John Tedesco

Bing makes online maps that offer a bird’s eye view of a landscape, creating a 3D image effect. This is a nice feature for big news stories like this one:

Authorities evacuated about 80 homes in a Northwest Side neighborhood Sunday when ground caved in behind several houses, pushing earth down a 30-foot hill and into two retaining walls that cracked and threatened residences below.

No one was injured, and agencies acted quickly to address the endangered homes near West Hausman Road and Loop 1604.

Describing the collapse as a “slope failure,” authorities at a Sunday night meeting told residents from The Hills at Rivermist subdivision that in some areas the crevices grew to 12 to 15 feet deep and 6 to 8 feet wide. But they didn’t know the cause.

The interactive map lets you take a look at how the land was sculpted when the neighborhood was still under construction. I saw this map on our home page and was floored by how effectively it showed the hill in question and the wall that collapsed.

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I like investigative stories that dig into uncharted territory, like sports and the arts, where you usually don’t see much watchdog journalism. So it’s nice to see Express-News Reporter Elda Silva dig into the financial woes of the Museo Alameda. Here’s the lede to her story:

The Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture spent grant money intended for its charter school on the cash-strapped Museo Alameda.

The $1 million Henry Ford Learning Institute grant was announced in August. It was earmarked for the Henry Ford Academy: Alameda School for Art + Design, currently located at the former Bowie Elementary School campus in the San Antonio Independent School District.

But the grant was spent before it was announced — largely to cover operating expenses at the Museo Alameda.

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I was working on my clips page over the holidays and thought it’d be cool to make a new Google map of my past stories. Each dot on the map is a dateline for an article. I was a little amazed by the variety of far-flung locales I’ve visited in this big state. And I’m not even done plugging in every story.

You always hear about how lame newspapers are. But over the past 12 years, the Express-News paid me to drive to these places and tell unique stories about unique people. How cool is that?

2009 was a brutal year for the Express-News. We lost a third of the newsroom in March from painful layoffs, and the exodus of talent was demoralizing, there’s no way to sugarcoat it. Even after the layoffs, we’re still occasionally losing bright journalists who don’t see much of a future in mainstream news.

They might be right for leaving and I might be an idiot for staying. But right now, I still see the Express-News as a place that gives reporters a chance to do good work.

It seems like every day I read an online comment accusing the mainstream media of abandoning watchdog journalism. But at the Express-News, we still have a crew of skilled journalists who are paid full-time salaries to dig up stories that tell readers what’s really going on in the city. That’s huge.

Take a look at these headlines published in 2009:

La Villita for sale: Reporter Guillermo Garcia revealed how the city was privately discussing a plan to sell two historic icons in downtown San Antonio: La Villita and Market Square. After a public outcry, the city backed off the deal.

Brian Chasnoff unearthed stories about missing police reports at the San Antonio Police Department; a speeding police officer who crashed into citizens; and officers who shot at moving vehicles, creating dangerous situations if the driver is incapacitated. He also learned that an officer of the department’s elite Tactical Response Unit was suspected of driving drunk and wrecking an undercover police car. The scandals have prompted a top-to-bottom review of the department.

Top salaries and overtime at City Hall: Greg Jefferson and Kelly Guckian analyzed a city payroll database and discovered which employees were paid the most in salaries and overtime. The database was posted online for everyone to search.

Left at bus station, mental patient dies: Karisa King and I examined the little-known practice by state psychiatric hospitals of dropping off mental patients at bus depots to find their own way home. One patient, Raquel Padilla, was dropped off at the Greyhound station downtown and given a ticket to Laredo. Three days later, she was found dead.

The story prompted new, potentially life-saving legislation authored by state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, that requires hospitals to draw up specific transportation plans for their patients, to make sure they get home safely.

Tax exemptions for … miniature donkeys? This year Karisa also delved into the murky world of property appraisals in Bexar County, and how agricultural valuations are used as a way to drastically reduce taxes on property. Analyzing county data, Karisa found the case of a wealthy couple who received a tax break for raising a herd of miniature donkeys on their estate, and how the controversial site of the PGA Village golf course sought a tax break by claiming the course served as a wildlife refuge. The county’s database of property appraisal protests was posted online for readers.

Ambulance chasing thrives: We’ve all heard of ambulance chasers — lawyers who hound accident victims in an attempt to drum up new clients. But this fascinating story by John MacCormack names names and goes into great detail about how ambulance chasing is actually done — and how the accident victims end up losing.

Trouble at the Alamo: Scott Huddleston revealed how the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the caretakers of the Alamo, have been feuding over fundraising disputes, causing some members to form a splinter group. Scott wrote a cool story by doing what reporters are supposed to do — following the money — and looked at how the Daughters spent funds raised from license plate sales. It turns out the Alamo received a relatively small portion of that money.

