Lakefront Anchorage Hotel, longtime Iditarod headquarters, will drop sponsorship after upcoming race

Also, problems continue to plague Alaska Psychiatric Institute, according to a new report. Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Matson]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Wednesday, February 9. In today's newsletter: - After decades of serving as race headquarters, the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel is dropping its sponsorship of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. - While hospitalizations related to the coronavirus have continued to decline, Alaska reported 21 more COVID-19 deaths Wednesday. - A state ombudsman reported that Alaska Psychiatric Institute continues to have the problems that put its accreditation at risk in 2019. Jewel Lake was recently stocked with about 2,000 king salmon, and this week the Alaska Department of Fish and Game [took local students]( out try and catch some of them. The fishing was a little slow, but one state official said the long-term goal is to spark students' interest in coming back to try again — and maybe in the process get hooked on a great winter pastime. 🌨️ Anchorage weather Snow is likely, mainly before 4 p.m., with a high near 23 degrees. Isolated snow showers are possible overnight, with partly sunny skies and a high of 22 degrees forecast for Thursday. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Victoria Barber, vbarber@adn.com [Lakefront Anchorage Hotel, longtime Iditarod headquarters, will drop sponsorship after upcoming race]( [Lakefront Anchorage Hotel, longtime Iditarod headquarters, will drop sponsorship after upcoming race]( For decades, the Lakefront Anchorage hotel has served as the Iditarod race’s symbolic home base in the city, where mushers and dogs in their trucks gather. After this year's race, that arrangement will end, the Millennium Hotels and Resorts chain said Wednesday. [Read More]( [Alaska reports 21 more COVID-19 deaths and declining hospitalizations as omicron surge continues to flatten]( [Alaska reports 21 more COVID-19 deaths and declining hospitalizations as omicron surge continues to flatten]( It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the 21 deaths reported Wednesday were recent. The number of COVID-positive patients in the state’s hospitals continued to decline as reported Wednesday, from 127 Sunday to 119 on Tuesday. [Read More]( [Report: Problems continue to plague Alaska Psychiatric Institute]( [Report: Problems continue to plague Alaska Psychiatric Institute]( Despite previous promises by the Alaska Psychiatric Institute to improve conditions, a state ombudsman found that the facility has failed to meet federal requirements for patient treatment and has created a hostile and discriminatory work environment. [Read More]( [Still lacking a director, Anchorage Public Library draws scrutiny over board discussion of ‘inappropriate literature’]( [Still lacking a director, Anchorage Public Library draws scrutiny over board discussion of ‘inappropriate literature’]( Ten months after Anchorage’s last Assembly-confirmed library director retired, the Anchorage Public Library still does not have a replacement. Mayor Bronson’s administration said a search for a new director is ongoing, and that there is no plan to segregate or remove LGBTQ-themed literature. [Read More]( [Anchorage’s new police chief discusses stepping into role following former chief’s ‘surprise’ departure ]( [Anchorage’s new police chief discusses stepping into role following former chief’s ‘surprise’ departure]( Following the abrupt retirement of former Chief Ken McCoy, new Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle told news media Monday that he hopes to continue the work McCoy started, and wants to prioritize improving community trust. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Fish and Game forecasts fair to poor sockeye runs for Cook Inlet, Copper River]( [Fish and Game forecasts fair to poor sockeye runs for Cook Inlet, Copper River]( [Read More]( [Palin briefly takes witness stand in libel lawsuit against New York Times]( [Palin briefly takes witness stand in libel lawsuit against New York Times]( [Read More]( [Chris Collins (left) and Doug Wicken stand near Collins' shop next to his house on December 31, 2021, in Kotzebue, Alaska. (Photo by Bruce Nelson.)]( [‘You’re never alone’: Kotzebue snowmachiner races to raise awareness about suicide]( [Read More]( [Alaska crab]( [Southeast crabbers are expecting one of their best seasons ever]( [Read More]( [Lasers hit 11 jet cockpits in one hour at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, feds say]( [Lasers hit 11 jet cockpits in one hour at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, feds say]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. 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