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Salary for leaders of San Diego Opera under scrutiny
While the San Diego Opera’s overall financial condition eroded steadily over the past five years, the compensation paid to its leader Ian Campbell and his now ex-wife increased in some of those years, topping $1 million in 2010, a review of publicly filed tax forms for the organization showed.
Read MoreWelder’s torch may have caused fire at Fort Detrick
A welder’s torch may have sparked a fire that caused $10 million in damage at the world’s largest high-security research lab, still under construction at Fort Detrick, according to a report prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Read MoreDelaware Chief Medical Examiner subject of criminal investigation
Delaware Chief Medical Examiner Richard T. Callery, who was suspended with pay on Feb. 25, is the subject of a criminal investigation into whether he misused state resources to run a private business, The News Journal has learned.
Read MoreNo funding available in Washington state for thousands of families approved for developmental disability benefits
“No funding available” may best summarize the system for residents with developmental disabilities in Washington state, where some 14,600 families determined eligible for services don’t receive any.
Read MoreBehind the Story: Battling attorneys and judges for documents
Photo credit:Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times In a season of cutbacks, Seattle Times reporter Christine Willmsen was surprised to see the state government proposing a budget increase. “I noted an add-on of an addition of over $20 million, and I thought that was odd,” Willmsen said. The budget listed a line item increase for civil commitment,…
Read MoreBehind the Story: When does an ongoing story warrant an investigation?
Photo credit:Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times (Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of our “Behind the Story” look at coverage of the Hanford nuclear reservation’s environmental issues.) Determining when an ongoing issue becomes an issue worth investigating isn’t always easy. Craig Welch, an environmental reporter for The Seattle Times who juggles topics from oceans to forests,…
Read MoreLenience in juvenile court system may have cost one woman’s life.
John Diedrich of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports on the disturbing facts of how some very violent juveniles slip through the cracks of our court system. One, Markus Evans, first encounter with the courts was when he was 7 years old, after stabbing his kindergarten teacher with a pencil. 10 years later, he is…
Read MoreWashington state bans toxic asphalt sealants.
Washington state is now the largest government in the country to ban the cancer-causing industrial waste. The asphalt sealant is used on surfaces such as driveways, parking lots, and even playgrounds. One US Representative is seeking a nationwide ban. “The Washington state legislation and Doggett’s drive for a nationwide ban flowed from studies by…
Read MoreInvestigation shows Phoenix kidnapping statistics are skewed
Using Arizona’s Open Records Law, Dave Biscobing of KNXV-TV in Phoenix recently uncovered discrepancies in kidnapping statistics used by the Phoenix Police Department to obtain more than $2 million in federal grant money. City leaders and Arizona Senator John McCain repeatedly cited the statistics, calling Phoenix the “Kidnapping Capital of the US.” However, Biscobing’s research…
Read MoreAnalysis of aviation data reveals frequent safety problems
“A six-month examination of more than 150,000 reports filed by pilots and others in the aviation industry over the past 20 years reveals surprising and sometimes shocking safety breaches and close calls at local, regional and major airports throughout the country.” The investigation was a collaboration between members of the Investigative News Network and National…
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