Immigrant who sued, won back pay, now in hiding for his life | The San Antonio Express-News

Trapped between the Rio Grande and border checkpoints, Sandro Garcia Moreno is among thousands of undocumented immigrants being ripped off by unscrupulous employers. The Express-News analyzed a database of federal wage-theft investigations and found the Rio Grande Valley is a prolific source of worker complaints.

“Since the Labor Department began keeping public records in 1984, three of the five cities with the highest number of wage theft investigations are in Texas. And eight of the top 20 ZIP codes in the country with the most investigations are in South Texas. Five of them are in the Rio Grande Valley.” Story by Luke Whyte

Out of Control | The Houston Chronicle

Traffic deaths kill hundreds of people every year in the Houston area, which leads the nation in fatal crashes involving drugs and alcohol, but little is done to stop the carnage. The Houston Chronicle analyzed traffic data and police records and interviewed scores of experts and victims to put the staggering problem in perspective.

“The death toll is the equivalent of three fully-loaded 737s crashing each year at Houston’s airports, killing all aboard. Losing that many planes and passengers would lead to federal hearings, but the Houston roadway deaths are met largely with silence, other than the occasional warning from public safety officials to drive safely and be careful crossing the street.” Story by Dug Begley and St. John Barned-Smith

How Atmos Energy’s natural gas keeps blowing up Texas homes | The Dallas Morning News

A review of thousands of regulatory records, lawsuits and news reports by the Dallas Morning News revealed that more than two dozen homes across North and Central Texas have blown up since 2006 because of leaking natural gas, killing nine people and injuring 22 others. The investigation focused on old, corroded gas pipes owned by Atmos Energy. Story by Cary Aspinwall and Holly K. Hacker

What do we owe her now? | The Washington Post

Elizabeth Bruenig visited her old high school in Arlington, Texas, to learn the real story behind an ugly memory — rumors of a student who was raped, ostracized and forced to leave the school. Bruenig reviewed police documents, interviewed witnesses, and talked to the victim, Amber Wyatt, to find out what really happened and why the case was never prosecuted.

“Making sense of her ordeal meant tracing a web of failures, lies, abdications and predations, at the center of which was a node of power that, though anonymous and dispersed, was nonetheless tilted firmly against a young, vulnerable girl.” Story by Elizabeth Bruenig

Inside Texas State’s year of hate: neo-Nazi propaganda fight | The Austin American-Statesman

Internal emails obtained by the Austin American-Statesman reveal how Texas State University struggled to respond to dangerous hate speech spreading across campus. The emails, which the university tried to withhold from the newspaper, showed the problem wasn’t entirely coming from outside agitators as school officials claimed — students were actually behind some of the inflammatory fliers being posted on campus and inside dorms. Story by Jeremy Schwartz

Breaking all the rules: Lax oversight undercuts Houston housing program goals | The Houston Chronicle

An investigation of the Houston Land Bank revealed there was “little to no oversight” from city officials who said they had no idea how many reduced-prices homes actually went to low-income buyers.

“It was not until the Chronicle started asking questions last year that housing department leaders grasped the rules surrounding the program, and it took them a year to take steps to begin enforcing them, undercutting Houston’s housing goals at a time when rising prices are putting homeownership out of reach for an ever-growing share of families,” the investigation found. Story by Mike Morris

Federal agency sent immigrant kids to dangerous youth facility, despite warning signs | Reveal from the Center for investigative Reporting

Despite multiple deaths and complaints at the Shiloh Treatment Center south of Houston, the federal government has signed lucrative agreements worth $33 million with the center to hold immigrant children.

“The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement continued to send immigrant children to Hill’s care after another teenager was killed during a restraint and the state of Texas shut down one of his facilities, deeming it unsafe for children,” the investigation found. Story by Will Evans, Lance Williams and Matt Smith

Farenthold tried to steer federal contract to Calhoun port chairman | The Victoria Advocate

Records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show that former Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold tried to steer a federal contract to a business owned by the chairman of the Calhoun Port Authority. The authority later hired the former congressman after Farenthold resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal. Story by Jessica Priest

Dallas housing agency gave deals worth at least $50,000 to its board members | The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas City Council stopped the Dallas Housing Finance Corporation from awarding contracts to its board members after a newspaper investigation revealed the obscure city housing agency had been awarding thousands of dollars to members of its board. Story by Sue Ambrose

El Paso police overtime policy doesn’t stop dangerous shifts, big payouts | The El Paso Times and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting

An analysis of El Paso Police Department overtime data shows that some officers worked dangerously long hours and dramatically increased their taxpayer-funded salary. The officers have crashed cars and at least one was accused of being asleep at the wheel. Story by Elida Perez

Texas prisons often deny dentures to inmates with no teeth | The Houston Chronicle

The Texas prison system is changing its policies after the Houston Chronicle revealed that prisoners with few or no teeth are routinely denied dentures and must eat pureed food.

“In 2016, prison medical providers approved giving out 71 dentures to a population of more than 149,000 inmates, many of whom are elderly, have a history of drug use or came from impoverished backgrounds with sub-par dental care to begin with.” Story by Keri Blakinger

Unpaid: Inside the ‘lawless jungle’ of worker exploitation after Hurricane Harvey | The Dallas Morning News and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting

In the blitz of construction and rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey, state officials were ill-prepared to handle claims of wage theft from workers who said they were shortchanged or never paid by their employers.

