Anchorage officials struggling with shortage of winter shelter beds

Plus: State again falls behind on processing food stamp benefits, creating new backlog for thousands of Alaskans ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Northrim Bank]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Monday, October 30. In today's newsletter: - The large gap between the number of emergency winter shelter beds in Anchorage and the number of people on a list for one of those beds [sparked alarm from officials]( in recent days. - More than a year after the state Division of Public Assistance first fell behind on processing food stamp benefits for thousands of Alaskans, the agency is [again reporting lengthy delays]( for applicants. - Billions of [snow crabs in the east Bering Sea died]( between 2018 and 2021. Scientists now believe they know why. A refurbishing effort in Eklutna will [breathe new life into the oldest standing building]( in the Municipality of Anchorage. The simple Russian Orthodox log church is a vestige of Russia’s attempt to colonize Alaska and its Indigenous people. But over time, St. Nicholas Church became an important touchstone for Alaska Natives as well. Anchorage weather It's mostly sunny today with a high near 40 degrees. The forecast calls for partly sunny skies the next few days before a chance of snow, and then rain, late in the week. Daytime temperatures will hover in the low to mid-40s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [As Anchorage officials grapple with a winter shelter bed gap, Bronson resurrects dispute over mass shelter proposal →]( The city’s emergency cold weather sheltering plan has a total of 524 beds at two already-operating hotels and a mass care shelter in the city’s former Solid Waste Services administrative building, which is scheduled to open Nov. 1. By Thursday, the city’s registration list totaled 989 people. ADVERTISEMENT [State again falls behind on processing food stamp benefits, creating new backlog for thousands of Alaskans →]( The new backlog was created as a result of the state directing the majority of its staff and resources to clearing an older, unprecedented backlog in applications, according to the division's director. [Second snow crab season canceled as researchers pinpoint cause of decline →]( Scientists with NOAA [last week published a report]( indicating that marine heat waves collapsed the snow crab population. (via Seattle Times) [Alaska state-owned corporation intends to spend $7 million in 2024 on Ambler Road →]( Executives at Alaska’s state-owned development bank say they will advance plans for a 211-mile mining road in Northwest Alaska despite the objections of a landowner in the path of the road. (via Alaska Beacon) [Western Arctic Caribou Herd keeps shrinking, 2023 census shows →]( The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said this year’s photo census indicates the herd size is about 152,000 animals, reflecting a 7% decline from 2022. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Man with rifle shot and killed by trooper outside Tok motel →]( [Missing Arizona teen found safe at Alaska border; mother and uncle arrested →]( [Israel expands ground assault into Gaza, frees soldier held captive by Hamas →]( [South girls repeat and Dimond boys edge past Service at Region IV swim championship →]( [Appreciation: Matthew Perry was easy to love. And it went deeper than his acting →]( [Eyedrops from CVS, Target and other stores carry possible infection risk, FDA says →]( 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