🌱 The Gold Pan Awards Winners + Glenn Highway Police Chase

Happy Friday, Anchorage! Here's everything you need to know around Anchorage today.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and very cold. High: 6 Low: -1.

Here are the top stories today in Anchorage:

1. Trace Johnston, an Anchorage man, led Alaska state troopers on a high-speed chase after Anchorage police attempted to pull him over on the Glenn Highway, clocking his speed at over 100 mph on Wednesday morning. The chase ended when police rammed the vehicle, popping all four tires near the Palmer Hay Flats. Troopers took Johnston to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility and charged him with one count of failing to stop, one count of reckless driving, and one count of driving under the influence. (Alaska News Source)
2. . Joy Merriner, assurance office managing partner at BDO, was among the twelve finalists and winners celebrated at The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce's Gold Pan Awards "The Magic Within." Awards were given to organizations and businesses for their commitment to community service, as well as those who have shown business and entrepreneurial excellence. The Gold Pan Awards were held on Friday, Nov. 12, at the Anchorage Marriott Downtown. (Press Release Desk)
3. Alaska Representative Don Young (R), helped introduce a bill this week that would end federal prohibitions on cannabis and allow states more freedom in their own marijuana laws. Young, co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, introduced the bill alongside several other Republican members of the House of Representatives, including Reps. Nancy Mace, South Carolina; Tom McClintock, California; Peter Meijer, Michigan, and Brian Mast, Florida. Young criticized the federal government for interfering in states' abilities to set their own cannabis policies and said the bill would remove cannabis from the list of Schedule 1 drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. (Homer News)

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Today in Anchorage:

• Sewing Class with Elder Marge Nakak - Alaska Native Heritage Center (6:00 PM)

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow for another update! If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.