Unpacking the story of Gary, a wolflike canine that roamed Anchorage for days

Also: Palmer's city manager is facing possible censure and removal after putting the city at an “imminent threat” of lawsuits through a series of recent personnel directives.                                                                                                                                Email not displaying correctly? View the web version Today's sponsor: MY EH 6 can counton. LEARN MORE $4 . 4 MONTHS [siscunzesave 5] Good afternoon. It’s Wednesday, October 9. In today's newsletter: * For days, a wolflike canine known as Gary roamed Anchorage, but things weren't quite as they seemed. What was it about the animal that captured the city's imagination? * The Alaska legislative candidates who support joining bipartisan coalitions have a notable fundraising advantage over candidates who say they only want to caucus with Republicans. * Palmer's city manager is facing possible censure and removal after putting the city at an “imminent threat” of lawsuits through a series of recent personnel directives. Fat Bear Week fans, we have a 2024 champion to crown: In a storyline better befitting a melodrama than a popularity vote, Grazer won her second contest by defeating the male behemoth that killed her cub this summer — a death that was captured on the live cameras at Katmai National Park and Preserve. Anchorage weather It's mostly cloudy with a high around 44 degrees and a slight chance of rain this afternoon. Looking ahead, Thursday's forecast is calling for scattered rain and snow showers, and we can expect breezy conditions and mostly cloudy skies Friday as daytime highs hover in the mid-40s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Vicky Ho, [email protected] For days, a wolflike canine known as Gary roamed Anchorage. But things were not as they seemed. → Gary attracted the attention of hundreds of Anchorage residents during a circumnavigation of the city, before being hit and killed by a vehicle. Now biologists say it wasn’t a wolf, or a wild animal at all. ADVERTISEMENT Anchorage Assembly reverses course, approves settlement with fired city manager Amy Demboski → In an 8-4 vote Tuesday, the Assembly approved a $250,000 legal settlement with Demboski, whose accusations included retaliatory firing by former Mayor Dave Bronson. Alaska’s coalition-minded legislative candidates have heavy fundraising advantage over Republicans → Of the $4.4 million in funds raised by candidates this year, $2.8 million has gone to candidates who support bipartisan coalitions. Palmer’s new city manager facing possible removal over ‘imminent threat’ of employee lawsuits → An emergency council meeting is scheduled for today to discuss Palmer City Manager Stephen Jellie’s administrative leave. He joined Palmer in August after resigning from similar positions in Wyoming and New York, both of which ended with substantial severance packages. (via Mat-Su Sentinel) A former pro baseball player from Alaska is building an indoor batting facility in Mountain View → Jamar Hill, a Bartlett High baseball standout who graduated in 2000 and was later drafted by the New York Mets, is leading a project to build a $1.5 million community center in Mountain View to give local kids the opportunity to practice baseball year-round. At U.S. House debate in Kodiak, candidates differ on future of Alaska fisheries → A two-hour debate on Alaska fisheries issues turned contentious in its final moments as Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich criticized incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola over an ad stating that a Begich victory would mean “our fish are gone.” (via Alaska Beacon) Mayor LaFrance proposes sale of unbuilt prefab structure once intended for homeless services to Port of Alaska → The city intended to use the prefabricated Sprung Structures facility as a mass homeless shelter until the Anchorage Assembly halted the project in 2022. • See also: LaFrance administration adds more high-level hires across Anchorage city departments ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN Investigation underway into Nikiski fire that killed woman → Time to evacuate is running out as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida peninsula → How Waffle House helps Southerners — and FEMA — judge a storm’s severity → Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to 3 scientists for work on proteins, the building blocks of life → This extinct 100-pound insect now has a face, thanks to scientists → Fb Tw Inst Anchorage Daily News, 300 W 31st Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503, United States