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Analysis of drunken-driving arrests reveal 'ordinary people'

A team of reporters from the Detroit Free Press analyzed drunken driving arrests over a four-day period in May. They found those arrested were "... ordinary people taking ordinary chances." The project looks at drunken driving from the perspective of a defense lawyer, bartenders and a deputy, as well as offering a sample of the more-than-100 arrests. "People are stopped while heading to day care to pick up kids, after a night at a restaurant or a theater. They say they've only had a couple of drinks, but the Breathalyzer tells a different story."

Restaurant prices outpace inflation in NYC

Jennifer Steinhauer and Jo Craven McGinty of The New York Times used restaurant price information from Zagat Guides and the paper's own reviews to show that "in 1994, the average one-star meal cost $33; it now costs a little more than $50, pushing it outside many people's weekend budgets. That is a 51 percent increase, and even after adjusting for inflation, it represents an 18 percent increase." As a result, New York is losing some of the good, cheaper eateries that existed 10 years ago.

Number of highly paid transit employees triples

Mike Adamick of the Contra Costa Times used salary data obtained after a legal battle to show that "the number of BART employees making at least $100,000 nearly tripled since 2000. During the same time period, overtime payments surged by 147 percent for the transit district's highest paid employees." The transit agency originally resisted the paper's request for data, saying releasing the names and salaries of employees would be "overly intrusive." BART turned over information on employees making at least $100,000 after the paper won a similar suit against the City of Oakland.

Contribution through multiple companies help corporate donors elude limit

Ben Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution analyzed campaign contributions to Gwinnett County commission races in the past two years, finding that "thousands of dollars in donations from companies sharing common addresses and company executives that appear to violate campaign contribution limits. Among them: nine companies headed by two developers whose firms gave to former Commission Chairman Wayne Hill. The contributions, in one case, amounted to twice the donations Hill could legally collect from a single source, and in the other, nearly three times the limit." The donors involved said they were unaware that state law prohibits the practice.

Crucial errors aided courthouse shooter

Cameron McWhirter and Steve Visser of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution use public documents and interviews to identify crucial missteps that led to the March 11 attack that left three people dead at the Fulton County Courthouse. The investigation found long-standing problems including "... a sick day for a deputy who may not have been sick, a quick breakfast run, a delayed response to an emergency call, and a failure to close off fire exits." Since the shooting, security upgrades recommended by the Marshals Service have been slow to implement. Among the recommendation yet to be implemented are building new holding cells for some courtrooms, discontinuing the practice of escorting prisoners through public corridors and increasing safety and security training.

Developers have big plans for rural areas

John McCarthy of the Florida Today analyzed and mapped data from the Brevard County Property Appraiser's database to report on growth and development in Brevard County, Fla. McCarthy found that land developers in the county "plan to turn agricultural land in the far reaches of the county into upscale housing developments ..." The project includes a sidebar by Jeff Schweers about how the public can have its say on rezoning and other issues and the online version of the project includes a flyover three-dimensional map, produced by online enhancement coordinator Lee Nessel Daszuta. Assistant Managing Editor Matt Reed oversaw the project and Graphic Artist Tim Standish produced a map for the print edition based on a map McCarthy created with Arcview 9.

Youth charity fails to deliver on promise

Collins Conner and Bridget Hall Grumet of The St. Petersburg Times investigated the Florida Youth Conservation Corps, which receives a state no-bid contract to help maintain highway rights of way in exchange for providing jobs and scholarships to its young employees. "FYCC said 46 trainees got scholarships from 1999 to 2003, but none came out of FYCC's pocket. Instead - unbeknownst to state leaders who supported the program - FYCC asked Americorps to provide them. Americorps is a national work-study program funded by federal tax dollars." Although the FYCC at first said it would provide access to its spending, it later closed its books to the paper, despite the fact that all of its funding comes from government sources. The paper also found that the FYCC "sent its top staff - including St. Petersburg City Council member Jay Lasita - on all-expenses-paid trips to the Dominican Republic where FYCC sponsors a baseball team."

Private contractors pour $2.5 billion into city

L.A. Lorek of the San Antonio Express-News used federal contracts data to examine the largest military contractors in San Antonio. Lorek found the Pentagon's reliance on private companies has let to a boom for local businesses who "provide everything from oil and food to aircraft parts and weapons research." In 2003, the top 20 contractors received $2.5 billion worth of contracts, making San Antonio the second-largest military contracting city in Texas. That money went toward making canteen covers, ammunition vests, aluminum cots; meals ready to eat; developing software, building and maintaining aircraft. (Editor's Note: The Federal Procurement Data System is available to journalists from IRE and NICAR.)

