Anchorage Assembly considers delaying closure of city's largest shelter

Kenai Peninsula Borough settles sexual harassment case involving former mayor and gubernatorial candidate ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Today's sponsor: [Today's Sponsor: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, April 20. In today's newsletter: - The Anchorage Assembly will consider delaying the closure of the Sullivan Arena shelter to allow people who are severely sick and disabled to stay while more alternative housing is secured. - The Kenai Peninsula Borough and former mayor and gubernatorial candidate Charlie Pierce have agreed to pay $237,500 to settle a sexual harassment case filed against them by a former borough employee. - A significant drop in the percentage of Alaska children who were up to date on their routine vaccinations that began during the pandemic has been slow to rebound. Gardening columnist Jeff Lowenfels knows fertilizers are popular among gardeners because they act fast. Organic fertilizers take a while to do their thing, so if your plant has a nutrient deficiency, it may take too long for the microbes to correct it under an organic system. But Jeff has an alternate solution: [kelp can provide a comparable effect]( for organic gardeners. Anchorage weather It's sunny today with a high near 49 degrees and calm winds. We'll be treated to mostly sunny skies on Friday before a chance of rain and snow over the weekend. The daytime high on Saturday will dip down into the high 30s, but temperatures will rebound into the 40s early next week. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Anchorage Assembly will consider delaying Sullivan Arena closure for most vulnerable shelter residents]( Assembly members are working on a measure for a short-term extension of the facility that the full body will vote on next week. The intention is to reduce the overall capacity while allowing the shelter's most vulnerable clients to stay at the arena as weather improves and more alternative shelter is found. [Read More]( ADVERTISEMENT [Kenai Peninsula Borough settles sexual harassment case involving former mayor and gubernatorial candidate]( The vast majority of the settlement sum will be paid by the borough from public funds. It was the third six-figure payment the borough has paid former employees who complained about working under Charlie Pierce. [Read More]( [Alaska’s drop in routine child vaccinations during the pandemic has been slow to rebound]( With the low vaccination rates comes the risk of the return of vaccine-preventable illnesses like polio, measles and mumps, state health officials say. [Read More]( [Alaska Black Caucus sues Anchorage municipality over delays in equipping police with body cameras]( The Alaska Black Caucus filed a lawsuit against the Municipality of Anchorage over repeated delays in implementing a body-worn camera policy by the Anchorage Police Department. [Read More]( [Anchorage Assembly restricts city use of facial recognition technology]( The Assembly approved a measure placing strict limits on the municipality’s ability to use facial recognition technology for surveillance. The legislation is meant to protect privacy rights and guard against misuse of the rapidly evolving technology. [Read More]( ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [➡ Federal appeals court rejects bid by conservation groups to immediately stop work at Willow oil project]( [➡ Mexico suspends search for missing sailboat with two Alaskans aboard]( [➡ US House Republicans pass ban on trans athletes on girls and women’s teams]( [➡ Anchorage’s Alaska Native Cultural Charter School will move into Abbott Loop Elementary space this fall]( [➡ Current and former Alaska basketball coaches collaborate to build a collegiate pipeline]( [➡ CDC allows second COVID booster: Here’s who should get it and when]( The ADN relies on readers like you. [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. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.]( Anchorage Daily News, 300 W 31st Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503, United States