🌱Town Square Park Tree Lighting + AK's Low COVID Positivity Rate

Happy Monday, people of Anchorage! Let's get this day started. Here are the most important things going on today in Anchorage.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy, brisk and very cold. High: 12 Low: 10.

Here are the top stories in Anchorage today:

1. The holiday season is kicking off in Anchorage! On Saturday night, a few hundred people braved the cold to watch Santa Claus help Mayor Dave Bronson light the holiday tree in Town Square Park. The tree lighting ceremony, organized by the Anchorage Downtown Partnership, was one part of a larger “Light Up Downtown” event spread out through downtown this year to increase physical distancing because of the pandemic. (Anchorage Daily News)
2. For two weeks now, Alaska has made the coveted list of states with the lowest COVID positivity rates. According to John Hopkins University, the state's positivity rate is 4.84%; Alaska's own dashboard reports a slightly higher rate of 5.7%. The World Health Organization advised governments that before reopening, rates of positivity in testing should remain below 5% for at least 14 days. (Must Read Alaska)
3. Police identified the man who was shot and killed early last week in East Anchorage as 32-year-old Enoc H. V. Martinez. Officers were called to the 300 block of Krane Drive near Turpin Street at 6:56 a.m. last Monday for a report of a shooting, where Martinez was found dead outside. An Anchorage PD spokesperson said there was no indication that Martinez and the shooter knew each other, and that police "do not have the probable cause necessary to support criminal charges" as of last Wednesday. (Anchorage Daily News)

From our sponsors:

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Today in Anchorage:

• Save 15% On All L.L.Bean Wicked Good Slippers — For A Limited Time (11:00 PM)
• "Make it Monday" forum - U.S. Chamber of Commerce (11:30 AM)
• Legislative Committee (2021/22) - Anchorage Chamber of Commerce (3:30 PM)

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You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for your next update. If you're into these newsletters, consider bringing some more friends and neighbors along for the ride. 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.