Early Sunday at around 1:06 a.m., Alaska State Troopers received a report that Nicholas Stanifer, age 26, and Zachary Constantine, age 24, both of Tyonek, were overdue from hunting. A local search party was already actively searching and advised troopers that they would offer an update after sunrise, according to online trooper dispatch. When the update came, the men had not yet been located.

There are currently 4,066 active cases of COVID-19 among Alaska residents. 195 of those cases are residents of the Kenai Peninsula, a reduction of one active case from this same time a week ago. Among the current active cases, 67 are in Soldotna, 59 in Kenai, 32 in Homer, and 16 in Sterling.

All appeared to go well with the launch, but as the Rocket 3.1 began to drift off-course, launch controllers were forced to shutdown the engine, around 25 seconds after liftoff. The rocket booster fell to the ground, exploding in a fireball. The aim of the mission, ultimately, is to have a vehicle reach Earth’s orbit. 

The City of Soldotna has opened applications to Phase II of their initiatives to offer relief to those impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. On Friday, the City officially announced details about three programs that aim offer aid.

The Kenai Local Food Connection issued a release to remind Alaskans that farmers market and DoubleUp coupons for WIC families and seniors are still available. The coupons must be spent by September 30.

Financial donations that benefit the SeaLife Center are especially important in September, as ConocoPhillips Alaska pledged a matching donation at the end of August. They pledged to match the next $250,000 that the Alaska SeaLife Center is able to raise.

Astra communicated the delay via Twitter. Their plan was to look at launching from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on September 10, and after the delay, they have yet to announce the next launch window.

Soldotna City Manager Stephanie Queen, along with Parks & Recreation Director Andrew Carmichael, discussed the City of Soldotna’s mitigation plan for the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex, specifically with regards to ice activities. The plan is designed around maximizing the number of activities that will take place, while maintaining safe social distancing in the complex.