Our Rivers’ Keepers: How the Ohio
SILVER GROVE, Ky. — Knee-deep in the muddy banks of the Ohio River, Mike “Nozzy”
Our Journalists’ Work
Accountability journalism that corps members produce includes articles, TV and radio clips, and photojournalism. In “On the Ground Dispatches,” they reflect on their observations and reporting from the field.
News Stories
Nevada lawmakers push data privacy rules for gov’t websites
Sam Metz | Associated Press — NV
Following reports that Nevada’s vaccine information website planted more third-party cookies and ad trackers than any other state in the country, Republicans in the statehouse have introduced a bill to tighten the restrictions on how personal data can be collected from websites operated by government entities or other groups contracted to work on their behalf.
Springfield’s high rates of gun violence, domestic abuse are linked, local leaders say
Kaitlin Washburn | Kansas City Star
In Missouri, the state with the second highest rate of men killing women, the city of Springfield is the frontrunner for rates of domestic violence. A months-long investigation by the Kansas City Star and Springfield Leader examined the intersection of guns and domestic violence in Springfield through the voices of survivors and experts.
Minnesota schools say they want to fill classrooms with talented teachers of color. Then they lay them off.
Becky Dernbach | Sahan Journal
Qorsho Hassan, Minnesota’s 2020 Teacher of the Year, found herself without a job when schools abruptly transitioned to distance learning. Even as a “game-changing educator” and one of the only Black teachers in a school where half the students are Black, Hassan was vulnerable to seniority-based layoffs that caused recently hired teachers to be first to lose their jobs.
Santa Ana renters get a few more months of eviction protections
Brandon Pho | Voice of OC
After Voice of OC reported that landlords had ramped up harassment on renters — many of whom were undocumented, an executive order signed by City Manager Kristine Ridge extended a citywide order banning landlords from serving their tenants with eviction notices.
Questionable bills surround lobbying effort
Zak Podmore | Salt Lake Tribune
A Louisiana law firm charged Utah’s poorest county $500,000, including questionable fees, to lobby against the expansion of Bears Ears National Monument, corps member Zak Podmore reported after demanding public records.
The high cost of poor
defense
Samantha Hogan | Maine Monitor
Corps member Samantha Hogan revealed potential over-billing by lawyers defending Maine’s poor—including continual 80-hour weeks for some. Her investigation sparked multiple state investigations.
Judge Dawn Gentry faces misconduct charges. Here’s what happened and what happens next.
Julia Fair | The Cincinnati Enquirer
RFA corps member Julia Fair gained widespread attention for her story on a county judge facing nine charges from state investigators related to favoritism, sexual advances and consuming alcohol in the courthouse. Her watchdog reporting inspired two anonymous donors to contribute $5,000 each.
Akron wants to help small business owners grow, but officials say they need more help from banks
Abbey Marshall | The Devil Strip
An entrepreneurial development program that was designed to give historically marginalized business owners a boost to help them get lending from banks faced a big problem: Getting lending from banks. Following her reporting, some banks scheduled meetings with the city to discuss how they may be a part of the program.
Utah women lost the most jobs during COVID-19. ‘Returnships’ aim to help them ‘level up,’ get back to work.
Becky Jacobs | Salt Lake Tribune
Women took the brunt of job losses in Utah during the coronavirus pandemic. Of the 12,000 positions lost in 2020, 4,000 were held by men, while twice as many — 8,000 — belonged to women. To help women and other Utahns get back into the workforce, Gov. Spencer Cox announced a new “returnship initiative.”
Photojournalism
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On the Ground Essays
How a Black marching band style
WUFT · How a Black marching band style was erased from Gainesville's fields GAINESVILLE, FL
A picture is worth a thousand
BOZEMAN, Mont. — I heard the drums before I saw them. The snare’s upbeats punctuated
‘It was… devastating’: The Akron Innerbelt
The mistakes of the past are guiding discussions about the future of a 30-acre decommissioned
The failed Akron Innerbelt drove decades
The mistakes of the past are guiding discussions about the future of a 30-acre decommissioned
One man’s lonely journey through California’s
As the number of homeless Californians swell, the state is spending unprecedented dollars to build