The Homer-based nonprofit organization Cook Inletkeeper has launched a petition calling for transparency in response to the Department of the Interior’s draft proposal for multiple offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Cook Inlet. The 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program’s five year plan proposes five new oil and gas […]
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As of Tuesday, Dec. 2, Aleutian Airways now offers three weekly roundtrip flights between Anchorage and Unalakleet, according to a Dec. 1 press release from the airline. The news comes after Kenai Aviation announced it would cease flights due to financial insolvency in November, which left Unalakleet without regularly scheduled air service following Ravn Alaska’s […]
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After a tumultuous year, the Homer Senior Center now rests on steadier ground, thanks to community support and productive collaboration between the organization’s administration and board of directors. Homer Senior Citizens, Inc., disclosed “substantial” debt during a board meeting in November 2024 due to unpaid payroll taxes and invoices held over from the previous administration, […]
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The holiday season is here, and First Friday in December provides a great opportunity to see what local artists, makers and crafters have been up to. Enjoy a stroll downtown and meander through galleries and public art spaces to meet the artists and enjoy the wide variety of mediums on display. Art Shop Gallery 202 […]
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When residents and visitors enter Homer proper, one of the first things they see is the longstanding skate park with its multicolored ramps and obstacles in front of the HERC complex at the corner of the Sterling Highway and Pioneer Avenue. The park has seen a number of updates and renovations over the years since […]
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The Homer City Council approved a resolution last Monday, awarding a contract to an Anchorage firm for the development of the city’s 2025 Water and Wastewater Master Plan. Bristol Engineering Services Company, LLC, the firm to whom the contract was awarded, previously prepared a Water and Sewer Master Plan for the City of Homer in […]
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The Homer City Council passed a resolution at their last regular meeting on Nov. 24 approving the acquisition and conservation of 160 acres of land within the Bridge Creek Watershed area. The City of Homer recently accepted a $1.5 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which was directed towards funding land acquisition […]
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Each Thanksgiving morning, the Kachemak Bay Running Club and the City of Homer Community Recreation Department host a combined fun run and food drive to benefit the Homer Community Food Pantry. This noncompetitive, untimed 5-kilometer race is open to people of all ages and fitness levels who bring in at least two non-perishable food items […]
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Community members were invited to a discussion on winter storm preparedness at the Anchor Point Senior Center last Thursday, Nov. 20. Homer public health nurse Emily Sears covered a number of related topics, including why winter storms are considered dangerous; differences between various types of winter storms, winter weather terms and winter hazards; how to […]
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After nearly two years of collaborative effort from project leaders and residents of the greater Homer area, the City of Homer finally has a new comprehensive plan. The Homer City Council passed Ordinance 25-64, adopting the 2045 Homer Comprehensive Plan and recommending adoption by the Kenai Peninsula Borough, on Monday after a third and final […]
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Homer youth David Sims began altering garments as a way to make regular clothes fit him the way he prefers. This hobby has, over the past several years, grown into him making his own custom-designed clothing. “It started with just making clothes fit me the way I wanted because I was really into the baggier […]
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It’s that time of year again — Homer’s 37th annual “Nutcracker” production will grace the Mariner Theatre stage at Homer High School starting Saturday, Dec. 6. Directed by Sally Oberstein and featuring choreography by Rhoslyn Anderson, this holiday favorite is a longtime theatrical tradition on the Mariner stage and involves dozens of community members of […]
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The Alaska SeaLife Center recently rescued two orphaned northern sea otter pups in two weeks, doubling the number of otter pups the center is currently caring for and marking an uptick in “orphaned, injured and deceased sea otter reports across the state this year.” According to a Nov. 17 press release, a female sea otter […]
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Students participating in Kachemak Bay Campus’ annual Semester By the Bay program gave presentations on their research conducted over the past months during a symposium hosted Friday at the college. Now in its 15th year, Semester By the Bay offers undergraduate students across the U.S. pursuing biological sciences degrees the chance to gain hands-on academic […]
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The Homer hockey team travelled to Kodiak last weekend for conference play. The Mariners lost both games against the Bears — 4-1 on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday. They are now 0-2 overall. Head coach Spencer Warren said via text Monday that the start of a season “can be a grind,” with having only practices […]
