While 2023 saw the closest thing to a “return to normalcy” since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, actual COVID numbers and hospitalizations were reported to be rising for the first few months of the year before dropping to unprecedented lows. With a drastic decrease in demand for on-site tests and vaccines, the South Peninsula COVID-19 testing and vaccine site closed its doors, giving way to at-home testing and treatment at the regular hospital facilities.
Book review: Two sets of stories from a former Alaskan explore northern life and questions of identity adn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from adn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Nothing says spring in Alaska like the return of migratory birds and birders. Easily identified by the spotting scopes they carry and the binoculars around their necks are the birders. Also easily identifiable by their call and size, flocks of sandhill cranes have been reported hanging out in Beluga Slough and fields out East End Road. Other migratory birds making their way back include shorebirds like greater yellowlegs and least sandpipers spotted along the shoreline at Bishop’s Beach, seabirds including Pacific loons and Harlequin ducks spotted in the harbor, and woodland birds like sparrows and Canada jays noted along local trails. For a list of birds being seen, visit kachemakbaybirders.org or stop by the Islands &Ocean Visitor Center during Shorebird weekend. Not a birder? Well there’s plenty of other activities going on in town to keep you busy, from baseball to book clubs, fairs to the food hub. Just check out these best bets.