City Power has condemned a hostage ordeal in Ennerdale, where three contracted electricians were held overnight by residents demanding illegal reconnections.

This is the third such attack in less than two weeks, underscoring escalating threats against personnel and critical electricity infrastructure across Johannesburg.

Visit h-doctor.club for more information.

Hostage

According to the utility, the electricians were repairing a mini‑substation in Ennerdale Extension 13 on Thursday, 25 June 2026, when community members barricaded Realgar Street with rocks, vehicles and burning tyres, preventing them from leaving.

The group demanded that power be restored to households without installed meters.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the contractors were held from about 6pm until their safe release the following morning after intervention by City Power Security Services and the JMPD.

“The incident marks the third hostage‑related attack involving City Power personnel in less than two weeks and has reinforced concerns over the growing threats facing employees, contractors and security officers performing essential work,” he said.

Lenasia

Earlier the same day, the same group blocked the entrance to the Lenasia Service Delivery Centre between 9am and 1:10pm, disrupting operations before authorities resolved the situation.

Mangena said that while the motive differed from that of recent infrastructure theft cases, the incident reflected a disturbing escalation in intimidation and unlawful conduct against personnel performing essential services.

Warnings

City Power warned that preventing technical teams from carrying out repairs not only puts lives at risk but also delays the restoration and maintenance of the electricity supply to the very communities that require assistance.

The Ennerdale ordeal follows two armed attacks on security officers at substations in the Inner City. On 21 June, suspects posing as patrol officers ambushed guards at the Observatory Substation, held them at gunpoint and stripped copper bars from the feeder board.

Days earlier, on 13 June, a guard at Braamfontein Substation was restrained and locked inside a toilet cubicle while suspects attempted to cut copper cables before fleeing.

Lives at risk

City Power Acting CEO Charles Tlouane said the incidents highlight an increasingly hostile environment.

“What we are witnessing is completely unacceptable. Whether our employees and contractors are being held hostage while restoring electricity to communities or our security officers are being attacked by criminals stealing critical infrastructure, the outcome is the same.

“Lives are placed at risk, essential services are disrupted, and communities ultimately suffer,” he said.

Patrols

To strengthen protection, City Power has increased patrols at high‑risk sites, reinforced access control and deployed additional resources.

The utility urged residents to reject intimidation and violence, and to report suspicious activity near substations, power lines and electrical installations.

Read full story at source

The Oregon Ducks defense was filled with blue-chippers at every position in 2025, ranking high in a number of statistics nationally during the regular season. As the season progressed, a handful of individuals were recognized for their successes and became known on a national level.

Visit tr-sport.click for more information.

But two stick out from the rest: defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington and cornerback Brandon Finney Jr., both of whom ranked within the top 10 of defensive players entering this fall. Washington came in first at No. 4, being ranked behind Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, and South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart.

Coming off a season in which he totaled 33 tackles, 15 pressures, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and eight pass break ups, Washington made himself into a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in his first year as a starter — if he'd declared. He opted to return to Eugene for one more season, and will be apart of a dominant front four for the Ducks.

"Coach Dan Lanning has praised Washington as an extremely explosive and powerful player, one who had to work on his competitive stamina," ESPN's Eli Lederman and Max Olsen wrote. "He made good gains last year, staying on the field for 50-plus snaps against five ranked opponents. Personnel staffers surveyed by ESPN were higher on Washington and Bear Alexander, the former USC and Georgia transfer who put together his best season in 2025, than pass rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti. But with all four returning, Oregon's veteran D-line will be a force this fall."

Finney was four spots lower, coming in at No. 8.

A four-star recruit in the 2025 class, Finney wasn't expected to command a starting role. But that's exactly what he did, racking up 42 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack. The Maryland native made some of the biggest plays of the season, including a fourth-quarter pick-six against the Indiana Hoosiers in Week 7. In the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech, he picked off two passes and forced a fumble, coming home with the game's Defensive MVP award.

"The 6-foot-2, 203-pound cover man didn't allow a catch in eight of his 15 starts and surrendered just 12 catches on 37 targets last season," Lederman and Olsen wrote. "According to ESPN Research, Finney finished with the second-best contested target rate (73%) in FBS last season. Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi trusted him enough to let him play 111 snaps in press coverage, fifth most in the Big Ten."

That trust will certainly continue in 2026 with Finney having proven to be a dominant defender worthy of ranking in the top 10 in college football.

Oregon edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and safety Koi Perich received votes for to be ranked within the top 10, but just missed the cut.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Washington, Finney named top 10 defenders in the nation in 2026

Read full story at source