Homer
RSSNews from Homer, Alaska
Homer economic commission to finalize short-term rental recommendation to City Council
Homer's Economic Development Advisory Commission finalizes a short-term rental recommendation to City Council on Tuesday after a five-month review.
by Melinda Communities.News2d ago1 min readAI
Homer Spit seafood plant lease passes to Silver Bay at unchanged $69,877 rent
Homer City Council approved a lease transfer of the seafood processing plant on the Homer Spit to Silver Bay Seafoods-Valdez, LLC, keeping the annual rent at $69,877 through 2036.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago1 min readAI
Homer's zoning rewrite gets its first public hearing Wednesday
Homer's Planning Commission takes testimony Wednesday on a zoning rewrite. An earlier draft drew 905 comments and two petitions with about 600 signatures.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
Why the Coast Guard is paying a Homer helicopter company to reach roadless villages
The Coast Guard is paying a Homer helicopter company $345,000 to fly inspectors to roadless Alaska villages to reach the fuel facilities it regulates.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
The Coast Guard is giving Homer a building that needs a new roof
The Coast Guard is handing Homer a building assessed at $635,400 that needs a new roof, flooring, paint and electrical work nobody has priced.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min readAI
Homer signs off on a change of ownership at a Homer Spit seafood plant, after the fact
Homer's council signed off on a change of ownership at a Homer Spit seafood plant after the fact — the second corporate handoff on the lease in six years.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago1 min readAI
Homer weighs spending $6,000 to inform voters about a road-tax measure, near a line the law draws
Homer may spend $6,000 to inform voters about renewing its road-and-trail sales tax, though the ordinance's own title admits it "may influence" the vote.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
South Slope Drive owners learn Monday what the sewer will cost them
Homer owners on South Slope Drive find out Monday what they owe for sewer. Past city sewer assessments have run past $11,000 for a single parcel.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAI
Homer Electric members will be able to buy into shared solar starting in February
Homer Electric members can buy into shared solar or wind starting around mid-February. Subscribers will pay a monthly fee nobody has put a number on yet.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Homer planning commission asked to name Spit erosion, public works campus and harbor floats as top capital projects
Homer's planning commission votes Wednesday on three capital projects to recommend to city council: Spit erosion protection, a new public works campus, and $2.2 million in harbor float repairs.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAI
Homer's library wants a remodel, starting with a $75,000 study
Homer's library wants a remodel, a teen room, a bigger meeting room, a covered outdoor space and more storage, starting with a $75,000 study to price it out.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAI
Homer's eroded Watermelon Trail is getting rerouted to protect a salmon stream
A 1920s trail near Homer, eroded 6 feet deep and dumping sediment into a salmon stream, is finally getting rerouted. Work starts Aug. 19 and wraps in 2027.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAI
Coast Guard asks Homer to accept transfer of cutter support building
Homer City Council votes Aug. 24 on accepting ownership of a Coast Guard cutter support building. • The ordinance does not specify maintenance costs or operational details the city would assume. • Residents can testify at the 6 p.m. public hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
A Homer seafood plant would pass to Silver Bay amid an OBI takeover
A Homer Spit seafood plant would pass to Silver Bay as it absorbs OBI statewide — a deal some fishermen and workers fear could erode local wages.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Homer electric members get a small break while Interior faces a big spike
Homer electric members are paying about $3.30 less since July 1 — a rare bit of good news, while Interior members brace for a 62% cost-of-power spike.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Kids get the Homer Spit's prime fishing spot for a day
Kids get the Homer Spit's best fishing hole to themselves Saturday for the lagoon's youth day — a perk some shut-out adults grumble about.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
A 20-acre parcel near Homer is headed to public hands — but for what?
