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W. Va. cashes in on video poker
Lawrence Messina and Vicki Smith of The Associated Press have a three-part series examining the impact of the video poker industry on West Virginia. They found that nearly 2,000 businesses have the gambling machines installed and “fifteen businesses, families or partnerships — out of more than 1,300 that held one or more licenses — collected…
Read MoreMo. tops in alcohol-related boating accidents
Bente Birkland and Catherine Rentz Pernot of the Columbia Missourian used data from the U.S. Coast Guard to determine that “between 2000 and 2004, Missouri led the nation in alcohol-related boating accidents.” Among other findings: “The Lake of the Ozarks topped the list for boating accidents in Missouri, and it is the most dangerous body…
Read MorePotential conflicts identified for Supreme Court nominee
Center for Investigative Reporting’s Dan Noyes finds that “After a long career spent representing blue chip corporations and resource industries, Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, Jr. brings more potential conflicts of interest to the bench than any justice of his generation.” The investigation looks at “rules governing conflicts of interest and reveals cases already on…
Read MoreDisaster planning focused on terror threats
In a Web exclusive report, Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball of Newsweek report that state emergency management directors have complained FEMA has concentrated too much on preparing for terror threats and not enough on natural disasters. “Internal Homeland Security documents obtained by Newsweek lend support to the state directors’ complaints. Out of 15 ‘all hazards’…
Read MoreCall for entries: Philip Meyer Journalism Award
The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism; the Knight Chair in Journalism at Arizona State University; and IRE are proud to introduce the Philip Meyer Journalism Award, a contest to recognize the best journalism done using social science research methods. The awards are in honor…
Read MoreLucrative perks for school administrators
Bill Bowman and Paul D’Ambrosio of Gannett New Jersey newspapers navigated the details of school district contracts to show that “in districts around the state, it is not uncommon for boards of education to grant tens of thousands of dollars in extra pay to their chief administrators through complex contract deals that keep the true…
Read MoreMapping tornado sirens allows look at disaster planning
Sarah Okeson of the Peoria, Ill., Journal Star mapped tornado sirens and looked at how much of the county they cover, as well as geocoding the county’s schools and nursing homes and looking for gaps in the coverage. “The National Weather Service thinks Peoria is adequately prepared for a tornado or other disaster.” Okeson describes…
Read MoreSept. 11 loans go to many unaffected by terror
Frank Bass and Dirk Lammers of The Associated Press examined nearly $5 billion in loans granted by the Small Business Administration as Sept. 11 recovery aid, and found that many went to businesses “that didn’t need terror relief — or even know they were getting it.” The SBA said it first learned of the problems…
Read MoreFoundation for children buys luxury home
Dan Stockman of The (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal Gazette used business and property records to show that an Indiana foundation set up to benefit children and schools “has been used to buy a luxury vacation home in an exclusive neighborhood where an advertisement says ‘the fortunate few’ will ‘live where everybody wants to play.’” Directors…
Read MorePolice disregard rape complaints
Jeremy Kohler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis police have failed to file official reports on many sex crimes over the past 20 years, instead writing informal memos on cases that would not be counted in the city’s crime statistics. “The Post-Dispatch analyzed many of these cases and found police often discounted…
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