Local organizations and topics
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
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Week of Jul 6
The sockeye are running strong on the Kenai, and the state just doubled your limit
Good news for Kenai anglers and dipnetters: strong sockeye runs just pushed the daily limit to six fish on the Kenai, Russian, and Kasilof — with more dipnet room on the Kasilof, too.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
A Kenai woman is mauled by a bear on her own front deck
A Kenai woman was seriously hurt when a brown bear sow attacked her on her front deck — drawn in, troopers say, by bird feeders in the yard, on a peninsula that's a bear-attack hot spot.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Kenai council funds $110K roof shortfall, sets Oct. 31 deadline for Senior Center and shelter work
Kenai City Council approved $110,000 Tuesday to fix roofs at the senior center and animal shelter by Oct. 31 after a bid came in higher than expected.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Week of Jun 29
Kenai guide faces mandatory court date after client keeps 2 extra sockeye on Kasilof
A Kenai fishing guide faces mandatory court after a client kept 8 sockeye salmon instead of the legal limit of 6 on the Kasilof River on July 4.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska LNG tax bill advances as working draft, disputes unresolved
Alaska lawmakers advanced a working draft of HB 381, the tax framework for Alaska LNG, but disputes over the alternative volumetric tax remain unresolved.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago3 min read
Kenai weighs spending city money to develop a city-owned parcel
Kenai votes Wednesday on spending $54,219 to subdivide city land and partner with a developer — though the agenda doesn't say how many lots or what would go there.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Kenai moves to clear six pieces of public land for sale
Kenai's council votes Wednesday to strip "public purpose" status from six city parcels, the step before selling them — on a consent agenda, with no public hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Kenai's $9.4M school-cost risk may never actually come due
A gas-tax bill could add up to $9.4 million a year to Kenai's school costs — but the Legislature's analyst says a sunset means none of it would ever be charged.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
More from Kenai
A Russian Old Believer village fights to keep its school
Nikolaevsk — a Russian Old Believer village on the Kenai — may hand its shrinking school to a local nonprofit, a bid to keep education in the community as families drift away.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 22
In a quiet Kenai neighborhood, a fight over how many homes is too many
A developer wants townhouses and a six-plex on a quiet Kenai dead-end — the most density the zone allows — and at least one neighbor isn't sold on the traffic.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
One Anchorage restaurant keeps getting caught serving with expired cards
Alaska cited six bars and restaurants for servers pouring with expired training cards — one Anchorage spot for the fifth time in four years, now risking its liquor license.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Washington Man Cited for Keeping Snagged Sockeye on Russian River
A Washington angler got cited for keeping a snagged sockeye on the Russian — where "hooked in the mouth or it's poaching" isn't fussiness, it's how Alaska keeps the run honest.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Charges 15 in $1.8 Million Medicaid Fraud Sweep
Alaska has charged 15 people in five Medicaid fraud cases totaling $1.8 million — though every count is, for now, an allegation no court has tested.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 15
Kasilof River guide cited for fishing in prohibited People's Hole
A fishing guide was cited for fishing at People's Hole on the Kasilof River, where guides are prohibited but their clients are allowed.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Cook Inlet's salmon season opens June 22 — and could slam shut early
Cook Inlet's salmon season opens June 22. The last two years so many reds came back they went uncaught — and the rule behind that is still on the books.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
State asks Kenai to join disease early-warning network
Kenai City Council approved joining a statewide wastewater monitoring network that tests sewage for disease outbreaks. The state covers all equipment costs and will sample Kenai's wastewater weekly.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Coming up
Kenai Planning & Zoning Commission Special Meeting
Kenai City Council Chambers, 210 Fidalgo Avenue, Kenai, AK, and Zoom (registration required)
Meeting
Kenai City Council Enactment Vote on Carl F. Ahlstrom Park Public Purpose Designation
Meeting
Kenai City Council Regular Meeting
Meeting
Power Plant Comedy: Claude Stuart
Performance
2026 Bristol Bay Next Gen Kenai - Youth & Young Adult Event
Community event
About Kenai
Kenai, also called Shk'ituk't, is a city on the Kenai Peninsula where the Kenai River meets Cook Inlet. Its economy draws on commercial and sport salmon fishing and on the oil and gas industry, including natural gas storage beneath the city.
The city council and the planning and zoning commission decide land use, including permits for day cares, gravel pits and other businesses, and the parks and recreation commission shapes projects such as playgrounds and courts. The city also operates Kenai Municipal Airport.
Kenai sits within the Kenai Peninsula Borough, whose assembly makes decisions for residents across the peninsula. Nearby communities include Nikiski, Soldotna, Sterling and Kasilof, and hunting, fishing and road safety are shared concerns across the area.
More from Kenai
A coho cap could close Cook Inlet's sockeye season early, fishermen warn
Cook Inlet boats are after sockeye, but the coho they catch by accident could shut the whole season — at a limit the feds set below their own scientists' advice.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
Week of Jun 8
Hilcorp seeks state lease for 1,330-acre gas storage field in Kenai
Hilcorp filed Friday for a state lease to store natural gas in 1,330 acres of subsurface rock beneath Kenai, with public comments due July 7.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Kenai airport eyes automated fee system amid pilot privacy backlash
Kenai Airport is moving toward an automated landing fee system using aircraft tracking data, but a federal bill co-sponsored by Senator Dan Sullivan would ban that exact use, forcing the airport to choose a different technology if the law passes.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Kenai airport cafe closes; city seeks new operator by June 25
Debbie's Bistro closed at Kenai Municipal Airport after gross receipts fell to $68,000 in a year, compared to $400,000 to $500,000 when prior restaurants operated there. The city seeks a new operator with bids due June 25.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Kenai seeks federal grants for sidewalks, fish passage culverts
Kenai submitted a federal grant application for sidewalk and street lighting improvements on Lawton and Tinker, and is preparing a second application to remove fish passage barriers in local creeks by end of June.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Kenai council passes camping ordinance limiting tent numbers
Three tents is enough. / A campground, it shall be called. / Freeloaders, beware!
