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Companies failed to create jobs after receiving tax-payer funded grants
“A three-month investigation by The Tampa Tribune shows at least four in every 10 companies that receive grants from the state’s jobs incentive fund have failed to meet their obligations — some slightly, others by wide margins.” “However, Enterprise Florida, the state’s chief economic development agency, paints a rosier picture, concluding Florida is exceeding its…
Read MoreErrors found in nearly 25% of reversed cases
“The Texas Tribune analyzed 86 overturned convictions in Texas, finding that in nearly one quarter of those cases courts ruled that prosecutors made mistakes that often contributed to the wrong outcome.” “In a multi-part series Brandi Grissom explores the causes and consequences of prosecutorial errors and whether reforms might prevent future wrongful convictions.”
Read MoreColumbus schools caught ‘fixing’ attendance data
“The Columbus Dispatch has been told by four former district data analysts that a team of data-processing workers inflated Columbus schools’ attendance figures by routinely and purposely removing large numbers of absent students from the rolls.” “At the same time, district administrators summoned school principals to the Kingswood Data Center. There, they were schooled in…
Read MoreHow sound are bridges in your area? Find out with updated National Bridge Inventory data
Now is a good time to investigate the bridges in your state and community: NICAR has just updated the National Bridge Inventory. Current through 2011, the data can help you assess the soundness of bridges in your area. Key fields can be used for an overall indication of a bridge’s quality. There are also fields…
Read MoreIRE Conference first-timer
By Mikel SchaeferWVUE-TV New Orleans Following the conclusion of the Boston IRE Conference, I felt compelled to share my experience as an IRE Conference first-timer, especially since I was a fairly rare species at the event. Unlike most attending the three-day conference, I was not an investigative reporter, but one of a handful of television…
Read MoreCommunity college football players caught up in criminal activity
“After a sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a local community college football player during a struggle at a burglary scene Feb. 23, The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif., compared recent years’ football rosters at College of the Desert to county court databases.” “Reporters Keith Matheny and Kate McGinty found far more criminal activity by…
Read MoreCharter school leader claims Ph.D from unaccredited online university
“A News Journal reporter uncovered that the head of a local charter school lied about her credentials, claiming a Ph.D. from an “online university” that doesn’t exist, after following a news tip. The story evolved into the damaging effects of diploma mills such as the online service the school leader used to purchase her fake…
Read MoreWisconsin’s mobile home communities overlooked
“Wisconsin’s patchwork system of regulating mobile home communities often forces communities such as Plymouth to act alone when a park owner won’t make repairs to houses with malfunctioning plumbing, broken heating systems and mold-covered walls, a Gannett Wisconsin Media investigation has found.” “Even though the state has the authority to respond to residents’ complaints and…
Read MoreFormer chief deputy caught pawning department gun
“A Yancey County News investigation has led to the arrest of a former chief deputy on a charge of felony embezzlement. In a year-long series of stories the paper found that a pistol, bought for the sheriff’s department, had been pawned.” “The newspaper proved that the gun was listed on the inventory of the sheriff’s…
Read MoreGas company giants plotted to suppress land prices
“A Reuters investigation has found that under the direction of CEO Aubrey McClendon, Chesapeake Energy Corp. plotted with its top competitor to suppress land prices in one of America’s most promising oil and gas plays.” “In emails between Chesapeake and Encana Corp, Canada’s largest natural gas company, the rivals repeatedly discussed how to avoid bidding…
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