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ALASKA: Rise in HIV Cases Traced to Military M4M Online Hookups

A sharp rise in HIV infections around Fairbanks, Alaska has been traced to military men finding sex partners via online hookup sites "like Adam4Adam and Craigslist," according to public health data reported in the Army Times.

The outbreak involves nine cases between Jan. 1, 2011, and Jan. 31, 2012. ... From 2007 through 2010, the number of HIV cases reported in the Fairbanks area was fairly stable at two to four a year, so "this is a very unusual spike," said Susan Jones, a state epidemiology official.

Of the nine people infected in 2011, eight were men who had sex with other men, according to the agency. Seven were either in the Army in Fairbanks or had sexual partners in the military. Most were young. Four were under the age of 20. Seven of the men reported meeting sex partners online.

And:

Last summer, epidemiology workers traveled to Fairbanks to interview the people involved and found that many of them had used websites like Craigslist and Adam2Adam to locate what she described as "anonymous" sex partners in the Fairbanks and Fort Wainwright area.

Sex-seeking Internet sites have been a major conduit for high-risk sex linked to STD infection in the Lower 48, Jones said. This is the only major outbreak associated with them in Alaska she knows of, she said.

The military requires HIV testing of active duty soldiers every two years. That's in addition to mandatory testing before and after deployments. Troops that seroconvert can continue on active duty but cannot serve overseas. The Navy has generally had higher seroconversion rates than other service branches.

In previous years, there were anecdotal reports from HIV+ troops across the military who complained that results of HIV contact tracing and public health investigations were used to dismiss them under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Car Veers Out of Control, Pedestrian Killed at Alaska Pride Parade

PHOTOS: BENT ALASKA and ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS

Saturday's gay pride parade in Anchorage was canceled after the convertible carrying the grand marshal careened out of control and fatally struck a man, reports KTUU. The freak accident happened only minutes after the parade started at 11AM.

Police say James L Crump, 50, of Anchorage, died after he was struck by a 1971 Triumph Stag convertible, which was carrying grand marshal of the Pridefest Parade Doug Frank. The driver of the vehicle, Edith Baily, 70, of Eagle River and Frank were unharmed.

Police officers who were nearby at the time of the accident attempted to revive Crump using CPR, but he was declared deceased at the scene, according to an Anchorage Police press release. "As I understand, the vehicle hit him and continued on," said Anchorage Police Department spokesperson Lt. Dave Parker. "I don't know if there was a mechanical problem or not."

Parade organizers promptly canceled the parade and directed parade goers to the Delaney Park Strip, where festivities continued in a subdued manner.

Crump was a public health nurse "employed by the City of Anchorage and "a member of our community who had attended the local [Metropolitan Community Church]," reports eyewitness Mel Green, who blogs at Bent Alaska. "The driver, Edie, was a straight ally who also was associated with MCC."

The accident was apparently caused by an inexperienced driver, according to eyewitness accounts at the Alaska Dispatch. "The driver of parade grand marshal Doug Frank's convertible did not know how to operate the car's stick-shift. A witness called it an 'irresponsible"'decision that left a woman dead and ruined a day of celebration for Alaska's queer communities."

The AP and Alaska Daily News initially incorrectly reported the victim as female. Those reports have since been retracted.

Former GOP Sen. Ted Stevens Reported Dead in Plane Crash

Alaska's former veteran Republican Sen. Ted Stevens was aboard a plane that crashed last night in Alaska. Nine people apparently were on board and five were killed.

There are conflicting reports about Stevens' status. Reuters reports Stevens as dead. A former aide and longtime family friend also told KTUU the senator was killed but later retracted this.

The NTSB says the small aircraft crashed near Dillingham late Monday, reports VOA. Rescue crews are having trouble reaching the crash site because of severe weather conditions. Former National Aeronautics and Space Administration head Sean O’Keefe was also aboard the plane.

Ted Stevens served in the Senate from 1968 to 2008, making him the longest-serving Republican senator in history. The octogenatrian boasted a rabidly homophobic record: Stevens earned  0% rating from the Human Rights Campaign, opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act  and voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006 and even opposed the Matthew Shepard Act in 2007.

Stevens was defeated in 2008 following his conviction for corruption. The conviction was later overturned because of misconduct by federal prosecutors. Of note: Stevens survived a 1978 plane crash that killed his first wife.

UPDATE: The Republican National Committee has emailed a condolence statement by Chairman Michael Steele.