Gunfight
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4 dead after robbery, hijacking, police chase
Kenai River welcomes Jets to town
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26/23 More weather, Page A2
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CLARION P E N I N S U L A
Vol. 50, Issue 54
Soldotna man dies in SUV rollover By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
A Soldotna man died Wednesday as a result of a rollover crash on the Sterling Highway, according to a dispatch from Alaska State Troopers. Robert Scott, 54, of Soldotna, was driving his Dodge SUV northbound when he left the roadway near Mile 53 of the Sterling Highway, near Cooper Landing. Scott’s vehicle rolled onto its top in a body of standing water, according to the dispatch. The Central Emergency Services Dive Team responded to the scene and located Scott’s body in the vehicle, where he was declared dead. Scott was the only occupant of the vehicle, according to the dispatch. Next of kin has been notified, and the body is being sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage. The vehicle was impounded on scene.
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Friday-Saturday, December 6-7, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
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$1 newsstands daily/$1.50 Sunday
Soldotna mayoral rivals attend Q&A Charlene Tautfest and Pete Sprague are running in a Dec. 17 special election following the death of Mayor John Nels Anderson. By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
Two candidates vying to be Soldotna’s next mayor attended a forum Wednesday night to answer questions about how they would serve the city. The candidates, Charlene Tautfest and Pete Sprague, are running in a Dec. 17 special election to
replace John Nels Anderson, who served as Soldotna’s mayor until his passing in September. The forum was hosted at Froso’s restaurant by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce and moderated by Merrill Sikorski. Members of the audience also had the opportunity to ask questions. Some of the questions and the candidates’ answers have
been summarized below, and the full forum can be viewed online on the Clarion’s Facebook Page. What qualifications do you have to serve as Soldotna’s Mayor? Sprague: I’ve served on the assembly for 12 years, council for four years and as mayor for two years. So that’s nearly 20 years of service just in the local arena. I’ve also served on the Tsalteshi Board and I currently serve as president of the Soldotna Historical Society.
Santa’s coming to Soldotna
Tautfest: I don’t have the experience as mayor at all, but I do have state experience. I serve on the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education and the Alaska Mental Health Board. I also serve on the Alaska Psychiatric Institute’s Governing Board and the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness. I’ve been involved with various committees in the state, including the Legislative Advocacy Committee, the Peer Certification Steering
Associated Press
ANCHORAGE — A U.S. Coast Guard vessel collided with a U.S. Navy boat, injuring nine people, including one critically, off Alaska’s Kodiak Island. The accident occurred Wednesday evening in Women’s Bay near Kodiak’s Coast Guard base, said Lt. Comm. Scott McCann, a Coast Guard Alaska District spokesman in Juneau. A Coast Guard 38-foot special purpose training boat had just completed a helicopter hoist training session with aircraft from the agency’s air base, McCann said. Training sessions are aimed at maintaining pilot proficiency for search and rescue missions. “They had just completed
Dunleavy to host open house JUNEAU — Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and first lady Rose Dunleavy will host the traditional holiday open house at the governor’s mansion Tuesday. The governor’s office, in a release, said more than 15,000 cookies are being prepared, and more than 100 pounds of fudge and chocolate candies will be served. The event will be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The holiday-season tradition dates to 1913.
Ferry layup to affect 24 workers Joey Klecka / Peninsula Clarion file
Santa Claus listens to requests from children at the Christmas in the Park tree lighting ceremony at Soldotna Creek Park on Dec. 1, 2018. The holiday event will return to Soldotna on Saturday.
Celebrate everything Christmas at the park By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
Last week Christmas came to Kenai, and this Saturday Santa will be arriving at his next stop on the peninsula: Soldotna Creek Park. Soldotna’s annual Christmas in the Park Celebration will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7 starting at 4:30 p.m. Hosted by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, the event will feature Sen. Peter Micciche, RSoldotna, at the emcee for the night.
