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Housing officials' travel outpaces similar agencies

Tracy Jordan and Matt Assad of The (Allentown, Pa.) Morning Call used local records to find that "officials at the Easton Housing Authority, the smallest of the Lehigh Valley's three city agencies that provide housing to the poor, took 23 trips or junkets and spent more of the public's money on travel in 18 months than their Allentown and Bethlehem counterparts combined." The paper examined hundreds of pages of documents covering travel in 2002 and 2003. "Easton officials were the only ones issued credit cards to pay for hotel rooms and other travel expenses. They did not always submit receipts when they returned or reimburse the authority if they extended their stay beyond the duration of the conference."

Schools, libraries get windfall as tax disputes settled

Steve Lackmeyer of The Oklahoman found that millions in taxes paid in protest by Oklahoma County residents remained in escrow accounts for as much as 25 years, prompting officials to put together documentation on the accounts. "Until a few years ago, residents only needed to notify the county they were paying taxes under protest for the money to be put into escrow, which kept the money from schools, libraries and local government until the dispute was settled." Many of the cases were settled or dismissed, which means that county schools and libraries will be getting as much as $7 million this summer from the accounts.

More children placed in adult psychiatric wards

Liam McDougall of Glasgow, Scotland's Sunday Herald found that a year after doctors raised concerns, "the number of vulnerable children being placed in adult psychiatric wards has increased to record levels in Scotland." The paper found 144 youths under 18 in such facilities; 28 were less than 16 years old. "Doctors say that among those sent to the units were boys in need of treatment for schizophrenia or autism, and girls who were self-harming after being sexually abused."

Slow wheels of justice costing Ohio county millions

Timothy Heider and Scott Hiaasen of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer report that "Cuyahoga County's court system is wasting millions of dollars a year in unnecessary jail costs by making thousands of inmates wait months to be indicted or brought to trial." The costs include renting space in other jails and the county's high rate of cases that last more than six months. "Records show that more than half of the jail's $57 million annual budget is spent housing prisoners ... who have not yet been convicted of anything."

Kerry's wife worth more than previously thought

Ralph Vartabedian of the Los Angeles Times analyzed various public records to estimate that the fortune of Teresa Heinz Kerry could be twice as much as previous reports. "Heinz Kerry's investments, worth an estimated $500 million in 1995, have grown over the last nine years to $1 billion or more, even accounting for large living expenses and charitable contributions, according to an analysis of Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Senate financial disclosure reports, probate documents and other public records." The paper's analysis produced a range of $900 million to $3.2 billion for Heinz Kerry's worth.

Restaurant re-inspections double in Reno

Jim Sloan of the Reno Gazette-Journal reports on a database of restaurant inspections built by the newspaper from paper filings in Washoe County. One of the main findings was that "the number of times inspectors returned to facilities to ensure that potentially health-threatening problems were corrected doubled last year, from 119 in 2002 to 249." The paper had published inspection results since 1998, but county officials said they did not have the resources to compile the information and analyze it. So the paper, which had been typing in reports, combined them into a single database. "All 3,811 inspection reports have been posted on RGJ.com and can now be searched for free."

Wealthy schools win championships

Erik Brady and MaryJo Sylwester of USA Today built a database of high school sports champions in 27 states, finding that "public schools in the wealthiest neighborhoods win state team championships at more than twice the rate of schools in the least wealthy neighborhoods." The analysis included 5 "core" sports for boys and 5 for girls and used championships between January 1999 and December 2003 for all divisions. Using Census data, the paper ranked the schools using the 2003 median income based on school district boundaries, as well as the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. "Only in Rhode Island did schools in the least wealthy neighborhoods win state championships at a greater rate than in wealthy ones, USA Today found. Louisiana, Vermont and Alabama were the only states where schools from the least wealthy areas won almost as many state championships as the schools in wealthy ones."

