Naomi Klouda

With fewer and fewer mature halibut swimming around in the North Pacific Ocean, catch limits for both commercial fishermen and sport-fishing charters are dropping. In the Alaska Gulf – Area 3A including Homer, Seward, Kodiak and Valdez – fishermen were allotted a 2014 total harvest of 9.43 million pounds, with 77.5 percent designated for the commercial sector.

A brown sludgy bloom slogging into small bays around Kachemak Bay is raising concerns of impact on delicate filtration systems of shellfish and other marine animals. The mystery will likely persist until the federal furloughs end.

The Buccaneer jack-up rig Endeavour Spirt of Independence likely will be docked at the Homer harbor again this winter, a deal not done yet but embraced by most city officials, thanks to an economic boost from keeping the rig at the Kenai Peninsula community.

With about a week left in perhaps Alaska's richest fishing derby, 29 anglers have caught tagged fish out of Homer. They're worth at least $250 -- with one worth $50,000.

Steam helps reduce fossil fuel needs at Homer Electric Association's new Nikiski plant, paired with other new construction projects, to supply new power generation and "independent light."

Buccaneer's deal with ConocoPhillips greatly expands the Australian company’s holdings in Cook Inlet and increases Conoco's standing in the area.

Alaska Sen. Peter Micciche spent his post-legislative session week in Houston talking with industry leaders and policy makers about liquefied natural gas, while executives of his employer, ConocoPhillips, discussed Alaska's new, lower oil tax regime.

A group of Homer people are hoping to reverse the grocery bag ban, bringing the banished plastic bag once again into favor for consumers.

A Homer jury acquitted a 24-year-old Kenai-area man of all six counts of sexual assault after a three-day trial last week in a case that involved an alleged rape after a Homer party involving teens and young adults.?

Now that the jackup rig Endeavour has moved from Homer, its owners must demonstrate its blowout defense system works after repairs and installation are complete before it drills in Southcentral Alaska's Cook Inlet.

Even though the Buccaneer jack-up rig got the green light to leave the Homer harbor for get the Cosmopolitan Unit in Cook Inlet and put its 400-foot-long legs down, poor weather forced a delay.

Buccaneer has filed a lawsuit in Texas District Court against Archer Drilling that asks for $30 million in damages or lost income due to the actions of its contractor working on the jack-up rig Endeavor.

A Republican lawmaker from Ketchikan, Alaska, has filed a bill proposing to place a $100 bounty on sea otters, a population deemed so out of control it could be responsible for millions lost by the seafood industry.

Sen. Peter Micciche drew an audience of about 75 people at Homer City Hall on his first return since traveling to Juneau in January. Residents questioned Micciche for more than two hours on a wide range of topics.

Buccaneer filed a lawsuit in Texas District Court Monday against Archer Drilling seeking $30 million. The suit claims current delays in achieving certifications are Archer's fault because it is witholding proof of critical work done on the jack up rig Endeavour.