Anchorage's Sullivan Arena back on the table for emergency shelter

As $3,284 Permanent Fund dividends hit bank accounts across Alaska, economists predict widespread impacts 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 Thursday, September 22. In today's newsletter: - Anchorage's Sullivan Arena, shuttered in June after two years as a COVID-era emergency shelter, is back on the table for use as a homeless shelter again as the city scrambles to find places for people to stay this winter. - A new policy in the Mat-Su school district requires teachers to set aside a moment of silence at the start of each school day for quiet reflection. - The timing of this year's Permanent Fund dividend — while families face higher prices due to inflation and Western Alaska recovers from storm damage — could affect how the money gets spent, economists say. It feels like summer left the building a few weeks ago, but it officially ends today with the arrival of the autumnal equinox. Fall colors are in full force in Anchorage — from brilliant oranges and yellows covering the Hillside to ducks feeding on fallen leaves at University Lake. Take a peek at [what autumn is looking like]( so far. ☁️ Anchorage weather Today it's cloudy with a high of 52 degrees. Friday calls for a slight chance of rain, and Saturday will start out partly sunny before rain moves into the forecast. Temperatures will stay in the low to mid 50s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Sullivan Arena back on the table as a possible 150-bed emergency homeless shelter]( [Sullivan Arena back on the table as a possible 150-bed emergency homeless shelter]( As the city rushes to stand up emergency winter shelter by Oct. 1, the Anchorage Assembly’s committee on homelessness is encouraging Mayor Dave Bronson to reopen Sullivan Arena as a shelter for up to 150 people. It's the same facility the city used as a COVID-19 mass homeless shelter for more than two years, until the Bronson administration shuttered it in June. [Read More]( [Mat-Su school board enacts mandatory daily minute of silence for students]( [Mat-Su school board enacts mandatory daily minute of silence for students]( Under the new policy adopted by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board, principals will require teachers to set aside one to two minutes of silence. Proponents have said this offers an opportunity to reflect quietly before beginning the day, while detractors of the idea have questioned whether it’s a bridge to prayer in classrooms. [Read More]( [As $3,284 Permanent Fund dividends hit bank accounts across Alaska, economists predict widespread impacts]( [As $3,284 Permanent Fund dividends hit bank accounts across Alaska, economists predict widespread impacts]( Experts say there haven’t been many studies on how the PFD — which started hitting Alaskans' bank accounts this week — is spent. But they said the impacts of this year’s overall $2.1 billion injection into the economy will be felt widely. [Read More]( ADVERTISEMENT [In the midst of the storm, a dash to keep the power on in Hooper Bay]( [In the midst of the storm, a dash to keep the power on in Hooper Bay]( As seawater rose toward their waists and debris floated around them, two Hooper Bay power plant operators and a contractor carried bucket after bucket of fuel to the tank feeding the town’s generator. (Via KYUK) [Read More]( [Here are some ways to help communities ravaged by storms in Western Alaska]( [Here are some ways to help communities ravaged by storms in Western Alaska]( There are a number of ways Alaskans can support Western Alaska communities as they recover from widespread damage in the wake of Typhoon Merbok — from a donation drop-off site to multiple charity organizations. [Read More]( ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [At Alaska governor candidate forum, Gara and Walker advocate tax changes]( [At Alaska governor candidate forum, Gara and Walker advocate tax changes]( (Via Alaska Beacon) [Read More]( [Chair of Alaska oil and gas commission steps down for out-of-state position at refinery]( [Chair of Alaska oil and gas commission steps down for out-of-state position at refinery]( [Read More]( [Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: State reports significant decrease in cases, hospitalizations]( [Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: State reports significant decrease in cases, hospitalizations]( [Read More]( [Justice Department grants will aid tribal law enforcement and help Indigenous victims of crime]( [Justice Department grants will aid tribal law enforcement and help Indigenous victims of crime]( (Via Alaska Beacon) [Read More]( [West volleyball aims to avenge loss to powerhouse Dimond in big rematch]( [West volleyball aims to avenge loss to powerhouse Dimond in big rematch]( [Read More]( [U.S. watchdog estimates $45.6 billion in pandemic unemployment fraud]( [U.S. watchdog estimates $45.6 billion in pandemic unemployment fraud]( [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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