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Power outage plagues Western Alaska town for days

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Power outage plagues Western Alaska town for days


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – For weeks, many residents in Manokotak have been living in the dark and cold as a generator failure left them without power in the middle of winter.

In the days since, there has been uncertainty surrounding when the lights will come back on in the small Western Alaska community.

“We need [a] new generator big enough to run community with the school. Logistics is a challenge with bringing one in,” Manokotak Mayor Melvin Andrew said. ” [The] airport’s not suitable for aircraft big enough to haul it. Another option is bringing just a motor to run the current ‘big’ generator.”

Since Dec. 13, when a generator failure left the community without reliable electricity, the city has had to alternate power to homes by switching lines on a grid, but that has resulted in frequent blackouts, sometimes lasting all day or all night, according to Andrew.

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During the first week of power issues, Andrew said many in the city had to use personal generators, while others had to seek shelter in the school, which has been turned into an emergency shelter and remains that way to date.

On Dec. 21, Manokotak passed an emergency ordinance declaring a disaster and requesting state assistance after the Alaska Energy Authority declared an emergency for Manokotak Power Company, owned and operated by Manokotak Natives, Ltd.,

State Rep. Bryce Edgmon, who represents most of Bristol Bay and the Alaska Peninsula, said will help the community to approach outside entities for help.

“You’re looking at generators that are fairly aged as well, been around a long time. You’re looking at a community having to sort of suddenly pivot and sort of go into emergency shelter mode. That’s not easy to do,” Edgmon said.

As reported by the mayor, while the city waited for aid, they have had to endure frozen pipes, lack of heat, and an inability to cook or heat homes, especially in the newer housing units with electric ranges.

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Andrew said city officials contacted the Bristol Bay Native Corporation and Bristol Bay Native Association for assistance on Dec. 22, agreeing to provide cots, blankets, food, milk, juice, and small propane bottles.

The city also started using local emergency management to check on the elderly and disabled and those known to have only electricity to heat and cook. Andrew said the community also faced challenges in getting reliable cell service on the same day.

Andrew reported that by Dec. 23, two loads of supplies donated by BBNC, BBNA Food Bank, and SAFE had arrived in the city.

Andrew also reported that the lights were still unstable, as the city tried to alternate power to homes with power in phases. A Facebook message stated that the school had counted 23 people taking shelter at the time and that community members had been donating food, coffee, and other items.

The mayor also reported that the city was preparing for a winter storm and would have to wait for the weather to lift for the initial supplies donated by BBNC, BBNA, and SAFE.

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The city was dealing with plummeting temperatures and unstable power and had only one small generator for the community, alternating a three-phase grid, Andrew said. The school was running on its own generator, but on Dec. 27, the mayor reported that its lights had also gone out.

Manokotak residents received some good news when city officials received the initial supplies they had been waiting for, as reported by the mayor. On Dec. 28, a second set of supplies from BBNC, carrying food from Anchorage, was expected to be in the city over the New Year’s weekend.

“Red Cross sent 60 cots with blankets. NAC donated transport to Dillingham [Thursday]. Expect them in Manokotak on [Dec. 30],” Andrew wrote on Thursday.

With electricity remaining stable for 30 hours in the community, things were beginning to look up by the New Year’s weekend until Andrew received a message from Alyssa Apalayak, utility manager with the Manokotak Power Company.

“[We] have not-so-great news … one of the parts was the wrong size, but Moses is going to talk with Kyler from AEA. I asked him to call him to explain what is going on and maybe discuss what we need now,” Andrew wrote.

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The mayor said city officials had to work with used parts with the uncertainty of how long they would last, another setback to what had already been a challenging ordeal.

Andrew reported Friday that the power had been on continuously for 48 hours.

While the mayor and Rep. Edgmon praised the community, city administrator Nancy George, and the regional local government specialist Cindy Roque for initiating the emergency ordinance request to the governor and banding together, the mayor says they are not out of the woods yet.

”My recommendation to them from here in Dillingham was that they look at this through the lens of sort of an immediate-term fix — which they of course are — but also a long-term fix that might involve barging up an entirely new generator or something like that, when the conditions allow for it later on this year,” Edgmon said. “And as a member of the Alaska legislature, that’s something that myself and Sen. Hoffman will be looking closely at providing that funding for.”

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Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska

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Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Up to a foot of snow has fallen in areas across Southcentral as of Tuesday, with more expected into Wednesday morning.

All sports and after-school activities — except high school basketball and hockey activities — were canceled Tuesday for the Anchorage School District. The decision was made to allow crews to clear school parking lots and manage traffic for snow removal, district officials said.

“These efforts are critical to ensuring schools can safely remain open [Wednesday],” ASD said in a statement.

The Anchorage Police Department’s accident count for the past two days shows there have been 55 car accidents since Monday, as of 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. In addition, there have been 86 vehicles in distress reported by the department.

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Snow measuring up to 17 inches deep in Anchorage, Alaska, on Jan. 6, 2026.(Alaska’s News Source)

The snowfall — which has brought up to 13 inches along areas of Turnagain Arm and 12 inches in Wasilla — is expected to continue Tuesday, according to latest forecast models. Numerous winter weather alerts are in effect, and inland areas of Southcentral could see winds up to 25 mph, with coastal areas potentially seeing winds over 45 mph.

