Natives in Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday, July 28, 2022. (Photo provided by the Alaska Federation of Natives)

Bill recognizing Alaska Native Tribes signed into law

The bill serves as the first formal recognition of Alaska’s Indigenous people

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, center, holds a copy of House Bill 123, providing state recognition for Alaska’s 229 federally recognized Native tribes, at an event hosted by the Alaska Federation of Natives in Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday, July 28, 2022. (Photo provided by the Alaska Federation of Natives)
Ashlyn O’Hara / Peninsula Clarion
A construction crew works near the entrance of the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on June 14.

Soldotna council puts field house on city’s Oct. 4 ballot

Voters will decide whether or not the city should incur up to $15 million in debt for the project

Ashlyn O’Hara / Peninsula Clarion
A construction crew works near the entrance of the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on June 14.
A sockeye salmon’s tail protrudes above the edge of a bin on a setnet site July 11, 2016, near Kenai, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion file photo)

Kenai council calls for 2022 east side setnet fishery season

There are more than 400 permit holders in Upper Cook Inlet’s East Side Setnet fishery

A sockeye salmon’s tail protrudes above the edge of a bin on a setnet site July 11, 2016, near Kenai, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion file photo)
Riders with Alaska C&C Horse Adventures participate in the 65th annual Soldotna Progress Days Parade on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Progress on parade

Community turns out for annual Soldotna celebration

Riders with Alaska C&C Horse Adventures participate in the 65th annual Soldotna Progress Days Parade on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The banks of the Kenai River can be seen on July 14, 2020, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

Streambank project cost-share program accepting applications

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is accepting applications for the program through 5 p.m. on Sept. 30

The banks of the Kenai River can be seen on July 14, 2020, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, left, and Nancy Dahlstrom sit in the Peninsula Clarion offices on Friday, July 22, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Dunleavy brings reelection bid to Kenai Peninsula

He emerged as the top fundraiser in the race, per new campaign finance data filed this week

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, left, and Nancy Dahlstrom sit in the Peninsula Clarion offices on Friday, July 22, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kristen Stearns fishes at North Kenai Beach on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai River personal use dipnet fishery to open 24 hours per day

The department increased the sport fishing bag and possession limits also

Kristen Stearns fishes at North Kenai Beach on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Robert Ruffner fields questions from attendees at a meeting to discuss the potential boundaries of a Nikiski Advisory Planning Commission at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in Nikiski, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Seeking more local say, Nikiski residents pursue advisory planning commission

A group of Nikiski residents are pushing for more local say in borough land decisions that affect their community. Residents have successfully petitioned to create… Continue reading

Robert Ruffner fields questions from attendees at a meeting to discuss the potential boundaries of a Nikiski Advisory Planning Commission at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in Nikiski, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Signs direct voters at the Kenai No. 3 precinct for Election Day on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Local candidates report campaign cash as election approaches

New data filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission reflects money raised by candidates between Feb. 2 and July 15

Signs direct voters at the Kenai No. 3 precinct for Election Day on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 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 council to consider field house bond

The development of an indoor recreational facility has been decades in the making

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 man fishes in the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)

State announces new king salmon fishery closures

The closures affect the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, as well as Cook Inlet

A man fishes in the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)
Flowers bloom at Soldotna City Hall on Wednesday, June 24, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna moving forward with arts and culture plan

Arts and culture is a priority identified in Soldotna’s “Envision Soldotna 2030” plan

Flowers bloom at Soldotna City Hall on Wednesday, June 24, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy announces Friday, July 16, 2022, that 2022 most PFD payments will be distributed on Sept. 20. (Screenshot)

Dunleavy: PFD payments coming Sept. 20

The rollout date is about a month earlier than when payments are typically distributed

Gov. Mike Dunleavy announces Friday, July 16, 2022, that 2022 most PFD payments will be distributed on Sept. 20. (Screenshot)
Isaac Kolesar testifies before the Soldotna City Council during a council meeting on Wednesday, July 12, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. Many attendees voiced their thoughts on a performance given by a drag queen in Soldotna Creek Park last month. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Community takes debate over drag performance to Soldotna council

Backlash has been building since late June over a video, about 10 seconds long, taken at the 2022 Soldotna Pride in the Park

Isaac Kolesar testifies before the Soldotna City Council during a council meeting on Wednesday, July 12, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. Many attendees voiced their thoughts on a performance given by a drag queen in Soldotna Creek Park last month. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)