Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "Clarke County" ...

  • Deadly Force: When Las Vegas Police Shoot, and Kill

    In the wake of two controversial officer-involved deaths in the summer of 2010, the Las Vegas Review-Journal asked a simple question: Are Las Vegas police too quick to shoot? What reporters Lawrence Mower, Brian Haynes and Alan Maimon found in a groundbreaking analysis of all police shootings in Clark County since 1990 stunned even veteran police administrators: Local cops had shot at people 378 times, resulting in 142 deaths. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department alone was involved in 311 incidents resulting in 116 deaths. By any measure, Nevada's largest law enforcement agency uses deadly force more often than counterparts in the region and in other major cities surveyed.

    Tags: officer; shootings; deaths

    By Lawrence Mower; Brian Haynes; Alan Maimon; Brian Haynes; James Wright

    Las Vegas Review-Journal

    2011

  • "Arrested Developments: Crime Streets of Athens"

    The staff of The Red & Black spent several months collecting and compiling crime documents from law enforcement departments throughout Athens, Ga. The student reporters wanted to find and report current information on the "most crime-ridden residential streets in Athens-Clarke County," which is where the University of Georgia is located. The UGA population (students, faculty and staff) makes up a "big chunk" of Athens. The Red & Black takes a look at crime in the area to see whether or not the higher crime areas have an affect on those who "attend and work" at the university.

    Tags: UGA; University of Georgia; Athens; Athens-Clarke County; Athens Housing Authority

    By Jacob Demmitt; Polina Marinova; Carey O'Neil; Dallas Duncan; Mimi Ensley; Paige Varner; Wes Blankenship; William Brown

    The Red & Black (University of Georgia - Athens)

    2010

  • Atalissa

    For three decades a dozen mentally disabled men have been living together. Their living conditions were nowhere near ideal; they lived in a run-down bunkhouse and worked full-time in a turkey processing plant. They normally made about “$65 a month”, but sometimes received as “little as 40 cents an hour”. The series revealed possible “human trafficking, abuse and neglect, and financial exploitation of the mentally disabled”.

    Tags: Henry's Turkey Service; US Department of Labor; health inspectors; mistreatment; West Liberty Foods; Muscatine County

    By Clark Kauffman

    Register (Des Moines, Iowa)

    2009

  • The Advantage of Public Service

    "The story showed more than fifteen percent pf public employees in Clark County earned more than $100,000 in 2006. This is about three-times the national average...Most of the money came from thousands of hours of overtime payments. More than 56% of firefighters made $100,000 in the calendar year."

    Tags: firefighters; county government; overtime; government employees; salary; FOI; payroll

    By Jeff German; Mike Trask

    Sun (Las Vegas, Nev.)

    2007

  • Bus Drivers

    "The Channel 8 I-team investigated the criminal histories of all of Clark County School Bus Drivers. Major findings include: 13% of drivers had come in contact with the courts, either arrested, cited or charged with a crime, 5% of those resulted in convictions, including 6 convictions for driving under the influence."

    Tags: bus drivers; criminal convictions; database searches; criminal records; DUI; public safety; children safety

    By Colleen McCarty; Kyle Zuelke

    KLAS-TV (Las Vegas, NV)

    2007

  • Desert Dealer

    If the State Land Dept. had run a background check on land developer Jim Rhodes, it would have found that he had admitted illegally using funds to aid politicains, along with his connections to corrupt Nevada officials. He purchased 1,000 acres of state trust land and the right to master plan an additional 6,700 acres. Rhodes has been successfully sued for fraud, self dealing and theft, among other offenses.

    Tags: Construction; housing; homes; Clark County; Erin Kenny; Dario Herrera

    By Mark Flatten

    East Valley Tribune (Mesa, AZ)

    2007

  • Nevadans live hard, risk lives

    "Using mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control, a Sun analysis found that Nevadans and Clark County residents die younger and at higher rates of suicide, substance abuse and certain chronic illnesses compared with the rates nationally and in other large counties."

    Tags: Nevada; death rates; suicide; depression; health; statistics; CAR; mortality data

    By Marshall Allen; Alex Richards

    Sun (Las Vegas, Nev.)

    2007

  • Twin Towers

    'Twin Towers' (L.A. County Jail and also the nation's largest mental institution), was investigated for three months and found the jail to be a 'terrible place to house the mentally ill'. But because community clinics are full to capacity, caring for persons with mental problems continues to fall onto the lap of 'under-trained and overwhelmed' law enforcement personnel.

    Tags: jail; L.A. county jail; mentally ill inmates; psychiatric disorders; prison guards; mental health

    By Marley Klaus;Bob Jimenez;Deborah Clark;Julieann Pavesi;Isaac Rodriguez;Marc Shaffer;Michael Bloecher

    None

    2004

  • Pork and Politics

    Using hidden cameras, this investigation looks at the treatment of animals at hog/dog rodeos in Clarke County, Alabama. What they found was a case of animal cruelty. Using FOI requests, the reporter found that law enforcement, politicians, and prosecutors were aware of what was going on, but refused to take blame and uphold the law.

    Tags: hog/dog rodeos; animal cruelty; hidden camera; FOIA; Clarke County; Alabama

    By Mike Rush

    WPMI-TV (Mobile, AL)

    2004

  • Beating the Rap

    This investigation revealed the corrupt and unfair way that Iowa's county prosecutors handle traffic violations. The reporter found that speeding convictions were often set aside and replaced with fictitious "equipment violations" that brought in more money to the department and let the drivers stay on the road. Some charges were downgraded when the drivers agreed to donate money to local police or local charities. These stories raised many legal and safety issues and prompted radical reform.

    Tags: speeding; drunk driving; DUI; DWI; car insurance; sheriff; county prosecutor; bribery; corruption

    By Clark Kauffman

    Register (Des Moines, Iowa)

    2004