During a tour of the jack-up rig Endeavour-Spirit of Independence, visitors saw several stories. Behind safety tape and blocked off zones, men in coveralls and hard hats worked to get the rig shipshape for the fall drilling season. Pipes and wiring spread around the decks. A technician worked on a satellite communications dish. Notes written on walls like "fire extinguisher here" showed items still to be done. In the galley, weary men filled up on chips, sandwiches and fruit.

...establish a special use area surrounding the lower Kasilof River on Wednesday. Officials from the Department of Natural Resources Division of Mining, Land and Water's Southcentral Regional Land Office will be presenting their idea to designate...

A group of concerned Kasilof residents have banded together to ask the state to slow down its process for the plan to create a special use area near the mouth of the Kasilof River.

While the Kasilof Regional Historical Association is better known for protecting pioneer sites, structures and other artifacts, they've recently taken up the charge to save the beach dunes at the mouth of the Kasilof River from further human-caused degradation.

A state agency is proposing to create a special use area surrounding the lower Kasilof River as a way to address concerns about the impact of personal use fisheries on the area during the summer months.

State officials received an emotional response that at times reflected prevailing anti-expansion sentiments of government to their proposal to designate the lower Kasilof River as a special use area as soon as this winter.

Those that charge state legislators in Juneau never listen to what they have to say, got an opportunity to speak directly to Rep. Kurt Olsen, House Speaker Mike Chenault and Sen. Tom Wagoner on Saturday, during a three-hour "town hall" meeting in Soldotna.