Posts by hdcoadmin
BP oil spill relief funds buys millions in gear
An AP investigation reveals that the millions of dollars given to coastal towns affected by the massive oil spill last year is not being used for cleanup purposes. While the crisis was still unfolding, BP “poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Gulf Coast communities with few strings attached.” AP reporters found that a small…
Read More$140 million spent on faulty water projects
In this three-part series from The (Raleigh) News & Observer, reporters revealed about “$140 million has been spent on work that is failing, needs significant repair or is too far from distressed sources of drinking water.” The series discovered stream restoration projects that require “hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs.” They also found numerous…
Read MoreSix seats up for election on the IRE Board – Deadline to file and appear on absentee ballots is April 26
The filing period has begun for those planning to run for the IRE Board of Directors. Six seats on the 13-member board are up for election. The election will be held June 11 at the IRE annual conference in Orlando, Fla. The IRE Board serves as the governing body of IRE and generally meets in…
Read MoreHigh radon levels existed in Ann Arbor City Hall for more than 15 years
Reports dating back to the early 1990s indicate that top city officials were aware of high radon levels in the basement of Ann Arbor’s city hall where many police officers worked for years. Measures were put in place, however, failed to eradicate the problem. The levels of radon, which is a radioactive gas that can…
Read MoreMaui nonprofit questioned after financial review shows high amount of unspent grants
The Wailuku Main Street Association, a nonprofit organization that supports and preserves small towns, has “accumulated more than $374,000 in unspent county grants.” The organization claims that it is “frugal” practices that have allowed the buildup of unspent money. Critics of the nonprofit also question why the organization isn’t required to show receipts or documentation…
Read MoreWhite House visitor logs incomplete
An analysis by the Center for Public Integrity recently revealed that the visitor logs for the White House are incomplete. The logs are the “official record” of who stops by the White House and is “maintained by the Secret Service.” The investigation shows that the logs are missing many visitors, including celebrities, “lobbyists, government employees,…
Read MoreFree webinar to IRE members: Investigating aviation safety
From plane parts cracking to air traffic controllers snoozing, there’s plenty to investigate in the aviation industry. Join NPR’s Robert Benincasa to learn about tools that can help you better cover the ever-growing issues in the sky. Learn how to expore the web to track down an aircraft’s history, problems with particular aircraft models and…
Read MoreTeaching licensure violations ignored in Minnesota
More than 900 Minnesota teachers over the past five years violated licensing rules aimed at making sure children get a proper education, but state regulators are doing virtually nothing to enforce the rules, according to a Star Tribune investigation. The superintendent in North. St. Paul told co-workers in an email that she was “clueless” about…
Read MoreOn Shaky Ground series
A three-part investigation by California Watch uncovered “systematic failures by the state’s chief regulator of construction standards for public schools.” The series exposed lax oversight of earthquake safety certification for schools; project inspectors with poor performance records; and government rules that made it nearly impossible for schools to get the repair money they needed.
Read MoreHaiti’s reconstruction efforts reported on by Haiti Grassroots Watch
Haiti Grassroots Watch – a collaborative journalism watchdog organization – is reporting on the recovery in Haiti following the devastating 2010 earthquake. “The effort focuses on ‘watchdogging’ the aid and reconstruction from the point of view of Haiti’s majority, at the same time as it also provides historical and political context, examines structural causes and…
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