Most Ariz. charter schools won't release information

Daryl James of the East Valley Tribune requested salary information on the principals of 81 charter schools, but "about two-thirds either ignored the requests or declined to grant access." Arizona state law defines charter schools as "public schools" and most receive state funding, but only 28 of the 81 schools provided the salary details requested. "Mission Montessori Academy in Scottsdale said it did not have to allow inspection of its records because salary information could be found on the Internet. The school declined to say where."

Omaha area losing money on assessments

Paul Goodsell of the Omaha World-Herald used local property data to find that "one-third of Douglas County homes are valued significantly below market value. From the century-old, two-story frame houses in the midtown Cathedral neighborhood to the 1980s split-levels in Brookhaven in southwest Omaha, it's easy to find homeowners with tax bills at least 20 percent below their fair share." County appraisal officials passed over a number of homes in 2004, and have set a goal of current valuations by 2006. The typical house in Douglas County was assessed at 85 percent of its sale price, while homes in neighboring Sarpy County were assessed at 91.5 percent.

Vegas home robberies most common in poor areas

J.M. Kalil of the Las Vegas Review-Journal used local crime data to study where home robberies occur in the Las Vegas area, finding that "most in the Las Vegas Valley have occurred in the poorest neighborhoods, according to a Review-Journal analysis of crime and census data. Middle-class neighborhoods farther from the valley's core have had relatively few home invasions, and exclusive master-planned communities such as Lake Las Vegas and Anthem have remained virtually untouched by the crime." Nearly 60 percent of the home invasions between 2001 and March 15, 2004, happened in just eight of the valley's zip codes. "Geographically, the eight postal zones with the most home invasions form an uninterrupted north-south swath through most of the valley's poorest residential areas, encompassing the Strip corridor, running through downtown Las Vegas and continuing into the neighborhoods west of Nellis Air Force Base."

Accused priests relocate, often with church's help

Reese Dunklin, Brendan M. Case, Brooks Egerton and Andrew Fa'asau of The Dallas Morning News spent a year tracking Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing children, finding that "from Africa to Latin America to Europe to Asia, these priests have started new lives in unsuspecting communities, often with the help of church officials. They are leading parishes, teaching and continuing to work in settings that bring them into contact with children, despite church claims to the contrary." The first story focuses on the Rev. Frank Klep, a convicted child molester and Australian priest who was sent in 1998 to Samoa, where "Australian police can't touch him now because their country has no extradition treaty with Samoa." A second piece reports that "a prominent candidate to succeed Pope John Paul II recently sheltered a priest who is an admitted child molester and now an international fugitive." The paper has posted a timeline and other resources on its site.

Payday lenders take advantage of little regulation

Jim Rankin and Nicole MacIntyre of the Toronto Star spent three months investigating the payday loan industry in Toronto, finding a mix of practices and charges that show how "erratic" the industry is in Canada. "With no government or licensing body to answer to, payday lenders charge a confusing assortment of interest and fees... Most of the 12 Toronto payday lenders sampled had different names for their fees and different prices for their loans. One company, Payroll Loans, referred to the extra charges as a 'brokerage' fee. Wage garnishment forms, which state payments can be taken off paycheques if a customer defaults, were required in nearly every store. Never mind that they are technically unenforceable. In Ontario, only credit unions and Revenue Canada can use such a tool. All other creditors would have to get a garnishment order from the courts." The series includes several stories on the loan companies and their customers.

City residents must go farther for cheap groceries

Sharon Smith and Joan Concilio of the York Daily Record used Census data and mapping software to pinpoint the location of grocery stores in the area, finding that "when it comes to supermarkets, 1.2 grocery stores exist for each of the county's 10,000 residents. In York, the rate of grocery stores per 10,000 residents is 0.24." The city has many more convenience stores than does the county, meaning that many city residents have to travel further to shop, especially for cheaper prices. Concilio wrote a detailed explanation of the paper's methodology.

