Former Alaska State Trooper Sgt. Joseph Miller, 50, and Trooper Jason Woodruff, 43, were indicted by a federal grand jury last Tuesday, Dec. 16, on charges related to a Kenai arrest in May 2024. Both men are charged with federal criminal civil rights violations while serving in the line of duty. Miller and Woodruff are […]
Read MoreTag: Soldotna
Christmas Comes to Kenai and Soldotna Turkey Trot kick off a month full of holiday festivities
Last weekend’s holiday festivities drew folks from all over the Kenai Peninsula. Soldotna Parks and Recreation’s first annual food drive and Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day had 98 participants and raised six large bins of food for the Soldotna Food Bank. T-shirts were given to the person with the largest donation and longest run, with […]
Read More
Sports briefs: Soldotna hockey, wrestling teams secure wins at weekend tournaments
SoHi’s wrestling and hockey teams did well in tournaments around the Kenai Peninsula over the weekend. The hockey team won the End of the Road Shootout tournament in Homer and the wrestling team saw several individuals win their weight classes during the Robin Hervey and King of the Mountain tournaments. End of the Road Shootout […]
Read More
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge to allow permitted firewood collection
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is allowing personal use firewood collection by permit as of Wednesday, Nov. 19. Permits allow collection of up to five cords — which the park service defines as four feet high by four feet wide, and eight feet long — of firewood for personal use per household. Cutting is limited […]
Read More
Kenai Central takes home 3rd volleyball state title
The Kenai Central High School varsity volleyball team brought home the Class 3A state title following a 3-2 victory against Nikiski in the final championship bracket of the Alaska School Activities Association 3A/4A Volleyball State Championships, held Nov. 13-15 in Anchorage. This is the third state championship title that the Kards have brought home in […]
Read More
SoHi wrestling sweeps Lancer Smith tourney, eyes state title
Soldotna High School wrestlers continued their winning streak at the Lancer Smith Memorial wrestling tournament in Wasilla last weekend. All schools from all divisions in Alaska were invited, making the tournament the largest in the state. Over 1,100 wrestlers participated in the two-day event, which is named after who SoHi head coach Pete Dickinson referred […]
Read More
Kenai elects new mayor
The City of Kenai saw some turnover following Tuesday’s municipal election, with a new mayor and one new city council member. The second city council seat on the ballot is retained by incumbent Victoria Askin. Soldotna also held a city council election, but both candidates were unopposed and thus reelected to their seats. The contentious […]
Read More
Kenai Central swimmers, divers sweep Kenai Invitational
The Kenai Central swimming and diving teams swept the Kenai Invitational on Friday and Saturday. On the girls side, the Kardinals scored 119 points to beat the 83 of runner-up Palmer. Soldotna was third with 40, while Homer was fifth with 32. For the boys, the Kards scored 116 while Palmer had 81, SoHi had […]
Read More
Truesdell talks budget, services as sole attendee of forum for assembly’s Soldotna seat
Sargeant Truesdell, one of the three candidates for the Soldotna seat on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, discussed his vision for the borough last week at a candidate forum moderated by the Clarion and KDLL 91.9 FM. Truesdell is among three vying for the seat currently held by Tyson Cox — who cannot run for […]
Read More
Soldotna volleyball stops Homer
The host Soldotna volleyball team defeated Homer 29-31, 25-17, 25-16 and 25-21 on Tuesday in nonconference action. The Stars move to 5-0 in nontournament play, while the Mariners lost their first nontournament match of the season. Homer came in riding high after defeating defending Class 3A state champ Nikiski for third place at the 18th […]
Read More
Salmon focus of annual KRSA roundtable
King salmon were in the spotlight last month at the annual Kenai Classic Roundtable, which centered on the decline of the species in the Kenai River and across the state. The event, hosted by the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, took place Aug. 20 in the Soldotna Field House. In the first of three panels, Alaska […]
Read More
Kenai Peninsula protests Putin’s Alaska visit
Community members in Homer and Soldotna joined multiple other protests throughout the state on Friday in response to Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s meeting with President Donald Trump in Anchorage. According to MarchAgainst.org, protests were held over the weekend, starting Thursday, in Homer, Soldotna, Anchorage, Girdwood, Wasilla, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Valdez, Fairbanks and Petersburg. Trump announced […]
Read More
Grand opening for Soldotna Field House on Saturday
A grand opening celebration for the Soldotna Field House is set for Saturday, Aug. 16, from noon to 4 p.m. According to a release from the City of Soldotna, the event will feature a ribbon-cutting at noon, live music, food trucks, and opportunities to explore the new 54,000-square-foot facility. Also present will be several local […]
Read More
Annual Kenai Classic Roundtable to focus on Alaska king salmon
