Local Reporting Network Archive
When the Calendar Requires the Release of Insanity Defendants in Oregon, Harm Often Follows
Those freed without ongoing supervision and care because of a state time limit commit crimes at twice the rate as a smaller group freed because the Psychiatric Security Review Board specifically concluded they would not be a danger if on their own, according to a Malheur Enterprise and ProPublica analysis.
How a Consultant Said He Gamed HUD Inspections: Sweep Problems Behind a Wall
A housing consultant was recorded bragging about how he helped properties pass HUD inspections, likening it to a “chess game manipulation strategy.”
Powerless: What It Looks and Sounds Like When a Gas Driller Overruns Your Land
The gas rush is upending communities with traffic and noise, reshaping the way the state looks and sounds. Residents are often powerless to stop it.
In Louisiana, More Than a Third of Ex-Lawmakers Continue to Try to Influence Their Old Colleagues
Jim Tucker, Troy Hebert and Nick Gautreaux are among 35 past lawmakers since 2010 who became lobbyists, agency heads, legislative influencers or state board appointees.
Elkhart’s Mayor Says He Won’t Run for Re-election, Amid Revelations of Misconduct in the Police Ranks
Since November, two police officers have been charged with misdemeanor battery; news reports have detailed the promotion of many officers with disciplinary records; and the police chief has resigned.
HUD Took Over a Town’s Housing Authority 22 Years Ago. Now the Authority’s Broke and Residents Are Being Pushed Out.
As recently as last year, HUD had told officials in Wellston, Missouri, that they would get their local housing authority back. Then federal officials changed their minds. Wellston will join a growing list of HUD oversight failures, including the Illinois cities of East St. Louis and Cairo.
Elkhart’s Acting Police Chief Has Previously Been Demoted, Reprimanded and Suspended
Ed Windbigler was forced out as police chief this week. The interim head, Todd Thayer, was demoted in 2013 for saying an officer who opened fire could now check that off his “bucket list,” according to disciplinary records.
Stung by Controversies, Police Chief Resigns in Elkhart, Indiana
Ed Windbigler’s resignation as chief follows a videotaped beating of a handcuffed man and reports by the South Bend Tribune and ProPublica that he had promoted officers with disciplinary histories.
An Elkhart Police Officer Was Convicted of Drunken Driving — Then the Chief Promoted Him
Last year, Chief Ed Windbigler said he doubted the case against the officer would stick. After the officer pleaded guilty, the chief didn’t discipline him. This year, Windbigler promoted him to detective without telling an oversight board.
He is West Virginia’s Speaker of the House — and a Lawyer for Natural Gas Companies
State ethics rules seldom prevent lawmakers from proposing or voting on legislation that affects industries they work for.
Elkhart City Council Members Support Investigation of Police Department
If the Department of Justice won’t investigate, council members say they would pay for an outside investigation into misconduct by Elkhart police.
With Trump’s Justice Department Retreating, Who Will Now Police the Police?
The Department of Justice is moving away from taking on abuses by local law enforcement. This is what that means for Elkhart, Indiana.
Ill Nuclear Workers’ Benefits Petitions Have to Be Reviewed Within 6 Months. Some Have Languished About a Decade.
A petition filed by a Los Alamos worker has been in limbo for 10 years. At the Savannah River Site, a petition has lingered for 11 years. At Sandia National Laboratories, workers have been waiting seven years for a final decision.
The Los Alamos Lab Worker Who Started a Year Too Late for Benefits
If Gilberto Ulibarri had begun a year earlier, he would have been deemed eligible for compensation from the government because the lab had not kept adequate records of radiation exposure. But because he started in 1996, he was fending for himself.
In an 18-Year-Old Program to Help Ill Nuclear Workers, a Petition Has Lingered for 10 Years
A security guard at Los Alamos National Laboratory has been seeking compensation for fellow lab workers who’ve become ill, but the government has repeatedly denied the petition and he’s still waiting for a final answer.
Elkhart, Indiana, Police Chief Suspended for 30 Days Following Release of Beating Video
The mayor disciplined the chief after revelations by the South Bend Tribune and ProPublica about the city’s troubled police force. But the mayor made no public announcement, leaving people, including the chair of the city’s civilian oversight commission, to wonder where the chief was.
“They Should Have Been Fired on the Spot”: In Elkhart, Indiana, the Talk Is All About the Police and a Video
At a town hall meeting, the Police Department’s second in command defended his officers and criticized reporters. “What’s all this digging?” he said, while accusing the South Bend Tribune and ProPublica of an “ambush” for calling officers to ask for their comment.
