Sara Lerner

Reporter

As KUOW's morning news anchor, Sara responds to events as they unfold; from an approaching tsunami to unbearable gridlock during the Alaskan Way viaduct closure. Sara's reporting has covered a range of subjects, from the Dalai Lama's Seattle visit, to local controversies about racy coffee shops, to the ups and downs of real estate in the Puget Sound region.

In 2009, Sara was awarded a KUOW Program Venture Fund grant which supported her four–part documentary on human trafficking in Washington state. In 2008, her piece, "No More Lemon Bars For Voters," brought Sara a national award from Public Radio News Directors Incorporated. Sara continues to produce stories for NPR and radio shows like Studio 360 and Voice Of America. She joined the station in 2005.

Prior to her radio career, Sara researched cacao in the Costa Rican rainforest, worked for a Palestinian/Israeli co–existence group in Tel Aviv, and visited nearly every country in Latin America. Her interest in travel stems from the same place as her passion for reporting: an intense curiosity about the world around us and the people who inhabit it. She says her motivation as a journalist is to continue asking questions and telling stories, truthfully.

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Portland Mall Shooting
10:16 am
Wed December 12, 2012

UPDATE: Shooter Identified, Mall Shooting Victim Expected To Survive

Credit courtesy of Clackamas County Sherriff's Department.
Jacob Tyler Roberts, 22, has been identified as the gunman at the Clackamas Town Center shooting on December 11, 2012.

Two people, plus the suspected shooter, are dead after police say a gunman opened fire at a crowded shopping mall in suburban Portland Tuesday.

An ambulance took one survivor of the attack to OHSU Medical Center in Portland. The young woman is expected to survive.

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Sex Trafficking
8:57 am
Wed December 12, 2012

Washington Settles Over Failed State Sex Trafficking Law

The state of Washington will not appeal a federal court decision to strike down a new state sex trafficking law. The law would have held online websites like Backpage.com accountable for illegal ads posted on their sites.

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Recreation
12:55 pm
Wed November 21, 2012

Avalanche Deaths Inspire Safety Efforts In Backcountry Skiing And Snowboarding

As the slopes open, skiers’ and snowboarders’ giddy enthusiasm is overshadowed by an accident near Stevens Pass last season.  Three people were killed: Jim Jack, Johnny Brenan and Chris Rudolph.  They were caught in an avalanche in the nearby backcountry — the wilderness just outside the Stevens Pass ski resort, unmonitored by ski patrol.  Jack, Brennan and Rudolph were all well-known and experienced skiers in the Washington ski scene.

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Military
11:46 am
Fri November 9, 2012

Reporter Update: Joint Base Lewis-McChord Soldier Accused Of Massacre

Pre-trial hearings continue this evening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. He’s accused of massacring 16 civilians in Afghanistan, including nine children. Prosecutors say he left his base last March and went on an overnight five-hour killing spree.

The hearings will determine whether the case will advance to court-martial, where the government has said it plans to seek the death penalty. KUOW’s Sara Lerner spoke with Patricia Murphy, who’s covering the hearings.

Elections 2012
9:54 am
Wed November 7, 2012

Wash. Ballots Continue To Be Counted, Some Races Will Be Called Friday

Credit Ted S. Warren / AP Photo
Revelers celebrate early election returns favoring Washington state Referendum 74, which would legalize gay marriage, during a large impromptu street gathering on Capitol Hill in the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012.

This is Washington’s first presidential election after making the switch to all mail-in voting. Just over half of the ballots have been counted and many races are still undecided.  KUOW’s Sara Lerner speaks with Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed.

Elections 2012
9:44 am
Wed November 7, 2012

Many Races Still In Flux In Washington

Credit Gubatron / Flickr
Initiatives to legalize recreational use of marijuana passed in Washington and Colorado, November 6, 2012.

Many races in Washington state are yet to be decided. In the highly contested race for governor, Republican Rob McKenna is trailing Democrat Jay Inslee by about 2.5 percentage points. The same-sex marriage referendum and the charter schools initiative are also too close to call.  But the returns on the marijuana initiative are decisive: recreational use will soon be legal in Washington. 

KUOW’s Sara Lerner speaks with our political reporter Austin Jenkins.

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Environment
4:00 pm
Mon November 5, 2012

Octopus Killing Fuels Scuba Diver Activism

Credit Flickr/California Academy of Sciences
A giant Pacific octopus similar to the one that was killed recently at Cove 2 in Alki.

A scuba diving instructor recently encountered a diver who was in the process of killing an octopus at Cove 2, a popular West Seattle diving site. Photos of the incident spread online, prompting the local scuba dive community to seek marine protection status for Cove 2. 

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