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Good afternoon. It’s Monday, Nov. 24.

In today's newsletter:

Last month, state prosecutors charged a former leader in a Kenai Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation with 20 counts of child sexual abuse dating back to the 1990s and early 2000s. Some of the victims say the abuse was well known by congregation leaders for years.
An Alaska Native corporation leased mineral rights inside Lake Clark National Park to a mining company. The company’s plans are generating opposition from fishermen and conservationists.
In the face of a changing climate, an updated planning tool will act as Anchorage’s guide to preparing for and living with an increased wildfire risk.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or first-timer when it comes to cooking for Thanksgiving, chances are you’ll encounter a little stress or confusion about at least one part of the meal. Here are some last-minute answers and tips for Thanksgiving questions that come up every year.

Anchorage weather

The forecast calls for areas of freezing fog followed by mostly sunny skies today, with a high around 23 degrees. Looking ahead, Tuesday should be sunny, while Wednesday will be mostly cloudy and precipitation returns later in the week.

Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today.

— Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com

Decades of silence preceded a painful reckoning for a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation on the Kenai Peninsula →

More than one former member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kenai said they told congregation elders that Aaron Scott Merritt was sexually abusing adolescent and younger girls. Still, an official silence prevailed.

After years of planning, steel arch is installed downtown for Anchorage Mushing District →

The arch rests above the start line for the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championships and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race’s ceremonial start. Local officials hope the arch will be a major downtown attraction.

Inside an Alaska national park, a fight looms over a possible gold mine →

A prominent Alaska mining company is leasing the Johnson Tract from its Indigenous owners, and the property has emerged as one of the most promising mining prospects in Southcentral Alaska. (via Northern Journal)

Anchorage rewrites wildfire protection plan for the first time since 2007 →

More than 80% of Anchorage falls within the wildland-urban interface, a factor that inherently increases the municipality’s wildfire risk.

Alaska medical board cancels meetings as board seats remain unfilled →

The board is tasked with adopting regulations governing the practice of medicine in the state, but it has been hampered for months as Gov. Mike Dunleavy has delayed filling three of its seats.