Kenai

A Kenai woman has won the Nenana Ice Classic for a second time. On Monday, Yvonne Snow along with her husband Warren won this year's jackpot which totaled $318,000. No one predicted the exact minute the tripod would fall, which happened at 2:41 p.m. Monday when the ice on the Tanana River went out. The Kenai couple's guess of 2:40 p.m. was the closest without going over. In 2005, Yvonne won "Alaska's favorite guessing game," however had to split the pot with several other winners, her take was $7000.

The Nenana Ice Classic's tripod fell Monday afternoon, bringing an end to one of the state's traditions for the year -- and hundreds of thousands of dollars to some lucky winners. Cherrie Forness, the Ice Classic's manager, says the official time of the tripod's fall into the Tanana River was 2:41 p.m. -- the latest ever recorded for the event. Earlier Monday, Forness told Channel 2 she saw that a channel of water had opened behind the tripod, with a gap opening beneath one leg of the tripod, but the ice under the structure seemed relatively intact.

by The Associated Press Sunday, February 7, 2010 SEWARD, Alaska -- A snowmachiner who was injured when he rode off a cliff near Seward has been rescued after spending a night outdoors in blizzard-like conditions. The Coast Guard says rescuers from the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers and other agencies reached the injured Don Feltman of Kenai after a tough, 11-mile ride on Friday. They stabilized the 49-year-old and stayed with him through the night in the Nellie-Juan Lake area.

by The Associated Press Sunday, July 4, 2010 KENAI, Alaska -- Kenai police have killed a brown bear sow and two cubs after the sow tried to enter one home and actually got into another. Police say a resident reported that a bear was trying to get into the home early Saturday morning, pushing against the front door. A responding officer scared the bear off. A while later, the officer saw the sow and cubs eating trash in the yard of a home on a nearby street.

by The Associated Press Sunday, May 30, 2010 KENAI, Alaska -- A state agency has ordered a nonprofit group to stop work on improving a trail in Old Town Kenai. The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development issued a cease-and-desist order on Friday. The Youth Restoration Corps, a Soldotna-based organization, was told to stop work until it could comply with state labor regulations. Donna Glover, a wage and hour investigator with the department's Labor Standards and Safety Division, says there are a number of issues that need to be addressed.

There should be plenty of parity in Alaska football this season; there's already a new No. 1 in the ASBN large school poll. Chugiak moves up following an opening win over Palmer, coupled with pre-season No. 1 Service losing to West. No. 2 in the poll: Juneau after a 55-8 spanking of South. Service was knocked out of the poll completely. The Cougars visit Kenai this week - the Kardinals are ranked No. 1 in small schools. Soldotna and Kodiak, No. 2 and 3, meet on Saturday.

by Rhonda McBride Thursday, July 15, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In the past, Southcentral Alaska has run dangerously close to running out of natural gas in the winter, but natural gas provider Enstar is hoping to change that. The company brought plans before state regulators this week to develop a natural gas storage facility in Kenai. A natural gas storage facility is sort of like an insurance policy: it costs you money, but it also protects you. That's what Enstar's storage facility would be like for Southcentral Alaska, which experiences severe natural gas shortages during the coldest weeks of winter.

by Leyla Santiago Monday, March 23, 2009 KENAI, Alaska -- On a clear day, Kenai would have the best view of Mount Redoubt. But on Monday -- hours after the volcano erupted in a series of five powerful explosions -- Redoubt, located 50 miles from the shore of Kenai, is obscured by clouds. "I got here right after first light this morning and was hoping we could get some clear windows on the mountain today," Kenai resident Gary Barnes said. As the locals say, all roads lead to Redoubt here.

by Rebecca Palsha Monday, August 24, 2009 KENAI, Alaska -- A debate took place in Kenai Monday night about what some fear is another Exxon Valdez oil spill waiting to happen. When Mount Redoubt erupted several times last spring, millions of gallons of crude oil were stored nearby. On Monday, a special public hearing was held on the future of the Drift River Terminal. Kenai officials gave Kenai residents an update during the town hall meeting -- the big news is that current plans call for no additional oil to be stored at Drift River Terminal.

Troy Channing provided all the offense the Peninsula Oilers would need, smacking a three-run homer in the top of the first inning in Kenai's 3-1 win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots on Wednesday night. The Oilers, who have led the Alaska Baseball League for most of July, won for the 10th time in their last 12 games and are now 17 and 8 in league play. Earlier in the day, the second-place Anchorage Bucs remained three games behind the Oilers with a 3-2 victory over the AIA Fire in 10 Innings.

