🌱 Patch AM: How Santa is lifting spirits inside Providence’s tiniest Anchorage patients

Hi there, Anchorage! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How Santa is lifting spirits inside Providence’s tiniest Anchorage patients
• How an Anchorage mom helped spur a sweeping fentanyl crackdown
• How one Anchorage sixth-grader turned major heart surgery into leadership.

Also on today's calendar: Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings.

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Sunny, but very cold, with a high of 7 and low of 0 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
• Saturday: Mostly sunny and very cold, temps: high: 8, low: 1.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and very cold, with a high of 6 and low of -6 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Providence NICU receives a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause (alaskasnewssource.com) — Families with babies in Providence’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit in Anchorage got a boost when Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped by with quilts, coins, and quiet cuddles. The nearly 30-year tradition offers a moment of normal holiday joy and hope for parents navigating one of the toughest experiences of their lives.
   

2. An Anchorage fentanyl activist told the president the drug should be classified as a WMD. Now it is. (adn.com) — An Anchorage mother and fentanyl awareness activist saw her push to classify the drug as a weapon of mass destruction adopted by President Trump just weeks after she raised it with him at the White House. Her advocacy stems from losing her 22-year-old son to fentanyl in an Anchorage parking lot and now centers on tougher responses to the drug nationwide.
   

3. Anchorage 6th-grader turns heart condition into mission to help others (alaskasnewssource.com) — An Anchorage sixth-grader, Kayden Santiago-Iverson, is sharing his journey with a serious congenital heart condition to encourage other kids to care for their hearts. Recently named an American Heart Association Youth Heart Ambassador for Alaska, he’s using his experience with multiple surgeries and ongoing health challenges to inspire healthier habits and offer hope to local families facing similar diagnoses.
   

4. Seward man died by homicide at the Anchorage jail last year, lawsuit says (adn.com) — A wrongful death lawsuit alleges a man’s 2024 death at the Anchorage Correctional Complex was a homicide, despite earlier state statements suggesting no foul play. The case, still under active investigation, raises broader concerns about in-custody deaths and how Alaska corrections officials communicate with families when someone dies behind bars.
   

📸 Around Anchorage

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Anchorage

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday December 20

• Last Chance Holiday
  Sullivan Arena, 1600 Gambell St, Anchorage
  10:00 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Sunday December 21

• Annual Family Holiday Pops
  Atwood Concert Hall , 621 W 6th Ave Suite ACH , Anchorage
  4:00 pm
• Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings
  49th State Brewing - Anchorage 717 West 3rd Avenue Anchorage, Alaska 99501
  6:30 pm

📣 Anchorage Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Friday December 19

• Preschool Storytime
  Valdez Consortium Library , 212 Fairbanks PO Box 609 , Valdez
  11:15 am
• ERNC | Guided Hike "Snow Much to See!"
  Eagle River Nature Center , 32750 Eagle River Rd , Eagle River
  2:00 pm
• Santa Visits Alyeska
  Alyeska Resort , 1000 Arlberg Ave , Girdwood
  3:30 pm

Saturday December 20

• Coffee with a Veteran at Black Birch Books
  Black Birch Books , 2901 E. Bogard Rd #104 , Wasilla
  10:00 am
• ERNC | Jr. Naturalist "On the Darkest Day"
  Eagle River Nature Center , 32750 Eagle River Rd , Eagle River
  1:00 pm
• Community Hikes in Palmer — Revel Treks & Tours
  2955 Mountain Trail Cir , Palmer
  6:00 pm

Sunday December 21

• Recycle Sutton
  Sutton Transfer Site , 15625 North Glenn Highway , Sutton-Alpine
  2:00 pm

Monday December 22

• AKtive Soles Happy Run
  AKtive Soles Performance Footwear , 642 S. Alaska St. Ste. 100 , Palmer
  6:00 pm

Tuesday December 23

• MyHouse "Morning Meeting with the Mayor"
  Gathering Grounds Cafe , 300 N. Willow St. , Wasilla
  9:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Photos on Facebook
  Courtesy of AFD Two hikers found themselves out in the single digit cold longer than anticipated. While heading down to the Glen Alps parking lot… (Nextdoor Abbott Loop North)
• We’ve been having all sorts of very strange electrical things going off in our house the last couple months.
  Yes we’ve had an electrician out twice. Last night we were sitting watching tv & all of a sudden our upstairs fire alarm started shouting fire … (Nextdoor Turnagain South)

• Cold Stone Creamery posted a job opening for Crew Member in Wasilla. Apply here.
• Fred Meyer Stores, Inc. posted a job opening for Cashier in Wasilla. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Anchorage here.

Ok Anchorage! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook