ANCHORAGE — Robert Paniyak looks back wistfully to a time more than two decades ago when he and other Alaska Native youths helped scientists capture and band geese to address declining numbers of migratory waterfowl in the state’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

ANCHORAGE — Powerful winds toppled trees onto power lines in southcentral Alaska on Monday, leaving thousands of people without electricity.

High winds overnight were caused by a front moving into the area, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Tom Pepe said wind gusts were reported ranging between 78 mph and 106 mph, but blowing much harder through narrow passes.

“With terrain-driven gusts, you basically have a real smorgasbord of ranges,” he said.

ANCHORAGE — Smoking among Alaska high school students has dramatically declined in recent years, health officials said Monday.

A spring survey found 40 percent fewer students are smoking compared to six years ago — 10.6 percent this year compared with 17.8 percent in 2007. Officials said that means only one in 10 students in the state reported smoking at least one cigarette during the past 30 days at the time of the survey.

ANCHORAGE — The Anchorage area was in the path of a strong wind storm, but weather forecasters said Monday the winds are not expected to be as severe as those in a fall storm last year that toppled thousands of trees and caused widespread power outages.

The storm expected to hit early Tuesday should bring winds gusting up to 90 mph in higher elevations and gusts up to 50 mph in lower parts of the city, according to the National Weather Service. The storm also is expected to bring up to half an inch of rain, weather service meteorologist Eddie Zingone said.