The Nenana Ice Classic's tripod fell Monday afternoon, bringing an end to one of the state's traditions for the year -- and hundreds of thousands of dollars to some lucky winners. Cherrie Forness, the Ice Classic's manager, says the official time of the tripod's fall into the Tanana River was 2:41 p.m. -- the latest ever recorded for the event. Earlier Monday, Forness told Channel 2 she saw that a channel of water had opened behind the tripod, with a gap opening beneath one leg of the tripod, but the ice under the structure seemed relatively intact.

A Kenai woman has won the Nenana Ice Classic for a second time. On Monday, Yvonne Snow along with her husband Warren won this year's jackpot which totaled $318,000. No one predicted the exact minute the tripod would fall, which happened at 2:41 p.m. Monday when the ice on the Tanana River went out. The Kenai couple's guess of 2:40 p.m. was the closest without going over. In 2005, Yvonne won "Alaska's favorite guessing game," however had to split the pot with several other winners, her take was $7000.

Fishing is a thread running through the fabric of many Alaska communities. On the Kenai Peninsula, that thread is symbolized by the Kenai River and the king salmon it brings. In a small workshop in Soldotna, strong fishing line is spun onto spools and threaded through fishing poles. Greg Brush is gearing up for another season as a sport-fishing guide. “I came up here and started deck handling and then guiding, and then I started my own business and built it up through the years -- and I'm still going,” Brush said.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is issuing catch-and-release restrictions on Kenai River king salmon sport fishing, due to estimates that rank this year's preseason run as the lowest measured over the past 28 years. Fish and Game officials say the preseason estimate for 2013 indicates a total run of 5,300 kings -- a number which pales in comparison to runs from 1986 through 2012, which measured an average run of 14,000 fish, according to an ADFG report. “We're forecasting a well-below-average run for king salmon on the Kenai River," said Fish and Game biologist Tom Vania.

Kenai Central High School has been recognized as a "2013 Top AFS School" by AFS-USA (formerly known as American Field Service), a non-profit organization that promotes intercultural learning and international exchange programs in more than 40 countries. "Schools honored with this inaugural award have partnered with AFS in a variety of ways to foster global citizenship through intercultural learning--both inside and outside of the classroom," wrote AFS-USA in a press release announcing the 2013 award recipients.

A Soldotna woman who died in a Kenai Spur Highway collision Thursday, which injured another woman and closed the highway for several hours, has been named by Alaska State Troopers. Shelby Gillins, 21, was declared dead at Mile 3.5 of the highway near Pickle Hill, according to a Thursday AST dispatch. Troopers say the Soldotna Public Safety Communications Center received several 911 calls at 7:53 a.m. reporting the crash. “Investigation revealed that (Gillins) was traveling northbound on the Kenai Spur when she lost control of her vehicle, a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt,” troopers wrote.

Avalanche experts with the Chugach National Forest warn people traveling in the Turnagain Arm area Wednesday that avalanche danger is high. The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center urges extra caution around the Kenai and western Chugach mountains. The center says Wednesday's clear weather does not mean a reduction in the avalanche hazard, with dangerous human-triggered avalanches likely in less-traveled areas. People without expert-level avalanche skills are urged to stay out of the backcountry.

Heavy snowfall on Kenai Peninsula power lines Monday led to scattered outages through Christmas Day, with most customers back online but service still being restored Thursday to parts of Seldovia and some of Channel 2's translators. According to Homer Electric Association spokesperson Joe Gallagher, a power line between Seldovia and Six Mile Jakolof Bay Road was re-energized at about 7:15 p.m. Thursday. Gallagher says those customers are the only ones still without power Thursday, with minor outages in Anchor Point and Sterling repaired Wednesday.

Starting Nov. 22, you can get cut down your own Christmas tree for free at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Trees are for personal use with a limit of one per household. In the refuge, trees can be cut with hand tools anywhere, except within 150 feet of a road, lake, stream, trail, and campground or picnic area. Trees are also not allowed to be cut in the refuge headquarters, visitor's center, or along ski hill road. Refuge managers ask that anyone taking a Christmas tree in the area cut the stump as close to the ground as possible.

Two men were attacked by a bear Saturday along the Kenai River, according to Alaska Fish & Game. One of the victims suffered severe injuries and is recovering in an Anchorage hospital. According to Jeff Selinger, the Kenai area wildlife biologist, the two men were setting up a trap line about a half mile upstream from the Kenai Keys area, on the south side of the Kenai River. They separated and were working to set some traps when the bear attacked.  Selinger said “one individual heard his partner screaming and heard a bear roaring, and ran over to investigate and saw a bear attacking his partner.