Posts by hdcoadmin
Governor still wins, analysis shows
Emily Heffter and Mike Carter of The Seattle Times, with help from Cheryl Phillips, Justin Mayo, Jonathan Martin and Nick Perry, analyzed lists of voters claimed by both Washington political parties to contain the names of felons who voted improperly in the state’s gubernatorial election last year. Using a method proposed by Republicans, the paper…
Read MoreMercury levels in fish may mean more advisories
Mike Dunne of The (Baton Rouge, La.) Advocate uses state date on fish containing “action levels” of mercury to “show that about 19 lakes and streams in Louisiana may need advisories to warn pregnant women and children under 7 to limit their fish consumption.” Last year the state offered to test residents who ate fish…
Read MoreIndiana bridges failing in comparison to Illinois bridges
The Northwest Indiana Times analyzed federal inspection records for 771 elevated road bridges in Lake and Porter counties (Ind.). They found “that as of 2003, 27 percent were either structurally deficient or unable to accommodate rising traffic loads because of size constraints or outdated design.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2003 bridge…
Read MoreN.C. judges influenced by local lawyers
Ames Alexander of The Charlotte Observer, working with database editor Ted Mellnik, investigated the relationship between lawyers and judges in the North Carolina’s judicial district that is most lenient on drinking and driving. “District judges there acquitted suspects in more than 87 percent of the DWI trials in which they rendered a verdict. Statewide, the…
Read MoreState senator makes big bucks with bank
Craig R. McCoy, Jennifer Lin and Mario F. Cattabiani of The Philadelphia Inquirer detailed the relationship between state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo and the bank he heads, finding that “PSB Bancorp Inc. has served one man especially well: its chairman, Sen. Fumo. The bank paid Fumo $709,800 last year. For a few years, it provided…
Read MoreMany to blame for social programs mess
Karen Augé of The Denver Post used state records to show that “nearly every agency, contractor and department that touched the state’s new $200 million computer benefits system in some way contributed to its debacle.” Colorado’s new system was a year late when it came online last fall, and the contractor and state officials have…
Read MoreDomestic violence cases dropped despite attorney general order
Rick Brundrett of The State continued the paper’s investigation in South Carolina domestic violence cases, finding that “more than a third of the most serious criminal domestic violence cases statewide have been dropped in the four years since South Carolina’s attorney general ordered prosecutors not to drop any unless absolutely necessary.” That amounts to nearly…
Read MoreThousands erasing convictions due to murky law
Jason Riley and Kay Stewart of The (Louisville) Courier-Journal used Kentucky court records to show that “thousands of Kentuckians are erasing their arrests and convictions every year by taking advantage of expungement laws that make it cheap and easy to bury their past mistakes.” Variances in the process and the lack of a tracking systems…
Read MoreExtreme speeders get off easy
Scott Powers of The Orlando Sentinel used county traffic ticket data to show that “last year Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Orange County deputies and police ticketed 342 high rollers for driving at least 100 mph.” Those who are caught typically are young, white men and many were traveling on the Central Florida GreeneWay. “And though…
Read MoreReview finds hundreds of deficient bridges in Utah
Lee Davidson of The Deseret Morning News used federal data to review deficient bridges in Utah. “Federal data, based on state inspections, show that 256 bridges in Utah were considered structurally deficient in 2004. Another 250 were functionally obsolete.” Despite the high number of deficiencies, Utah’s bridges are rated Ninth best among states, federal data…
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