Workplace
Refinery warned about dangerous ventilation stack
Dina Cappiello and Anne Belli of the Houston Chronicle obtained OSHA data on the British Petroleum refinery that exploded March 23. They found that the refinery had been fined and warned about the ventilation stack and given ideas on how to make it safer in 1992. “To correct the problem, OSHA recommended that Amoco reconfigure…
Read MoreDot com insiders made millions, while investors lost
Reporters Sharon Pian Chan and David Heath of The Seattle Times used unsealed documents successfully won in state and federal lawsuits to investigate Infospace’s rise and downfall. At its peak, Infospace was worth over $31 million, but a bad investment on a Canadian wireless investment and questionable business dealings led to the eventual collapse of…
Read MoreHelicopter problems put crew members at risk
Michael Fabey of the Savannah Morning News used Coast Guard data to find that “Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter engines continue to lose power, threatening the lives of pilots and crew members. There were 423 incidents of power failure in the helicopters in the fleet between Aug. 4, 1985, and Sept. 30, 2004.” Air Station…
Read MoreSerious workplace violation fines low
Marc Chase of The (Northwest Indiana) Times used OSHA data to investigate workplace safety violations. They found “that fines at or below the minimum are the rule, not the exception, in cases involving what OSHA considers serious violations. The average fine from 1991 to 2003 was $862.74 per serious violation, $637.26 less than the minimum…
Read MoreLand deals raise nepotism concerns
J.M. Kalil of the Las Vegas Review-Journal used local property records to find that the grandson of a former Las Vegas mayor has been able to quickly profit from land deals that may have involved inaccurate appraisals. Scott Gragson “has obtained a total of 104 parcels in 20 land exchanges with the county. In each…
Read MoreComplaints high for Florida repair shop
Jim Schoettler of The Florida Times-Union used state records to show that auto repair shops in Northeast Florida were the subject of nearly 600 complaints since 1999. “Hundreds more are fielded by local agencies and the courts, while countless others are reported to the shops. No one knows how many people who suspect they’ve been…
Read MoreTeacher pay rising faster than inflation
Kurt Rogahn of The (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) Gazette found that teacher pay “is increasing at rates better than inflation, despite warnings from the state’s leading teacher organization that Iowa’s average teacher pay hasn’t kept pace with inflation.” One researcher says the numbers show pay has gone up quite a bit, though the averages say it…
Read MoreConsulting work pays big for former employees
Brett J. Blackledge of The Birmingham News used state records to show that Alabama’s Department of Human Resources has spent millions on computer consultants, including payments to former agency employees who left DHR only to return for consulting work. “The agency responsible for helping needy children and families now is facing questions from federal officials…
Read MoreGoogle staff contributions favor Democrats
Jim Hopkins from USA Today looked into campaign contributions by employees for Google Inc. and found that most of the money donated by employees is going to the Democrats. “Google employees gave $207,650 to federal candidates for last year’s elections, up from just $250 in 2000 when it was still a start-up.” Neither party has…
Read MoreFOI investigation finds most comply, but not entirely
Mark Chellgren of the Associated Press reported on an investigation led by the Kentucky Press Association and the Associated Press into “whether public offices are allowing citizens to view government documents. The investigation “showed most are obeying the state’s Open Records Act, but compliance is not uniform.” The results were mixed, varying from a smile…
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