🌱 New Phx Zoo Animals + Where To Get A COVID-19 Test In Phoenix

Morning, neighbors! It's me again, Caitlin Sievers, your host of the Phoenix Daily. I hope you all had a lovely, restful holiday weekend.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy and cool with showers. High: 53 Low: 43.

Here are the top stories today in Phoenix:

1. People across the country, including in Phoenix, are struggling to find at-home rapid COVID-19 tests. Last week Tempe ran out of free tests at its distribution locations just a few hours after it began handing them out. If you're tired of searching for an at-home test, there are plenty of testing sites throughout Phoenix and the surrounding metro area where you can schedule a test. Check out our list of testing sites and locations set for this week. (Phoenix Patch)
2. The Phoenix Zoo is welcoming some new animal friends, including a baby siamang, born to two residents of the zoo's Siamang Island, as well as three tamarin monkeys, a father and two sons, who came to the Phoenix Zoo from Wisconsin. The zoo's fifth new resident, an Andean bear named Auggie, may someday live in the same habitat as the zoo's female Andean bear, Rio, if she decides she likes him enough. (12news.com KPNX)
3. A rebranding of the annual Glendale Glitters holiday event to Murphy Park Lights has some nearby merchants unhappy about what they say is a downturn in foot traffic during the scaled-down holiday festivities. The idea is to stretch out foot traffic to local businesses with more events throughout the year, the city said, adding that the change was not because of the pandemic. (Arizona's Family)

Today's Phoenix Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Phoenix!

Today in Phoenix:

• Energy and Climate Action Team Meeting, Grand Canyon Chapter of Sierra Club, 514 W. Roosevelt St., Phoenix (6:30 p.m.)
• College Football Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix (9:15 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Phoenix Fire Department Station 18, is one of the busiest firehouses in the country, known for a high call volume, busy nights, great food and firefighters. (Facebook)
• The city of Phoenix has 18 free drop-off recycling locations for your real Christmas trees and wreaths. The locations are open now through Jan. 8. (Facebook)
• If you need help paying for college, fill out the FAFSA also known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Find out more about the free online application from the city of Phoenix. (Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you tomorrow morning for your next update.

— Caitlin Sievers

About me: I'm a passionate writer and photographer who worked as a reporter and editor for various publications in the Midwest before landing in Phoenix. I have seven roommates. Four of them are cats. Contact me at caitlin.sievers@patch.com with story ideas and feedback.