In Utah, molestors usually related or known to victims

Elizabeth Neff and Stephen Hunt of the Salt Lake Tribune used five years' of state data on sexual abuse cases to find that "perpetrators were classified as blood relatives, adoptive parents or stepparents 43 percent of the time. In an equal number of cases, the perpetrator, though unrelated, was known to the victim." Only a small fraction of reported abuse cases involve complete strangers, making it difficult at times to prosecute the crime. That often leads to plea bargains: "A Tribune review found that last year, 78 percent of adult defendants charged in Utah with child sex crimes pleaded guilty in exchange for charge reductions, dismissal of some charges or sentencing recommendations. "

Fla. contractor's workers have been violent

Carol Marbin Miller of The Miami Herald used inspector general reports from Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice to show that a private company that manages youth corrections camps has been plagued by incidents of excessive force. "Premier officials have suspended or fired employees numerous times for abusing inmates. A worker in Crestview was fired in September 2000 for throwing a chair at a boy's head. A worker at the Southern Glades Youth Camp in Florida City was fired in October 2000 for punching a teen in the ribs. And a worker was fired after punching a teen who was trying to hide under a bed at Polk Correctional last June." Other violent acts, including headbutting and choking, have gone unpunished. The company has a $35 million state contract this year.

Public records audit shows 47 percent compliance in Ohio

Ohio media outlets joined with the University of Dayton and Ohio University to conduct a public records audit in the state in April, finding that "employees in city halls, police stations and school boards across Ohio followed state law only half the time when asked for public documents." Other stories detail public employees' lack of understanding of the law and the penchant of county seat governments to deny public records. Some state lawmakers promised action in response to the audit: "It would be my hope that the public becomes outraged. These are the people's records. These records were paid for with tax dollars," said House Judiciary Chairman Scott Oelslager, R-Canton. The Plain Dealer's Tom O'Hara and Tom Gaumer led the effort, while the data collection and analysis was done by David Knox of the Akron Beacon-Journal.

Former meth houses making children sick

David Steves of The (Eugene) Register-Guard used Oregon's public records law to explore houses declared by the state as drug manufacturing facilities but still being rented to unsuspecting tenants. The paper found 358 sites that mostly were used to make methamphetamines but weren't fully cleaned before being rented out, despite a state law requiring decontamination. The story focuses on one property where several children fell ill after moving in: "Among the 358 properties on the state's list of contaminated methamphetamine properties, only three other sites have gone longer without being cleaned up."

Steep increase in Philly-area home values

Alan J. Heavens and Rose Ciotta of The Philadelphia Inquirer analyzed home sales in the area to find a dramatic increase in prices during the past five years: "of the 354 towns with reported residential sales, nearly all saw some increase in median prices, and 307 — or 87 percent — saw double-digit increases, after adjusting for inflation." The number of million-dollar home sales jumped from 177 to 738; more than half were at the Jersey shore. The paper also placed a searchable database of home sales on its Web site.

Campaign donors earn millions in no-bid contracts

Joe Donohue and Jeff Whalen of The (Newark) Star-Ledger used state data to find that "Democratic campaign contributors earned $604 million through no-bid contracts from the state's biggest authorities during Gov. James E. McGreevey's first two years in office." Those donors gave more than $10 million to New Jersey Democrats since 2000, against less than $1 million to Republicans.

Parking records used to evaluate judges' hours

Andrea Weigl of The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer, taking a page from The Kansas City Star, analyzed parking records from the Wake Superior Court, finding that "five of six Superior Court judges and nine of 16 District Court judges averaged fewer than 40 hours a week at the courthouse." One judge's average work day consists of 6 hours and 14 minutes, including a 90-minute lunch break. "The judges say the hours don't reflect the time they spend working at home and outside the office attending community events. Besides, they say, courthouse hours may not be the best way to measure how well they do their jobs." The paper studied 6,500 records from the judges' parking garage spanning April 23, 2003 to Oct. 31, 2003.

