Up To Date

KCUR Remembers One Of Its Best, Reporter Aviva Okeson-Haberman, Dead At 24

By Steve Kraske,

Published April 26, 2021 at 12:33 PM CDT

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042421_cm_AvivA — Aviva Okerson-Haberman reports during a visit from then-Attorney General William Barr at the Federal Courthouse in 2020.

Only two years out of journalism school and Okeson-Haberman had already made a name for herself as a thoughtful, aggressive and compassionate reporter.

She died Sunday after suffering a gunshot wound at her Kansas City apartment. "She was relentless in the pursuit of the truth," Lisa Rodriguez says. "We talk a lot in journalism about holding people in power accountable and she was absolutely dedicated to that. And not just because she wanted to stick it to the man. Because she knew that government was responsible for the wellbeing of its citizens."

Lisa Rodriguez, news director at KCUR
Peggy Lowe, investigative reporter at KCUR

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Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Danie Alexander

As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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