Homer Alaska

South Peninsula Haven House is hosting the Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony in April.

South Peninsula Haven House is hosting the Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony in April.

The lack of affordable housing is a critical issue that Homer residents face daily. On March 25, local organizations and the City of Homer will host a community meeting, providing residents with the opportunity to share their challenges and ideas to address the housing crisis in the area.

A community meeting will be held to discuss Homer's housing insecurities, organizers are requesting input from the community ahead of time.

Last year in Homer, a warm, dry spring gave way to a very damp, gray summer. For Paul Castellani of Will Grow Farm, handling whatever the weather brings is business as usual. He and his wife Jen have been growing vegetables at their property near Anchor Point for two decades.

The fifth annual event is a collaboration between local non-profits and concerned citizens, and happens in conjunction with the Kenai Peninsula Project Homeless Connect which holds similar events in Soldotna and Seward.

Karen Hornaday Park will be closed to camping this summer following an uptick in crime in the Homer park, the city announced earlier this month.

Winter in Alaska can bring challenges for both humans and their animal friends. And learning how to keep pets warm and stay away from wildlife is important, according to local officials.

Homer News editor and reporter Michael Armstrong is retiring Friday after more than 23 years with the paper. Armstrong made his way to Alaska from Florida four decades ago, and in May of 1999, he started working at the Homer News as an editorial assistant, typing letters to the editor, compiling Town Crier and Cops and Courts, and working the front desk taking classified ads, subscription orders and rolling quarters. He became a reporter for the paper in 2003 and then its editor in 2017.

The fourth annual Alaska World Arts Festival kicks off in Homer on Sept. 9.