Thousands of civilians risk lives running bases, protecting officials

Producers Martin Smith and Marcela Gaviria of Frontline worked with the Center for Public Integrity reporters André Verlöy and Bob Williams on "Private Warriors," a collaborative effort between Frontline, RAINMedia and the Center for Public Integrity. The documentary investigates private contractors servicing U.S. military supply lines, running U.S. military bases, and protecting U.S. diplomats and generals. "There are as many as 100,000 civilian contractors and approximately 20,000 private security forces." The investigation includes transcripts of interviews and a frequently asked questions section.

Getty chief's high compensation, management style under fire

Jason Felch, Robin Fields and Louise Roug of the Los Angeles Times investigate Getty Chief Executive Barry Munitz and his handling of the nonprofit. Declining stock markets helped in the nonprofit's two-year $1 billion loss, leading to cutbacks and layoffs. Two days following a series of layoffs the Getty paid $72,000 for an SUV for Munitz. The board of directors also approved an increase in pay for Munitz; "placing him among the highest-paid foundation chiefs, museum directors and university presidents in the nation ..." The story includes three graphics detailing the executive's compensation and perks.

City fails to enforce refuse policy

Kevin Rothstein of the Boston Herald obtained city data through public records request showing that "trash-disposal scofflaws owe Boston $3.1 million in fines dating back to 2000 ... and the Menino administration admits its toothless enforcement policies are allowing property owners to ignore the penalties and let garbage pile up citywide." Poorer neighborhoods of Boston have some of the largest problems with excess garbage.

Police deny access to records

Debra Erdley of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that police agencies in Western Pennsylvania don't always comply with the state's public records laws: "About 40 percent of 217 police agencies surveyed declined to provide access to daily call sheets or police blotters." Police usually cite ongoing investigations or confidentiality concerns when withholding access, but "the law and court rulings consistently say that the public has a right to examine police blotters or call sheets that detail the time, location and nature of daily police activities."

Lobbyists use nonprofits to finance congressional travel

Bob Williams and Stephen Henn of the Center for Public Integrity investigate lobbyists who sit on the governing boards of nonprofits. Lobbyists are not supposed to pay for congressional travel, but the investigation found "that a favored way to evade the prohibition on picking up the tab is to do so through charitable non-profits..." The investigation includes a map detailing the most popular congressional junket locations, a list of the top companies and lobbying firms, and a summary of their findings.

Problems plague state's biotech partnership

Clint Riley of The (Hackensack, N.J.) Record investigates New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey's plans to promote biotechnology in the state in a four-part series. The investigation found problems with New Jersey's partnership with the biotechnology industry. "Millions of your tax dollars have gone to companies that take valuable research, profits and jobs from New Jersey and strengthen the biotech industry elsewhere."

School crime numbers higher than reported

Liz Chandler, Peter Smolowitz, Melissa Manware and CAR specialist Adam Bell from The Charlotte Observer report on their findings that more crime in being committed in Charlotte schools than is being reported by the school district. The investigation found "1,473 crimes reported to police at schools, 631 of them violent or threatening." Compare that to "12,681 suspensions of students for violent or threatening acts. That includes 11,378 for "aggressive physical or verbal actions," ranging from verbal confrontations to serious assaults." An Observer investigation found that "CMS relies heavily on suspensions, which soared to a record 52,648 in 2004."

Private interests pay for state officials' trips

David White of The Birmingham News used state records to show that since November 2002, more than 20 state lawmakers and executive officials have taken trips paid for by private interests. "Lawmakers took trips to places such as Australia, the Bahamas and California and got tickets for the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and the Talladega Superspeedway." Reports of the trips are filed with Alabama's Ethics Commission if the cost exceeds $250 a day per person.

Calif. budget crunch doesn't affect best-paid workers

Todd Wallack of the San Francisco Chronicle uses state employee data to analyze California's highest paid workers. "Close to 2,000 state employees earned more than $132,000 last year, up from 1,021 in calendar year 2002 and 1,194 in 2003, according to data from the state controller's office." The story includes a chart and a sortable list of California's 2,000 highest paid employees.

