News

An anonymous source inside the Kenai Peninsula Borough says the borough mayor is “strong-arming” the school district and area hospitals over Covid-19 procedures, and is threatening future funding vetoes. The source requested anonymity out of fear for their job.

The Alaska Food Hub based out of Homer was started a few years ago as a way to connect small local growers with residents. It has evolved to include items beyond vegetables, such as homemade treats.
    Robbi Mixon was on KBBI’s Coffee Table with Jeff Lockwood to discuss the Alaska Food Hub, and why it was created.

      The Alaska Redistricting Board has released population figures from the most recent census, and it shows that South Kenai Peninsula communities grew by about 10 percent, though some areas were much higher. No place on the South Peninsula lost population.

    Anchor Point added 199 residents, boosting the population by just about 9 percent from 2,234 to 2,433.

    Diamond Ridge also grew by 199 residents, but it was a 16 percent increase from 1,246 to 1,445.

    Three more names have been added to October’s Municipal Election ballot. The City of Homer has a pair of three-year terms and a single one-year term available.

    According to the Homer City Clerk's Office, Shelly Erickson declared her candidacy for one of the three-year terms on Friday.

On Monday, Jason Davis filed to run for the one-year term, and Adam Hykes filed for a three-year term.

The human body’s immune system fights diseases with antibodies, but when presented with a new virus, like the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19, it can struggle to keep up. While vaccines are designed to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight something specific, like Covid-19, they take time to reach full effectiveness. But what scientists have done is create antibodies in the lab to help lessen the impact of the disease. These are monoclonal antibodies.

    Covid-19 cases, driven by a mutation to the coronavirus that causes the disease, continue to increase in Alaska, and on the Kenai Peninsula. 

Dr. Christy Tuomi, the infection prevention lead at South Peninsula Hospital, was on Thursday morning’s Covid Brief.

A group of local residents and organizations have come together to implement a local “carbon drawdown.” That’s the act of lowering the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas.
    Kim McNett is a local artist, guide and educator and a participant in Homer Drawdown.

Thursday afternoon, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District announced an updated Covid-19 mitigation plan.

    While not mandating the use of masks among students and staff, the district now “highly recommends” they do so while indoors. In addition, all visitors and school volunteers are required to wear a face covering while in a school during the academic day.

    The district reiterated the federal mandate that students wear masks while riding a school bus, either to school or activities elsewhere.

The Homer City Council Monday night decided against becoming the fourth community in the state to allow on-site consumption of cannabis products. It was not an application by Old Town’s Cosmic Cannabis Company that was voted down, but two of their owners, including Chris Logan, spoke in favor of the ordinance.
    “Me and my business partner Chris Long are co-owners of the CCC on East Bunnell Ave, right next to Two Sisters," Logan said. "Several of you have been down there to visit us.”