Small non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans up to $2 million to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster.

The action opens a Spring 2021 brown bear registration unit in Game Management Unit 9. It also provides resident brown bear hunters in Unit 8 the opportunity to use drawing permits in Spring 2022. Additionally, non-resident black bear hunters in Southeast have the opportunity to use drawing permits in Spring 2022. Non-resident brown bear hunters in Unit 22 have the opportunity to use drawing permits in Spring 2021.

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 11 new positive COVID-19 cases in their Tuesday update, including two in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. One case is in Anchor Point, and one in a community with fewer than a thousand people in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. One new fatality was reported, making for a total of 11 deaths related to COVID-19 in Alaska.

The city of Soldotna has scheduled a work session to have a discussion about large events and booking requests that they are receiving for Soldotna Creek Park and the Sports Center, according to a letter from Soldotna City Manager Stephanie Queen. The work session will take place on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., immediately prior to the 6:00 p.m. start of the evening’s council meeting.

The Soldotna City Council will discuss the necessity of extending the city’s disaster emergency declaration until July 18 during a public hearing on Wednesday, June 10.

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 19 new positive COVID-19 cases in their Monday update, including four in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. One of the cases comes from Soldotna, two are from Homer and the other one is from a community on the peninsula with fewer than 1,000 residents.

Soldotna Professional Pharmacy began operating a drive-through COVID-19 testing site on Monday, June 8. This marks the first drive-through testing site in the central peninsula, greater Kenai and Soldotna area.

Fighters, survivors, and those remembering the people who lost their battle with cancer are asked to dedicate a luminaria in honor or in memory of a loved one affected by the disease. This year’s Relay For Life event will be a virtual luminary ceremony hosted online at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 6.

After what any observer could classify as an “unconventional” school year in 2020, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is looking to students, parents, and guardians for insight. The aim is to not only better-understand the experiences of students and families during the end of the 2020 school year, but also to plan for a great start to the 2021 school year.

Campfires are prohibited outside of developed recreation facilities on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and Alaska State Parks on the western Kenai Peninsula, effective immediately, as a result of elevated fire danger and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Alaska’s wildland firefighting resources. This closure will be in effect until further notice.