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New Evidence Suggests ‘Fairbanks 4’ Are Innocent
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
Hundreds of Alaska Natives gathered outside the state court house in Fairbanks Wednesday afternoon to hear news about a murder case that’s long raised questions about whether justice was served. Four Fairbanks men, three of whom are Alaska Native, are serving long sentences for the 1997 stomping death of local teen John Hartman. The case of “the Fairbanks Four” lacked physical evidence and has been reexamined in recent years by local Native advocates and the Alaska Innocence Project. The groups say new evidence shows the jailed men are innocent.
A Week Later, Shelter Still Home For Mountain View Fire Victims
Daysha Eaton, KSKA – Anchorage
It’s been about a week since fire ripped through Glynwood Manor, a 38-unit apartment complex in the Mountain View neighborhood of Anchorage. Investigators are trying to figure out the cause. In the meantime, 32 people are still living at a Red Cross Shelter at the Fairview Recreation Center, which was supposed to close today.
Two Dead, One Missing Near Alakanuk
Angela Denning-Barnes, KYUK – Bethel
Two people are confirmed dead and a third is believed to have died in a boating incident on the Lower Yukon River near Alakanuk.
Feds Release Affordable Care Act Insurance Rates
Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage
Alaskans will be paying some of the highest premiums in the country for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Wednesday, the federal government released the first glimpse of rates on the state’s federally run health insurance marketplace, which launches next week.
Margaret Stock Named MacArthur Genius Grant Winner
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
An Anchorage immigration attorney is a MacArthur Genius grant winner. Margaret Stock was named today along with 23 other recipients across the country. The honor comes with a $625,000 award over the next five years.
Stock is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. And she’s a passionate advocate for simplifying the immigration system and makes the case that immigrants enhance national security. She says the Sept. 11 attacks might have been prevented if we had more people who spoke foreign languages in the military.
Haines Highway Progress Slows
Margaret Friedenauer, KHNS – Haines
The Haines Highway is a stretch of road north of Haines to the Canadian border and toward Alaska’s Interior. The two-lane road follows a prolific salmon river, travels through the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and crisscrosses Native cultural sites. And while a project to expand the highway has been in the works for years, a recent influx of concern about its impact on the Chilkat Valley has slowed its progress.
Tourism Pioneer Stan Stephens Dies
Tony Gorman, KCHU – Valdez
One of Alaska’s tourism pioneers passed away over the weekend. Stan Stephens was 79-years-old. He was known for his popular charter boat line that provided tours in the Prince William Sound.
