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Man Charged With Double Homicide, Sexually Assaulting 2-Year-Old
The Associated Press
A man who has been charged with killing an elderly Anchorage couple and sexually assaulting their 2-year-old great-granddaughter is a registered sex offender.
On Saturday, authorities say 24 year old Jerry Andrew Active broke into the home of 71-year-old Touch Chea and his 73-year-old wife Sorn Sreap, killing them with blunt force. He was still inside the residence when their grandson and his wife arrived. The couple tried to detain him but he fled. Anchorage police said the man was arrested Saturday night as he fled the east Anchorage homicide scene dressed only in boxer shorts and socks
Active was convicted of breaking into a home and assaulting an 11-year-old girl four years ago near Dillingham, while her family slept. Active was also convicted of fighting members of that family.
The Anchorage Daily News reported Monday that Active was charged with violating his probation this spring but it’s not clear what kind of correctional supervision he was under.
Yukon River Causing Flooding In Galena
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
The Yukon river is flooding in Galena as an ice jam at a notorious bend called Bishop’s Rock is keeping water high near Galena.
Kulluk Hearing Resumes Tuesday
Steve Heimel, APRN – Anchorage
The Coast Guard probe of the grounding of the drilling rig Kulluk resumes tomorrow after running through last Saturday with questioning of a Shell executive, who explained the lines of authority during multiple over-lapping vacations in their Alaska office at the same time that a tax deadline was approaching and a critical marine operation was beginning.
New Book Explores Lost Legacy Of Harry Karstens, Stuck Expedition
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
One-hundred years ago today, the first expedition to summit Denali was slowly making its way up the mountain. After setting out from Fairbanks in mid-March, the four man team finally topped out on North America’s tallest peak on June 7, 1913. It’s often called the Stuck Expedition, after Hudson Stuck, the man who organized it. But a new book tells the story of the man who led the expedition to the top. Harry Karstens was a determined sled dog mail carrier with no previous climbing experience.
Tom Walker is the author of the book, called “The Seventymile Kid: The Lost Legacy of Harry Karstens and the First Ascent of Mount McKinley.” He relies on a previously undiscovered diary of one of the expedition members and an important missing section of Hudson Stuck’s journal to reveal a new version of the historic climb. Walker says Hudson Stuck badgered Karstens to climb Denali with him until he finally agreed to the 1913 expedition.
UAF Says Tuition, Research Funding Unlikely To Offset Rising Costs
Emily Schwing, KUAC – Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks says tuition and research funding are unlikely to increase enough in the coming year to offset rising costs. In a memo, Vice Chancellor Pat Pitney says UAF will face significant budget issues in fiscal year 2014, starting July first. Pitney says those issue are manageable through increasing non-state revenue and decreasing spending. UAF’s leadership is also soliciting ideas from faculty and staff who are invited to submit suggestions to an online suggestion box.
KHAR Format Change Irks Listeners
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
It seems there is one more casualty in the media wars. Anchorage’s old time music station, KHAR went through an abrupt, and unannounced, program format change early this month, much to the chagrin of its loyal listeners. The incident only serves to highlight the realities of a rapidly changing industry and the challenges posed by tough economic times.
Haines Celebrates Alaska’s Craft Beer Culture
Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau
Alaska has one of the most vibrant beer scenes in the country. Despite its small population, it has more breweries than denser states like Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina, and Kentucky. Every year, most of Alaska’s breweries descend on tiny Haines for their annual brew fest. This year, they celebrated their 21st birthday, and had their highest turnout yet.