City pays private attorneys millions

Steve Neavling of The Bay City Times has a six-part series on Bay County government spending on private attorneys. "Between 2001 and 2004, the county paid private lawyers nearly $1.13 million — more than twice the amount spent by each of four other Michigan counties with similar populations. And that does not include the more than $470,000 Bay County spent on attorneys to defend lawsuits." The paper used county billing records to show that the staffer who oversees legal work "routinely turns to outside lawyers, who charge up to $140 an hour to handle lawsuits, bankruptcy cases, property transfers and union negotiations." With a graphic showing how much outside firms were paid.

Hate crimes rise in Los Angeles school district

Naush Boghossian and Lisa M. Sodders of the Los Angeles Daily News use data from the Los Angeles Unified School District police to investigate an increase in hate crimes in the district. "Hate crimes in Los Angeles' public schools have surged more than 300 percent over the past decade..." They found that almost all of the reported hate crimes were racially motivated.

Experts cast doubt on cause

Jason Method and James W. Prado Roberts of the Asbury Park Press raised questions in the airplane death seven years ago of a pilot who was about to buy Marlboro Airport, now the center of a massive political bribery scandal. The NTSB ruled the 1998 crash death of Lino A. Fasio an accident due to a probable bird strike, but five experts who reviewed the report and new photographs of the wreckage for the Press said there is no evidence to support the government's claim. "There have been six known fatal accidents involving birds in civil aviation in the United States in the last 15 years. But in every case - except Fasio's - investigators found solid evidence of birds or bird remains." The series includes 14 chapters, ranging from a bird theory to sabotage claims.

Accident-victim law saves lives

Suzanne Hoholik of The Columbus Dispatch used state data to show that a 2002 Ohio law intended to direct accident victims to trauma hospitals was working as intended: "More injured people are being taken to trauma centers, and fewer are dying in small, rural hospitals. Trauma experts believe as many as 900 lives a year are being saved statewide." The paper found that "the number of injured patients transferred from community hospitals to trauma centers increased 22 percent from 2001 to 2004."

School fails to submit project warnings

Dave Altimari and Grace E. Merritt of The Hartford Courant obtained records showing that "at least four University of Connecticut officials were aware of problems found in a 1999 audit of a $1 billion construction program but not disclosed to state legislators. Most of those problems were never fixed, and the school failed in subsequent years to submit details of the critical report to lawmakers, who voted in 2003 to approve an additional $1.3 billion to UConn for more building projects."

Many school bus drivers have bad records

Cynthia Kopkowski of The Palm Beach Post, with assistance from William M. Hartnett and researchers Krista Pegnetter and Angelica Cortez, reviewed school bus accident data and motor vehicle records for 130 drivers to find that "nine drivers have been charged with crimes within the past 10 years or within several years of being hired. One current driver was charged with two counts of homicide and convicted of manslaughter in both cases. She was hired within five years of leaving prison. Although 10 of the drivers reviewed have clean motor vehicle records dating back to 1995, the remaining 120 accrued 190 citations within the past decade."

School police accused of profiling

David Tarrant and Paula Lavigne of The Dallas Morning News investigated allegations of racial profiling by campus police at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, finding that "police search minorities more often than Anglos after traffic stops." In addition, there have been complaints about pedestrian stops, which campus police do not keep records on. "In 2004, blacks made up 34 percent of all stops by campus police but were six times more likely to be searched following a stop than whites. Hispanics made up 14 percent of all stops but were nearly five times more likely to be searched after a stop than Anglos."

Minorities face tough discipline

Melissa Jenco of the Daily Herald analyzed Illinois education data to show that "racial disparities in discipline are not just a suburban trend. Statewide, during the 2002-03 school year, the expulsion and suspension rate for black students was three times higher than for white students. There were similar disparities for Latino students, too."

More firefighters being disciplined

Jason Kandel of the Los Angeles Daily News used documents obtained under a California Public Records Act to show that 13 Los Angeles city firefighters were disciplined for inappropriate behavior last year and nine others remain under investigation. "Last year, seven firefighters were disciplined for horseplay or hazing; two for creating a hostile work environment; one for ethnic or sexual harassment, and three for other types of inappropriate conduct. " As many as 22 firefighters, with cases pending, could be disciplined for similar behavior in 2004.

Questionable hiring practices uncovered at local police department

KING-Seattle uncovers questionable hiring practices at a new urban police department. Reporter Paul Aker found background investigations for newly hired officers were incomplete and likely flawed. They also found the officer that conducted the department's background investigations for hiring had been "suspended and reassigned" for having sex on duty at his former police department.

