Sitka grapples with a COVID-19 outbreak, and Jill Biden promotes Alaska's vaccine efforts in Anchorage

Gardening: The berries taste great and expand the range of fruits an Alaskan can grow. Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Northrim Bank]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, July 22. In today's newsletter: - Sitka grapples with an outbreak of COVID-19 as Alaska sees a continued rise in cases. - Jill Biden encourages COVID-19 vaccinations during a whirlwind Anchorage stop en route to the Tokyo Olympics. - A group estimates that Anchorage needs at least 465 more homeless shelter beds this winter, even with the Sullivan Arena shelter open. Our apologies if you had trouble accessing [adn.com]( this morning. We don't know for sure if it's related, but [a major internet outage Thursday affected high-traffic websites such as Amazon, Airbnb, FedEx, Delta Air Lines and a bunch of others.]( The ADN site is back online now — please let us know if you encounter any issues. Thanks for your patience and support, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience! 🌤️ Anchorage weather Partly sunny and a high near 70 today. Expect a high in the upper 60s tomorrow, along with some rain likely throughout the day. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Ryan Cunningham, rcunningham@adn.com [Sitka grapples with spread of COVID-19 as Alaska sees continued rise in cases]( [Sitka grapples with spread of COVID-19 as Alaska sees continued rise in cases]( Sitka’s growing COVID-19 outbreak continued this week, with another 62 resident cases reported Tuesday and Wednesday as case counts statewide climbed by 472 total over the same two-day period. The average case rates in the Southeast community of just over 8,500 are among the highest in the country. Also on Monday, a visitor who tested positive for COVID-19, among a group of three others who were symptomatic, flew from Sitka to Juneau, and then Seattle. Officials from public health, state epidemiology and the CDC "all tried to stop the travelers from boarding the aircraft," according to a local public health nurse. [Read More]( [Jill Biden encourages COVID-19 vaccines during whirlwind Anchorage stop en route to Tokyo Olympics]( [Jill Biden encourages COVID-19 vaccines during whirlwind Anchorage stop en route to Tokyo Olympics]( The first lady praised Alaska’s effort to vaccinate residents against COVID-19 — and noted there’s still more work to be done — during a quick stop in Anchorage on Wednesday as she leads a U.S. delegation to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Biden said this trip marked one of many visits to Alaska, and that she has many friends here: "I’ve seen the heart of this state in so many ways, and it’s just really special for me to be here today as your first lady." [Read More]( [ Coalition estimates Anchorage needs at least 465 more homeless shelter beds this winter, even with the Sullivan Arena shelter open ]( [Coalition estimates Anchorage needs at least 465 more homeless shelter beds this winter, even with the Sullivan Arena shelter open]( Without its mass care programs, the city would need to find shelter for about 1,229 people, according to data from the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. The coalition estimated that the city’s need for shelter beds are virtually met during the summer, when demand for shelter is less. The COVID-19 delta variant is further complicating efforts: Private shelter providers had considered restoring some of their capacity as the pandemic eased, but coronavirus cases are rising again and the CDC is still requiring 6 feet of space between shelter clients. [Read More]( [ Report: Assistant attorney general espoused racist and antisemitic views on social media]( [Report: Alaska assistant attorney general espoused racist and antisemitic views on social media]( The Alaska Department of Law is investigating Matthias Cicotte after The Guardian published a story alleging he has espoused racist and antisemitic views for years under a pseudonym. The Guardian says it identified the assistant attorney general as the person behind a Twitter account that promoted “Deseret Nationalism,” a loosely defined right-wing Mormon movement. Cicotte has been with the Department of Law since 2012, according to a Department of Law spokesperson. [Read More]( [A swimmer and a rugby player will represent Alaska at the Tokyo Olympics, and both have medal aspirations]( [A swimmer and a rugby player will represent Alaska at the Tokyo Olympics, and both have medal aspirations]( For all of those athletes whose bios include a version of “she was raised in a one-stoplight town,” we give you Lydia Jacoby of Seward — where the nearest stoplight is some 90 miles away in Soldotna. And for those whose bios detail a transition from one sport to another, we give you Alev Kelter of Eagle River, who achieved success in two NCAA Division I sports before she ever tried rugby. Jacoby’s first race is early Sunday, and Kelter has her first match on July 28. [Read More]( More from the ADN [US churches reckon with traumatic legacy of Native residential schools]( [US churches reckon with traumatic legacy of Native residential schools]( [Read More]( [ Hilcorp files plans with state to restart oil drilling in Prudhoe Bay area]( [Hilcorp files plans with state to restart oil drilling in Prudhoe Bay area]( [Read More]( [Alaska Air Group climbs out of the red thanks to more travelers and federal aid]( [Alaska Air Group climbs out of the red thanks to more travelers and federal aid]( [Read More]( [Cruise lines navigate complex rules as Alaska sailings resume]( [Cruise lines navigate complex rules as Alaska sailings resume]( [Read More]( [Those strange-looking ‘blueberries’ in your yard? If you’re lucky, they’re honeyberries.]( [Those strange-looking ‘blueberries’ in your yard? If you’re lucky, they’re honeyberries.]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. 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