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
A federal expansion of hunting and fishing access on national wildlife refuges would land most heavily in Alaska
They're making changes to national wildlife refuges? We got a lot of them.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Fish and Wildlife lost quarter of staff, faces questions on refuge management
Fish and Wildlife Service lost a quarter of its staff, including 530 biologists. Nine percent of refuges now lack on-ground management. Alaska holds 16 refuges covering three-quarters of the system's acreage, but the agency has not disclosed which Alaska refuges are shuttered or how many Alaska staff were cut.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 1
Alaska suspends burn permits statewide as heat drives fire risk
Alaska suspended burn permits statewide June 1-5 across Mat-Su, Kenai-Kodiak, Tok, Delta, Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt due to early heat and dry conditions, after recent escaped debris fires and burn barrels sparked multiple wildfires.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Kenai parent asks commission to lower weight room age limit
A Kenai parent asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to lower the weight room age limit at Kenai Rec Center from 16 to 14, saying the current policy pushes families to drive to nearby communities where younger teens can use gyms independently.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, Delta
Alaska suspended burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, and Delta from June 1-4 due to hot, dry, windy conditions that sparked multiple fires from escaped debris burns and unattended campfires.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Cook Inlet gas production drops 60% since 2010
Cook Inlet natural gas production has dropped 60% since 2010 to 200 million cubic feet per day, leaving winter demand unmet and forcing utilities to plan for costly LNG imports starting in 2033.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Kenai adopts $42.1M budget with swim team grant, airport upgrade
Kenai City Council adopted a $42.1 million budget for fiscal year 2027, approving $296,402 in amendments for a swim team grant, airport billing automation expected to recover $130,000 in missed revenue, and council chambers technology upgrades.
by Lucas Brown5mo ago1 min read
Kenai limits tent camping to 2 tents per property, defines 3+ as campground
Kenai allows up to two tents on private property indefinitely, but three or more tents now require conditional-use approval and are classified as a campground.
by Lucas Brown5mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su, Kenai burn permits suspended as fire activity surges
Alaska Division of Forestry suspended burn permits across Mat-Su and Kenai-Kodiak starting Monday, June 1, after a surge in human-caused fires sparked by escaped debris burns and unattended campfires during hot, dry, windy conditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Week of May 25
North Slope, Kenai mayors negotiate gas line property tax as House Finance delays bill deadline
North Slope Borough Mayor Patkotak and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Micciche negotiated property tax terms for the Alaska LNG project as the House Finance Committee delayed its amendment deadline to allow talks to continue.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Kenai commission imposes quiet hours on short-term rental, reviving debate over neighborhood rules
Kenai Planning & Zoning Commission approved an Airbnb in Inlet Woods with mandatory 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. quiet hours, reigniting debate over whether short-term rentals should face stricter rules than long-term rentals in the same neighborhood.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Eagle River king salmon fishery closed for 2026 season
Alaska closed all king salmon sport fishing in Eagle River through July 13, 2026 due to weak fish populations and unmet escapement goals.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readFrom 
Kenai enacts subdivision, street design standards overhaul
Kenai City Council approved new subdivision and street design rules to speed up development review. • Minimum lot size set at 40,000 square feet for septic systems, matching borough standards. • Large subdivisions must extend water mains if public water is available within 1,500 feet. • New Street Design Manual can be updated by city staff without council approval, replacing rigid code rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
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 
Week of May 18
Kenai proposes $1.55 million for street work, pay raises in 2027 budget
Kenai budgets $1.55 million for street work and 2 percent pay raises for all staff. • Paramedic and police certification pay increases to match neighboring departments. • City allocates $300,000 for public safety building design ahead of November 2027 bond vote. • Water and sewer rates rise 4 percent to cover inflation and future plant upgrades.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Kenai proposes 4% water/sewer rate hike to fund aging infrastructure
Kenai proposes 4% water and sewer rate hike starting July 2026 to fund wastewater plant overhaul planned for 2029. • City losing 340,000 dollars annual revenue and facing higher chemical and staffing costs. • Rates remain among Alaska's lowest. Last increase was in fiscal year 2025. • Council will hold public hearing before final budget vote in May.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Kenai Planning Commission recommends rural residential rezone, rejecting city's denser proposal
Kenai Planning Commission rejected the city's plan to rezone 81 acres for denser housing and instead recommended rural residential zoning with larger lots, citing neighbor concerns about infrastructure despite a housing shortage.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Kenai unveils 20-year parks master plan with sports complex overhaul
Kenai approved a 20-year parks plan to consolidate ball fields into one expanded sports complex. • Downtown green spaces become seasonal campground and event venue. • City spends 1.3 million yearly on parks but recovers only 17 percent through fees. • Near-term priorities include new playgrounds and ice rink upgrades.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 