Where are the workers? Anchorage employers want to know.

And a look at Anchorage mayoral candidate Dave Bronson's series of statements downplaying the pandemic. Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Wednesday, May 5. In today's newsletter: - Anchorage employers are having a hard time hiring new workers - Diving into Anchorage mayoral candidate Dave Bronson's series of statements downplaying the pandemic - What happened to hot air balloons in Anchorage? Anchorage voters: You've got until next Tuesday to turn in your ballot for the mayoral runoff election. The Daily News recorded [video interviews]( with candidates Dave Bronson and Forrest Dunbar, who were asked about important issues in the campaign. Today, take a look at what the two challengers have to say about [LGBTQ protections]( and the city's [conversion therapy ban](. Looking for more information about the election? [Here's a list of resources.]( Anchorage weather: It's mostly cloudy again today, with a high near 53. Rain is predicted for tomorrow night, but high temperatures are expected to stay in the mid-50s for the next several days. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Ryan Cunningham, rcunningham@adn.com [ Anchorage employers have open jobs but few applicants as the economy picks up. Where are the workers?]( [Anchorage employers have open jobs but few applicants as the economy picks up. Where are the workers?]( As Alaska's economy begins to recover from the pandemic, business owners say they can’t find enough workers to fully reopen — even though unemployment in the state remains historically high. Some employers are blaming more generous unemployment benefits for the shortage of applicants, but local economists say it's a bit more complicated than that. [Read More]( [Mayoral candidate Bronson said the pandemic was ‘over last summer’ and he will not necessarily follow the CDC’s advice]( [Mayoral candidate Bronson said the pandemic was ‘over last summer’ and he will not necessarily follow the CDC’s advice]( Mayoral candidate Dave Bronson says the pandemic "was over last summer," and he believes Anchorage should not have shut down or restricted businesses. He's also said that, as mayor, he would revoke the city's COVID-19 orders — including the mask mandate — and that while he's "not an anti-vaxxer," he is "not going to take an experimental vaccine at this time." Bronson's positions put him at odds with the advice of public health officials, who say mitigation strategies like those used in Anchorage helped keep the numbers low and that the vaccine has proven to be safe and effective. More than two-thirds of the 175 COVID-19 deaths involving municipal residents were reported after Nov. 1. [Read More]( [Curious Alaska: What happened to hot air ballooning in Anchorage?]( [Curious Alaska: What happened to hot air ballooning in Anchorage?]( [Curious Alaska]( is a new weekly feature where Daily News readers ask questions about pretty much anything in Alaska, and our reporters find the answers. In our first Curious Alaska post: A reader wanted to know why we don't see hot air balloons floating above Anchorage anymore. The answer has to do with insurance costs, some reckless ballooning behavior and broader change in a young city. [Read More]( [Alaska towns near the Canadian border prepare for another summer of restrictions]( [Alaska towns near the Canadian border prepare for another summer of restrictions]( The past year has been tough on small towns on both sides of the Alaska-Canada border, whose residents usually depend on international crossings for groceries, services and tourism. Canada has been extending the border closure on a monthly basis, and the current restriction is in place until May 21. Residents expect little to change this summer: "It’ll be another year with a sign that says ‘Stop, do not enter. Nonresidents not allowed.’" [Read More]( [ Regal Cinemas to reopen Anchorage theater Friday after nationwide pandemic closure]( [Regal Cinemas to reopen Anchorage theater Friday after nationwide pandemic closure]( The Regal Cinemas location at Tikahtnu Commons will reopen Friday after being closed for months during the pandemic. As for the other Regal locations in Anchorage, the theater at the Dimond Center shopping mall is scheduled to reopen May 14, and the location on Muldoon Road will have showings again beginning May 21. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 146 new cases and no deaths reported Wednesday]( [Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 146 new cases and no deaths reported Wednesday]( [Read More]( [ Man accused of evidence tampering in connection with woman found dead near Eklutna Lake Road]( [Man accused of evidence tampering in connection with woman found dead near Eklutna Lake Road]( [Read More]( [Federal judge vacates CDC’s nationwide moratorium on renter evictions]( [Federal judge vacates CDC’s nationwide moratorium on renter evictions]( [Read More]( [Families and advocates mark day of awareness for victims of violence against Native women and children]( [Families and advocates mark day of awareness for victims of violence against Native women and children]( [Read More]( [Lawsuit filed to block Dunleavy administration decision allowing personal watercraft in Kachemak Bay]( [Lawsuit filed to block Dunleavy administration decision allowing personal watercraft in Kachemak Bay]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. 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