Anchorage commercial building destroyed in roof collapse

And: As food insecurity rises, Alaska aid groups say $4.5M in assistance can’t come soon enough ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, Dec. 21. In today's newsletter: - A large commercial building in Spenard [was destroyed in a roof collapse]( late last night, a month after Anchorage officials warned of potentially disastrous loads from what’s already a record snow season. - As food insecurity rises, Alaska aid groups say $4.5 million in state aid [earmarked for food banks and pantries]( in Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed state budget can’t come soon enough. - The Anchorage Assembly has [rejected a recommendation]( to rename the Port of Alaska after Don Young, the late U.S. representative. Rudolph’s red nose may have gone down in history, but [research says it was probably his shining blue eyes]( that helped keep him and the rest of Santa’s herd nourished. A new study suggests that reindeer's unique eyes, which glow a vivid blue when illuminated in colder months, may be a result of the species evolving so they can more easily find food during dark Arctic winters. Anchorage weather It's partly sunny today with a high near 18 degrees. Mostly clear skies and cold temperatures will continue on Friday, but snow returns to the forecast over the weekend. Daytime temperatures will also climb into the low 30s by Sunday. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Spenard Builders Supply dispatch center destroyed in roof collapse →]( No one was inside the dispatch center at the time of the collapse. This marks at least the third time in less than three years that a roof on a Spenard Builders Supply building has buckled. The building is the same kind that Anchorage officials have warned could be at high risk of failure from the current snow load: parallel chord truss construction and a flat roof, built in the 1980s ADVERTISEMENT [As food insecurity rises, Alaska aid groups say $4.5M in assistance can’t come soon enough →]( The ripple effects of inflation and major benefit processing backlogs at the state Division of Public Assistance have meant increased strain on food banks as Alaskans struggle to get enough food. [Proposed Holtan Hills housing project in Girdwood is back on the Anchorage Assembly’s table →]( The project has faced stiff resistance from Girdwood residents, who argued that Holtan Hills would not create housing that local workers can afford, and that the town desperately needs. [Anchorage Assembly rejects renaming Port of Alaska after late U.S. Rep. Don Young →]( Young was a sometimes-polarizing political figure, and divisions over his legacy came to the fore of the Assembly’s debate. The body is set to reconsider the proposal at its next meeting in January. [One year and $250,000 later, Alaska’s new spending database has not been launched →]( Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration has missed a legal deadline to expand Alaska’s public spending database to some of its most heavily scrutinized state corporations, prompting a written complaint from the state senator who pushed the overhaul. (via Northern Journal)  ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Oregon man convicted of murdering Anchorage teen in 1978 cold case →]( [Federal defense bill sends $14 million to Alaska National Guard →]( [Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy days after being ordered to pay $148 million in defamation case →]( [Student gunman kills at least 15, wounds dozens at university in central Prague →]( [Americans struggle to save relatives in Gaza stalked by war and hunger →]( 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