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The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly approved an ordinance at their last regular meeting on Dec. 2, accepting and approp...
12/12/2025

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly approved an ordinance at their last regular meeting on Dec. 2, accepting and appropriating state funding received for projects to be completed under the 2025/2026 Community Assistance Program.

Each year, the Alaska State Legislature provides funding to municipalities and unincorporated communities through the state Community Assistance Program. Ordinance 2025-19-19 accepts $426,303 on the behalf of 27 unincorporated communities within the borough.

The funds will be distributed evenly among the communities, to nonprofit or tribal organizations that have agreed to be the fiduciary. According to a Nov. 6 memo from borough Grants Administrator and Community Liaison Heather Geer to the KPB Assembly, 24 of the 27 eligible communities have completed the requirements to receive their funding allocation. Geer will continue to work with Nanwalek, Razdolna and Ridgeway to identify eligible entities and public projects to receive their respective community’s funding allocation by June 30, 2026.

Each eligible community is slated to receive approximately $15,479. When Geer and borough Special Projects and Constituent Relations coordinator Dana Cannava conducted meetings throughout the borough earlier this fall to discuss communities’ funding and project priorities, they said that communities could choose public projects to receive all or a portion of the available funding, or divide the funding evenly across their selected projects.

Read the full story at homernews.com.

The funding will be disbursed to unincorporated communities in the Kenai Peninsula Borough for projects under the state Community Assistance Program.

Homer High School students recently had a hands-on Alaskan history learning experience that culminated in a temporary ex...
12/11/2025

Homer High School students recently had a hands-on Alaskan history learning experience that culminated in a temporary exhibit of their semester projects at the Pratt Museum.

Students participating in HHS’s Alaska History class had the opportunity to choose artifacts for study from the Pratt Museum’s permanent collection. During this fall semester, starting in September, they researched their chosen artifacts and their connections to Alaskan history, and prepared educational displays to showcase what they learned. The exhibit was open from Dec. 2-6 in the downstairs classroom at the museum.

Approximately 60 students worked together in small groups to create 27 displays for the place-based exhibit. The students’ chosen items, ranging from Alaska Native artifacts to relics from Alaska’s pioneering days to more recent events, were also displayed as part of the exhibit. Pratt Museum Education and Public Programs Manager Maghan Monnig said Friday that the ages of the artifacts chosen ranged across the spectrum of Alaska history, from potentially pre-contact up to the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Read the full story at homernews.com.

The exhibit was put on by the Pratt Museum and members of the HHS Alaska history class, using Alaskan artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection.

On display at Grace Ridge Brewing, as part of a group of individuals showing work, are six acrylic paintings by communit...
12/11/2025

On display at Grace Ridge Brewing, as part of a group of individuals showing work, are six acrylic paintings by community member John Sheipe.

Inspired by the natural world around him, Sheipe’s paintings feature mushrooms, birds, dragonflies, frogs and more, painted in bright colors and often with a fantastical, other-worldly feel to them.

Sheipe has exhibited locally at the Bagel Shop, showcasing work he created during the pandemic, including “Guidance.” In addition to his pieces on display at Grace Ridge Brewing through December, he has nature-themed originals and prints available through the holiday season at Red Bird Kitchen.

With a goal to be successful in his art and music, Sheipe said that he is on a creative streak and happy to ride that.

“I guess the things that blow me away are how much I’ve created over the years and how making art is what I feel is my gift to share in this lifetime,” he said. “I’m excited for this exhibit at Grace Ridge, and the timing is perfect as I’ve been producing as much as possible. My hope is that people see my work (and) develop a deeper appreciation for and connection with nature.”

Read the full story by Homer News contributor Christina Whiting at homernews.com.

Local artist and musician showcases body of “fantastical” nature-themed work.

With faces lit by firelight as the scent of spiced cider arose in the chilled air, a crowd milled about the Homer Chambe...
12/09/2025

With faces lit by firelight as the scent of spiced cider arose in the chilled air, a crowd milled about the Homer Chamber of Commerce lawn in anticipation of the annual holiday tree lighting ceremony, held last Thursday, Dec. 4.

Cheers arose from the gathered crowd as the multicolored lights strung upon the tall tree behind the chamber flicked on, and then the air was filled with music as the KP Brass Band played holiday and popular favorites. Inside the chamber building, members of the Homer High School choir sang carols for community members filtering in for a break from the cold.

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived shortly after, brought in on a festively-bedecked Homer Volunteer Fire Department truck, and took their places in the sleigh parked beneath the Christmas tree.

On Saturday in Anchor Point, frigid high winds surprisingly did not deter community members from turning out to share their own festive spirit. Nearly a dozen cars lined up in the Alaska State Trooper station parking lot to watch the lighting of the towering Christmas tree across the street, next to Thurmond’s Far West Auto. A few families braved the blustery cold to see the tree light up, and their cheers were accompanied by honks from the other cars once the lights came on.

Afterwards, community members headed to the Virl “Pa” Haga VFW Post 10221 to continue the festivities with a hot cocoa and cookie social, complete with additional holiday lights and decorations and a visit from Santa.

Homer and Anchor Point held holiday tree lighting ceremonies last Thursday and on Saturday, respectively.