Meth crisis moves to Mexico

Steve Suo of The Oregonian investigates America's methamphetamine crisis, now rooted in Mexico, where drug cartels are illicitly obtaining tons of pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient needed to make the potent stimulant. "Mexico's imports of the cold medicine have vaulted from 66 tons to 224 tons in the past five years, customs records show. That's roughly double what the country needs to meet the legitimate demands of cold and allergy sufferers," an analysis by The Oregonian found. This story follows a five-part special investigation by The Oregonian titled Unnecessary Epidemic that ran in October.

Voucher system shows benefits, failures after 15 years

Alan J. Borsuk, Sarah Carr and Leonard Sykes Jr. of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigate 15 years of vouchers in Milwaukee in a seven-part series. They found that "...56% of the students enrolled at Catholic elementary schools in the city of Milwaukee participate in choice." They also discovered that it's tougher to assess the quality of a voucher school than an open one.

Congressman's sale of home to contractor questioned

Marcus Stern of the San Diego Union-Tribune investigates a defense contractor's relationship with U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and how the contractor "took a $700,000 loss on the purchase of the congressman's Del Mar house while the congressman, a member of the influential defense appropriations subcommittee, was supporting the contractor's efforts to get tens of millions of dollars in contracts from the Pentagon."

Street gun dealers go to jail, while licensed dealers get a free pass

Susan Schulman, Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck of The Buffalo News uses public records to investigate gun dealers in a four-day series. The investigation found that while street gun dealers go to jail, licensed gun merchants get a free pass. "Gun shows are a prime source of crime weapons in many states...Despite those concerns, the U.S. Justice Department shies away from gun shows and rarely prosecutes any of the 68,500 dealers licensed to sell firearms in the United States." The series includes an analysis of where the guns are exported from.

Hispanic organization evolves into a political powerhouse

Mark J. Konkol, Scott Fornek, Fran Spielman and Art Golab of the Chicago Sun-Times used local payroll and voter registration data to show the clout of Chicago's Hispanic Democratic Organization: "1,173 men and women are certified to register people to vote on HDO's behalf. And 482 of those HDO deputy registrars — or 41 percent — also have city jobs." More than 50 of them earn more than $74,000 a year from the city.

Sexual harassment claims inconsistent

Brad Schrade of the Tennessean asked state officials to provide documentation on their response to claims of sexual harassment, identified by Gov. Phil Bredesen as a problem. "When Bredesen's office becomes involved in a complaint, as it did when the governor's top lobbyist was demoted last month, notes are purposely not taken or are shredded, or case documents are not released. When other state departments handle cases, reports are generally kept on file as public records, according to a Tennessean review of available state documents. Indeed, state harassment investigators are trained to take notes and document the facts of a case."

Alternative education fails some students

The Associated Press reviewed alternative education programs in West Virginia, finding that "some children removed from class for discipline problems receive as little as two hours of instruction a week because West Virginia has no time standards for alternative education." More than 6,000 students throughout the state were enrolled in alternative programs during the last school year. In some schools, that consists of in-school suspension.

Lobbyists banking billions on no-bid contracts

Greg B. Smith of the New York Daily News used state data to show that "in the state Department of Transportation alone, lobbyists schmoozed the agency on nearly $1.3 billion in contracts in the past two years ... only a handful of these contracts were awarded competitively with sealed bids, a process that significantly restricts influence-peddling." Lobbyists are not required to detail efforts made to win government contracts for their clients.

Ex-con funds retirement with leftover campaign money

Ted Sherman of The (Newark) Star-Ledger reports on how former Essex County Executive Tom D'Alessio, after serving time on political corruption charges, converted leftover campaign funds into a non-profit foundation that helps support his retirement. "Last year, the foundation reported it gave out $37,750 in contributions of $500 or so to dozens of organizations like the March of Dimes, the United Way and the Boy Scouts. It also paid D'Alessio an $81,708 salary as executive director, leased a $45,665 Mercedes-Benz for him and purchased a $432,000 luxury condominium on Marco Island along Florida's Gulf Coast." New Jersey law permits the practice even though it bars former political candidates from simply taking leftover funds.

