Soldotna

Soldotna's reserve fell $900,000 as mayoral leader seeks to undo sales tax

Soldotna's discretionary reserve dropped about $900,000 last year, just as the man leading the mayor's race says he wants to undo the new sales tax.

by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago3 min read

Follows: Challenger leads Soldotna mayor as Kenai Peninsula election counts continue

Sterling woman charged with murder involving drugs in April Soldotna death

Soldotna police arrested a Sterling woman on a second-degree murder charge tied to an April death. The court filing lists it as a murder charge involving drugs.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read

Kenai Peninsula school board rejects Soldotna Elementary charter, citing no building

The Kenai Peninsula school board turned down Soldotna Elementary's charter bid 8-0, citing the building and the budget. An appeal is still possible.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Follows: Kenai Peninsula district leaders urge school board to reject Soldotna Elementary charter

Borough presentation says Soldotna Elementary rebuild stays within voter-approved bond

Borough officials are set to tell the Kenai school board Nov. 2 that the Soldotna Elementary rebuild stays within its voter-approved bond.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Kenai Peninsula district leaders urge school board to reject Soldotna Elementary charter

District leaders urge the school board to reject turning Soldotna Elementary into a charter school. They cite a $1.1 million budget gap and no secured building. Board votes Monday.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Follows: Soldotna Elementary parents and staff propose a charter that keeps neighborhood enrollment

Citizen board that advises the state on the Kenai River meets Nov. 12 in Soldotna

The citizen board that advises the state on the Kenai River, on everything but who gets the fish, meets Nov. 12 in Soldotna and online and takes comments.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Soldotna council kills disruptive-conduct rules at city manager's request

Soldotna's city manager proposed rules for barring disruptive people from city property, then asked the council to vote them down. It did, 6-0.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

Soldotna opens a student seat on its Planning and Zoning Commission

Soldotna wants a student on its Planning and Zoning Commission. The student gets a vote that's recorded but doesn't count, and can't make motions.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

Soldotna Elementary parents and staff propose a charter that keeps neighborhood enrollment

Soldotna Elementary parents want a charter where neighborhood kids skip the lottery, application and parent contract. The school board reviews it Monday.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Follows: Soldotna Elementary parents and staff seek to convert their school to a charter

Central Peninsula Hospital gets OK for an ear, nose and throat clinic in Soldotna

Central Peninsula Hospital plans an ear, nose and throat clinic, likely in 2027. A doctor warned that once the area's ENT retires, it's Anchorage or bust.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readFrom Oct 6

VA seeks proposals for a 20-year lease to house its Kenai Vet Center outstation in Soldotna

The VA wants a 20 year lease for office space in Soldotna to house its Kenai Vet Center counseling outstation. Proposals are due Nov. 25, with price counting less than site and quality.

by Melinda Communities.News3w ago2 min read

Soldotna Elementary parents and staff seek to convert their school to a charter

Soldotna Elementary parents and teachers want to turn their neighborhood school into a charter. A district committee picks the plan back up Monday.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Soldotna police say Kodiak man fired gun in bar parking lot before fleeing

Soldotna police say a Kodiak man fired a gun in a bar parking lot and drove off in a Dodge Charger. He didn't get far, and he's being held without bail.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Kenai Peninsula Borough and Soldotna man agree to end lawsuit over trespass ordinance

A Soldotna "First Amendment Auditor" and the Kenai borough agreed to walk away from his lawsuit. Each side pays its own lawyers, and the trespass law stays.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read

Soldotna man arrested on DUI and assault charges after rear-end crash, troopers say

Alaska State Troopers arrested a 35-year-old Soldotna man Friday night on assault, DUI, and three other charges after he rear-ended a stopped car near Ciechanski and tried to leave the scene.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Soldotna commissioner asks about council rezoning vote that city records don't show

A Soldotna planning commissioner asked about a council rezoning vote he'd heard about. There wasn't one, but there is a staff plan to rezone Robin Place.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Soldotna man, 33, dies after being found unresponsive in Sterling garage

A Soldotna man, 33, died and a second adult was hospitalized after both were found unresponsive in a Sterling-area garage Saturday. Foul play isn't suspected.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Soldotna ice rink nearly lost its ice at least once this year, parks director says

Soldotna's aging ice rink nearly lost its ice at least once this year. The parks director says crews are chasing software gremlins and buying parts on eBay.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Troopers cite Soldotna man for leaving edible moose meat on carcass

Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited a Soldotna man for leaving edible meat on a moose carcass three days after killing it, requiring a court appearance in November.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Troopers say driver fled at over 100 mph on Sterling Highway, switched seats before arrest