Developer gets contracts despite bad checks to politicians

Ted Rohrlich and Ralph Frammolino of the Los Angeles Times reviewed legal and campaign records to find that subsidized housing developer Christopher Hammond continues to get government contracts despite his habit of writing bad checks to Los Angeles politicians. "A review of court and campaign records and interviews by the Times turned up three dozen instances in which he or his companies bounced checks from 1999 through 2003 totaling more than $200,000. A majority of those were written in 2001, when Hammond said he became overextended. Three times, Hammond agreed to settle lawsuits over bad debts, only to bounce the settlement checks." Hammond and his primary company, Capital Vision Equities, owe more than half a million in unpaid federal and state taxes dating back 15 years.

Price of waterfront homes skyrocketing

Matthew Waite of the St. Petersburg Times studied housing prices in Pinellas County, finding that "since 1998, the median price of waterfront homes and condos in Pinellas has increased more than twice as fast as real estate off the water." The typical price of a waterfront home in Pinellas is more than $500,000, an increase of 136 percent in six years. Condo sales also have boomed during the same period, even for non-waterfront properties.

Dealer selling cars for double book value

Andrew Wolfson of the Louisville Courier-Journal investigated the practices of a popular local car dealer, analyzing 20 recent sales. The paper "found the vehicles sold for nearly twice their book value — amounts that one industry expert called 'outrageous' and another 'grossly overpriced.'" The dealer, a J.D. Byrider franchise, sold the most cars in the chain last year, but its critics say it overcharges customers for high-mileage vehicles. "During the past five years, it was the subject of nearly twice as many complaints to the attorney general's office as the next 10 largest local used-car dealers combined, and nearly three times as many Better Business Bureau complaints as those dealers together."

Houston-area police use dangerous tactics

Lise Olsen and Roma Khanna of the Houston Chronicle used local records on police shootings to find that "Harris County sheriff's deputies have shot 22 shoplifters, speeders, innocent people and others since 1999 by firing on vehicles in violation of the deputies' own training." Six people were killed in such incidents, and 19 of the 22 were unarmed. "In at least seven cases, the deputies deliberately placed themselves in danger by stepping in front of a suspect's car or truck and then firing in self-defense — a tactic considered foolish and dangerous by police agencies nationwide."

Oil, gas leases on federal land concentrated among few

David Pace of The Associated Press analyzed records from the Department of Interior to find that "a single New Mexico family and a dozen big oil companies, including one once headed by Commerce Secretary Don Evans, now control one-quarter of all federal lands leased for oil and gas development in the continental United States despite a law intended to prevent such concentration." The federal government agency in charge of overseeing such property gave permits even though it knew that several of the firms were in violation of the law. "The government can cancel leases held by companies that exceed the cap. Agency officials acknowledge they have never done that nor denied a company's request for more time to comply." The list of top oil and gas lease holders is included.

Mentally ill children being jailed in Georgia

Jane O. Hansen of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution used state juvenile justice data to find that "of nearly 29,000 Georgia children locked up every year, as many as half have a diagnosed psychological problem ... Many wind up in jail or prison because families can't find help from the state's fragmented mental health system, or don't even recognize their children are mentally ill." Under pressure from the federal government, the state has added more staff to help with mental health issues.

Offenders remain on probation after breaking rules

Curtis Krueger, Richard Raeke, Dong-Phuong Nguyen and Constance Humburg of the St. Petersburg Times report that "hundreds of violent offenders in Florida are still on probation even after repeatedly breaking the rules." Using Department of Corrections data, the paper shows that the murder of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia by a man on probation was not an isolated case: "A total of 426 people with at least one violent offense in their past were accused of violating their probation five or more times between July 2001 and January 2004."

