While Alpha 9.9 was planned to be the final alpha, writing the actual story content for Beta 1 is going to take a while, and it just didn't feel right to sit on a critical bug fix that long.
The issue, reported by some, is that the game crashes after you've saved your customized desk. Once this happens, it keeps crashing any time the desk is loaded. I was able to reproduce the error and fix it in this bonus patch, Alpha 9.10. This fix should also work with existing save games, that had previously been cursed with this bug.
BUT! No patch should be completely devoid of new content. Before, if you decided to hide the map key guide (press G to toggle it on/off in game), the Above the Fold logo would be shown instead. This has now been replaced with your newspaper's name, with a small red circle behind it. It's not a huge change, but there you go.
Behind the scenes, work continues on the plotline feature. The technical side is more or less done, but there is a lot of writing and testing left to do, still.
Thanks to everyone who has provided constructive feedback so far - whether on Steam, twitter or privately, your support is incredibly important. If you don't already, you can follow me on Twitter (@theprint) or check the #AboveTheFold hashtag for the latest developments.