AC rushes to refill shelves as weather, maintenance plagues cargo carriers

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The Alaska Commercial Company (AC) is revamping its shipping plans this winter as a combination of severe weather and high seasonal demand has caused disruptions in Nome and nearby communities.

AC President Kyle Hill said the conditions have led to product shortages, delayed freight and increased spoilage — prompting both short-term action and long-term changes to the company’s supply chain.

“This year was particularly bad over the past month or two, from a weather perspective,” Hill said. “In those temperatures some food was freezing on the tarmac here [in Anchorage] when it was getting loaded onto a plane, or freezing in Nome when it came off the plane, which is a constant challenge.”

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Nome council moves to issue new taxicab permits

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The Nome Common Council voted unanimously Monday night to reject a proposed ordinance that would’ve repealed the city’s taxicab and motorbus licensing requirements. Instead, the council approved a motion to reissue 11 taxicab permits through a public lottery.

The move comes as Nome’s sole taxicab operator, Nome Checker Cab, ceased operations at the end of 2025. Nome City Clerk Dan Grimmer said at the meeting that Checker Cab’s licenses expired and that he had not fielded an application to renew them as of the Jan. 12 meeting. 

The vote followed more than an hour of public testimony and council debate over Ordinance O-26-01-01, which would have eliminated regulations governing taxi vehicle permits, including requirements for insurance, inspection, and identification, while retaining chauffeur licensing requirements. 

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Korean delegation visits Nome, tours port facilities

image from: https://knom.org/2026/01/07/korean-delegation-visits-nome-tours-port-facilities/

The mayor of South Korea’s second-largest city visited Nome Tuesday to discuss opportunities for international cooperation on Arctic infrastructure and trade.

Mayor Park Heong-joon was accompanied by over a dozen people, including an interpreter, delegates from the Korean Consulate in Anchorage and two South Korean media outlets. 

The day before the Nome visit, Heong-joon met with Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance to sign a Friendship City" agreement with Alaska’s most populous city. He also met with Governor Mike Dunleavy, an interaction Heong-joon described as “very excellent”.

“This visit will be a good opportunity for promoting our cooperation and the working new projects,” Heong-joon said of his interaction with Gov. Dunleavy. 

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Nome-Beltz student in custody after bringing firearm to school

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A male student at Nome-Beltz Middle High School was taken into custody Tuesday morning after bringing an unloaded firearm to campus, according to Nome Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Burgess.

In a letter addressed to the community of Nome, Burgess said the incident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. after students alerted school administrators that another student had brought a firearm to school. The Nome Police Department was contacted immediately and two officers responded to the scene.

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