Homer’s Porcupine Theater is celebrating its first anniversary after a year of steady growth and more than 800 monthly members. The community-backed venue is leaning on a subscription model and flexible programming to weather industry-wide challenges.

The event was held to show support for people in Minneapolis and to protest recent actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.

Homer High School senior Marina reports on recent Poetry Out Loud competition and talks to award recipient Robby Wilson who shares a reading of "The Conquer Worm" by Edgar Allan Poe.

People may notice that Homer protestors are starting to follow a national “red hat trend”: “originally a symbol of resistance to Nazi occupation that began gaining traction in Minnesota” just a couple days after Renée Good was fatally shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent. Emilie Springer talked with Tracy Nordstrom for more details on the current trend and history of the red hats.

On Friday evening, January 30th, the Porcupine Theater hosted a presentation of the film “The Nettle Dress” based on textile artist Allen Brown’s endeavor who spent seven years making a dress from foraged nettles as a “medicine to survive the death of his wife” in the South Downs, England near Brighton. The event opened with a presentation from local nettle artist Carla Klinker and her journey working with the fibers from local plants. Klinker spoke to KBBI’s Emilie Springer about her own adventure learning about the process and art of working with the plants.

Kenai Peninsula residents facing housing or financial instability got free medical care, food, and cold-weather gear Tuesday at Homer’s South Peninsula Athletic and Recreation Center.

Aaron Sechler, owner of Citizen Salmon Alaska, a wild Alaskan seafood processing company based out of Ninilchik and Anchorpoint is partnering with organizations in Minneapolis and St. Paul to provide seafood donations to aid organizations in need of food with the recent political events in the cities. Emilie Springer spoke with Sechler at the KBBI studio on Tuesday (1/27/2026) this week.

Homer’s John Bushell has recently received several recognitions for a musical/ media construction “Swift Current Swimmer” mirroring the life cycle of salmon from their stream/ fresh water birth to return as mature adults. The film has now had screening results worldwide and has received a semi-finalist or selected award winner in many locations including Mumbai, India, Scotland and across the United States. KBBI’s Emilie Springer spoke with Bushell.

Homer’s Maynard Smith is directing a one act play by American playwright, Arthur Miller, Incident at Vichy, that will be performed on the Porcupine Theater stage on January 20th and 21st. Director Smith met with KBBI to provide some details on the content of the play.

Homer’s Kachemak Nordic Ski Club annual Junior Nordic ski program will begin on the last Saturday in January and the registration deadline is coming up this weekend. KBBI’s Emilie Springer talked with board member Anna McCarthy and ski instructor Emily Lints in the station earlier this week.