Dead by Mistake: The Express-News assisted in a nationwide investigation of fatal medical errors. Hearst-owned news organizations across the United States spent months investigating a little-known problem that plagues the health-care system: “Every year approximately 200,000 Americans die from preventable medical errors and healthcare-associated infections as tools to fight these needless deaths go unused at many hospitals.”

The project has its own Web site, Twitter account, Facebook page and YouTube channel, and reporters are still tracking the issue with follow-up stories.

Amusement ride injuries go unreported: I found a unique database kept by state officials that tracks injuries that occur at Texas carnivals and theme parks. We posted the data online, published a story about injuries that went untold, and examined the woes of Kiddie Park, where aging rides have literally fallen apart with children inside. (The park was closed when the story was published and Kiddie Park is now under new ownership.)

Unregulated puppy mills: The media is often accused — and rightly so — of publishing too many stories about cute fluffy animals. But Brian Chasnoff found a puppy story with some teeth. Brian investigated unregulated “puppy mills” run by breeders who sell sick animals to unsuspecting buyers. The story revealed how there’s little anyone can do to prevent the practice. “Populated by cash-hungry breeders and brokers, the puppy industry grinds on across Texas, unburdened by laws that would ensure the health of its stock,” Brian wrote. It’s a heart-breaking read.

Developers vs. the U.S. Army: We’ve written a lot of stories about the conflict between the U.S. Army’s Camp Bullis, and the real estate developers who want to develop new neighborhoods nearby. A tiny, endangered bird called the golden-cheeked warbler is caught in the middle of the squabble. Josh Baugh found out a San Antonio lobbyist was behind an effort to amend the Texas Constitution and allow investment zones near military bases — including Camp Bullis. Baugh’s article revealed local officials didn’t want the amendment to pass.

Hard times hit home in San Antonio: My girlfriend Jennifer Hiller has been covering the wave of foreclosures that swept across San Antonio this year. Analyzing foreclosure data, she told the human toll of the housing crisis, and maps ran with her story showing the hardest-hit areas of the city.

Mexican immigrants denied sanctuary from drug war: Todd Bensman revealed how U.S. immigration judges have denied sanctuary to immigrants fleeing the drug war in Mexico. “‘The government is fighting them tooth and nail,’ said El Paso lawyer Carlos Spector, who has lost several cases, including one by a police officer who arrived in El Paso with eight fresh bullet wounds.”

Southwest Airlines ticket scandal: Guillermo Contreras covered an unusual scandal at the Bexar County courthouse: Thousands of stolen airline tickets were sold at a discount to county employees — including judges and other public officials. Guillermo obtained a database of ticket purchases showing which employees bought stolen tickets, how much the tickets were worth, and where the employees flew. The database was posted online for readers to examine themselves and understand the sheer scale of the operation.

Uncovering an “embarrassing” arsenic problem at UTSA: Education Writer Melissa Ludwig found a story that the University of Texas at San Antonio would prefer go untold — elevated levels of arsenic at a campus greenhouse. Internal e-mails Melissa obtained show the school viewed the arsenic problem as “an embarrassing public relations problem” for the university. The problems were laid bare on the newspaper’s front page.

CPS Energy’s nuclear plans fizzle: A team of reporters spent months examining CPS Energy’s controversial proposal to expand the South Texas Project nuclear plant in Matagorda County. Anton Caputo and Tracy Idell Hamilton have led the coverage with scoop after scoop about the real costs of the project, and how CPS kept them hidden from the public. The newspaper set up a Web page where readers could check out online resources and the latest stories about the controversy.

I’m not here to be a cheerleader for every decision made by the Express-News or its parent company, Hearst Corp. I’m personally frustrated by the glacial pace of change at the paper — we don’t even have an iPhone app yet, for crying out loud.

But this is still a newspaper that publishes hard-hitting investigative stories that truly make a difference. As long as it remains that kind of paper, my New Year’s resolution is this: I’m going to try to stick it out.

Elaine Ayala wrote a touching obit today about Express-News photographer Robert Earl McLeroy Jr., who was known to everyone in the newsroom as “Mac.” At the age of 57, Mac died Tuesday from complications from a massive stroke he suffered in May:

McLeroy worked at the newspaper for 29 years. He took a buyout in 2007 and remained a freelance photographer. He documented the city’s history, shooting sporting events and train derailments, food and fashion, perps, politicians and even a pope.

A fellow photographer called him “an old-school photographic master.” He never complained and always cooperated. E-mail tributes about him crisscrossed the newsroom Wednesday. They remembered him as the sweet guy behind the camera.

“In my time here, Mac didn’t go to the Super Bowl. He didn’t go to the Olympics,” said William Luther, deputy director of photography for the Express-News. “He wasn’t a globe-trotting photojournalist. He was here in the community covering us.”

Take care, Mac.

Google announced it added more news sources to its Fast Flip experiment, and the San Antonio Express-News is now flippable.