Up to a foot or more of snow has fallen across Southcentral Alaska, with more snow expected...
Up to a foot or more of snow has fallen across Southcentral Alaska, with more snow expected through the day.(Alaska’s News Source)

Some areas of Southcentral could see more than 20 inches of snowfall by Wednesday, with the Anchorage and Eagle River Hillsides, as well as the foothills of the Talkeetna Mountain, among the areas seeing the most snowfall.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com



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Yundt Served: Formal Charges Submitted to Alaska Republican Party, Asks for Party Sanction and Censure of Senator Rob Yundt

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Yundt Served: Formal Charges Submitted to Alaska Republican Party, Asks for Party Sanction and Censure of Senator Rob Yundt


Sen. Rob Yundt

On January 3, 2026, Districts 27 and 28 of the Alaska Republican Party received formal charges against Senator Rob Yundt pursuant to Article VII of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.

According to the Alaska Republican Party Rules: “Any candidate or elected official may be sanctioned or censured for any of the following
reasons:
(a) Failure to follow the Party Platform.
(b) Engagement in any activities prohibited by or contrary to these rules or RNC Rules.
(c) Failure to carry out or perform the duties of their office.
(d) Engaging in prohibited discrimination.
(e) Forming a majority caucus in which non-Republicans are at least 1/3 or more of the
coalition.
(f) Engaging in other activities that may be reasonably assessed as bringing dishonor to
the ARP, such as commission of a serious crime.”

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Party Rules require the signatures of at least 3 registered Republican constituents for official charges to be filed. The formal charges were signed by registered Republican voters and District N constitutions Jerad McClure, Thomas W. Oels, Janice M. Norman, and Manda Gershon.

Yundt is charged with “failure to adhere and uphold the Alaska Republican Party Platform” and “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles and priorities of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.” The constituents request: “Senator Rob Yundt be provided proper notice of the charges and a full and fair opportunity to respond; and that, upon a finding by the required two-thirds (2/3) vote of the District Committees that the charges are valid, the Committees impose the maximum sanctions authorized under Article VII.”

If the Party finds Yundt guilty of the charges, Yundt may be disciplined with formal censure by the Alaska Republican Party, declaration of ineligibility for Party endorsement, withdrawal of political support, prohibition from participating in certain Party activities, and official and public declaration that Yundt’s conduct and voting record contradict the Party’s values and priorities.

Reasons for the charges are based on Yundt’s active support of House Bill 57, Senate Bill 113, and Senate Bill 92. Constituents who filed the charges argue that HB 57 opposes the Alaska Republican Party Platform by “expanding government surveillance and dramatically increasing education spending;” that SB 113 opposes the Party’s Platform by “impos[ing] new tax burdens on Alaskan consumers and small businesses;” and that SB 92 opposes the Party by “proposing a targeted 9.2% tax on major private-sector energy producer supplying natural gas to Southcentral Alaska.” Although the filed charges state that SB 92 proposes a 9.2% tax, the bill actually proposes a 9.4% tax on income from oil and gas production and transportation.

Many Alaskan conservatives have expressed frustration with Senator Yundt’s legislative decisions. Some, like Marcy Sowers, consider Yundt more like “a tax-loving social justice warrior” than a conservative.

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Pilot of Alaska flight that lost door plug over Portland sues Boeing, claims company blamed him

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Pilot of Alaska flight that lost door plug over Portland sues Boeing, claims company blamed him


The Alaska Airlines captain who piloted the Boeing 737 Max that lost a door plug over Portland two years ago is suing the plane’s manufacturer, alleging that the company has tried to shift blame to him to shield its own negligence.

The $10 million suit — filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tuesday on behalf of captain Brandon Fisher — stems from the dramatic Jan. 5, 2024 mid-air depressurization of Flight 1282, when a door plug in the 26th row flew off six minutes after take off, creating a 2-by-4-foot hole in the plane that forced Fisher and co-pilot Emily Wiprud to perform an emergency landing back at PDX.

None of the 171 passengers or six crew members on board was seriously injured, but some aviation medical experts said that the consequences could have been “catastrophic” had the incident happened at a higher altitude.

Leani Benitez-Cardona, NTSB aerospace engineer, and Matthew Fox, NTSB chief technical advisor for materials, unpacking the door plug Sunday from Alaska Airlines flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 MAX, in the materials laboratory at NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C.NTSB

Fisher’s lawsuit is the latest in a series filed against Boeing, including dozens from Flight 1282 passengers. It also names Spirit AeroSystems, a subcontractor that worked on the plane.

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The lawsuit blames the incident on quality control issues with the door plug. It argues that Boeing caught five misinstalled rivets in the panel, and that Spirit employees painted over the rivets instead of reinstalling them correctly. Boeing inspectors caught the discrepancy again, the complaint alleges, but when employees finally reopened the panel to fix the rivets, they didn’t reattach four bolts that secured the door panel.

The complaint’s allegations that Boeing employees failed to secure the bolts is in line with a National Transportation Safety Board investigation that came to the conclusion that the bolts hadn’t been replaced.



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