The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "Chicago suburbs" ...
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Sweetheart Deals and Criminal Ties in Cicero
This series of stories exposed millions of dollars in questionable spending and waste, tainted by insider deals and nepotism, in the town government of Cicero, an inconic Chicago suburb.
Tags: Cicero; nepotism; waste; spending; city government
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The Watchdogs
The Chicago Sun-Times runs a weekly investigative column dubbed "The Watchdogs," a chance for smaller investigative pieces to be published. 2007's entries include stories out of Chicago City Hall and the suburbs; county and state government; and the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama.
Tags: stories; documents; watchdogs; column; watchdog reporting
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Fostering Frustration
This story about foster children is a three part series. Reporters found that children in foster homes in the suburbs of Chicago moved from one foster home to another at a rate that was higher than their counterparts in other parts of the city as well as the state average. This story looks at the foster care system from the eyes of the children.
Tags: foster care; foster homes; children; Chicago children; changing foster homes; Illinois foster care system; Chicago suburbs; foster homes in Chicago suburbs
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The suburbs hidden scourge
The Daily Herald examines the quiet infiltration of heroin and "club drugs" into Chicago's western and northwestern suburbs. Their investigation found that heroin and club drugs such as ecstasy and meth were responsible for the deaths of 13 suburban teens and young adults. Parents in many of the communities were unable to spot the drug usage before it was too late; while authorities are unable to stop the flow of drugs into the suburbs because the source of many of the drugs is unknown. The series deals with how teens and young adults by and get hooked on drugs as well as the effect it has on their families. The reporters also look into the efforts being made at stopping the drug influx and how teens are rehabilitated.
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The Buses Don't Stop Here Anymore
The American Prospect looks at the deteriorating quality of mass transit in America. The reporter points to statistics that show that fewer and fewer people use public transportation. "The falloff in bus ridership, which is much steeper than that in train ridership, is directly linked to declines in bus service," the Prospect reports. The story examines how some cities have revived and expanded their transit systems and ridership despite suburban sprawl. Others have cut off transit service on all but the most cost-effective routes, thus reducing the value of the transit system.
Tags: suburbs; Chicago Transit Authority; Regional Transit Administration; urban development; commuter rail model; Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority; Boston; Seattle; Toronto; subway; trains; buses; railroads
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Faces of the Uncounted
In the spring, Chicago had the lowest rate of return on Census forms among the nation's ten biggest metros. Some blamed the laissez-faire attitude of the city's census office, which failed to make a push for returns among residents. By June, the counting rate was notably more rapid, giving rise to questions about the accuracy of the data collected. In 1990, Chicago was under-counted, missing many of the neighborhoods where services are especially crucial."
Tags: census; minorities; 2000; racial demographics; English; prison towns; suburbs; projects; Latino and immigrant populations
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State Drug Law hits City Teens, Minorities
A Chicago Reporter investigation examines race as a factor in juvenile drug cases and draws the conclusion that "the law is not applied equitably." The story focuses on a provision of the Illinois Juvenile Court Act, which "automatically transfers to adult court 15- and 16-year-olds charged with selling drugs within the so-called "safe zones 1,000 feet of a school or public housing development." Among the major findings is the fact that 99 percent of the teens charged as adults are African American or Latino, though statistics show that "nationwide, illicit drug use is slightly higher among white teenagers than Blacks or Latino." The reporter points examples of white teenagers who have never been charged with dealing or possessing drugs, even though they have been sellers and users.
Tags: FOIA; minorities; suburbs; schools; public housing; juveniles; African American; Latino; courts
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A Shelter Game
WLS-TV reports "dozens of Illinois sex offenders registered as living at just a few addresses in Chicago. The locations were all listed on the Chicago Police Department's official website. They all came back to homeless shelters. Could hundreds of registered sex offenders actually live in the same few buildings in Chicago... We found that they don't really live there and that police have no clue where they actually live. Our investigation led to where some of the registered sex offenders have moved: the suburbs, other cities, jail..."
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1999 IRE National Conference Show and Tell Tape #7
1999 IRE National Conference (Kansas City) Show and Tell Tape #7 is the seventh of a nine-part series. This tape includes: 1.) Tony Dastoli (WAGA-Atlanta) Telemarketers lying to school principals. 2.) Allison Gilbert (WWOR-UPN New York City) Pets in airplane cargo holds. 3.) Larry Yellen (WFLD-Chicago) Illegal gun sales. Guns cross county lines from suburb to city. 4.) Kathleen Johnston (WTHR-Indianapolis) "Guarding the Guardians" Millionaire heiress, Ruth Lilly, and the money being spent by her so-called caretakers. A case of fortune swindling. 5.) Dan McDonald (WBTF-?) Investigation shows how easy it is for minors to buy shotgun ammunition. Store clerks are supposed to check ID's, but only one place does it. 6.) Matthew McClure (CBC-Edmonton) ***only 5 minutes of a much longer piece*** Major restaurant chain fails to pay employees during so-called "training shifts," even though they are clearly doing all the jobs of a regular shift. 7.) Joel Grover (KCBS-Los Angeles) "Dirty Restaurants Revisited" Station uncovers inspectors bribing restaurant owners to get an A rating. The ratings system was inspired by last summer's dirty restaurant investigation.
Tags: TAPE; Kansas City; conference; no transcripts; IRE
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Police Forces Trail Suburbs in Pace of Racial Change
Study finds that many of Chicago's suburban police forces do not accurately reflect the racial population at large. In these communities, whites are overrepresented. The article maps out the areas with overrepresentation and discusses attempted remedies such as affirmative action and de-emphasizing test scores.
Tags: None