A $49 million federal initiative is expanding Alaska’s mariculture industry, offering a promising economic and environmental opportunity for coastal communities.

In a presentation at the KPEDD Industry Overview Forum on April 24 by President and CEO Kara Moriarty, demonstrated the significance of the industry on the economy.

The strategy kick-off, led by economic development consultant Dr. Alyssa Rodrigues, emphasized resilience, collaboration, and preparation for the challenges ahead.

Population change, job growth, housing costs, and annual earnings per job are the key economic indicators that are on an upward trajectory, proving to be a good sign for the economy.

In the latest Soldotna City Council meeting held on July 26th, the council approved a resolution to adopt ordinance 2023-022 approving the fiscal year 2024 capital budget and increasing estimated revenues and appropriations by $105,000 in the General Fund and $105,000 in the Small Capital Projects Fund.

In April of this year, it was discovered that the outfall pipe that transports all the effluent from the Wastewater Treatment Plant to the discharge into the Kenai River has collapsed and needed replacement.

The Kenai Animal Shelter applied for a grant through a 2023 Community Conversations with Maddie’s Fund and received an award of $2,500 in addition to the $4,375 that was awarded earlier in 2023.

The topic of transgender athletes participating in sports found its way to the Kenai Tuesday, July 11th, when it was a point of contentious discourse during the latest Kenai Borough Assembly meeting. With this issue on the agenda, many people had this particular meeting noted on their calendars, and attended to voice their thoughts and opinions.

The State of Alaska, Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development received funds from the 2022 Community Assistance Program to pay for National Floodplain Insurance Program (NFIP) training grants for Floodplain Administrators. These funds can be spent on travel and lodging expenses for attendance of a NFIP course.

An ordinance was enacted at the most recent Kenai City Council meeting to provide supplemental funding in the amount of $100,000 for the Kenai Municipal Airport’s Sand Storage Facility Project to cover the additionally requested construction administrative costs of $132,993 to carry the project through completion anticipated for the end of the calendar year 2023.