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 "Northwest" ...
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Dial M for Martyr
Investigation of the slaying of Edwin Pratt, 38; Edwin was considered to be the Martin Luther King of the Northwest by President Richard Nixon.
Tags: Edwin Pratt; Civil Rights; Racism; Murder
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The Other Side of Mercy
"On Nov. 29, 2009, Maurice Clemmons shot and killed four Lakewood police officers in a Pierce County coffee shop, committing one of the worst crimes in the history of the Pacific Northwest. "The Other Side of Mercy" chronicles Clemmons' criminal history, exposing a variety of system breakdowns that set the stage for this shocking ambush."
Tags: Maurice Clemmons; police; murder; criminal history; criminal record; violence
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Shut Down and Shipped Out
The series examines the trend of factory closings in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan and finds that the closings resulted in work being shifted to other states or countries.
Tags: factory closing; jobs; manufacturing; trade agreement; outsourcing
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The rise and fall of Ray Sansom, speaker of the Florida House
Ray Sansom, the speaker of the Florida House, gave the state college “$35 million in two years”. These two years he oversaw the House budget, but wasn’t the speaker quite yet. Furthermore, these millions of dollars were added outside the normal budget method. Additionally, he worked with the college president to help maneuver the funds to the college.
Tags: government; politics; money; state government; Jay Odom; local officials; Northwest Florida State; college trustees
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University of Montana Space Programs
The University of Montana was granted $3 million in federal earmarks from NASA between 2004 and 2005 to develop space research and create space-related jobs. UM used the money to create a for profit group called Inland Northwest Space Alliance, and a campus group called the Northern Rockies Center for Space Privatization. The majority of the money went to paying six figure salaries to university officials, former Sen. Conrad Burn's staffers, as well as their spouses and lovers.
Tags: NASA; for profit; salaries; Senator; Conrad Burns; University of Montana; INSA; federal earmarks; space programs; FBI; OIG
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Truth Be Tolled
An analysis of 23 modern toll road projects in Colorado, Texas and South Carolina "found that most badly missed revenue projections in their opening years, leading one to fail and others to either flee default or refinance at less favorable terms." The expected amount of traffic never materialized, causing the shortfall. Further, some of those responsible for the optimistic projections had a financial interest in seeing the roads completed.
Tags: Toll roads; infrastructure; Denver's Northwest Parkway; revenue shortfall
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Marching On; Carbon Copies; Resisting the Dream; Block Buster; Passing the Torch; Tracing History
Since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others of the Chicago Freedom Movement tried to help segregate th city back in 1966, little has changed since. The whites of Chicago are primarily living on the Northwest Side and African Americans are living on the city's South and West Sides.
Tags: segregation; Martin Luther King; Loop neighborhood; Harold Washington; civil rights
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Northwest Prepares for Strike
The report documents the plans made by Northwest Airlines to hire and train mechanics to replace those who took part in strike action against the company.
Tags: airlines; airports; Northwest; industrial action; strikes; airline mechanics; picket lines
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Falling Apart/Licensed, Bonded, Unaccountable
The Oregonian revealed that new residential structures across the Northwest are suffering sometimes catastrophic damage from moisture not just due to poor workmanship, but also to shoddy construction, trouble-prone building materials, inappropriate design and unanticipated complications caused by energy efficient building codes. The stories detail the financial and emotional impact on homeowners, how their dispute with builders has clogged the legal system and how builders have turned to the Legislature for protection from a rash of litigation. In addition, the investigation reveals that the Oregon Construction Contractors Board, the state agency charged with protecting consumers from bad contractors, has allowed builders with histories of incompetence, insolvency and unethical behavior to continue building, without notifying consumers of the dangers.
Tags: CAR; Oregon Construction Contractors Board; Northwest; Portland; construction defect litigation; builders; Oregon Legislature; Construction Claims Task Force; regulation
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Under the Influence
Dixon discovers that Michigan's beer and wine distributors are protected by state law from competition, with none of their customers getting any price breaks. Dixon and the Free Press conducted a survey that indicated beer and wine prices had a tendency to be higher in Michigan than in neighboring states. The prices are so high that Northwest Airlines had to truck beer from Minnesota to Lansing's Metro Airport instead of buying the beer locally. Wholesalers retain this control because the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to make campaign contributions to legislators, paying for legislators' lavish vacations, and picking up their bar and restaurant tabs. Dixon found that out of the 148 people elected to the Michigan House and Senate in 2002, all but 9 received contributions from the beer and wine wholesalers' political action committee.
Tags: Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association; Michigan legislature; Michigan Liquor Control Commission; Michigan campaign finance; Northwest Airlines; beer and wine wholesalers' political action committee; Michigan Campaign Finance Network; alcohol wholesaler lobbying