Posts by hdcoadmin
Qualifications of some D.C. special ed teachers called into question
An inspection by the U.S. Department of Education revealed that “D.C. school administrators can
Read MoreMarine life jeopardized by record crop sizes
A report by Kent Garber of U.S News & World Report shows that U.S. farming policy, which is leading to record crop sizes, is having a negative impact on marine life. With more land being planted, more chemicals are leaching from fertilizers and passing on to streams and rivers creating vast “dead zones” in areas…
Read MoreTaken for a ride
An investigation by reporter Larry Lebowitz of The Miami Herald shows that local taxpayers were promised massive improvements to the county’s mass transit system when they approved a sales tax six years ago, yet those promises have not been fulfilled. Local leaders have already spent half the money on routine maintenance, 1,000 new jobs, and…
Read MoreOvertime a strain on workers, county budgets
Mary Beth Pfeiffer and John Ferro of the Poughkeepsie Journal compiled a two-part report examining overtime at the Dutchess and Ulster county governments. The report found correction officers and deputies at the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office earned $3.9 million in overtime in 2007 – a 21 percent increase from 2006 at a time when the…
Read MoreRequirements sacrificed in selection of new rescue helicopter
An investigation by Michael Fabey of Aerospace Daily and Defense Report delves into the selection process of the Boeing HH-47 (CSAR-X), the U.S Air Force’s replacement for its Combat Search and Rescue helicopter. Interviews with experts and the review of extensive documents revealed “how the acquisition was skewed in favor of certain helicopters from the…
Read MoreUtility fund lines pockets at customers’ expense
Michelle Breidenbach and Tim Knauss, of The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.), examined the previously undisclosed accounting of the National Grid fund, a little-known fund run by the power company. It spent $25 million of its customers’ money on economic development projects — including image-making and branding, parties and promotion, and such gimmicks as a local public-TV…
Read MoreBorrowed Time
An investigative series by The Columbus Dispatch analyzed the impact of the subprime mortgage crisis in central Ohio, as well as the future impact to the region. “A wave of foreclosures during recent years has pushed property values downward for the first time in decades,” the Dispatch analysis found.
Read MoreHouse of pain
Cary Spivak and Daniel Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel detailed how a motley collection of individuals and firms made money off one suspicious real estate deal in which a learning disabled man ended up buying a run-down inner city home. The newspaper hired a handwriting expert who determined that signatures may have been forged…
Read MoreToxic Neighbors
A Dallas Morning News investigation has found dozens of sites with hazardous chemicals that are in close proximity to residential neighborhoods. It is a problem throughout Dallas County. In some cases, plants and warehouses are within blocks — and even across the street — from homes, apartment complexes, and schools. Of the over 900 sites…
Read MoreFinding the Fallen
A series by The Boston Globe explores the efforts of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), a program launched by the Pentagon in 2003 to aid in the recovery of MIAs from foreign wars. During WWII, over 2,000 Americans were lost over Papua New Guinea. The Globe details the work being done there to bring…
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