Troopers say a driver fled at over 100 mph on the Sterling Highway, took two PIT maneuvers to stop and swapped seats with his passenger just before the end.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Borough Planning Commission to hear proposal for Nikiski gravel pit on Oct. 12

A paving company wants to dig a gravel pit at Mile 31 of the Kenai Spur Highway in Nikiski. Neighbors get their say Oct. 12, three minutes at a time.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Trail camera shows first fawns from deer moved to the southern Kenai Peninsula

A collared doe with two fawns is the first sign that deer moved to the southern Kenai Peninsula are having babies. Hunters, keep waiting: there's no season.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Federal records show $142 million in highway grants for four Sterling Highway projects

Federal records show $142 million in grants for four Sterling Highway jobs, mostly the Cooper Landing bypass, which still has a bridge and years of work to go.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Seward hospital's new rural health grants collide with a shortage of space

Seward hospital won a $1.1 million federal grant to add prenatal care locally but has no space, forcing a choice between a $250,000 office conversion or a $4 million to $6 million addition

by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago3 min read

Troopers arrest driver for DUI after car strikes moose near Soldotna

A Camry met a moose near Soldotna around 2:20 am. Troopers arrested the driver for DUI, and the badly hurt moose was gone before they could find it.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Kenai Peninsula two-bedroom rents post record 11% jump in state survey

Kenai Peninsula two-bedroom rent jumped 11% this spring to $1,336, a borough record. Most of Alaska saw closer to 2.6%, and only Mat-Su rose faster.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom Mar 1

Harvest Moon festival brings Alaska-grown food, pie contest to Soldotna

Soldotna Creek Park hosts the Harvest Moon Local Food Festival on Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., featuring Alaska-grown food vendors, live music, and a homemade pie contest capped at 30 pies that requires preregistration and a $5 entry fee.

by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read

Ken Lancaster, Soldotna's mayor through the 1990s and later a state representative, has died at 83

Ken Lancaster moved to Soldotna at 19, ran the city through most of the 1990s, and then went to Juneau to represent the area. He died at 83.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Soldotna weighs letting rural lots hold two homes instead of one

Soldotna may let rural residential lots hold two homes instead of one, partly because people east of the highway are already building without permits.

by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago2 min read

Three Homer Electric generators failed at once, and hydro covered the gap

Three of Homer Electric's generators failed at once in August. It bought hydro to cover, from a dam whose lines cannot carry its full output.

by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read

Kenai refuge's environmental education building gets exterior repairs

The Kenai refuge's environmental education building is getting a $48,000 exterior fix-up this fall, from a small business based in Colorado.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Three locally drawn library cards are free at the Soldotna library through September

Soldotna's library is handing out three limited-edition cards designed by locals, including a moose under the northern lights by a 12-year-old.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readFrom Sep 1

Soldotna council candidate Conner refiles disclosure on the last day to file

Soldotna council candidate Nicholas Conner refiled his financial disclosure Tuesday, the last day of the filing period, after listing the wrong municipality on his original form.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Search resumes on Kasilof River for man missing after boat overturns

A 67-year-old Kasilof man is missing after his boat overturned on the Kasilof River Sunday. The search resumed Monday by air, boat and on foot.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Troopers find two asleep in sedan towing stacked logs, cocaine in driver's lap

Troopers pulled alongside a log-hauling sedan in Soldotna and found the driver and passenger asleep, cocaine in his lap, they say. He's presumed innocent.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

A builder across from a Soldotna school pushed its snow into the street

A builder across from a Soldotna elementary school left no room for snow, so it went into the street. The city says snow storage is required.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readFrom Sep 9

Troopers seize 4.5 ounces of suspected heroin after Sterling traffic stop

Troopers say they found 4.5 ounces of suspected heroin and two guns in a truck near Sterling, charging the driver with six counts. He's presumed innocent.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Soldotna man arrested on DUI and weapons charges after Ninilchik traffic stop

A Soldotna man was arrested after Alaska State Troopers found his green SUV near Ninilchik following REDDI calls and watched it speeding and swerving on the Sterling Highway.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Soldotna planning director drafts code change to replace court citations with civil fines

Soldotna's planning director is drafting a code change to replace court citations for unpermitted rentals with staff-issued civil fines, which could speed enforcement.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readFrom Sep 2

Pilot uninjured after plane flips during off-airport landing in Caribou Hills

A pilot walked away uninjured after flipping his plane during an off-airport landing in the Caribou Hills, and was flown back to Soldotna by helicopter.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read