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Vol. 49, Issue 215
In the news 13-year-old girl dies in ATV crash A 13-year-old Kenai Peninsula girl died in a crash of an all-terrain vehicle. Kenai radio station KSRM reports Tori Verba died early Monday night. Troopers took a call on the crash shortly after 5:30 p.m. and Central Emergency Services emergency technicians responded. Investigators say the girl lost control of the ATV and crashed. She was wearing a helmet but she died at the scene.
Vandals burn dugout, toilets at Wasilla softball field ANCHORAGE — A dugout and portable outhouses were burned at a softball field in Wasilla. Anchorage television station KTUU reports the damage occurred Monday afternoon and forced cancellation of games planned at the field, which is part of the Bumpus Ballfields. Mat-Su Softball Association director Greg DeArmond says the field and toilets had been serviced earlier in the afternoon. It's the fourth year of damage at Wasilla athletic fields. Vandals in May 2018 caused damaged to the field and equipment of Wasilla's American Legion baseball team. Vandals broke into a locked storage building, damaged a riding lawnmower and threw gear around the field in rain. — Associated Press
Correction The article, “District resignations and retirements highest recorded,” published in the Sunday edition of the Clarion, incorrectly stated that out of the 86 certified staff and administrators leaving, 37 of those had been with the district longer than 15 years. Twenty four certified staff and administrators who are leaving have served the district longer than 15 years. The Clarion regrets the error.
Partly cloudy 62/48 More weather on Page A2
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Soldotna concert in the park draws crowds Music series returns tonight with folk group By Brian Mazurek and Joey KleckA Peninsula Clarion
Snug Harbor Road closed this weekend By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
Nearly 2,000 people gathered last week at Soldotna Creek Park to hear music from local bands Blackwater Railroad Company and The Cow Skinners at the first concert of the Levitt AMP Soldotna Music Series. Tonight will be the second concert of the series, and will feature an all-new lineup of artists, vendors and activities. Tonight’s concert will be headlined by Resonant Rogues, a band from Asheville, North Carolina, that plays a blend of Appala- Blackwater Railroad Company performs at Soldotna Creek Park as part of the Levitt chian folk, swing manouche, AMP Soldotna Music Series in Soldotna, on Wednesday, June 5. (Photo courtesy of vintage country and Euro Soldotna Chamber of Commerce) folk. Their performance in Soldotna tonight is also the their latest album, “Autumn The Resonant Rogues ful tour of Alaska last sumstart of their summer tour of the World,” which was are making a return to the mer. The group is led by the across Alaska showcasing released on May 31. 49th state after a successSee PARK, page A16
Snug Harbor Road in Cooper Landing will be closed to the public at Milepost 5.5 on Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and 16, for the construction a new culvert, according to a Tuesday press release from the U.S. Forest Service. A construction detour will be the only access beyond Mile 5.5 (before the Waikiki Beach access) between June 17 and July 16, the release says. The detour may be impassable to vehicles pulling trailers and low-clearance vehicles. The new culvert will allow fish, including spawning salmon, to cross under the road to reach habitat upstream from the road.
Anchor Point gravel pit vote postponed Swan Lake Fire grows
By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
A meeting discussing a controversial gravel pit lasted to nearly midnight Monday, after dozens of Anchor Point residents gave public testimony on the proposed project. Residents left the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, held at the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly chambers, without a final decision. The commission voted to postpone deliberations. A final vote regarding Emmitt Trimble’s Beachcomber LLC application will be taken June 24. See PIT, page A16
By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
A peninsula wildfire sparked by lightning last Wednesday has reached 2,400 acres in size — or about 4 square miles. The Swan Lake Fire is about 70% active and is spreading from both the head of the fire as well as flanking outward from the side, Public Information Officer Andy Alexandrau with the Division of Forestry said. The fire is located about Residents filled the Kenai Peninsula Borough Betty J. Glick Assembly Chambers for a public hearing regarding a controversial gravel pit in Anchor Point at the Planning 3 miles north of the Sterling and Zoning Commission meeting, Monday, in Soldotna. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/ Highway, but Alexandrau said the fire “would have Peninsula Clarion) to move many more miles” before it threatened any infrastructure or populated areas. A Type-3 Response Team from the Office of lion to the Alaska Marine than the $44 million in cuts is $180.1 million, and the Emergency Management is Highway System. the Senate Finance Com- conference committee’s currently determining the Sen. Bert Stedman, R- mittee proposed earlier this budget for this coming fisbest response to the fire, Sitka, said on the Senate session. cal year is $142.2 million. while also attacking it indifloor that the cut to the ferAccording to LegisDunleavy’s budget prorectly — digging fire lines ry system amounts to $38 lative Finance Division posed totally cutting fundand creating other natural million from the current statistics, funding for the ing to the ferry system breaks in order to prevent it See CUTS, page A3 fiscal year’s budget, less system in this fiscal year from spreading further. Alexandrau said that Swan Lake is one of nine active wildfires on the peninsula, with two caused by human activity and the other seven caused by lightning. Alexandrau said that this year has already seen an unusually high number of lightning-caused fires. The vast majority of fires on the peninsula — over 90% — are caused by human activity every year. “It’s very unusual to have lightning at all on the peninsula,” Alexandrau said. The fires have prompted the Division of Forestry to issue a smoke advisory warning for the Sterling Highway from Mile 65 to Mile 70 between Sterling Rep. Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, R-Wasilla, center, and Rep Dan Ortiz, I-Ketchikan, and Cooper Landing. Use right, listen during a House Finance Committee meeting at the Capitol on Tuesday. See FIRE, page A3 (Michael Penn/Juneau Empire)
Ferry cuts not as harsh as they could have been By Alex McCarthy Juneau Empire
There were very few surprises in the operating budget the Alaska Legislature passed Monday, including a cut of $38 mil-
PFD might play role in capital budget negotiations By Alex McCarthy Juneau Empire
When the Alaska Senate couldn’t agree on an amount for this year’s Alaska Permanent Fund dividend, it affected more than just the Senate. Rep. Tammie Wilson, R-North Pole, said in an interview Tuesday that House members were planning on getting a dividend bill from the Senate and then changing it. “Many of us thought that a bill from the Senate was going to come over in some type of fashion, and it did not,” Wilson said. “It See PFD, page A2
Photos on murder suspect’s phone lead to new charges By Dan Joling Associated Press
ANCHORAGE — Child pornography found on the cellphone of an Alaska murder suspect led to the arrest of an Indiana
man. Federal prosecutors on Tuesday released newly unsealed documents and announced the arrest of Darin Schilmiller, 21, of New Salisbury, Indiana. He is charged with pro-
duction of visual depiction of minors in sexually explicit conduct and attempted receipt of those depictions. Online court records do not list his attorney who could comment on the
case. In a criminal complaint, FBI Agent Jessica Hais said Schilmiller directed the recording of sexually exploited girls by Denali Brehmer, 18, of Anchorage.
Brehmer is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Cynthia “CeeCee” Hoffman. Hoffman was killed June 2 near a rural Anchorage trail. Police found See NEW, page A3