Alaska

Alaska Airlines Backtracks on Clearing 737 Max 9s

Published

2 years ago

January 7, 2024

Alaska Airlines Backtracks on Clearing 737 Max 9s

Alaska Airlines had to take a step backward Sunday in returning its 65 737 Max 9 aircraft to service after hearing from the Federal Aviation Administration. The airline inspected and put 18 of the planes back online Saturday, a day after part of the fuselage blew out during one of its flights over Oregon. But the FAA issued a notice that the planes might require more work, the AP reports. “These aircraft have now also been pulled from service until details about possible additional maintenance work are confirmed with the FAA,” the airline said in a statement Sunday. Other developments involve:

The missing piece: The FAA has asked for the public’s help locating the “plug door” and other pieces that fell off the plane Friday, per CNN. Radar data indicates they fell in Washington County, about seven miles west of Portland, near Barnes Road and Highway 217. Jennifer Homendy, National Transportation Safety Board chair, said the door could help investigators understand the cause of the problem. “If it’s sitting in somebody’s backyard, I would like to see it,” she said.
Close calls: No one was sitting in the two seats next to the door, 26A and 26B. Homendy said the back of the seat on 26A and the headrests on 25A and 26A disappeared in the sudden depressurization. The door blew out before the plane reached cruising altitude, so passengers weren’t walking about the cabin. “A mist or cloud whooshed past me that kind of hit me in the face,” said a passenger who was a few rows away, per CNN. “There were people much closer who I spoke with who lost AirPods out of their ears.” The plane landed safely in Portland after cutting the trip short.
Travel plans: United, which had about 8,000 flights scheduled with the MAX 9 this month, canceled 270 of them over the weekend, per the Wall Street Journal. Alaska, the second-heaviest user, had about 5,000. The airlines said they’ll contact passengers whose upcoming flights may be affected by the fleet’s grounding. The usual offer is another itinerary or a refund. Alaska said its Seattle to Houston flights in time for Monday’s college football national championship game between the University of Washington and the University of Michigan were still on. (Read more Alaska Airlines stories.)

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Alaska

Polar bear undergoes root canal at Alaska Zoo

Published

11 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Polar bear undergoes root canal at Alaska Zoo

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (InvestigateTV) — Staff at the Alaska Zoo performed a root canal on one of its polar bears after the bear broke a canine tooth.

Kova, 4, shares an enclosure with another polar bear named Cranbeary. The two have toys, treats and a large pool where Kova likes to take her morning swim.

Curator Sam Lavin noticed something was wrong when Kova’s behavior changed.

“Kova is a very interactive and busy bear and she just seemed kind of off. She was pawing at her mouth a little bit,” Lavin said.

Lavin suspected a tooth issue and asked Kova to open her mouth for a closer look.

“We could see that she had broken one of her canines and there’s any number of ways she could have done that,” Lavin said.

An X-ray confirmed the diagnosis. Zoo staff consulted with a veterinary specialist outside Alaska, sent the X-rays and received advice on how to proceed.

“We went with a local doctor to do the work,” Lavin said.

An endodontist who normally operates on humans was part of the large team that performed the root canal on the fully sedated 450-pound bear.

“Everybody knew ahead of time what their role was and what to do and where to be and it was so well planned out and everybody worked so well together,” Lavin said.

The procedure went smoothly.

“She feels so much better,” Lavin said.

The zoo said Kova quickly recovered and is back with her playmate Cranbeary.

Alaska

Alaska disability advocates praise progress and push for more at state Capitol

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24 hours ago

March 23, 2026

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Alaska

West Valley’s Jayden Miranda named Gatorade Alaska Boys Basketball Player of the Year

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

West Valley’s Jayden Miranda named Gatorade Alaska Boys Basketball Player of the Year

West Valley Wolfpack junior guard Jayden Miranda looks to pass the ball during a 56-38 loss to the Forest Wildcats from Ocala, Florida during the opening round of the Alaska Airlines Classic at West Anchorage High School on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Bill Roth / ADN)

Junior Jayden Miranda on Friday became the latest player from West Valley High School to be named Gatorade Alaska Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“It feels good and it was definitely one of the goals that I had to check off my checklist,” he said. “I woke up, and I didn’t know. My coach told me, and it was just excitement in my heart. My heart was beating and I was just smiling.”

Miranda led the Wolfpack boys basketball team to a Mid Alaska Conference championship and the No. 1 seed at the 2026 ASAA 4A state tournament.

The 5-foot-11 guard also helped lead West Valley to a 22-4 record, and through 23 games, he averaged 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists as well as shooting 51.8% from the floor and 39.7% from the perimeter.

“Miranda is a great kid on and off the court — gets good grades and never gets in trouble,” North Pole head coach Travis Church said in a statement. “Looking around 4A, I don’t see anyone who would measure up. He’s the best player on the best team in the state. It’s hard for me to imagine going with anyone else.”

Miranda is the second player from the program to receive the award. The first was two-time recipient Stewart Erhart, who was honored in back-to-back years from 2022-23.

The award acknowledges a student-athlete’s athletic achievement, and also recognizes outstanding academic excellence and exceptional character displayed on and off the court.

Miranda maintained a 3.36 GPA and volunteered locally with the Fairbanks Community Food Bank, donated time as a youth basketball coach and is a practiced artist who has also taken multiple cooking classes in high school.

He and the top-seeded Wolfpack fell short of advancing to the finals Friday after losing 59-52 to fifth-seeded South Anchorage.

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