🌱 Mayor's Fluoride Shutoff Statement + Mask-Optional Pushback

Good morning, neighbors! It's me again, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Anchorage Daily.

First, today's weather:

A little p.m. snow, up to 1". High: 24 Low: 16.

Here are the top 3 stories in Anchorage today:

1. While many questions remain unanswered, information continues to emerge surrounding Mayor Dave Bronson’s decision to briefly shut off fluoridation of Anchorage’s water supply. After initially denying last week that the incident occurred at all, the mayor’s office issued a statement Tuesday confirming that it did, in fact, happen on Oct. 1. The mayor’s office said that Bronson made the decision after hearing workplace safety and health concerns from Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility staff. (Anchorage Daily News)
2. After the Anchorage School District announced its decision to make mask-wearing optional, both parents and pediatricians have pushed back. The school board has received at least 50 emails from those objecting to the lifting of the mask mandate on students, and only about five emails from those supporting it. At today's meeting, the board may take it upon itself to override the superintendent. (Must Read Alaska)
3. An Anchorage man convicted of murder in the first degree was sentenced this week to 65 years in prison for the crime. Rumph was found guilty in March 2020 of shooting and killing Treavonne Owens in September of 2016. Rumph and Owens were co-workers, and they had been involved in a dispute over money Owens owed to Rumph over a cocaine transaction. (Alaska Native News)

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From my notebook:

• A man in South Anchorage who posed as a delivery driver and stole residents' packages has been arrested. (Facebook)
• Looking for a gift for your favorite opera fan? Tickets for Anchorage Opera's "Missing" and "Tosca" are on sale now. (Instagram)
• The Anchorage Police Department's Citizen Academy Class of 21-1 was honored at graduation this weekend. (Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update.

— 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.