🌱 Patch AM: How one Anchorage 6th-grader became a statewide heart health ambassador

Hey hey Anchorage! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How one Anchorage 6th-grader became a statewide heart health ambassador
• Could Anchorage classrooms face a teachers’ strike by mid-February?
• Why Mat-Su just hit pause on Eagle River’s break from Anchorage

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 6 and low of -1 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
• Saturday: Mostly sunny and very cold, temps: high: 8, low: -2.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and very cold, with a high of 3 and low of -6 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Anchorage 6th-grader turns heart condition into mission to help others (alaskasnewssource.com) — An Anchorage sixth-grader, Kayden Santiago-Iverson, is turning his battle with a serious congenital heart condition into a mission to help classmates protect their hearts. Recently named an American Heart Association Youth Heart Ambassador for Alaska, he’s using his story, surgeries, and humor to encourage healthier habits and offer hope to other local families facing heart issues.
   

2. Anchorage teachers protest on street corners as contract dispute continues (alaskasnewssource.com) — Anchorage teachers are rallying at major intersections as stalled contract talks with the Anchorage School District raise the possibility of a strike as soon as mid-February. Union leaders say low pay is driving hundreds of educators out of Anchorage and Alaska each year, increasing class sizes and straining local schools while both sides post competing proposals online.
   

3. Mat-Su Assembly considers, postpones talks on annexing Eagle River, Chugiak (alaskabeacon.com) — Mat-Su officials have shelved a proposal to formally explore annexing Eagle River and Chugiak, leaving those communities’ future relationship with the Municipality of Anchorage unresolved. The move sidelines the “Annex Now” effort while a separate Eaglexit proposal to break away from Anchorage entirely awaits a key state boundary commission decision and faces warnings about potentially steep financial costs.
   

4. An Anchorage fentanyl activist told the president the drug should be classified as a WMD. Now it is. (adn.com) — An Anchorage clinical psychologist who lost her son to fentanyl in an Anchorage parking lot recently pressed President Trump at the White House to classify the drug as a weapon of mass destruction. Within two weeks, Trump signed an executive order doing just that, though experts say the real-world impact of the designation remains uncertain.
   

5. Seward man died by homicide at the Anchorage jail last year, lawsuit says (adn.com) — A wrongful death lawsuit claims a Seward man who died at the Anchorage Correctional Complex in 2024 was the victim of a homicide, despite earlier state statements suggesting no foul play. His family says they’ve been stonewalled by investigators, even as troopers still call the Anchorage in-custody death suspicious and overall deaths in state custody continue to climb.
   

📸 Around Anchorage

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🗓 Events Nearby

Friday December 19

• Preschool Storytime
  Valdez Consortium Library , 212 Fairbanks PO Box 609 , Valdez
  11:15 am
• 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
• 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
• 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

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

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• West Berlin on Mt View is closing on December 31 as the original owner died :( .
  I love their pretzels, beers, n Sauerkraut Balls, rahmschnitzel, and dark beers. Their staff, awesome customer service. Give them some business… (Nextdoor Abbott Loop South)
• I live near the old Lake Hood Elementary School.
  This is the 2nd night I have fed a fluffy black cat. S/he might be staying under my back deck. Don't know if it has a collar, just saw it for a few… (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!

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