What’s behind the fight over restoring the Eklutna River?

And: Dunleavy lays out efforts to preserve ability to spend public funds at private and religious schools ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, April 18. In today's newsletter: - In the wake of a court decision that struck down statutes governing Alaska’s public homeschooling programs, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he [will not immediately pursue new regulations]( ensuring the programs can continue. - As debate between the Municipality of Anchorage and two electric utilities over restoring the Eklutna River has intensified, the story has also gotten more complicated. [Here’s what you need to know]( to follow the issue. - Two incumbents on the Chugach Electric Association board are facing challengers [as the utility grapples with crucial questions]( including how to respond to a looming natural gas shortage that could drive up electric rates. Perhaps this year — with its slow start to spring and lingering snow piles — is the year to grow more crops in containers just in case we can’t get into our outdoor soil. [The big advantage of containers]( for northern gardeners is that we don’t have to wait for the outdoor soil to warm up to start growing, writes Alaska garden columnist, author and podcaster Jeff Lowenfels. Anchorage weather It's cloudy today with a high near 48 degrees. Skies will be mostly overcast overnight, though clouds will decrease through Friday. Saturday should be mostly sunny, and daytime temperatures over the weekend will hover in the high 40s and low 50s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Dunleavy lays out efforts to preserve ability to spend public funds at private and religious schools →]( Gov. Mike Dunleavy's administration plans to appeal a court decision that found statutes governing the state's correspondence programs unconstitutional. The administration does not plan to draft regulations or propose legislation that would enable the programs to carry on while cutting out spending at private and religious schools, the governor said. He floated an “education dividend” to replace correspondence program allotments. ADVERTISEMENT [What’s behind the fight over the Eklutna River? →]( Putting water back into the river could lead to new fishing opportunities if salmon and other fish flourish in its waters, and could also support new outdoor activities and businesses. But over the past six months, a big fight has erupted over how the effort should move forward. [Chugach Electric Association board candidates differ on approaches to renewable energy, natural gas crisis →]( The election at the state’s largest power cooperative comes as the utility scrambles to find alternative sources of power to Cook Inlet natural gas after Hilcorp [warned]( utilities it may not be able to renew expiring natural gas contracts. [As the snow recedes, bears are waking up in Anchorage →]( The annual emergence of bruins around the city — even with snow still covering many trails — is prompting authorities to warn residents to keep their distance from the animals. [Alaska House, seeking to boost oil and gas business, approves carbon storage bill →]( The bill was originally advertised as a way to generate money for the state while reducing human-caused climate change. But as it advanced, lawmakers stripped out proposed minimum levels of revenue and argued the bill was necessary for oil and gas work in the state. (via Alaska Beacon) ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Biden administration moves to make conservation an equal to industry on federal lands →]( [Despite excellent regular season, Anchorage Wolverines still have plenty to prove in the playoffs →]( [Swap funds or add services? Government use of opioid settlement cash sparks strong disagreements. →]( [Once praised, the settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing →]( [12 jurors picked for Trump’s hush money trial. Selection of alternates ongoing. →]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.]( Anchorage Daily News, 300 W 31st Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503, United States