What does it take to have a YouTube video go viral? A woman from Unalaska discovered one recipe this week.

KUCB’s Alexandra Gutierrez reports on the unlikely Internet stardom of resident Pam Aus.

An oil spill slowed traffic on Broadway Avenue yesterday afternoon. Windy weather blew a heating fuel tank off its pedestal and into the roadway. Homeowner Anavilla Alfonzo says she was enjoying a day off when she heard a loud crash.

“It just scared the hell out of me because I was thinking the roof fell or something because I’ve seen that on the news in Anchorage – there’s so much snow that the roof fell.”

A couple of local businesses are making moves to service bigger boats, a positive indicator for the city’s marine industries.

The Kloosterboer cold storage facility recently filed a permit request with the Army Corps of Engineers build a 350-foot dock that would provide additional berthing for large vessels. While there are no known historical or archeological sites near the worksite, Kloosterboer will still have to go through a consultation with a number of state bodies because it’s within the Fort Mears National Historic Landmark area and because the site is within range of sea otters, Steller’s eiders, and Steller sea lions.

Council decided during their Tuesday night meeting to fund a study of alternative energy sources. It’s been ten years since the last study and in the interim fuel costs have risen and technology has changed. Currently the city runs on diesel generators but the study will look at tidal, wave, wind, geothermal and liquid natural gas. Council awarded the $47,000 contract to the Maine-based Financial Engineering Company. FEC will do a cost-benefit analysis of the various potential energy sources and present the results to council later this year.

The Coast Guard was busy in the Bering Sea Thursday, medevacing two fishermen in separate incidents involving cardiac distress.  

Late Wednesday night, the Coast Guard received a call that a 52-year-old man aboard the pollock catcher-processor Arctic Storm was in distress.  The cutter Alex Haley launched its Dolphin helicopter, which intercepted the 314-foot vessel about 63 miles north of Cold Bay.

The Alaska Shield drill meant a busy weekend for Unalaska's emergency responders. They faced simulations involving power outages, extreme cold, and -- yes -- even a potential axe murderer at sea.

KUCB's Alexandra Gutierrez has this story.

Icy conditions on Friday contributed to three motor vehicle accidents and thousands of dollars worth of damage.

The first accident took place on Friday afternoon at the intersection of Airport Beach Road and Safety Way, in sight of the Department of Public Safety building. According to Deputy Chief Mike Holman, a vehicle was traveling at around 25 miles per hour down an icy slope when the driver lost control. It then hit another car, which had been stopped and waiting to turn. While the crash only resulted in minor injuries, it caused about $4000 worth of damage to the two vehicles. The driver was cited for driving to fast for the road conditions.

For the past couple of weeks, the Unalaska Department of Public Works has had to deal with snow, wind, ice, and rain. Now, they’re battling avalanches.

According to City Manager Chris Hladick, snow began sliding into the landfill in the early afternoon. At about 1pm, the crew was struggling with the accumulation.

“They couldn’t keep up with cleaning them up, so they decided to shut it down,” says Hladick.

The Unalaska Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is focusing its attention in 2012 on increasing ferry and cruise ship traffic.

The ferry brought just over 800 people to Unalaska during last year’s summer season, which CVB Director Alyssa Sensky says is an increase from previous years.  Since 2010 the ferry has been making two runs a month out to Unalaska, which Sensky says helps generate traffic.  She’s hoping 2012 will be even busier.