Libraries at 5 Anchorage schools closed amid snow load concerns

Plus: Alaska Legislature rejects pay raise for governor, commissioners 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 Tuesday, March 7. In today's newsletter: - The libraries at five Anchorage elementary schools will close amid concerns about heavy snow load on roofs, after two of them showed ceiling cracks during inspections over the weekend. - The Alaska Legislature rejected a proposed pay increase for the governor and his cabinet after the state’s independent salary commission made no pay recommendations for the Legislature itself. - Mixed into this year’s Iditarod field of 33 mushers are a father and son from New Hampshire who are the first pair of familial rookies to ever run the race at the same time. In American towns over a hundred years ago, the use of profanity ranged from a form of disturbing the peace to a violation of explicit laws banning vulgar language. In Alaska, arrests for obscene language at that time were still common enough that they prompted little fanfare. In historian [David Reamer's latest column](, a foul-mouthed Juneau police chief illustrates the state of profanity in Alaska a century ago. ☀️ Anchorage weather It's sunny again in Anchorage today, with a high of 32 degrees. These favorable conditions are set to last the better part of this week, with daytime temperatures hovering in the mid-30s and mostly sunny skies sticking around through Saturday. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Libraries at 5 Anchorage elementary schools closed amid concerns about snow loads on roofs]( [Libraries at 5 Anchorage elementary schools closed amid concerns about snow loads on roofs]( The school district is closing libraries at Fire Lake, Bear Valley, Spring Hill, Klatt and Ravenwood elementary schools. Two of the schools showed ceiling cracks during inspections over the weekend, but the libraries at all five schools were built with similar designs in the 1980s, so the district is closing the other three “out of an abundance of caution." [Read More]( [Alaska Legislature rejects pay raise for governor, commissioners]( [Alaska Legislature rejects pay raise for governor, commissioners]( House Speaker Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, said the House was looking for a more “balanced” proposal from the State Officers Compensation Commission, which is composed of five members appointed by the governor. [Read More]( [First father-son rookie pair aim to fulfill a generational dream in this year’s Iditarod]( [First father-son rookie pair aim to fulfill a generational dream in this year’s Iditarod]( The duo of 47-year-old Gregg Vitello and his 25-year-old son Bailey have trained for years and relocated from New England to the colder, snowier climates of Nenana to prepare for their first Iditarod run. [Read More]( ADVERTISEMENT [Activity trackers and lunch leftovers: Researchers are visiting Anchorage schools to study student wellness]( [Activity trackers and lunch leftovers: Researchers are visiting Anchorage schools to study student wellness]( A federal grant is helping researchers study how much Anchorage students eat during lunch, and how much they move throughout the day. The research is a continuation of a student wellness initiative that expanded lunch and recess at some Anchorage schools in 2019. [Read More]( [Opioid education program for grades 6 to 12 considered by Alaska lawmakers]( [Opioid education program for grades 6 to 12 considered by Alaska lawmakers]( Some Alaska lawmakers believe public schools have a role in ensuring that children avoid the drugs that are causing an epidemic of overdose deaths. (Via Alaska Beacon) [Read More]( ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Tanana man shot to death by relative in dispute over snow removal, troopers say]( [Tanana man shot to death by relative in dispute over snow removal, troopers say]( [Read More]( [Biden proposes new taxes on wealthy to help fund Medicare insurance for retirees]( [Biden proposes new taxes on wealthy to help fund Medicare insurance for retirees]( [Read More]( [The Rewind: Anchorage Wolverines sweep Fairbanks, Tour of Anchorage draws big crowd of skiers and local basketball teams head to regions on hot streaks]( [The Rewind: Anchorage Wolverines sweep Fairbanks, Tour of Anchorage draws big crowd of skiers and local basketball teams head to regions on hot streaks]( [Read More]( [Sky truckers of the Last Frontier meet up in Anchorage]( [Sky truckers of the Last Frontier meet up in Anchorage]( [Read More]( [Nearly everyone is exposed to unhealthy levels of tiny air pollutants, study says]( [Nearly everyone is exposed to unhealthy levels of tiny air pollutants, study says]( [Read More]( [Surviving a negative, controlling, toxic boss]( [Surviving a negative, controlling, toxic boss]( [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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