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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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Cover image for article: Two Kenai Peninsula subdivisions go to the plat committee Sept. 28

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Man arrested in Soldotna on felony sex offender registry charge

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: A Soldotna council member's consulting firm earned 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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Motorcyclist critically injured in Kalifornsky Beach Road crash near Kasilof

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.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News2mo ago1 min read
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Cover image for article: Kenai Peninsula planning commission to hear Cohoe road vacation Sept. 14

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Assembly candidate Berga discloses North Slope job, Kenai Fish stake

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.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Koniag takes board candidates to nine communities before proxy voting closes

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai could put school board term limits to voters under a new state law

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Koniag shareholders get nine chances to question their corporation's leadership in person

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.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
Skilak Lake, Alaska
Cover image for article: Two Anchorage boaters spend a night on Skilak Lake after rough water stops the crossing

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Homer man arrested on eight counts in Anchor Point home burglary

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.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: ADF&G asks Kenai bull moose hunters for tissue samples within 24 hours of harvest

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche files to run again

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Resurrection Pass Trail, Alaska
Cover image for article: College student airlifted off Resurrection Pass after allergic reaction 14 miles in

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.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Father and daughter rescued by boat from Kenai River island at mile 73

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Soldotna man arrested nearly two months after report he exposed himself to two minors

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Troopers arrest nine on drug charges during Salmonfest in Ninilchik

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.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai dipnetting goes 24 hours as sockeye run hits 3 million

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Soldotna man arrested after alleged robbery, assault at smoke shop

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.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Killey River, Alaska
Cover image for article: A capsize, a night on the bank, and a morning-after airlift

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai Peninsula planners to weigh road and bridge over salmon creek in Anchor Point

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Soldotna man faces federal charges for alleged CSAM purchases via PayPal

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Cover image for article: Speeding stop on Sterling Highway surfaces Soldotna man wanted on 7 Arizona felonies

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly to revisit Nikolaevsk school transfer Tuesday

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Seward Highway, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Cover image for article: A fish truck rolled on the Seward Highway, cutting off the road into town before the Fourth

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Passenger injures Trooper during Cooper Landing traffic 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

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Martha Fire near Soldotna contained at 5 acres

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: One dead, one critical in a K-Beach Road rollover near Soldotna

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Anchorage man arrested after walking armed, drunk on Funny River Rd

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: On the Kenai, a cabin tests the river's 50-foot buffer

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Kasilof man leads troopers on 4-wheeler chase, caught with 2017 felony warrants

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Anchor River, Alaska
Cover image for article: Wisconsin man cited for lifting king salmon on Anchor River

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom
Cover image for article: An escaped campfire grew to 89 acres near Sterling — cutting power and closing a road

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai Peninsula Disability Pride Celebration set for July 18 in Soldotna

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Southcentral Alaska
Cover image for article: Dense fog blankets Kenai Peninsula for third straight day

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.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Soldotna fisherman files for governor on food-security platform

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.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Troopers arrest three for DUI across Alaska

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.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom
Northern Kenai Peninsula
Cover image for article: Kenai River king salmon fishery closed through mid-August 2026

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.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News6mo ago2 min read