For one Alaska city, it's not rain, sleet or snow that's slowing mail delivery. It's a broken postal sorting machine that has forced officials to fly letters and packages more than 200 miles away to be separated and flown back for delivery.
That has left Ketchikan residents to complain about mail getting delivered up to five days late.
The U.S. Postal Service spokesman Ernie Swanson says Ketchikan's sorting equipment gave out and it's not practical to replace it right now. The decision to ship the letters to Juneau has raised concerns among local and state officials.
U.S. Sen. Mark Begich is calling on the agency to review its decision. Swanson says the agency believes it can still provide customers with a good level of service under the current arrangement.