The event will also feature Christmas carols performed by the Class Act Drama Troupe of Triumvirate Theatre, as well as an appearance from Santa Claus, who will arrive on the back of a Central Emergency Services fire truck. Cookies will be provided by Safeway, and Kaladi Brothers Coffee will be keeping everyone warm with hot chocolate and coffee. After the caroling has finished, Santa will be lighting the Christmas tree in Soldotna Creek Park. The event is free and open to everyone.
Committee with the Division of Behavioral Health, the 1115 Medicaid Waiver Benefit Team with the Division of Behavioral Health. I’ve done conference planning with the Full Lives conference and the Employment Conference in Anchorage, and locally I serve on the Peninsula Community Health Services Board as the current president. I served as Project Homeless Connect Donations Chair a couple See Mayor, Page A14
Coast Guard, Navy vessels collide off Kodiak; 1 injured By Dan Joling
In the news
JUNEAU — The state ferry system said Thursday that more than 20 employees will be affected by the expected, longterm layup of the Aurora. The state transportation department said about 24 employees will be relieved of duties effective Jan. 14. The department previously said it did not have money for repair work to both the Aurora and the LeConte and opted to move ahead with repairs to the LeConte. It said repair work on the Aurora would be more expensive and take longer. The
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training with the air station and were headed back home,” McCann said. The boat collided with a Navy vessel of about the same size, McCann said. The vessels were not training together. The Kodiak Coast Guard Base is the nation’s largest and was home to 1,100 active duty members as of 2018. The base conducts missions connected to search and rescue, buoy tending and oversight of the North Pacific fishing fleet. The Navy vessel in the collision was a “combatant craft medium” used by Naval Special Warfare personnel, said Navy spokesman Lt. Matt Stroup. The Navy uses facilities on Kodiak for cold weather training See Vessels, Page A2
Community rallies for Students in Transition program By Victoria Petersen Peninsula Clarion
Students at Kenai Central High School are working to give back to other district students in need this winter, by hosting a spaghetti feed and silent auction to benefit the district’s Students in Transition program. The fundraiser event is student-organized and student-led, an announcement posted on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s communications blog said.
“Even if you are not eating you can stop by to take a look at silent auction items provided by our local families and businesses,” Kenai Central High School students Hunter Beck and Elizabeth Hanson wrote in their announcement on the district’s blog. “We hope to see you there and are blown away from our communities support. Thank you.” All proceeds will go to support the Students in See students, Page A2
See news, Page A3
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HEA tackling outages, 180 still without power By Victoria Petersen Peninsula Clarion
Homer Electric Association is still working on bringing power back to members across the Kenai Peninsula after heavy snow fell earlier this week. About 180 members were still without power as of Thursday morning, a press release from Homer Electric said. More than 3,000 people were without power on Tuesday, which was downgraded to about a thousand on Wednesday, with about 90% of the damage being
in Nikiski. Homer Electric will be flying a helicopter close to power lines to assess damage in Nikiski on Thursday, the release said. On Wednesday, Homer Electric contracted additional crews and pulled their Homer crews to tackle the outages in the Kenai and Nikiski area. The forecast calls for likely snow and rain through the weekend and next week, posing a risk for outages caused by snow shedding from power lines and trees, the release said.
Got a question? The Outage Hotline, 1-888-8OUTAGE (1-888-868-8243), is directly monitored by Homer Electric’s operations department. General questions, contact HEA’s Member Services Department at 1-800-478-8551. The outages began Sunday evening when heavy snow loads came down on the company’s northern service area. Most of the outages were caused
by heavy snow weighing down on power lines and nearby trees. For residents who have been without power, Homer Electric encourages they seek safety and comfort. “Whether that means purchasing a generator or staying at a family or friend’s residence, please prepare your family with the basic needs and keep emergency supplies during winter storms,” the Dec. 3 release said. Residents who want to stay up to date on outage notifications can visit Homer Electric’s Facebook page.