District says Anchorage schools won’t reopen until most roads are plowed

Plus: Anchorage Assembly approves adding 50 beds to city emergency winter homeless shelter ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Sylvan Learning]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 15. In today's newsletter: - The Anchorage School District [will not reopen schools]( for its nearly 50,000 students and staff until enough residential streets have been plowed, district officials said. - The Anchorage Assembly unanimously [approved opening another 50 beds]( at the city’s emergency winter homeless shelter in Midtown, bringing its total capacity up to 200. - Strong [winds expected in Anchorage]( today could bring power outages and downed trees, while the next storm system moving into the region is forecast to bring [significant new snow]( to the Susitna Valley. There’s a glimmer of hope for anyone with an Android phone who has ever felt the social stigma that comes with forcing a text exchange into green bubbles rather than blue. Apple’s iMessage is synonymous with iPhones, but an Android maker and a New York start-up are changing that with a new [app that allows Android users to send iMessages]( to friends with iPhones. Anchorage weather It's overcast today with snow likely this afternoon and lasting overnight. Thursday will bring a chance of both rain and snow, and precipitation remains in the forecast through Saturday. Daytime temperatures will hover in the mid-30s today and tomorrow, before dropping down into the low teens by this weekend. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Anchorage schools won’t reopen until most roads are plowed, district says →]( The school district held another remote learning day Wednesday — the third in a row and the fourth in the last week. District officials see cleared roads as essential to school functioning, not only because of bus transportation for students, but for teachers’ ability to get to work and staff the buildings. ADVERTISEMENT [Anchorage Assembly approves adding 50 beds to city emergency winter homeless shelter →]( The Anchorage Health Department called for the shelter’s expansion as the city’s three winter shelter sites filled up and snowstorms buried the city, bringing harsh winter conditions for the at least several hundred people living unsheltered in Anchorage. [Strong winds in Anchorage area could down trees and trigger power outages →]( Strong winds expected today in Anchorage could down snow-covered trees and lead to power outages. Meanwhile, [the latest storm moving into the region]( is expected to bring anywhere from 10 to 25 inches of new snow to the Susitna Valley. [Auditor: Alaska Department of Law ‘likely violated’ state law and constitution →]( The Alaska Department of Law “likely violated” Alaska law and the state constitution when it spent more than $300,000 on a lawsuit awaiting review by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Alaska Legislature’s top auditor concluded. (via Alaska Beacon) [Price of parking pass for Alaska State Parks will increase in 2024 →]( The state Department of Natural Resources said passes will cost $75 starting Jan. 1. The passes, currently $60, can be purchased at that rate through Dec. 31. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Dimond High grad Alissa Pili’s basketball journey comes full circle at Great Alaska Shootout this weekend →]( [Kevin McCarthy accused of elbowing Republican who voted to oust him; GOP senator challenges union leader to fight →]( [Expanded composting services coming to Mat-Su landfill thanks to new grant →]( [The Biden administration is slow to act as millions are booted off Medicaid, advocates say →]( [Israel searches for Hamas in raid of key Gaza hospital packed with patients and stranded families →]( [China’s Xi tells Biden as talks open: ‘Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed’ →]( 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