Bridge safety ratings drop despite high funding

Bruce Golding, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon and Dwight R. Worley of The Journal-News used state and federal data to show that "safety ratings for the Tappan Zee Bridge have dropped back to some of the lowest levels in a decade despite an infusion of at least $316 million." The span is New York's most profitable, generating about $45 million in "excess revenues" a year, but is nearing the end of its planned 50-year life. "In addition to the drops in the deck and structural ratings, federal records show the Tappan Zee's guardrails have not met acceptable standards in three of four categories since at least 1994."

Overpayments, conflict of interest plague juvenile system

The Detroit News investigates a juvenile system plagued with overpayments and conflicts of interest. Using court filings and campaign records, Joel Kurth reports on findings, which include allegations of payments for fictitious youths, relatives of some county officials benefited from contracts, more than $300,000 in overpayments to contractors and hackers accessed a computer system used to verify bills.

Private money funds legislators' trips

James R. Carroll of The (Louisville) Courier-Journal examined congressional travel records for Kentucky and Southern Indiana to show that "in a little more than nine years, the cost of privately paid trips for lawmakers in the area and their aides totaled nearly $1.5 million." Two Kentucky lawmakers have suspended such travel after the recent spate of stories disclosing details about the trips.

Driving after losing your license not uncommon

Andy Nelesen of the Green Bay Press-Gazette used county data to show that driving after losing your license (known as OAR) isn't uncommon: "In 2003 and 2004, more than 250 people racked up more than one OAR case in one year." In one extreme case, a man has been arrested for driving without a license at least 52 times since 1993.

Lack of oversight fuels fraud suspicions

Miles Moffeit of The Denver Post used purchasing and accounting records to find that "since 2001, Jefferson County employees have handled millions of dollars in transactions without competitive bidding, close supervision or contracts - and sometimes in conflict with policies." In one example, the county's technology manager made $3.7 million in equipment purchases on his credit card as part of a program to build computers from parts. "The large credit-card charges are not illegal, though in some cases they appear to have violated county policy. But the lack of review over those purchases is part of a pervasive breakdown in financial oversight involving portions of the county's $500 million budget."

Officials free gas card raises questions

Hal Marcovitz of The (Allentown) Morning Call used county records to show that Bucks County "Chief Operating Officer David M. Sanko obtains free gas at the county pumps for a county-owned 1997 Ford Explorer, which he is permitted to tank up before making 100-mile trips from the courthouse in Doylestown to his home in Harrisburg." The perk, which came as a surprise to two county commissioners, could cost taxpayers an additional $3,600 a year on top of Sanko's $139,000 annual salary.

Art collectors go untaxed in Washington

An investigation by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer found that "millions of dollars in purchases by Washington art collectors have gone untaxed, and that an agent's effort to collect that revenue was squelched by upper management at the Department of Revenue, then suspended late last year." A week after the Post-Intelligencer first reported the story, the Department of Revenue announced that it will begin to aggressively pursue art collectors who do not pay the taxes they owe on works purchased out of state.

D.C. subway system suffers from mismanagement

Lyndsey Layton and Jo Becker of The Washington Post obtained and reviewed documents and data on the performance of the DC-area subway system, finding that "trains break down 64 percent more often than they did three years ago, and the number of daily delays has nearly doubled since 2000. Although the vast majority of trains are on time, more than 14,400 subway riders a day are inconvenienced by a delay or a mechanical problem that forces them off broken trains." The second piece of a four-part series revealed that "time and again, records show, the public transit agency has disregarded the advice of experts and failed to address safety issues."

Stipend boosts school official's pay

Rosalind Rossi of the Chicago Sun-Times, with assistance from Art Golub and Dave McKinney, used Illinois state records to find that "the highest-paid public school employee in the state last year was the No. 2 person — the man in charge of finance — at a one-school district in north suburban Lincolnshire." James Hintz took home more than $300,000 in part because of an arrangement that paid him a six-figure "stipend" for health insurance that could be used for anything. The stipend also helps to boost Hintz's pension, which is based on his compensation during his final years of employment.

Schools fail to report all crime

An investigation by the Charlotte Observer has found that a lot more violent and threatening behavior takes place in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools than officials disclose in the state's public report on crime. Observer reporters Lisa Hammersly Munn, Liz Chandler, Melissa Manware and Peter Smolowitz, along with database reporter Adam Bell, used school and police records and databases to reveal thousands of incidents of crime, violence and threatening acts that the state doesn't require for its report and that aren't disclosed to parents. Also, the newspaper found that CMS failed to disclose some crimes the state report requires. The investigation includes a downloadable school violence report and school violence charts.

