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Elections are coming up next week

City Council candidates share their point of view

On Tuesday, Oct. 5, elections will be held for Homer City Council, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly District 9 and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Board of… Continue reading

Elections are coming up next week
Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks at a meeting with members of his cabinet at the Aspen Hotel on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Dunleavy holds cabinet meeting in Soldotna

Soldotna’s Aspen Hotel hosted Gov. Mike Dunleavy and members of his cabinet Tuesday morning, when the group convened for a routine meeting. The meeting was… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks at a meeting with members of his cabinet at the Aspen Hotel on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Community members participate in a walk-in at Seward Elementary School on Monday, Sept. 27 in Seward, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Erfurth)

Seward walk-in supports COVID mitigation strategies

About 30 parents, teachers and students participated in a walk-in at Seward Elementary School on Monday to demonstrate their support for the implementation of COVID-19… Continue reading

Community members participate in a walk-in at Seward Elementary School on Monday, Sept. 27 in Seward, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Erfurth)
Alaskans with GCI Communications email accounts reported having trouble signing up for a free credit monitor service being offered by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, their Juneau offices seen here in this Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, in the wake of a data breach. GCI said Tuesday the issue should be resolved soon. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

GCI working to fix issues registering for credit monitoring offered by state

Some email accounts had trouble signing up for free post-data breach service.

Alaskans with GCI Communications email accounts reported having trouble signing up for a free credit monitor service being offered by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, their Juneau offices seen here in this Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, in the wake of a data breach. GCI said Tuesday the issue should be resolved soon. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)
Screenshot This screenshot of the Department of Health and Social Services COVID-19 cases dashboard shows the alert level in communities in Southeast Alaska. Red areas are at a high alert level and based on more than 100 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period. Yellow areas are at a moderate risk level based on 10-50 cases per 100,000 people over a week. Blue areas are at a low level based on 10 or fewer cases per 100,000.

Some Southeast communities see COVID cases rise

Mitigation in place.

Screenshot This screenshot of the Department of Health and Social Services COVID-19 cases dashboard shows the alert level in communities in Southeast Alaska. Red areas are at a high alert level and based on more than 100 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period. Yellow areas are at a moderate risk level based on 10-50 cases per 100,000 people over a week. Blue areas are at a low level based on 10 or fewer cases per 100,000.
Gov. Dunleavy called for Alaskans to be careful and avoid putting more demand on the perilously strained healthcare system as he announced measures to ease some of that demand during a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

State officials: Health care reinforcements are coming

State contracts short-term health care workers to buttress fatigued hospitals

Gov. Dunleavy called for Alaskans to be careful and avoid putting more demand on the perilously strained healthcare system as he announced measures to ease some of that demand during a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)
Lawmakers will return to the Alaska State Capitol, seen here on Sept. 24, for a fourth special session. Gov. Mike Dunleavy's office confirmed the start date of the next session will be changed from a Friday to a Monday. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Next special session to begin Monday, not Friday

Fourth special session.

Lawmakers will return to the Alaska State Capitol, seen here on Sept. 24, for a fourth special session. Gov. Mike Dunleavy's office confirmed the start date of the next session will be changed from a Friday to a Monday. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Kenai Courthouse is photographed on February 26, 2019 in Kenai, Alaska. (Clarion file)

Man gets 100 years in prison in sexual assault case

The Kenai Superior Court sentenced Kevin Tuckfield, 35, to serve 100 years for sexual assault in the first degree and assault in the third degree… Continue reading

Kenai Courthouse is photographed on February 26, 2019 in Kenai, Alaska. (Clarion file)
The doors of the Alaska State Capitol were open Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, though the Alaska State Legislature was not in session. They will be soon, however, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy has called a fourth special session of the year. Lawmakers receive a per diem for days in session, and with so many special sessions those costs can add up. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Per diem for special sessions? It’s up to lawmakers

They have options.

The doors of the Alaska State Capitol were open Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, though the Alaska State Legislature was not in session. They will be soon, however, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy has called a fourth special session of the year. Lawmakers receive a per diem for days in session, and with so many special sessions those costs can add up. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced legislation to permanently exempt large ships from the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which threatened Alaska's cruise ship season this year. The PVSA puts regulations on large cruise ship vessels, like this one entering the Gastineau Channel on Aug. 22, which are critical to the local tourism industry. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Murkowski enters bill to exempt Alaska from Passenger Vessel Services Act

Legislation would let ships travel to Alaska without stopping in Canada.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced legislation to permanently exempt large ships from the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which threatened Alaska's cruise ship season this year. The PVSA puts regulations on large cruise ship vessels, like this one entering the Gastineau Channel on Aug. 22, which are critical to the local tourism industry. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball’s crew lines the rails in anticipation of rendering honors to the Japanese Ship Kashima, a naval training vessel of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, during an at-sea exercise near Dutch Harbor on Sept. 20, 2021. (Courtesy photo / USCG)

Coast Guard and Japanese military conduct joint training at sea

The partner nations were able to take advantage of the serendiptious opportunity.