Twenty acres near Homer could be sold to a public or charitable group with no auction — though the state's notice doesn't say who wants it or why. Comment by Aug. 31.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Homer reverses Copper River Seafoods building plan, keeps December deadline
Homer City Council voted to scrap redesigned plans for a Copper River Seafoods facility and revert to the original 2019 building design, keeping the December construction deadline in place.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
One town, six citations: Homer stands out in Bristol Bay
Six people from Homer turned up in a single batch of Bristol Bay fishing citations — more than any other town. Whether that's coincidence or something more isn't yet clear.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Homer man charged after woman reports repeated strangulation
A Homer man faces 15 charges after a woman reported he strangled her three times in one morning, a pattern that anti-violence workers say is among the deadliest forms of domestic abuse.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Homer sets policy framework for future water and sewer rate changes
Homer City Council adopted a policy framework Tuesday that will guide future water and sewer rate increases, though no specific rate changes take effect yet.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Homer man, 85, summonsed for 2025 Anchor Point hit-and-run after trooper spots vehicle nine months later
An 85-year-old Homer man was summonsed for a hit-and-run in Anchor Point nine months after the crash, when a trooper recognized his vehicle on a Homer street.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
One corner of Homer pays an extra tax to keep the water moving
In one waterside corner of Homer, owners pay an extra 1-mill tax the rest of the city doesn't — to fund their own storm drains. The council just voted to keep charging it.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska appeals court identifies DUI jury instruction tension in Homer case
Alaska's appeals court upheld a Homer man's DUI conviction but flagged a gap in jury instructions that could reshape how DUI cases are tried statewide when defendants claim they drank after driving.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Nearly $350 million to replace one ferry — Alaska's lifeline to the Aleutians
Alaska's about to spend nearly $350 million to replace one ferry — the 60-year-old Tustumena. A genuine Aleutian lifeline, but the low bid went to a Louisiana yard.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
An ethics panel found probable cause that Rep. Sarah Vance misused her office to pressure a newspaper
An ethics panel found probable cause Rep. Sarah Vance used state resources to pressure the Homer News, which then pulled the article and dropped the reporter's byline.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Homer's co-op is opening the door to community solar — with a fee and a six-month wait
Homer's electric co-op wants to let members share community solar — for an upfront fee, monthly charges, and a six-month wait after it's even approved. Baby steps.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Homer Holds Ocean Drive Loop Tax Steady at 1 Mill
Homer's Ocean Drive Loop district keeps its tax rate exactly where it was — a rare local-government act of leaving well enough alone.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
DNR opens public comment on Homer parcel sale to University of Alaska
Alaska DNR is moving to sell a 20-acre Homer parcel to the University of Alaska without competitive bidding, bypassing local control. Comments are due to DNR by July 14 at 3 p.m., and only written comments preserve appeal rights.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAI
Homer Council picks partial HERC demolition over full cleanup
Homer City Council voted May 26 to demolish the smaller HERC 2 building at the city-owned Education and Recreation Complex but skip cleanup of the larger former high school building, using $126,917 already set aside for the demolition.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Homer Electric wins state OK for undersea fiber across Kachemak Bay
Alaska approved Homer Electric's plan to convert its undersea power cable corridor across Kachemak Bay into a permanent public fiber optic easement, clearing the way for broadband to reach three roadless communities on the bay's south side.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAI
Shoulder-to-Shoulder Anglers Pack Kenai River as Salmon Runs Peak
Heavy crowds of anglers are packing the Kenai River in combat fishing conditions as late-run sockeye and coho salmon runs peak through September.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min readAIHomer Council to Vote on HART Sales Tax Renewal for November Ballot
Homer City Council votes tonight on placing a 20-year renewal of the 0.75 percent HART sales tax before voters in November to fund road and trail maintenance.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readAISenate Finance Advances Agricultural Leasing Reform After Farmer Cites $9,000 Annual Fee
The Senate Finance Committee moved forward with legislation to make state agricultural land more accessible through below-market leases and merit-based selection after hearing testimony about prohibitive appraisal costs.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min readAI
Wildlife refuge bill faces pushback over jet ski ban, firearm restrictions
House Resources Committee heard testimony on HB 321, which would redesignate state wildlife areas and ban personal watercraft in Kachemak Bay.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min readAI