Local organizations and topics
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
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July 2026
Strong sockeye at China Poot, but clammers now need a permit before heading out
Alright! So China poot this weekend, who's in??!
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Kodiak rockfish rules now cap single-species harvest, push anglers to deeper water
Kodiak sport anglers now face species-specific rockfish caps through year-end, limiting black rockfish to two per day, pushing them to fish deeper water as stocks decline from charter pressure.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Fritz Creek man charged again with DUI after meth-impaired rollover while on release conditions
A Fritz Creek man was charged with DUI after rolling his vehicle on East End Road on May 16 while impaired by methamphetamine, violating court-ordered release conditions from a prior DUI-drug case.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Speeding stop on Sterling Highway surfaces Soldotna man wanted on 7 Arizona felonies
Alaska State Troopers arrested a Soldotna man Sunday after a speeding stop on Sterling Highway revealed an active Arizona warrant for seven felonies including robbery and burglary.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
More from Homer
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 4mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
June 2026
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
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 4mo ago1 min read
Wisconsin man cited for lifting king salmon on Anchor River
Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited a 19-year-old Wisconsin man for lifting a king salmon from the Anchor River and releasing it, violating an active Emergency Order requiring all kings to stay in the water.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Senate Finance presses Alaska LNG spur line: who builds, who pays, who regulates
Senate Finance gets into the numbers of the LNG line in a hot and spicy day of meetings
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
About Homer
Homer is a city on Kachemak Bay at the end of the Sterling Highway, on the southern Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska. It is known for the Homer Spit, halibut and salmon charter fishing and an arts community.
The city council and its commissions decide zoning, short-term rental rules, the city budget, and dock and harbor rates for the port on the Spit. Commercial fishing in Lower Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, including set nets near the Spit, is a recurring question before the Board of Fisheries.
Homer Electric Association supplies power to the area, and its rates, fees and solar programs affect households across its service area. Nearby communities include Anchor Point, Ninilchik, Seldovia, Halibut Cove and Fritz Creek.
More from Homer
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 News5mo ago1 min read
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 5mo ago1 min read
Dense fog blankets Kenai Peninsula for third straight day
Dense fog cut visibility to a quarter mile on the Sterling Highway between Soldotna and Homer for three straight mornings, prompting the National Weather Service to issue repeated advisories through Friday morning.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
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 News5mo ago1 min read
Halibut anglers on Alaska charters now pay $20 a day — and the money is funding a decades-old battle over who gets to catch the fish
Alaska charter anglers now pay $20 per day to keep halibut in Southeast and Southcentral waters, a federal fee that funds the charter sector's purchase of commercial fishing quota to expand their halibut allocation.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Four Railbelt utilities file shared-solar tariffs in two days
All four major Railbelt utilities filed tariffs for shared-solar programs on June 2 and 3, letting Alaskans buy shares in renewable facilities without installing rooftop panels and receive credits on their monthly electric bills.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Troopers arrest Nanwalek man on domestic violence charges
Alaska State Troopers arrested Terence P. Swenning, 27, of Nanwalek on Monday on domestic violence charges including assault in the presence of three children.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Troopers arrest Nanwalek man on domestic violence charges
Alaska State Troopers arrested Terence P. Swenning, 27, of Nanwalek on charges of assaulting his partner in front of three children.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Four Alaska co-ops file community solar tariffs in two-day span
Four Alaska electric cooperatives filed community solar programs this week, letting members buy shares in shared arrays instead of installing rooftop panels.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Four Alaska utilities file community-energy tariffs in 72 hours
Four Alaska utilities filed tariff proposals this week to launch community-energy programs under 2024 state law, letting renters and homeowners buy shares in shared renewable projects without rooftop equipment.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Petersburg Medical Center loses bids for facility, equipment grants
Petersburg Medical Center's two largest grant proposals for a new facility and medical equipment were deferred by the state Rural Health Transformation Program on Wednesday, though five smaller projects advanced to a second funding round.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Vance-Johnson rematch gives southern Kenai Peninsula a cleaner House race
Rep. Sarah Vance faces a rematch against nonpartisan Brent Johnson in House District 6 on the southern Kenai Peninsula after a third Republican candidate split the vote in 2024.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ADF&G opens youth-only king salmon fisheries on Kenai Peninsula
ADF&G opens youth-only king salmon fisheries at Ninilchik River on June 3 and Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on June 6, with loaner rods and staff support, while broader Kenai Peninsula king fishing remains closed to protect wild stocks.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
May 2026
Kenai completes streetlight assessment, eyes $1.9M federal grant
Kenai's school bus stops lack safe lighting in winter darkness, assessment finds. City applies for 1.9 million dollar federal grant to upgrade lights and widen bike paths on two corridors. Most streetlights are aging LED units showing flicker and electrical problems. Grant decision expected next week, work would start later this year if approved.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Homer posts conflicting times for Tuesday's council work session
Homer posted conflicting start times for Tuesday's City Council work session, listing 4:00 p.m. on one page and 5:30 p.m. on another, leaving residents unsure when to tune in.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min readState partners with Skagway startup to sell Alaska-made goods online
Alaska's Made in Alaska program launches a free online marketplace with Skagway startup Voyij on June 1, giving permit holders access to 10 million cruise and airline customers at no upfront cost.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAlaska lawmakers debate farm tax break for horses, flowers
Alaska House committee narrowed a farm tax bill Tuesday, removing horses and flowers from eligibility and angering the bill's sponsor.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Halibut Landings Lag 80% Behind Quota as Prices Hit $7/lb
Halibut landings lag at 18 percent of quota by early May as dock prices hold strong at $6 to $7 per pound, while sablefish catches outpace expectations.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readHouse panel hears bill to ease farmland leasing, lower costs for Alaska growers
House panel advanced a bill to let Alaska farmers lease state land at below-market rates instead of costly appraisals, after one Homer grower's lease fee jumped from $1,000 to $9,360 annually.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAlaska Legislature Falls Two Votes Short of Overriding Elections Bill Veto
Alaska Legislature fell two votes short of overriding Gov. Dunleavy's veto of a bill that would have let voters track ballots online and fix envelope errors before rejection.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
April 2026
House passes bill requiring transparency at psychiatric hospitals for minors
The House passed a bill requiring psychiatric hospitals to conduct surprise inspections and allow minors weekly private calls with parents.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Homer Council to Vote on HART Sales Tax Renewal for November Ballot
Homer City Council votes tonight on whether to ask voters to renew the city's 0.75 percent sales tax for roads and trails for 20 more years, with the ballot measure set for November 3.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readSenate Finance Advances Agricultural Leasing Reform After Farmer Cites $9,000 Annual Fee
Senate Finance advanced a bill to let farmers lease state land at agricultural rates instead of development prices, after a Homer farmer's annual fee jumped from $1,000 to $9,000.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Wildlife refuge bill faces pushback over jet ski ban, firearm restrictions
House Bill 321 would simplify wildlife refuge designations and add 688 acres to Creamer's Field. • Alaska Department of Fish and Game opposes a jet ski ban in Kachemak Bay, but public testimony supports it. • Legislators want more time to review the complex 80-plus page bill with 20-plus maps.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min read