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Last Monday’s Homer City Council meeting featured a short second public hearing on an ordinance to adopt the draft 2045 Homer Comprehensive Plan, with only one person providing feedback in person. The council will hold a third public hearing on the comp plan at their next meeting on Monday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. During […]
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When she was in grade three, Meriam Linder came up with the business name, “Wilderness Wonders” for a Yellow Pages ad activity in a class at school. In 1999, at the age of 17, she purchased that name as her official art business license and has been creating and selling her work as a full-time […]
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An initial application for the proposed Nikolaevsk charter school narrowly passed before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education during a special meeting on Monday. Approval of the charter school application required a majority vote of the board, with a minimum of five votes in favor. A motion to approve the application passed […]
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Every fall, the Homer Community Food Pantry holds their annual Empty Bowl fundraiser, partnering with local potters, restaurants and community members to host a hearty lunch and raise money to assist the pantry’s continued operations and service to the greater Homer community. This year — a year marked by high inflation, rising costs and financial […]
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It’s beginning to look a lot like the holiday season, and the Homer Chamber of Commerce is advancing that vibe with the announcement last week of their “festive lineup” of holiday events. In an effort to both support local businesses and bring families together, a press release posted Friday, Nov. 14, says, the chamber organizes […]
Read MoreHarvest Midstream, a privately-held midstream service provider based in Houston, Texas, announced in a press release Tuesday, Nov. 11, their acquisition of the Kenai LNG facility in Nikiski. The terminal previously operated as an export facility, primarily shipping liquefied natural gas to Japan, until its closure in 2017. Harvest now intends to redevelop the site […]
Read MoreStudents across the state are invited to participate in the fifth annual Alaska Radon Poster Contest, an event created as an outlet for Alaska youth to showcase their artistic talents and promotion for a public health program. The contest is sponsored by the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, the University of Alaska Fairbanks […]
Read MoreThe Homer City Council passed an ordinance during their regular meeting Monday to accept and appropriate grant funding for the installation of a security grille at the Homer Public Library. Ordinance 25-65 accepts a $19,000 grant from the Rasmuson Foundation for the grille. This additional security measure would allow the library to keep their meeting […]
Read MoreA resolution amending the Homer Public Library’s privacy policy was passed Monday during the regular Homer City Council meeting. The amendment addresses electronic communications, like text messages, including holds notices and other notifications automatically generated by the library catalog and enshrines in writing protecting the confidentiality of patrons’ phone numbers. According to an Oct. 22 […]
Read MoreA geologist, outdoor enthusiast, author and photographer, Taz Tally has been photographing the world around him for nearly the past 65 years. “Throughout the decades, I’ve used my photographic skills to capture and illustrate geologic and other natural history subjects, as well as to document my life,” he said. “Capturing my way through life encourages […]
Read MoreThe Trump administration on Monday outlined its plans to auction 1 million acres of federal offshore territory in what it has called the “Big Beautiful Cook Inlet Oil and Gas Lease Sale.” The lease sale, to be held early next year under terms detailed in a notice published Monday in the Federal Register, is to […]
Read MoreFollowing the loss of critical federal funding earlier this year, the Alaska Community Foundation announced Monday that it has awarded $2.9 million in grants to public media stations across the state. KBBI AM 890 in Homer and KDLL 91.9 FM in Kenai were listed as grant recipients. ACF “grows philanthropy to strengthen Alaska’s communities,” managing […]
Read MoreMembers of the American Legion Post 16, VFW Post 10221, Civil Air Patrol and Homer Emblem Club #350, as well as local veterans or current military members, marched in a parade through Homer at 11:11 a.m. Tuesday morning in honor of Veterans Day. The parade commenced from the Homer Emblem Club veterans’ memorial at the […]
Read MoreThe federal government issued an emergency order on Friday, Nov. 7 requiring Grant Aviation to cut 10% of its flights between Kenai and Anchorage by Nov. 14. The order doesn’t impact any other routes at this time, but it comes only days after Kenai Aviation owner Joel Caldwell announced the company is ceasing operations due […]
Read MoreThe City of Homer and project leaders from consulting firm Agnew::Beck held a community open house at Kachemak Bay Campus last week to review and discuss ongoing updates to Title 21, Homer’s zoning and planning code. The Title 21 revisions mark the second phase in the two-part “community development effort” to update both the city’s […]
Read MoreWhitney Harness has served as interim co-executive director of the Pratt Museum since February, alongside Yarrow Hinnant, the museum’s curator of botanical exhibits. The museum board of directors announced last week Harness’ permanent appointment to the position. Hinnant will continue in his role as museum botanical exhibits curator. According to an Oct. 27 press release […]
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