The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball’s crew lines the rails in anticipation of rendering honors to the Japanese Ship Kashima, a naval training vessel of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, during an at-sea exercise near Dutch Harbor on Sept. 20, 2021. (Courtesy photo / USCG)
A proposal from the Alaska Redistricting Board would substantially change Juneau's legislative districts. One of the latest proposals, seen here, would put parts of Auke Bay and the Mendenhall Valley in the same district as downtown Juneau and Douglas Island. The Northern Lynn Canal communities of Haines, Skagway and Kluckwan would be placed in the same district as the Mendenhall Valley. (Courtesy image / Alaska Redistricting Board)

Hitting the road: Redistricting maps to be shown in local hearings

Redistricting roadshow.

A proposal from the Alaska Redistricting Board would substantially change Juneau's legislative districts. One of the latest proposals, seen here, would put parts of Auke Bay and the Mendenhall Valley in the same district as downtown Juneau and Douglas Island. The Northern Lynn Canal communities of Haines, Skagway and Kluckwan would be placed in the same district as the Mendenhall Valley. (Courtesy image / Alaska Redistricting Board)
A patrol vehicle driven by a Juneau Police Department officer struck a pedestrian on Thursday night, resulting in minor injuries. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Juneau police car strikes pedestrian

The teenager suffered minor injuries but didn’t require hospitalization.

A patrol vehicle driven by a Juneau Police Department officer struck a pedestrian on Thursday night, resulting in minor injuries. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Crime

Leader of ring that sent drugs from California to Juneau sentenced to 21 years

The operation involved multiple couriers and modes of transportation, according to the DOJ.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire Zara Rutherford smiles outside her aircraft while talking to a small crowd that gathered at Ward Air to greet her. Rutherford said the public nature of her effort to fly around the world means that there is often a group gathered when she lands. “It’s really nice seeing all of these people,” she said.

Plane determination: Teen contends with weather, forest fires while flying around the world

Young pilot passes through Juneau on global journey.

Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire Zara Rutherford smiles outside her aircraft while talking to a small crowd that gathered at Ward Air to greet her. Rutherford said the public nature of her effort to fly around the world means that there is often a group gathered when she lands. “It’s really nice seeing all of these people,” she said.
The very first FreeWire ultrafast Electric Vehicle charger in Alaska was installed at AJ's Steakhouse last week. The charging station is the first of nine EV charging stations that will connect Homer to Fairbanks. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)

Fast-charging station for electric vehicles installed at AJ’s OldTown Steakhouse

New charging station installed with grant support from Alaska Energy Authority.

The very first FreeWire ultrafast Electric Vehicle charger in Alaska was installed at AJ's Steakhouse last week. The charging station is the first of nine EV charging stations that will connect Homer to Fairbanks. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)
Claudia Haines

Claudia Haines named KBFPC CEO

Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic recently appointed Claudia Haines as Chief Executive Officer, according to a press release on Tuesday. Haines assumes her responsibilities as… Continue reading

Claudia Haines
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)

Three more southern peninsula residents die of COVID-19

The latest reported deaths came in a large batch of 44 deaths reported on Sept. 24 and a group of 22 on Sept. 27.

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)
Harrison Smith, South Peninsula Hospital Facilities Manager, stands by medical oxygen tanks on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2021, at the hospital in Homer, Alaska. Smith, a certified medical gas technician, has been involved with the med-gas system management at South Peninsula Hospital for 18 years. (Photo by Derotha Ferraro / South Peninsula Hospital)

Two southern peninsula residents die of COVID-19

South Peninsula Hospital has adequate reserves for medical oxygen despite increased demand.

Harrison Smith, South Peninsula Hospital Facilities Manager, stands by medical oxygen tanks on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2021, at the hospital in Homer, Alaska. Smith, a certified medical gas technician, has been involved with the med-gas system management at South Peninsula Hospital for 18 years. (Photo by Derotha Ferraro / South Peninsula Hospital)
The 2021 elections will be held Oct. 5.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School Board Q&A

On Tuesday, Oct. 5, elections will be held for Homer City Council, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly District 9 and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Board of… Continue reading

  • Sep 23, 2021
The 2021 elections will be held Oct. 5.