The Homer-based nonprofit organization Cook Inletkeeper has launched a petition calling for transparency in response to ...
12/05/2025

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 lease sales in the Lower Cook Inlet between 2027 and 2031, opening almost every region of Alaska’s coastal waters for offshore oil and gas production.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is accepting public comments on the proposal now through Jan. 23, 2026. Inletkeeper Clean Water Lead Satchel Pondolfino said the decision to open the comment period during the holidays will hamper Alaskans’ ability to participate.

Read the full story by Peninsula Clarion reporter Chloe Anderson at homernews.com.

The organization is calling for transparency in Cook Inlet offshore oil and gas sales.

After a tumultuous year, the Homer Senior Center now rests on steadier ground, thanks to community support and productiv...
12/05/2025

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.

HSC Executive Director Sarah Weideman and board president Shirlie Gribble provided an update on the organization’s financial and operational statuses to Homer News last month.

Looking back to where the center was last year, Gribble said that additional positive changes include HSC being “almost fully staffed” between resident caregivers and certified nursing assistants.

“Our kitchen is fully staffed, and we’ve got great chefs — the food has improved here almost 200%,” she said. “I think staff morale is also very positive.”

Gribble also noted the compassion that the community has for residents, highlighting that factor with an anecdote about local EMTs and Homer Police Department officers recently having lunch and engaging with residents.

Community engagement overall is up, Weideman said, from Meals on Wheels program numbers to the center’s congregate lunch program attendance and the potential addition of new art programs.

“The volunteer piece is slowly coming back, but we’re really looking to boost that,” she said. “We’re going forward.”

Read the full story at homernews.com.

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.

The holiday season is here, and First Friday in December provides a great opportunity to see what local artists, makers ...
12/05/2025

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.

(Story by Homer News contributor Christina Whiting)

Check out what’s new in Homer’s galleries this month, starting on December First Friday.

When residents and visitors enter Homer proper, one of the first things they see is the longstanding skate park with its...
12/04/2025

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 its installation. Now, local groups are looking to establish a new, modern park not just for skateboarders, but for the entire community.

The Homer Skatepark Project is a collaborative effort between the Friends of the Homer Skatepark and the Kachemak Bay Recreation Service Area, a recently-formed nonprofit organization spearheaded by Old Sterling Outfitters owners Dakotah Larson and Kait Skundrich. According to Kevin Lahaie, another skate park project leader who spoke to Homer News last month, KBayRSA was formed to help fund not only the proposed skate park, but to build and sustain other local recreation efforts and activities, and the Homer Skatepark Project “falls under their umbrella.”

The Homer Skatepark Project envisions constructing a new, long-lasting concrete skate park to create “a space where all ages can connect, challenge themselves and thrive outdoors.” An informational zine provided by Lahaie adds that the project intends to create a “sustainable ‘third space’ that will serve generations to come.”

The Homer Skate Park Project and the Kachemak Bay Recreation Service Area are partnering to build a new and improved skate park in Homer.

The Homer City Council approved a resolution last Monday, awarding a contract to an Anchorage firm for the development o...
12/04/2025

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 2006. According to a Nov. 4 memorandum to the council from Public Works Director Daniel Kort, that plan covered a 20-year period through 2025.

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.

Each Thanksgiving morning, the Kachemak Bay Running Club and the City of Homer Community Recreation Department host a co...
12/03/2025

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 for the entry fee.

The 2025 Homer Turkey Trot, held last Thursday, Nov. 27, brought in 55 runners for the race and 145 canned goods for the pantry.

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 i...

The Homer City Council passed a resolution at their last regular meeting on Nov. 24 approving the acquisition and conser...
12/03/2025

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 and work related to the Bridge Creek Watershed Protection District. An Oct. 13 memorandum to the council from Community Development Director Julie Engebretsen highlighted the 160-acre parcel as the “priority” land purchase under the grant program, as well as additional properties identified by the city and approved by NOAA should the priority acquisition fall through.

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.

Community members were invited to a discussion on winter storm preparedness at the Anchor Point Senior Center on Thursda...
12/03/2025

Community members were invited to a discussion on winter storm preparedness at the Anchor Point Senior Center on 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 prepare your home and vehicle in case of a winter storm; what to do during winter storms if you’re caught outside or stuck at home; and what to do in the winter if your power or heat goes out.

Some ways to prepare or winterize your home include cleaning out the gutters on your house to avoid pooling water in the event of snow melt or heavy rain; making sure your windows are well-sealed so that cold isn’t coming through; keeping an indoor thermometer to track the temperature inside your home; packing emergency supplies; and having a plan in the event of a storm and making sure that your family members or household members know and follow the plan as well.

Sears also advised that people make sure they also have their medications and back-up batteries for any medical equipment they may be using; pet food and supplies; and a crank radio or battery radio in order to receive updates on storms or weather conditions.

To winterize vehicles, organizations like the National Weather Service advise changing over your tires if you don’t already have all-weather tires; testing your car battery; making sure your headlights and taillights are functioning properly; and keeping an emergency kit within reach inside your vehicle — i.e., not in the trunk or in a difficult-to-access area in the event of an accident.

Sears also advised that people practice their plan of where to go and what to do in the event of a winter storm.

Additional emergency preparedness information is available through the National Weather Service, the CDC, American Red Cross and the State of Alaska.

A representative from the Homer Public Health Center discussed emergency preparation during the winter with Anchor Point residents last Thursday.

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