A jury of seven men, five women and three alternates was picked in former Wasilla Representative Vic Kohring's public corruption trial shortly before noon. Eight of the jurors are from the Anchorage/Eagle River area. The rest are from Glennallen, Dillingham, Nikiski and Palmer.

About half of the jurors have military experience and include a retired Air Force colonel and a retired Marine Corp lance corporal. The jurors include a miner, UAA's Aviation Director, office managers, a housewife, a slope worker, a building contactor, a DOT worker and a People Mover bus driver. What is interesting is that Wasilla's first elected mayor's daughter is on this jury.

Kohring is accused of demanding and accepting at least $2,600 and a $3,000 job for a nephew from VECO CEO Bill Allen or Rick Smith, a company vice president, in exchange for his support on pipeline legislation. Prosecutors also contend Kohring solicited $17,000 to pay off a credit card bill.

Opening statements start Tuesday afternoon.

To contact Matthew, call 907-273-3186.