Local organizations and topics
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
Have a story from Soldotna? Send a tip
September 2026
Two Kenai Peninsula subdivisions go to the plat committee Sept. 28
Two subdivision plats, one in Nikiski and one in Anchor Point, go before the Kenai Peninsula Borough Sept. 28. Written comment closes the Friday before.

Man arrested in Soldotna on felony sex offender registry charge
Troopers arrested a 74-year-old Soldotna man Thursday on a felony charge of failing to register as a sex offender, after a probation compliance check. The dispatch says he has two prior convictions for the same offense.

A Soldotna council member's consulting firm earned up to $1 million last year
Soldotna pays Daniel Nelson up to $5,000 a year to sit on its city council. Governments paid his consulting firm up to $1 million last year.

Motorcyclist critically injured in Kalifornsky Beach Road crash near Kasilof
A motorcyclist struck a turning pickup truck on Kalifornsky Beach Road near Kasilof on Monday and was flown to Seattle with life-threatening injuries.

August 2026
Kenai Peninsula planning commission to hear Cohoe road vacation Sept. 14
Kenai Peninsula planning commission will hear a petition Sept. 14 to vacate Keyros Avenue in Cohoe, with the borough assembly retaining veto power over any approval.

Assembly candidate Berga discloses North Slope job, Kenai Fish stake
Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly candidate Nathan Berga disclosed North Slope oilfield income and ownership of a Soldotna fishing business in a financial filing Monday.

Koniag takes board candidates to nine communities before proxy voting closes
Koniag will take board candidates to nine communities in September, six on Kodiak Island and three outside the region. Proxy voting closes Sept. 30.

Kenai could put school board term limits to voters under a new state law
Kenai Peninsula Borough voters will decide on school board term limits at a Sept. 1 public hearing, after state law changed to allow municipalities to propose them.

More from Soldotna
Koniag shareholders get nine chances to question their corporation's leadership in person
Koniag shareholders get nine chances this month to question their leadership in person, from the Kodiak Archipelago to Seattle, Portland and Soldotna.

Two Anchorage boaters spend a night on Skilak Lake after rough water stops the crossing
Two Anchorage boaters paddled down the Kenai, found Skilak Lake too rough to cross, and spent the night on the beach. Troopers texted them a way out.

Homer man arrested on eight counts in Anchor Point home burglary
James Longero of Homer faces eight counts including burglary and vehicle theft after troopers say he took multiple vehicles and nearly all contents from an Anchor Point home in August.

ADF&G asks Kenai bull moose hunters for tissue samples within 24 hours of harvest
Alaska Fish and Game wants Kenai bull moose hunters to deliver tissue samples within 24 hours of harvest, a tight window that will force some hunters to cut their field time short.

Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche files to run again
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche, a former Soldotna mayor and state Senate President, filed to run for another term ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

College student airlifted off Resurrection Pass after allergic reaction 14 miles in
An 18-year-old visiting student was airlifted off Resurrection Pass 14 miles from the trailhead after an allergic reaction left him unable to breathe. A military crew flew him to Anchorage.

Father and daughter rescued by boat from Kenai River island at mile 73
A father and daughter stranded on a Kenai River island at mile 73 on July 27 when rising water cut off their return were rescued by boat the same day.

Soldotna man arrested nearly two months after report he exposed himself to two minors
Alaska State Troopers arrested a 23-year-old Soldotna man Thursday, nearly two months after a report that he exposed himself to two minors.

Coming up
KPBSD Board of Education: Special Meeting-Organization of the School Board
Betty J. Glick Assembly Chambers, 144 N. Binkley Street, Soldotna, AK 99669, and Zoom (ID 708 024 188)
Meeting
KPBSD Board of Education: Work Sessions
Meeting
Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Commission
Meeting
Kenai/Soldotna Fish and Game Advisory Committee Meeting
Meeting
Kenai/Soldotna Fish and Game Advisory Committee Meeting
Meeting
About Soldotna
Soldotna is a city on the central Kenai Peninsula, at the junction of the Sterling Highway and the Kenai Spur Highway. It is the seat of the Kenai Peninsula Borough and the region's commercial hub, and it sits on the Kenai River, known for its salmon fishing.
The Soldotna City Council and Planning Commission decide zoning, rental rules and code enforcement, and the city runs a library, parks and an ice rink. Its stories return to trooper activity and crashes along the Sterling Highway and nearby roads, and to borough business such as school construction and land use.
Nearby communities such as Kasilof, Sterling, Cooper Landing and the Kalifornsky Beach Road area look to Soldotna for services. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and the Kenai River tie the city to fishing, boating and the backcountry around it.
More from Soldotna
Troopers arrest nine on drug charges during Salmonfest in Ninilchik
Troopers arrested nine at Salmonfest, eight on felony drug distribution charges, though the dispatch names no one and gives no drug quantities.

