The Observer joined the Innocence Project and other groups in asking a Texas judge to stop local officials from destroying a hair they say could exonerate a man executed for murder, Reuters reports. Claude Jones was put to death by lethal injection in 2000, when President George W. Bush was governor of Texas. "If the state of Texas did execute an innocent man, the people of Texas deserve to know what was done in their name," executive editor Jake Bernstein says. "This case begs for further examination."

Continue ReadingTexas Observer Moves to Preserve Evidence in Case of Executed Man

As a newcomer to the state, new Anchorage Press publisher Bingo Barnes thought that a column modeled after Gustavo Arellano's syndicated "Ask a Mexican!," written by an Alaska Native writer, could work at the paper. Apparently, the former Boise Weekly owner and publisher was wrong. He posted the ad on Craigslist and then went on a week's vacation. "I anticipated some resistance to the idea, but I mainly expected to hear from candidates interested in writing such a column," Barnes writes. "Upon my return to the digital world, I was shocked to see what chaos I had unleashed." The Press no longer has any plans to run an "Ask an Eskimo" column.
MORE: Check out the local TV news reaction:

Continue ReadingProposed ‘Ask an Eskimo’ Column Causes a Stir in Alaska

Palo Alto Sports Online went live on Friday as part of Palo Alto Online, the Weekly's community-based website. The interactive site will feature heavy use of video and databases to further extend the citizen journalism concepts being explored on Palo Alto Online. "Our local sports community is passionate and tech-savvy, and we are excited about providing a rich and interactive way to report on sports in the Palo Alto area," publisher Bill Johnson says.

Continue ReadingPalo Alto Weekly Launches Interactive Local Sports Site