Here is a News 6 mashup of top stories for the week of Sept. 13, 2021, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

The Commissary: Can It Save You Money?

You may have noticed your bill is a little higher number as you check out at the grocery store. Military Times investigated if you can really fight food inflation by shopping at the Commissary. Here’s a quick breakdown of what they found:

First of all, “the cost of food at grocery stores and supermarkets rose overall about 2.6 percent, according to the Consumer Price Index.” These numbers increased in categories across the board, however, the highest price increase was 5.9% for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs. The Commissary experienced price increases from suppliers at a similar rate as civilian markets.

While the Commissary has faced similar supply chain increases, where it sets itself ahead of the competition is in labor costs. Military Times said that civilian grocery stores have faced increased labor costs which get tacked onto the bottom line of a grocery bill, while the Commissary has been able to keep labor costs consistent because it’s funded by tax dollars.

Additionally, the Commissary has been working with industry partners to fuel a new campaign, “Come Home to Savings, Shop Your Local Commissary,” where “more daily, weekend, and seasonal savings” are being offered. 

Commissaries are required to “sustain an overall patron savings of 23.7 percent against local market basket averages.” Bottom line: shopping at the Commissary might help you save!

Free Spay and Neuter Services for Military Pet Owners

VCA Animal Hospitals and Dogs on Deployment have partnered to offer free spaying and neutering services for pets who belong to service members, veterans, and first-responders. Limited spaces are available across the country, and you can register at participating VCA Animal Hospitals. 

Afghan Artist Goes Viral

Sara Rahmani, a civil engineering student and Special Immigrant Visa recipient who lives in California, created a work of art that has gone viral, reported CNN. The portrait is of a young Afghan girl. The image is primarily grayscale, but a wide swath of color, like a ray of sunshine, strikes through the center of an image to convey 20 years of freedom from the Taliban’s oppression. The art is rich with imagery; colors from the Afghan flag and section of a green headscarf, as Rahmani described, “the color of peace, joy and happiness for Afghans . . . It’s a blue sky full of peace, sunny days, happiness and the birds flying instead of army airplanes.”

This Week in History

We’re celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month which officially kicks off on Sept. 15. National Hispanic Heritage Month traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.