State homeland security problems uncovered

Bert Dalmer of The Des Moines Register reports on an analysis done by the Register using Iowa's critical-asset list. The list "has played a key part in determining how the state divides homeland-security money among Iowa's counties." They found that some "dams and schools on the list have been found not to exist." Historic buildings were left off, while "the state liquor warehouse in Ankeny, Living History Farms in Urbandale and the Danish Windmill Museum in Elk Horn" were put on the list.

Jail information system glitches kept incarcerated inmates longer

James M. O'Neill of The Dallas Morning News used documents and court records to show that Dallas County Jail's new Adult Information System has resulted in "at least 40 cases in which defendants were imprisoned too long after the launch of AIS. Some officials say the total number is far higher." The $3 million system, launched in late January, fouled up the jail's booking process for more than a week: "Lists of new inmates produced by the county's old mainframe could no longer be produced, wreaking havoc with court officials' ability to know who was in jail and to set inmates' court dates."

Flaws found in sex offender registry

Kirk Mitchell and Sean Kelly of The Denver Post investigated Colorado's system for notifying communities about sexually violent offenders, finding that "since a state law went into effect in 1999, Colorado has labeled only two men not in prison as sexually violent predators, even though more than 1,300 sex offenders met the initial criteria to be labeled predators." The state corrections department began performing evaluations only after the paper began its inquiry.

Florida wetlands vanishing

In a two-part series, Craig Pittman and Matthew Waite of the St. Petersburg Times report on the destruction of Florida wetlands. The Times analyzed satellite imagery to determine the acres of wetlands lost to urban development. Their investigation uncovered that the federal agency primarily responsible for regulating wetland in Florida failed to keep records on how many acres they were allowing to be destroyed and doesn't track projects they were requiring to make up for the destruction. "... since the policy took effect in 1990, at least 84,000 acres of Florida wetlands have disappeared..." The Times found a system that creates the illusion of environmental protection while doing little to stem the destruction. "The corps approves more permits to destroy wetlands in Florida than any other state, and allows a higher percentage of destruction in Florida than nationally." The series includes interactive graphics and a complete methodology on how the series was done and tracks how pressure from Congress is used.

Motor Vehicle Bureaus use varies

Michele McNeil of The Indianapolis Star used state data to show that "at least 30 motor vehicle license branches do as little business as those in the 12 small towns already scheduled to close." In addition, the paper found that the number of cars and trucks processed by branches fluctuates wildly. "For example, the average number of transactions handled per employee last year was 2,966 at the Virginia Avenue branch in Indianapolis, compared with an average of 9,777 at the Plainfield branch."

Tax abatements benefit downtown owners

Gregory S. Reeves of The Kansas City Star analyzed county data on tax breaks given to properties in downtown Kansas City, finding that "more than 1,700 properties in Jackson County enjoy some kind of property tax abatement," including several expensive condo buildings. Meanwhile, many residential property owners are facing double-digit increases in their assessments.

Anti-terrorism spending problems plague state

Greg Barrett of The (Baltimore) Sun reviewed thousands of pages detailing homeland security spending in Maryland, finding that while most of the $161 million since 2002 has gone to assist first responders, "Maryland is so flush with anti-terrorism grant funds and spending authority is so broad that the state has struggled, at times, to manage the money." In one case, the state used more than $17,000 to conduct an exercise in which veterinarians "rescued" a llama and walking horse "injured" in a fake attack.

More students attending four-year colleges

Rich Cholodofsky of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports on findings that more of Pennsylvania's graduating high school students are going to four-year colleges. "Within the past five school years, entering the work force, attending technical training or joining the military have fallen behind college as graduates' first option after high school, according to a Tribune-Review analysis of postgraduation reports from the 1998-99 and 2003-04 classes. "

Amnesty execs contribute maximum to Kerry

Rowan Scarborough of The Washington Times used Federal Election Commission records finding that the top leadership of Amnesty International contributed the maximum of $2,000 to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign. Amnesty International describes itself as nonpartisan. William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty USA and Joe W. "Chip" Pitts III, board chairman of Amnesty International USA, "gave the maximum $2,000 allowed by federal law to John Kerry for President."

Sexual harassment rarely reported on Oregon campuses

Alan Gustafson and Shawn Day of the Salem, Ore., Statesman Journal analyze Oregon University System's handling of sexual harassment. They found that the system lacks "data on the extent to which sexual harassment is happening on Oregon campuses." The university system also fails to inform students on the proper way to file a complaint.