July 2026
Kenai dipnetting goes 24 hours as sockeye run hits 3 million
Daaaaang! Kenai sockeye are running hot — 3 million projected — so dipnetting goes 24 hours a day through Friday's season close. Residents only, and kings go back.

Soldotna man arrested after alleged robbery, assault at smoke shop
A Soldotna man was arrested after shoving a clerk at a smoke shop on Kalifornsky Beach Road and threatening to steal cigarettes Saturday afternoon.

A capsize, a night on the bank, and a morning-after airlift
Two boaters capsized on the remote, glacier-fed Killey River and spent the night on the bank — warm, fed, and in cell contact — before troopers flew them out the next day.

A man is charged with sexually abusing a minor near Soldotna in 2019
A man who once lived near Soldotna is charged with a 2019 sexual abuse of a minor, in a case troopers opened in 2025 after a report of past abuse.
Kenai Peninsula planners to weigh road and bridge over salmon creek in Anchor Point
Kenai Peninsula Borough planners will decide July 20 whether to allow a road and bridge over an anadromous creek in Anchor Point, a project that requires a conditional use permit under borough code.

Soldotna man faces federal charges for alleged CSAM purchases via PayPal
A Soldotna man faces federal charges for allegedly purchasing child sexual abuse material through PayPal over two years, with investigators tracing roughly 27 transactions to his account.

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.

Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly to revisit Nikolaevsk school transfer Tuesday
Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will reconsider Tuesday its approval of transferring the $8 million Nikolaevsk School to a Russian Old Believer nonprofit.

A fish truck rolled on the Seward Highway, cutting off the road into town before the Fourth
A fish truck rolled on the Seward Highway late Friday, scattering its load and closing the road into town for hours — just as crowds arrived for the Fourth and Mount Marathon.

Passenger injures Trooper during Cooper Landing traffic stop
A passenger kicked an Alaska State Trooper on the Sterling Highway near Cooper Landing on Wednesday evening while resisting placement in a patrol vehicle during a sobriety stop.

Martha Fire near Soldotna contained at 5 acres
Firefighters contained the Martha Fire near Soldotna at 5 acres Wednesday evening, protecting homes within two hours of the first report

June 2026
One dead, one critical in a K-Beach Road rollover near Soldotna
A 62-year-old Iowa man died and a second person was critically hurt when their van rolled on Kalifornsky Beach Road near Soldotna. The cause is under investigation.

Anchorage man arrested after walking armed, drunk on Funny River Rd
Alaska State Troopers arrested Anchorage resident Garrett Andrews, 22, after he walked armed and intoxicated down Funny River Road near Soldotna on Friday night, forcing drivers to swerve.

On the Kenai, a cabin tests the river's 50-foot buffer
As peak season packs the Kenai, a company wants to build a cabin inside the 50-foot buffer that keeps development off the river's salmon-bearing banks.

Kasilof man leads troopers on 4-wheeler chase, caught with 2017 felony warrants
Bryan Gheen, 50, of Kasilof fled a traffic stop on a four-wheeler Friday night and was arrested near Soldotna with felony warrants dating to 2017.

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.

An escaped campfire grew to 89 acres near Sterling — cutting power and closing a road
An unextinguished campfire near Sterling grew to 89 acres, cut power, and closed Swanson River Road. Put out your campfires.

Kenai Peninsula Disability Pride Celebration set for July 18 in Soldotna
Kenai Peninsula Disability Pride Celebration comes to Soldotna Creek Park on July 18, 2026, marking the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act with community organizations and local voices.

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.

Soldotna fisherman files for governor on food-security platform
Soldotna commercial fisherman Hank Kroll filed to run for Alaska governor as a Republican. • He proposes acquiring 28 million federal acres and tying Permanent Fund Dividend payments to land transfers to boost food production. • Alaska imports 90 to 95 percent of its food from outside the state.

May 2026
Troopers arrest three for DUI across Alaska
Seward man fled troopers at 100 mph on Seward Highway, charged with felony eluding and DUI. • Fairbanks driver arrested after REDDI hotline report of drunk driving on Richardson Highway. • Soldotna man stopped for equipment violation, refused breath test, blood drawn by warrant.

Kenai River king salmon fishery closed through mid-August 2026
Kenai River king salmon fishing closed May 1 through August 15, 2026 under emergency order. Third consecutive year of full closure due to conservation concerns. Other species fishing allowed with single-hook lures only. Nearby Kasilof River open to limited hatchery king salmon fishing.

State 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.