A long and growing waitlist for winter shelter sparks alarm in Anchorage

Plus: Mat-Su snowplowing dispute drags on as winter approaches ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 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 Thursday, October 19. In today's newsletter: - As efforts began this week to shelter Anchorage homeless residents for the winter, there are [signs the city is severely short of beds](. - Two contractors in charge of neighborhood snow removal in the Mat-Su said they won’t sign a borough settlement offer on unpaid invoices from last year, part of [an ongoing billing dispute]( that could disrupt work going into this winter. - A shortage of correctional officers has [forced Seward to close its local jail]( for weeks, and a city official says the facility can’t reopen until two more officers are hired. The Alaska Federation of Natives convention begins today in Anchorage and runs through Saturday. The organization represents more than 140,000 Native people, almost 20% of the state’s population. The convention operates as a forum for debate and policy development, but also includes cultural events, exhibits and a popular art fair. Here's a [schedule of events]( for this year's convention. Anchorage weather It's sunny again today with a high near 38 degrees. Sunny skies will stick around through the rest of the week and this weekend, while daytime temperatures will drop down to the low and mid-30s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [As efforts begin to move Anchorage’s unhoused to winter shelter, a long and growing waitlist sparks alarm →]( Anchorage's winter shelter plans this year have spots for a little more than 520 people, and this week the city health department began moving homeless residents from encampments around town into rooms. But hundreds more seeking beds have put their names on a city registration list. ADVERTISEMENT [Alaska development agency sues federal government over canceled Arctic oil leases →]( Alaska’s industrial development agency has sued the Biden administration in an attempt to revive its Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas leases. (via Alaska Beacon) [Mat-Su snowplowing dispute drags on as winter approaches →]( Early this year, five of the six contractors that maintain Mat-Su roads submitted $7.1 million in additional invoices for work clearing snow that was pushed into roads from private properties over a winter of near-record snowfall in the region. [Shortage of correctional officers forces Seward to close its jail for weeks →]( When the temporary holding facility that's able to accommodate up to 14 men or women lost two of its four correctional officers last month, it was no longer able to operate. [As the once-lucrative Bering Sea crab harvest resumes, Alaska fishermen face challenges →]( Harvests for iconic red king crab will open Sunday after two years of disastrous conditions. In the long term, the future for Bering Sea crab and the people who depend on it is clouded by environmental and economic upheaval. (via Alaska Beacon) ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Alaska gardening: If talk of El Niño has you worried about a slushy, icy winter, here’s how to prepare →]( [Google just changed how you log in to your account. Here’s what’s happening. →]( [Why Egypt and other Arab countries are unwilling to take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza →]( [The gold medal nordic skier and the eating disorder that hasn’t gone away →]( [United Airlines rolling out plan that lets passengers in economy class with window seats board first →]( 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