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 "Madison" ...
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Down the Hatch
The story investigates whether a powerful drug manufacturing company lied to push an antipsychotic on foster children.
Tags: Johnson & Johnson; foster children; schizophrenia; Risperdal
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"Sexting DA"
AP reporter Ryan Foley revealed that prominent Wisconsin District Attorney Ken Kratz was sending harassing text messages to female victims; women whom he was supposed to be protecting. When the sexual harassment was reported to the authorities, "legal regulators and colleagues" kept the allegations private in an attempt to protect the reputation of the DA.
Tags: DA; Ken Kratz; district attorney; Wisconsin; public records; Jim Doyle; Calumet County; Crime Victims' Rights Board; Department of Justice; Chilton; Madison
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Tax Buyers, Politicians Benefit From Tax Sales
The series uncovers abuse in the Madison County, Ill. tax collection system. The county treasurer turns a government program meant to help delinquent property owners into one that victimizes them while enriching the treasurer's wealthy campaign donors.
Tags: taxes; tax; campaign donor; tax sale; treasurer
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"Drivers Beware"
Thomas Caywood revealed that a local towing company, Falcon Recovery, was using an "undercover spotter" to keep watch on a strip mall parking lot. Just moments after motorists parked and left their cars, the spotter would call in a tow truck. Caywood also revealed that the company was "tacking on an illegal charge."
Tags: Falcon Recovery; tow trucks; strip mall; Worcester; RMV; Registry of Motor Vehicles; Madison Place; Francis R. Whitenett Jr.
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Water Worries
"This four part series found serious flaws in management of the Madison Water Utility and, as a result, troubling problems with safety of the city's water supply. The series showed that the utility's response to the contaminant manganese in the tap water of many Madison homes and the potential health impacts of exposure to the mineral was late and inadequate."
Tags: water; magnese; industrial carcinogen; aging wells; pipes; Board of Water Commissioners; Madison Water Utility
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Cry Rape: The True Story of One Woman's Harrowing Quest for Justice
Author Bill Lueders tells the story of Patty, a blind woman who was raped but had to fight for seven years to find justice. Local law enforcement in Madison, WI was so skeptical of her story that "she was charged witha crime for truthfully insisting that she was raped." Her story unfolds as a tale of her battle against society's reluctance to acknowledge her story, and of the justice system's refusal to admit it might have been wrong.
Tags: Sexual assault; rape; Madison, Wisconsin; justice system; Isthmus weekly newspaper
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Madison County: Where Asbestos Rules
The Post-Dispatch investigates the area of personal injury litigation, more specifically the boom of asbestos cases in Madison County. Asbestos litigation has become a billion-dollar industry which keeps lawyers, judges, juries, and plaintiffs in big business. The article focuses on Randall Bono, the supposed "king of asbestos litigation," and the major Democratic power he has in the court system.
Tags: Randall Bono; personal injury litigation; SimmonsCooper; mesothelioma
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A question of access
An investigation into a private, non-profit foundation run by the governor of Wisconsin's wife to furnish, decorate and maintain the governor's mansion gets its largest donations from people who lobby on issues that come before the governor and the agencies he oversees.
Tags: Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum; Wisconsin first lady Laurie McCallum; Wisconsin Executive Residence Foundation; nonprofits; Wisconsin Executive Residence; Madison; Wisconsin; ethics; lobbyists; governor's mansion
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USA Today Sprawl Index
The USA Today build its own sprawl index and reports on how different metropolitan areas score on it. According to the index, Nashville is the nation's most sprawling metropolitan area of 1 million residents or more with a score of 478. New York scores only 82, and Los Angeles scores a 78. The index is based on analysis of census data. A major finding is that a boom in population does not necessarily trigger sprawl, and that it occur when the population in a metropolitan area is shrinking. Another finding is that availability of water, geography, government and culture are the most important factors in limiting or allowing sprawl. For example, "L.A.'s expansion is narrowed by the ocean, mountains and limited water," the story reports.
Tags: CAR; Census; statistics; land development; suburbs; population density; Portland; Dayton; Madison; Database Mapping Project
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Keeping dirt in its place
Madison reports on ongoing mudding of Lake Mendota in Madison county. The story reveals that at least 44,000 tons of dirt are sloughed into the lake every year, mostly by workers on nearby residential construction sites. The displacement of soil leads to erosion, clouds the water and fills the bays with silt and clay, the magazine reports. Authorities attempt to address the issue with tougher codes and ordinances.
Tags: erosion; construction; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; conservation; developers; contractors; stormwater; housing market