Alaska tops 1,000 new COVID cases for second straight day, and Alaskans can expect $1,100 PFDs next month

Plus: Federal officials accuse Alaska seafood transporters of a "secret scheme" to evade the Jones Act by using a 100-foot rail line. 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, September 16. In today's newsletter: - Alaska reports the second consecutive day of over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases. - Gov. Mike Dunleavy signs legislation to pay a $1,100 PFD. - Federal officials accuse Alaska seafood transporters of a "secret scheme" to evade the Jones Act by using a 100-foot rail line. Believe it or not, we're already halfway through September. It's a good time to [take a look at some of the ADN's best photography from all around Alaska this month](, including some fond memories from the Alaska State Fair. ☁️ Anchorage weather A 20% chance of rain today, but otherwise cloudy with a high near 54. Tomorrow should be mostly cloudy as well, but Saturday could bring some sun. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Ryan Cunningham, rcunningham@adn.com [Alaska reports second consecutive day of over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases]( [Alaska reports second consecutive day of over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases]( As the state sets new case records, Alaska’s hospitals are grappling with one of the worst patient surges of any state in the country: top five in the nation for new daily cases per 100,000 and new hospitalizations over the past two weeks, according to one national data tracker. Because COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths lag a few weeks behind surges in cases, Alaska’s overburdened hospitals aren’t likely to see relief anytime soon. [Read More]( [Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signs legislation to pay $1,100 PFD]( [Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signs legislation to pay $1,100 PFD]( This year's $1,100 PFD payments are likely to start arriving in Alaskans' bank accounts in mid-October. Though lawmakers managed to pass a dividend for this year, they didn't change the formula for future payments or finalize a fiscal plan to pay for a new formula. Now, Gov. Dunleavy says he'll call legislators back to Juneau for a fourth special session next month. [Read More]( [Feds accuse Alaska seafood transporters of ‘secret scheme’ to evade the Jones Act using 100-foot rail line ]( [Feds accuse Alaska seafood transporters of ‘secret scheme’ to evade the Jones Act using 100-foot rail line]( Kloosterboer International Forwarding and Alaska Reefer Management are being accused of secretly using a specially built rail track in Canada for years in order to evade a maritime shipping law. They're suing the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection to stop the large penalty notices, which they say arrived without warning. [Read More]( [Sig Jokiel, who opened doors for girls hockey and helped build the O’Malley ice arena, dies at age 80]( [Sig Jokiel, who opened doors for girls hockey and helped build the O’Malley ice arena, dies at age 80]( Jokiel was born in Germany and came to Alaska with his older brother, Berni, to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the early 1960s. He played college hockey for the Nanooks, and later became an advocate for gender equity in hockey, helping provide players of all ages and genders with more places to play. [Read More]( [Fun things coming up: Bach, a free movie night and a walk through the ‘Bootanical’ Garden]( [Fun things coming up: Bach, a free movie night and a walk through the ‘Bootanical’ Garden]( There's also the Kenai Harvest Moon festival and LouiseFest at Alaska Pacific University’s Kellogg Campus and Spring Creek Farm in Palmer, if you’re itching to get out of Anchorage. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Man dies after pickup truck crashes through several backyard fences, Anchorage police say]( [Man dies after pickup truck crashes through several backyard fences, Anchorage police say]( [Read More]( [Anchorage Wolverines hockey team debuts with narrow loss]( [Anchorage Wolverines hockey team debuts with narrow loss]( [Read More]( [Sheep hunter rescued after getting stuck on steep terrain in Knik River Valley]( [Sheep hunter rescued after getting stuck on steep terrain in Knik River Valley]( [Read More]( [Officials arrest US citizen living in Mexico who they say recruited Alaskans to smuggle drugs into the state]( [Officials arrest US citizen living in Mexico who they say recruited Alaskans to smuggle drugs into the state]( [Read More]( [Idled Thai taxis go green with mini-gardens on car roofs]( [Idled Thai taxis go green with mini-gardens on car roofs]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. 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