Fast Flip is part of Google’s re-imagining of how readers find and consume news. Google takes snapshots of a publisher’s stories or blog posts. You can flip through pages like a magazine until something catches your eye, click on the page, and go to the actual Web site that interests you. Google also recently launched Living Stories, where a news article is treated not as the end, but as the beginning of a conversation with readers.

For some reason, in Fast Flip the Express-News pages aren’t as visually appealing as other publications because Google isn’t capturing the pictures and graphics on our Web site. Fast Flip has also been criticized. Is this Google tossing the media industry a bone to appease publishers who blame Google for their financial woes?

I think Google makes a strong case that newspaper Web sites are instantly recognizable as newspaper Web sites — they’re often clunky and difficult to navigate. Fast Flip and Living Stories are attempts to try something different.

Maybe the day will come when a reader visits the home page of a news site and have the option to change the format. Like reading stories chronologically in a blog format? Click that option. Like the Fast Flip style or the Living Stories style? Click on those options. Everyone has a different preference … let them choose the one they like best.

Scott Huddleston covered the shootings at Fort Hood last week and helped write an amazing profile of Kimberly Munley, the police sergeant who, along with Sgt. Mark Todd, opened fire on Nidal Malik Hasan and stopped the rampage.

Scott talked to one of Munley’s neighbors and learned a revealing anecdote about Munley’s no-nonsense attitude:

As military wives on Munley’s street cared for families while their husbands were deployed, Munley would keep an eye out for them and let them know of any criminal activity, said Erin Houston, a neighbor.

One night, Munley shooed away a couple of men trying to break into her house, telling them, “If you try to come in, I’m going to shoot you,” Houston said. “After they went away, she walked the neighborhood — by herself — to make sure they were nowhere around.”

Interviewing neighbors is something reporters always do, and many times the effort doesn’t turn up gems like Scott found. We’ve all read about neighbors who have no clue they’ve been living next door to a serial killer. There’s always a neighbor who says, “He seemed like such a nice boy.” Even the Onion poked fun at these interviews with the classic article: “Neighbors remember serial killer as serial killer.”

But talking to neighbors can sometimes pay off. Last week Joey Estrada Jr., the young man accused of killing restaurateur Viola Barrios, was in the news because his trial is going to be held in Victoria instead of San Antonio.

Lomi Kriel and I profiled Estrada last year and the first thing we did was talk to neighbors. Most of the people we talked to didn’t know much about Estrada. But we found someone who had heard that Estrada used to work at Hollister Co., a clothing store at the Shops at La Cantera. Thanks to that tip, we were able to learn Estrada had been accused of rifling through employees’ purses and even stealing a car. It was part of a pattern of alleged thefts leading up to the burglary and arson of Barrios’ home.

So talk to the neighbors. Even if they don’t know much information, maybe they can lead you to people who do.

Awesome video by Vianna Davila about a high-school band competition in Texas, where marching bands are a very big deal. I especially liked the close-ups showing the marchers’ fancy footwork.

The San Antonio Express-News has been delving into many story angles about the proposed expansion of the South Texas Project nuclear plant near Bay City. CPS Energy wants to invest more than $5 billion for two new reactors, which has touched off a heated debate in San Antonio.

For today’s story about nuclear safety, I mostly relied on government reports to learn about the industry’s safety record. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission offers vast archives of official material online. And the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has published several reports about problems at some plants, such as guards sleeping while on duty. The GAO’s search page is a great resource for just about any topic.

But government records aren’t the only resources out there. One incident I came across was documented by the local newspaper, the Bay City Tribune, which had learned through word-of-mouth about a bizarre day at the plant. The incident became the lede of my story:

BAY CITY — On a gusty October day last year, two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled at Ellington Airport in Houston and raced toward rural Matagorda County — home of the South Texas Project nuclear plant.

A small civilian plane was flying near the plant without broadcasting a proper transponder code, raising the specter of a 9-11-style terrorist attack. STP employees saw one of the F-16s roar past the nuclear reactors near Bay City on Oct. 23 at 1:30 p.m., company spokesman Buddy Eller said.

Minutes later, plant personnel dealt with a potential danger on the ground. At 1:40 p.m., a man was spotted in the parking lot carrying a rifle case. Security officers detained him.

Both incidents — first disclosed by the Bay City Tribune, a local newspaper — turned out to be unrelated false alarms. The civilian plane landed, and authorities determined that the pilot had made an innocent mistake. And the man detained at the plant was an STP employee who had bought an empty gun case at the facility’s company store, which catered to hunters.

“They’re not selling rifle cases at the company store anymore,” said Victor Dricks, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Since the NRC does not release details about many security-related events at nuclear plants, the initial news story in the Bay City Tribune was the only way the public learned what happened that day. So the local journalists deserve a pat on the back for chasing down the story, and kudos to STP for answering their questions.

The friendly staff at the South Texas Project nuclear plant gave me a tour for my story about nuclear safety, which is running tomorrow. This video just went live on mySA.com and it gives you a sense of how the plant looks and sounds.