🌱 Police Chief Ken McCoy Retiring + Giessel Running For Senate

Get on up, Anchorage! It's Thursday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on today in Anchorage.

First, today's weather:

Decreasing clouds; very cold. High: 8 Low: -4.

Here are the top stories today in Anchorage:

1. On Tuesday, Anchorage Police Chief Ken McCoy announced he will retire from the department on Feb. 1, 2022. Sources say McCoy is leaving because he has been offered a higher-paying job in the private sector in Alaska. He began his law enforcement career with the APD in 1994, where he rose steadily through the ranks until ultimately being promoted to acting chief in April 2021, after serving as deputy chief of operations for 4 years. (Must Read Alaska)
2. Airmen have discovered that damage from an avalanche is to blame for the problems with the illuminated star in the Chugach Mountains. A small avalanche rained down rocks and snow on the star, which is situated at about the 4,000-foot (1,219-meter) level of Mount Gordon Lyon, and caused connection issues and broken bulbs. Airmen from the 773rd Civil Engineer Squadron Electrical Shop worked for three days in extreme conditions and cold temperatures before they finally found the cause of the problem on Tuesday. (Anchorage Press)
3. Former Alaska Senate President Cathy Giessel, defeated in 2020, will run for the state Senate again in 2022. Giessel, an Anchorage Republican, is listed as a candidate with the state Division of Elections. Giessel lost her primary last year to Republican Roger Holland, who went on to win the seat. (US News)

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Today in Anchorage:

• Houseless Resource Advocacy Council - Anchorage Public Library (3:00 PM)
• Rock Climbing Clinic - Alaska Pacific University (4:30 PM)

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— 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.