ANCHORAGE — Alaska’s seafood could get a marketing boost as part of a national effort to spread the word about American ocean products.

A coalition of 75 fishing-related organizations and states are supporting new legislation to enhance seafood marketing throughout the nation and abroad.

Sen. Mark Begich announced proposed legislation at a press conference Aug. 24 that would spend $50 million per year to market American seafood. The legislation is still being finalized, and will be introduced when the senate reconvenes in September.

KENAI — A pair of helicopters has been buzzing over Kenai for the past week as part of the seismic work being done by Buccaneer Alaska.

Buccaneer is hoping the seismic work will eventually give it a better idea where oil and natural gas deposits are on the central Kenai Peninsula.

Right now, work is underway north of the Kenai Spur Highway on land owned by the Alaska Mental Health Trust.

“It’s ... the heliportable drilling,” said John Land, the lead permit agent for Weems Geophysical.

KENAI — When commercial fishing is slow, or Rich King just has a spare moment during a slow day on the water, he reads his poems to other fisherman over the marine radio.

“I write this stuff on my boat and when fishing’s slow, I’m usually writing,” said the Kenai fisherman.

Often the listener is also the subject, getting a first taste of the words immortalizing the fisherman’s life and plight.

“...I write poetry in my log on the boat,” King said. At the end of the season, he transfers it to legal pads.

KENAI — A popular farm animal met an unfortunate end at Diamond M Ranch Resort.

Obama the Llama was fatally injured by three dogs on June 4.

“They chased him down and mauled him to death,” said owner Carol Martin.

Obama was still alive when Martin found him, so Martin called a veterinarian. The vet came out and treated the wounded Obama.

Martin said he swelled up and suffocated.

“It’s really, really gruesome,” Martin said.