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Matt Haag from The Dallas Morning News reports that several schools (most in southern Dallas) in the Independent School District (ISD) have halted their construction projects. One school, Pearl C. Anderson, already paid $400,000 for renovations before the construction was called off, said District spokesman Jon Dahlander. But he said some of the money went…
Read MoreLearn data visualization during a one-day workshop presented by IRE and The Society for News Design. Sarah Cohen, Jaimi Dowdell and Derek Willis will lead the hands-on workshop that’ll take attendees from soup-to-nuts in data manipulation and visualization. We’ll start off teaching where to find public data, how to clean, organize and prepare it, including some Excel training,…
Read MoreBrian McVicar from The Muskegon Chronicle investigates the thousands of food code violations that were reported from 2007-2010 in Muskegon County, Michigan (an area with the population size of about 174,000 according to Muskegon County’s website http://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/). However, restaurants aren’t the only ones skirting the law, “Schools, hospitals, and food stands found in places such as Michigan’s…
Read MoreFox 9 News in Minneapolis, MN went undercover to investigate the claim that some veterinary clinics are vaccinating pets too often. Jeff Baillon reports on what can happen to your dog if you listen to your vet and vaccinate for rabies every two years, instead of the vaccine’s intended 1 or 3 year dose. The…
Read MorePam Louwagie, of The Star-Tribune in Minneapolis, reports on the devastating results of “designer” drug use. These legal substances are marketed online as “herbal incense” and “bath salts,” which seem like a safer alternative to street drugs. However, Louwagie points out that all over the country teens and adults alike are experiencing some terrifyingly dangerous…
Read MoreIn 2002, farmers in two Colorado counties experienced a devastating drought but because of shares held in a “century-old irrigation company,” were told they would be able to “keep their coveted their irrigation water.” However, nine years later, the farmers are still facing dry land and looming financial ruin. In this investigation by theDenver Post, reporters…
Read MoreRestraint training for teachers who deal with unruly students has become a bigger need than ever in some California counties, reports the Bay Citizen. Negative “behavioral episodes in California schools more than doubled to 21,076 between the 2005-6 and 2009-10 school years, according to California Department of Education figures.” Instances of the restraint or seclusion…
Read MoreIn today’s story on dangers in the workplace, John Ryan covers hospitals and emergency rooms. “Most of us face little risk of being assaulted while we’re on the job. But if you’re a cop, a convenience store clerk or a cab driver, your line of work can quickly turn violent. The same is true for…
Read MoreThe Social Security Administration each month falsely reports that nearly 1,200 living Americans have died. These clerical errors, found in a federal database ominously titled the “Death Master File,” might be darkly humorous — evoking Mark Twain’s famous quip that death reports can be greatly exaggerated — were not the consequences so severe. Thomas Hargrove…
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