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Report details Alaska brawl that involved Palins

By WTOP Staff

RACHEL D’ORO
Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A police report details a brawl that broke out at an Anchorage house party and involved members of Sarah Palin’s family, including allegations that Bristol Palin punched the host several times in the face.

No arrests were made, and no one wanted to press charges, according to the report released Thursday into the Sept. 6 brawl. The municipal attorney’s office also reviewed the investigation and declined to pursue charges.

Officers responded to the party late that night after a report of a fight among about 20 people outside. According to incident reports compiled by officers in the chaos of the situation, Bristol Palin, who is Sarah Palin’s daughter, punched the homeowner, Korey Klingenmeyer, several times and at one point ended up on the ground herself.

Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice-presidential nominee, also was at the party, but the reports contained no mention of her being involved in the altercation.

Palin family attorney John Tiemessen declined to comment and said the Palins also were unavailable to comment.

The Palins were celebrating Todd Palin’s birthday and arrived at the party in a white limousine, according to police.

In his report, officer John Daily wrote that when he arrived at the scene, Sarah Palin’s son Track Palin had blood around his mouth and his hands, and he appeared to have an injury under one eye. Track Palin acted belligerent at first, but his mother told him to talk to Daily, and he did.

“He said that while they were there, some guys were talking rudely to his sisters, making them cry,” Daily wrote. Track Palin also said someone “sucker-punched” a friend to the ground.

Todd Palin added that when the friend got knocked down, “everything escalated, and it was a situation they couldn’t walk away from,” Daily wrote.

Bristol Palin, who is known for her appearance on a reality show and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” told another officer that a woman had pushed Willow.

Bristol said she was headed toward the woman to confront her when the homeowner pushed her to the ground and repeatedly called her derogatory names. Bristol was not injured, according to the report.

Klingenmeyer did not immediately respond to requests from The Associated Press for comment.

However, he told an officer that Track Palin and another man came at him yelling and began throwing punches at him, and that he fought back.

Klingenmeyer had minor bruises and cuts to his face, according to the officer, who wrote that as he was speaking with the homeowner, Todd and Track Palin “began getting involved in a verbal altercation with Korey again.”

Police said officers eventually separated the crowd.

“And the Palin family ended up leaving,” officer Ruth Adolf wrote.

___

Follow Rachel D’Oro at https://twitter.com/rdoro

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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