Anchorage city hiring practices scrutinized, and a new trail draws pushback

Floodwaters keep roads closed in Mat-Su even after rain ends Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Anchorage School District]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Wednesday, August 10. In today's newsletter: - Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson has promised an investigation into city hiring practices after the revelation that the Bronson administration's health director misrepresented his credentials. - A new trail in Chugach State Park will increase access to alpine terrain for hikers, but Eagle River neighbors say it will draw more people to an already dangerously overcrowded trailhead. - Mat-Su officials are reporting numerous roads still partly blocked or closed by flooding creeks and rivers near the Talkeetna Mountains, even as the area got a break from the rain. In its heyday, Independence Mine in Hatcher Pass was a beehive of activity. The gold mine was home to 204 workers and 22 families. Since it closed for good in the 1950s, the mine's buildings have been weathering hazards both natural and human-caused. But the beloved historical site is [about to get a facelift]( — thanks to a $1.3 million grant, four buildings are being targeted for rejuvenation and preservation. ☀️ Anchorage weather In a break from the rain, it's sunny today with a high of 68 degrees. The reprieve will be brief, though, and clouds and a chance of rain will return on Thursday and last through the rest of the week. Temperatures will hover in the mid to high 60s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [After report that head of Anchorage Health Department lied on resume, mayor promises investigation into hiring practices ]( [After report that head of Anchorage Health Department lied on resume, mayor promises investigation into hiring practices]( Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration announced it's launching an investigation into the city’s hiring practices, a day after the head of the Anchorage Health Department resigned in advance of the publication of [an investigation]( showing he’d made up credentials and work history. [Read More]( [New trail will increase access to alpine terrain in Chugach State Park but draws objections from residents of South Fork Valley]( [New trail will increase access to alpine terrain in Chugach State Park but draws objections from residents of South Fork Valley]( The newly constructed Muktuk Marston/Hunter Pass trail in Chugach State Park will link Arctic Valley Ski Area with Eagle River’s South Fork Valley. Advocates say the project will give people hungry for outdoor recreation a new way to reach Anchorage area alpine terrain. But neighbors of the Hunter Pass portion of the trail say they’re already swamped with visitors. [Read More]( [Floodwaters keep roads closed in Mat-Su even after rain ends]( [Floodwaters keep roads closed in Mat-Su even after rain ends]( Even after sunshine replaced days of rain Wednesday morning in Southcentral Alaska, Mat-Su officials reported numerous roads still partly blocked or closed by flooding creeks and rivers near the Talkeetna Mountains. [Read More]( [Alaska ramps up effort to land billions in federal funding to close digital divide]( [Alaska ramps up effort to land billions in federal funding to close digital divide]( A new state office will try to maximize broadband investment coming to Alaska under the giant federal infrastructure bill. State leaders say the money offers a historic chance to improve internet service, especially in rural Alaska, which is one of the least-connected areas in the U.S. [Read More]( [Families of 4 killed in Misty Fjords floatplane crash sue cruise company, alleging it pressures excursion operators]( [Families of 4 killed in Misty Fjords floatplane crash sue cruise company, alleging it pressures excursion operators]( The families of four tourists killed in a Southeast Alaska floatplane crash last year allege in a lawsuit that Holland America Line pressures excursion operators to take unnecessary risks to meet cruise schedules and doesn’t warn passengers of dangers. (Via Seattle Times) [Read More]( More from the ADN [Nobody hurt as home burns in South Anchorage]( [Nobody hurt as home burns in South Anchorage]( [Read More]( [Landslides close dock, cause cruise stop cancellations in Skagway]( [Landslides close dock, cause cruise stop cancellations in Skagway]( [Read More]( [Trump invokes Fifth Amendment protection under questioning in New York investigation of his business dealings]( [Trump invokes Fifth Amendment protection under questioning in New York investigation of his business dealings]( [Read More]( [NORAD tracks 2 Russian aircraft entering Alaska defense zone]( [NORAD tracks 2 Russian aircraft entering Alaska defense zone]( [Read More]( [Death of Anchorage Correctional Center inmate is second at facility in a week]( [Death of Anchorage Correctional Center inmate is second at facility in a week]( [Read More]( [Muslim men sue Alaska Airlines for removal from flight over Arabic texts]( [Muslim men sue Alaska Airlines for removal from flight over Arabic texts]( [Read More]( [Get digital access to the ADN for as low as $1.99 for the first month]( and help us cover the news that matters most here in Alaska. 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