Anchorage faces dilemma as more people turn to living in vehicles

Plus: State rejects freestanding Alaska Regional emergency room in South Anchorage ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Today's sponsor: Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Tuesday, October 3. In today's newsletter: - A [growing number of people are living in cars]( RVs and other vehicles in Anchorage homeless camps, complicating city efforts to shut camps down before winter. - A former Anchorage Police Department officer was [arrested on sexual assault charges]( and also faces numerous other felony charges, according to a criminal case made public Monday. - State [health officials have rejected]( Alaska Regional Hospital’s application to build a freestanding emergency room in South Anchorage. Though the threat of a government shutdown put Fat Bear Week on thin ice, the highly anticipated contest between the beloved bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve is set to commence tomorrow. The bracket has been released, setting up what's sure to be a fierce competition to crown this season's biggest bruin. Check out this year's list of porky participants and learn how to cast your vote [here](. 🐻 Anchorage weather It's sunny today with a high near 46 degrees and a calm wind. We'll be treated to sunny skies again tomorrow, before a chance of rain returns to the forecast on Thursday. Daytime temperatures will range from the mid-40s to low 50s over the next several days. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Growing number of people living in vehicles presents a new dilemma for Anchorage →]( People living in vehicles say they are often someone’s last big asset, and offer security, privacy and protection from the weather — whether they run or not. The recent rise of people living in vehicles is complicating city efforts to clean up homeless camps and highlighting a lesser-seen side of homelessness in Anchorage. ADVERTISEMENT [Former Anchorage police officer charged with sexual assault →]( [Scott Boneta, 33, also faces charges of burglary, stalking and criminal use of a computer.]( He was placed on leave in August and is no longer employed by the department, but the alleged crimes occurred while he was a police officer. [State rejects freestanding Alaska Regional emergency room in South Anchorage →]( T[he Department of Health rejected the hospital’s applicationÂ]( a sharply worded letter that faults numerous basic steps in the process and finds the new facility would neither improve access to quality care nor reduce patient costs. [Kevin McCarthy ousted as House speaker →]( Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job today in an extraordinary showdown. A first in U.S. history, the vote forced by a contingent of hard-right conservatives throws the House and its Republican leadership into chaos. [2 soldiers killed, 12 injured in crash of Army transport vehicle near Fairbanks →]( Two U.S. Army soldiers were killed and 12 injured after a military transport vehicle flipped on a dirt road leading to an Interior Alaska training area on Monday, officials said. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Report: Alaskans dogged by chronic diseases and many lack healthy lifestyles or regular screenings →]( [FEMA plans Wednesday test of national alert system on cellphones, radio and TV →]( [Book review: A niece’s portrait of her remarkable uncle provides an up-close look at the man and his times →]( [Judge in Trump fraud trial issues limited gag order after Trump makes disparaging post about court clerk →]( [The Rewind: West High earns cross country, tennis titles and Alaskan open water swimmer gets closer to making history →]( [Workplace: Employers don’t need to bring remote workers back to the office to build a culture →]( 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