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Village plans fundraisers for slain state troopers

By WTOP Staff

TANANA, Alaska (AP) — Residents of the small village where two Alaska State Troopers were gunned down are coping with the unwanted attention but trying to move forward.

“A lot of people have a lot of feelings about what has happened,” said Therese Achton, school superintendent and principal of the Maudrey J. Sommer School in Tanana. Forty-one students attend, including the younger brother of the man charged in the shooting.

“The majority of the people I know have expressed solemn regret for what happened to the troopers. . They’ve been here in the school playing basketball; they’re part of our community,” Achton told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/1uJFgfk ).

A Fairbanks grand jury Thursday indicted Nathanial “Satch” Kangas, 20, on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths May 1 of Sgt. Scott Johnson and Trooper Gabe Rich, who were assigned to rural law enforcement in 23 remote communities. They were part of a multiagency basketball team that took on teams of village students as an outreach effort and usually lost.

The officers had flown to Tanana to arrest Kangas’ father. A village public safety officer had reported that Arvin Kangas had driven without a license and pointed a rifle at him.

Johnson and Rich contacted Arvin Kangas, and as he tried to go into his home, they struggled. Nathanial Kangas emerged with an assault rifle and fired seven shots into the backs of the troopers, according to investigators.

Nathanial Kangas was taken into custody by the village officer, but other troopers, including a Special Emergency Response Team, poured in to the village to arrest Arvin Kangas. He was indicted Thursday on charges of evidence tampering and hindering prosecution.

The community 130 miles west of Fairbanks near the confluence of the Yukon and Tanana rivers has since seen a rotation of troopers and village public safety officers. Many of the 240 residents offer sympathy for the loss of the officers and gifts of food. Fairbanks-based Sgt. Jody Potts said she’s eaten so much pie, she’s gaining weight.

“One of my main goals is just to have, especially kids, humanize us,” Potts said. “I’ve been here playing with the kids. Especially after the SERT team was here a lot of kids are scared of law enforcement.”

James Hoelscher, a village public safety officer from Hooper Bay, flew in from more than 500 miles away to help in Tanana. He wore a badge with a black sash to honor the fallen officers. Residents stopped to talk in front of the community store and offer condolences.

“Everyone I’ve met so far has been real friendly,” he told them. “I appreciate your kind words. All of you guys.”

Villagers organized a cakewalk and basketball tournament to raise money for the officers’ families. Students signed cards that will be presented at the memorial service Saturday in Fairbanks. Tanana’s two churches are organizing a memorial gathering and bell ringing Saturday on the banks of the Yukon River at about the same time as the service.

Achton on Wednesday was trying to pull together a graduation ceremony for the school’s three seniors. She was awaiting a shipment of helium for balloons. All three seniors are boys, she said — and they’ve not been as been as helpful with decorating as graduating classes with girls.

___

Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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