King salmon are the headlining issue of this year’s Kenai River Classic Roundtable, a series of panel discussions hosted annually by the Kenai River Sportfishing Association. The event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20, in the Soldotna Field House. According to a release from the association, 18 Alaska king […]
Read More
Traveling nurse charged with murder of 78-year-old Soldotna man
A 31-year-old traveling nurse from Virginia was charged with murder on Thursday in the killing of her Soldotna landlord. LaShaunda Lewis is charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder for the death of 78-year-old John “Skip” Dove Jr. He was found on Tuesday stabbed to death in his home […]
Read More
School board OKs plan to combine Soldotna schools
A new design to combine Soldotna Elementary School and Redoubt Elementary School into the vacant Soldotna Prep School at a projected cost of $35 million was approved by the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education by an 8-1 vote Monday. A set of educational specifications — documents that define a full design for […]
Read More
‘All the kids are grand champions’
The Kenai Peninsula District 4-H Agriculture Expo is celebrating its fifth year at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex from Friday through Sunday, July 25 to 27. “This is the big show,” Cassandra Rankin, Kenai Peninsula 4-H program coordinator, said Saturday at the expo. “Our 4-Hers work all year long on their projects. Many of them […]
Read More
Opening arguments offered in Erfurth trial
Attorneys offered opening arguments Wednesday in the trial of Nathan Erfurth, a former Soldotna teacher and union head accused of sexual abuse of a student. Nathan Erfurth, 37, is a former Soldotna High School history teacher and also former president of the Kenai Peninsula Education Association. He was arrested in May 2023 after a former […]
Read More
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna
An 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each were still burning near Soldotna on Friday evening, according to a 7:30 p.m. update from the Alaska Division of Forestry. Dubbed the Bruces Fire, the blaze is located near the Sterling Highway between Milepost 102 and 103. Central Emergency Services and the […]
Read More
Kids learn business skills at annual Lemonade Day
Under the heat of the sun on Saturday, central Kenai Peninsula residents had dozens of choices for a fresh cup of lemonade. Around 40 stands were strewn around Soldotna, Kenai, Nikiski and Sterling for Lemonade Day hosted by the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce. The annual event, intended to instill entrepreneurialism and business practice […]
Read More
Showing up for Pride
Pride month was marked Saturday by a procession of nearly two dozen people who marched carrying flags, signs and other rainbow-hued decorations from The Goods Sustainable Grocery to Soldotna Creek Park. Eve Godsoe said she’d come to support her community — people who are transgender or who otherwise identify within the LGBTQ+ community. She said […]
Read More
Soldotna restaurant owner remains in ICE custody; federal charges dropped
The federal charges brought against Francisco Rodriguez-Rincon, a Soldotna restaurant owner accused of being in the country illegally and falsely claiming citizenship on a driver’s license application, were dismissed on Wednesday, though Rodriguez-Rincon remains in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and this week was moved to Arizona. Rodriguez-Rincon was indicted by a […]
Read More
Soldotna ‘No Kings’ protest draws hundreds
More than 450 people joined a “No Kings” protest in Soldotna on Saturday, part of a national effort organized by 50501 that drew massive crowds across the country. According to reporting by the New York Times, around 2,000 “No Kings” protests were scheduled this weekend across all 50 states. An estimated 100,000 gathered in Philadelphia, […]
Read More
Preferred design alternative for Sterling Highway safety corridor introduced at town hall
Just under a year after the Sterling Safety Corridor Improvements Project was reintroduced at community town halls in Sterling and Soldotna, project leads again held gatherings to debut their “preferred design alternative” for renovation of the stretch of the Sterling Highway between around Whistle Hill in Soldotna past Swanson River Road in Sterling. Town hall […]
Read More
‘Entwined with the story of Alaska’
Family, friends and neighbors gathered in the Aspen Creek Senior Living dining hall in Soldotna on Friday to celebrate the 102nd birthday of Hanna Stormo. During a party that included dancers from the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, recognition from two local governments and a singing performance by the woman of the hour, dozens gathered to greet […]
Read More
Detention of Soldotna restaurant owner violates his rights, lawyer says
A Soldotna resident is being held in an out-of-state federal detention center, in what his attorney wrote Wednesday is a violation of his rights. Francisco Rodriguez-Rincon, 47, owns Señor Panchos and Sol Agave in Soldotna. Both restaurants were suddenly shuttered in late May, with a handwritten sign outside one location reading “closed permanently.” Rodriguez-Rincon is […]
Read More
Bjorkman reports back on legislative session
Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, on Wednesday reported back on the recently ended legislative session to the joint Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce. This session, Bjorkman said, he was involved in efforts to increase funding for schools and improve regulations for insurance companies. He also described several bills that he’s continuing to develop on fishing, […]
Read More