Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: What will Anchorage’s expanded Real Time Crime Center actually do?
Coming up on the Anchorage Patch calendar: Candlelight - Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
Hello again Anchorage! We're bringing you the latest town highlights. Don't miss out, keep going! ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- What will Anchorage's expanded Real Time Crime Center actually do?
- How a Tozier Track land swap could reshape housing in Anchorage
- How tough is Anchorage's FireOps 101 firefighter-for-a-day training?
Also on today's calendar: Candlelight: Tribute to ABBA & More and 7 more events.
Today's riddle: What has 2 arms and a neck but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 64 and low of 50 degrees.
- Friday: Mostly cloudy, temps: high: 63, low: 53.
- Saturday: An a.m. shower; mostly cloudy, with a high of 65 and low of 49 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Anchorage Assembly approves police crime center buildout without additional surveillance protections in place (adn.com) — Anchorage's Assembly has approved a $600,000 contract to expand the police department's Real Time Crime Center on Elmore Road, despite some members' concerns about privacy protections. Supporters cited a reported 15% rise in local crime and the need for better camera and data capacity. Debate over stricter rules for surveillance tools continues, with a separate privacy ordinance still under consideration later this month. 
2. Anchorage proposes swapping Tozier Track for state-owned downtown lot to build more housing (adn.com) — Anchorage officials are considering swapping the mostly unused Tozier Track parcel in Midtown for a state-owned downtown parking lot known as Block 102 to spur new housing. If the Assembly approves the ordinance later this month, both sites would be developed primarily as residential units aimed at middle-income residents, potentially reshaping neighborhoods and downtown revitalization efforts.
3. CPR, fighting fire, and crawling through smoke: Reporter goes through Anchorage FireOps101 training (dailydispatch.com) — Anchorage residents got a close-up look at what local firefighters face daily through the FireOps 101 training, including CPR drills, rescues, and live-fire exercises. The Anchorage Fire Department handles about 50,000 calls a year in the Anchorage Bowl, most of them EMS-related. Instructors highlighted strong local cardiac arrest survival rates tied to rigorous training and early bystander CPR.
4. Annual Crime in Alaska report: 14.6% increase in crime reported to Anchorage police, 5.9% decrease in crime reported to Alaska State Troopers (mustreadalaska.com) — Anchorage residents are seeing a 14.6% jump in crimes reported to city police for 2025, even as overall Alaska crime has fallen sharply since 2018. State officials highlight rising violent and property crime within the Municipality of Anchorage and urge local policymakers to prioritize public safety, while Alaska State Troopers report declining crime in their areas.
5. Alumni Spotlight: John Laurance - from the lab to public health leadership in Alaska (alaska.edu) — An Anchorage-raised public health leader who helped run Alaska's COVID-19 testing program in Anchorage is now managing adolescent health initiatives statewide after earning an MPH from the University of Alaska Anchorage. His story highlights how UAA training, local lab experience, and community connections are shaping youth health programs, violence prevention, and professional leadership opportunities that ultimately affect families across Anchorage and Alaska.
📸 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!
★ Featured events ★
- Candlelight - Tribute to Fleetwood Mac →
49th State Brewing - Anchorage, 717 W 3rd Ave, Anchorage
5:30 pm
Saturday September 5
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Tennis Statewide Invitational
West High School The Alaska Club East Gym & Pool, 5201 E Tudor Rd, Anchorage, AK
8:30 am - Football JV vs South
West High School West Anchorage High School, 1700 Hillcrest Dr, Anchorage, AK 99
4:00 pm - Candlelight: Tribute to ABBA & More →
49th State Brewing - Anchorage, 717 W 3rd Ave, Anchorage
5:30 pm - Football Varsity vs South
West High School West Anchorage High School, 1700 Hillcrest Dr, Anchorage, AK 99
7:00 pm - Candlelight - Coldplay and Imagine Dragons →
49th State Brewing - Anchorage, 717 W 3rd Ave, Anchorage
7:45 pm - Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons →
49th State Brewing - Anchorage, 717 W 3rd Ave, Anchorage
7:45 pm - Labor Day holiday
Benson Secondary/S.E.A.R.C.H. Anchorage, AK 99507 - Center for Safe Alaskans Board Meeting
Center for Safe Alaskans , 4241 B Street, #100, Anchorage, AK, 99503, United States
12:00 pm - Texas Roadhouse Dine to Donate
Aquarian Charter School Anchorage, AK 99517
4:00 pm
Saturday September 5
Monday September 7
Tuesday September 8
📣 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
- Coed JV Football vs Eagle River High School
Wasilla High School 701 E Bogard Rd, Wasilla AK 99654-7193
4:00 pm - Alaska State Fair Demolition Derby →
Alaska State Fair, 2075 Glenn Hwy, Palmer
5:00 pm - Coed Varsity Football vs Eagle River High School
Wasilla High School 701 E Bogard Rd, Wasilla AK 99654-7193
7:00 pm - Homecoming Dance
Wasilla High School Palmer, AK 99645
8:00 pm
Friday September 4
Saturday September 5
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
- 👋 A neighbor did something that stuck with me, and so for Lynn Whittaker.
Last spring, I learned that my mom was dying of an inoperable brain tumor. I left the state and tried to work full time while caring for my mom… (Nextdoor Taku/Campbell) - Family fun at the fair!
This Sunday turned out to be such a great day to visit the Alaska State Fair. (Nextdoor Government Hill)
- The Odom Corporation posted a job opening for Merchandiser - Odom (Part Time) in Wasilla. Apply here.
- Circle K Stores, Inc. posted a job opening for Team Member 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: A shirt (Thank you Dianna H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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