Contractors contribute millions to campaigns

The Asbury Park Press investigates how local contractors are winning no-bid government jobs by funneling millions of dollars to the campaigns of elected officials. Investigations Editor Paul D'Ambrosio and Projects Reporter James W. Prado Roberts looked at billions of dollars in government contracts and hundreds of thousands of political contributors over several years. Among the paper's findings was that "more than half of the estimated $61 million raised by political committees for last year's legislative and county elections came from companies and law firms."

Accidental chemical release could sicken thousands

James Bruggers and Gregory A. Hall of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., used public records to determine the possible effects of toxic releases from dozens of plants in the area. "The newspaper's analysis of the risk-management plans for area companies found 33 reporting worst-case scenarios that could expose people to harmful concentrations of chemical vapors" in the six counties. Another story looks at public access to such data, noting that " Security fears compete with accountability." (Note: IRE and NICAR now offer the Toxic Release Inventory, information about on- and off-site releases of chemicals and other waste management activities reported annually by industries, including federal facilities.)

Tenn. tornado sirens leave gaps in coverage

Ian Demsky of The Tennessean plotted the locations of tornado sirens in the Nashville area, finding that the alarms "don't reach many parts of Davidson County, leaving gaps that people might not realize exist." The paper examined areas within a mile of the 70 sirens, which are supposed to carry between a half-mile and a mile and a half. "A map of the siren locations shows that the county's central area has the greatest concentration, and areas such as Bellevue and Joelton have less coverage."

Flaws, violations could destroy Space Station and occupants

John Kelly and Todd Halvorson of Florida Today reviewed thousands of NASA safety documents to find that "NASA keeps flying crews on the International Space Station despite more than 800 known flaws and safety violations, some of which could destroy the outpost or kill its occupants." The errors are some of the same things that led to the 1986 Challenger accident and destruction of the Columbia in 2003.

Number of Ohioans lining up for donated food on the rise

Alan Johnson, Catherine Candisky and Jonathan Riskind of The Columbus Dispatch spent a week with people who line up for donated food in Ohio. "In that one week, from April 26 to May 1, the number of Ohioans served by food pantries statewide — more than 150,000 — would have filled Ohio Stadium one and a half times. Nearly 2 million pounds of food were distributed — enough to fill 70 tractor-trailers. The number of people seeking help at food pantries statewide has risen three straight years." The paper's seven-day series, Lines of Despair, documents how hunger has reached into suburbs as well as cities.

Speeders attend traffic school repeatedly

Nancy Amons of WSMV-Nashville reports that people cited for speeding and other traffic violations are attending traffic school repeatedly to keep their violations from appearing on their driving record. Amons reports that in four years there were "607 people who'd been to Metro traffic schools more than three times each." One driver had been to traffic school seven times in a little more than a year.

Data reveals excessive water use in Utah

Brent Israelsen of the Salt Lake Tribune used data from the Salt Lake City Public Utilities Department to compile a list of the top water users in the area, finding that Ronald Gunnell's sprawling estate used 7.1 million gallons last year. "That's enough water to fill Steiner Aquatic Center's Olympic-sized swimming pool 16 times, and it's roughly 21 times the water used by a typical Utah family." It was the third year that Gunnell, an insurance executive, has topped the list. Eight of the top 12 reduced their usage after officials asked consumers to help fight the effects of drought in the state. NBA star Karl Malone's home in the area used more than 3.3 million gallons.

Disaster funds pay for sand, signs, bike paths

Gilbert M. Gaul of The Washington Post obtained Federal Emergency Management Agency records on money given to towns after Hurricane Isabel last fall, finding that "dozens of wealthy beach towns and coastal communities turned to the federal agency after Isabel and received tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded disaster relief. The bulk of the money was used to clear debris and pay for emergency workers' overtime. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, however, were used to repair flagpoles, signs, bike paths and ball fields. And, in what some environmental groups and regulators say is a troubling development, the federal agency is paying for an estimated $15 million worth of sand." The Post got the records through a Freedom of Information Act request.