🌱 Patch AM: Why did the state suddenly pull millions from Anchorage road safety?

Greetings Anchorage! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Why did the state suddenly pull millions from Anchorage road safety?
• How Operation Santa turned Anchorage into a holiday haven for evacuees
• Why two UAA students chose a brutal winter bid on Denali

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

Today's riddle: What did the balloon say to the doctor? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Sunday: Sunny, but very cold, with a high of 5 and low of -5 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
• Monday: Mostly sunny and very cold, temps: high: 2, low: -4.
• Tuesday: Partly sunny and very cold, with a high of 6 and low of -1 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. State says ‘we need to do better' after cutting $18.7 million in Anchorage roadway projects (alaskasnewssource.com) — State transportation officials have yanked $18.7 million in federal safety funding from key Anchorage road projects, delaying work on Ingra, Gambell, Northern Lights, Fireweed and more for at least a year. Anchorage Assembly members are pushing back, warning that deferrals on these high-crash corridors come amid sharply rising pedestrian deaths and leave residents waiting longer for long-promised safety upgrades.
   

2. Op Santa comes to Anchorage, spreads holiday cheer for Western Alaskans (alaska-native-news.com) — Families from Western Alaska displaced by Typhoon Halong gathered at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage for a special Operation Santa Claus celebration hosted by the Alaska National Guard and partner groups. Volunteers wrapped gifts, stuffed stockings, and created a festive space focused on community, cultural care, and a bit of normal holiday joy for evacuees now living in Anchorage.
   

3. Two Young Climbers Begin Winter Attempt on McKinley (explorersweb.com) — Two University of Alaska Anchorage students are attempting a rare winter climb of Denali, after cutting their teeth on peaks like Bashful Peak in Anchorage’s Chugach State Park. The pair flew to the Kahiltna Glacier for a solo ascent, hauling 200-pound loads and preparing for extreme cold, long darkness, and a route that has seen fewer than 20 winter summits.
   

4. Student Wrestling Development Program boys feel primed to pull off state title defense (adn.com) — Alaska’s top high school wrestlers are in Anchorage this weekend as Fairbanks-based Student Wrestling Development Program tries to defend its Division I state title against a strong challenge from South Anchorage. Finals brackets feature several Anchorage athletes, including East and South contenders, with coaches stressing depth and consolation-round grit as the key to bringing home team championships.
   

5. Alaska Department of Corrections reports record-tying 18 deaths in custody this year (alaskapublic.org) — Anchorage’s main jail complex and local hospitals are central to a record-tying 18 Alaska prison deaths this year, prompting calls for independent oversight. An Anchorage legislator plans to pursue an external investigative unit and expanded medical and geriatric parole, while the ACLU challenges prison health care and questions how deaths at Anchorage facilities are counted.
   

📸 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!

Sunday December 21

• 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

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
• Youth Group
  Sutton Bible Church , 15748 Glenn Hwy , Sutton-Alpine
  6:00 pm

Wednesday December 24

• Weekly Free Zoo Storytime sponsored by ConocoPhillips Alaska
  Gateway Hall , 4731 O'Malley Rd , Anchorage
  10:30 am

Thursday December 25

• Preschool Storytime
  Sutton Public Library , 11301 Chickaloon Way , Sutton
  11:00 am

Friday December 26

• Coffee Canines and Camaraderie
  Band of Brothers AK , 2050 N Merciful Cir , Wasilla
  12:00 pm
• Open Mic Night at Black Birch Books
  Black Birch Books , 2091 E. Bogard Rd. Suite 104 , Wasilla
  5:00 pm

Saturday December 27

• Coffee with a Veteran at Black Birch Books
  Black Birch Books , 2901 E. Bogard Rd #104 , Wasilla
  10:00 am

Sunday December 28

• Zoo Lights — The Alaska Zoo
  Alaska Zoo , 4731 O'Malley Rd , Anchorage
  5:00 pm

Wednesday December 31

• Weirdo Wednesdays with Misfits
  Shell , 3950 S Knik Goose Bay Rd , Wasilla
  5:00 pm

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

• Jake has been a gift to us for Christmas!!
  What a blessing! We have so appreciated his work ethic and honesty and quality work! It is so refreshing to work with a young man whose character is… (Nextdoor Sand Lake East)
• GREAT NEWS: FOUND AND BACK HOME
  THURS 12/18 9 pm. Keep a lookout for this lost dog around 53rd and Arctic. He's been out all day. Gunnar. See attached picture and details. Text… (Nextdoor Old Seward/Oceanview)

• Kroger Family of Companies posted a job opening for Grocery Clerk in Wasilla. Apply here.
• Panda Restaurant Group posted a job opening for Store Manager (P1-1362605-4) 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 feel lightheaded!
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