During a surprise school assembly Monday, Homer choir teacher Kyle Schneider was honored with the NFHS Outstanding Music Educator Award for the state of Alaska. Schneider, who teaches at both the middle and high school levels, is the first teacher in the state to receive the award in two decades.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly honored a championship wrestling team and approved several funding requests during its meeting last night; and it’s been about four months since the board of Kenai’s Challenger Learning Center of Alaska abruptly voted to shut its doors, citing financial hardship and, as KDLL’s Ashlyn O’Hara reports, the void has Kenai wondering what to do with the vacant building.