“Texas’ process for investigating unpaid wages is ill-suited to tackle the problem,” the investigation found. “Over the last nine years, the commission investigated an average of 13,180 wage claims annually. Splitting the claims among the 19 labor law investigators on staff gives each one nearly 700 cases a year.” Story by James Barragan

Dallas police sergeant collected millions for fallen officers. A fraction went to the families | The Dallas Morning News

After a gunman killed five Dallas police officers in 2016, millions of dollars were raised in donations for the fallen officers’ families. But most of that money instead went to telemarketing companies and obscure charities overseen by a Dallas police sergeant named Demetrick Pennie.

“Last year, for every $100 donated to Pennie’s Texas Fallen Officer Foundation, just $5 went to families, while $74 went to telemarketers, $15 to cash reserves and $6 to travel, meals and expenses for Pennie and his team,” the Dallas Morning News reported. Story by Naomi Martin Ariana Giorgi

Even after Harvey, Houston keeps adding new homes in flood plains | The Houston Chronicle

An analysis by the Houston Chronicle shows that one in five new homes being built in Houston in the year after Hurricane Harvey is in a flood plain — even as new rainfall data showed existing flood maps understate the risk posed by strengthening storms. “The city just lets it happen over and over again,” one resident complained. Story by Mike Morris and Matt Dempsey

Did I miss a good story? Contact me or leave a comment below. Don’t forget to sign up for blog updates and check out more watchdog journalism from the great state of Texas.

The post Texas watchdog journalism roundup for Oct. 21, 2018 appeared first on John Tedesco.

San Marcos apartments where inferno killed five people lacked fire sprinkler system | San Antonio Express-News

A week after flames engulfed a building in the Iconic Village apartment complex in San Marcos, killing five people, a team of reporters examined how the tragedy unfolded and why the units lacked a fire protection system, which can save lives:

“From 2005 to 2016, 144 people died in fires in multifamily residential buildings in Texas that lacked automatic extinguishing systems, the state fire marshal’s office reports. Just two deaths occurred in buildings equipped with such systems over the same period.” Story by Peggy O’Hare, Austin Horn, Emilie Eaton, Patrick Danner and Krista Torralva

Pain and Profit | The Dallas Morning News

In a yearlong investigation, the Dallas Morning News found Texas’ Medicaid system is “protecting a booming multibillion-dollar industry while the most vulnerable Texans wait in vain for wheelchairs, psychiatric drugs and doctors’ appointments. That system has failed countless disabled adults and sick children who can’t advocate for themselves.” The newspaper reviewed 70,000 pages of documents, including material that state officials and companies tried to keep secret, and interviewed hundreds of families, doctors and policy experts.

Within days of the series’ publication, Texas lawmakers began calling for change and more regulators were hired. Story, photos and videos by J. David McSwane, Andrew Chavez and Tom Fox

Separated migrant children are headed toward shelters that have a history of abuse and neglect | Reveal and the Texas Tribune

A team of reporters covering the Trump administration’s controversial “zero tolerance” immigration policy found that taxpayers paid more than $1.5 billion to private companies operating immigrant youth shelters accused of serious lapses in care, including neglect and sexual and physical abuse.

“In nearly all cases, the federal government has continued to place migrant children with the companies even after serious allegations were raised and after state inspectors cited shelters with deficiencies, government and other records show.” Story by Aura Bogado, Patrick Michels, Vanessa Swales and Edgar Walters

Plutonium went missing in San Antonio, but the government says nothing | The Center for Public Integrity

Two security experts travelling to San Antonio lost equipment that contained small amounts of radioactive plutonium and cesium in March 2017, but authorities kept the theft secret until it was revealed by the Center for Public Integrity more than a year later.

The lack of transparency is not a new phenomenon.

“Unlike civilian stocks, which are closely monitored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and openly regulated — with reports of thefts or disappearances sent to an international agency in Vienna — the handling of military stocks tended by the Department of Energy is much less transparent,” the investigation found. Story by Patrick Malone and R. Jeffrey Smith

Flood Games: Manipulation of flood insurance leads to repeat disasters | The Houston Chronicle

Cities across the country are failing to enforce a central pillar of the taxpayer-subsidized National Flood Insurance Program: Making sure severely damaged properties are elevated or removed from flood plains.

“Thousands of such homes get rebuilt and then flood again, often for more than they are worth, costing taxpayers more than $1 billion in repeat losses,” the Houston Chronicle reported. “Seven of the nation’s 10 most frequently substantially damaged properties are in Houston. Those seven have had 107 damage claims totaling $9 million, even though the combined value of those buildings is just $426,000.” Story by Mark Collette

Decades later, mercury still poisons parts of Lavaca Bay | The Victoria Advocate

A popular fishing destination near an Alcoa aluminum refinery and plastics producer in Lavaca Bay is a federal Superfund site that has struggled for years to reduce toxic mercury in the ecosystem. Levels of mercury in red drum are twice as high as levels considered safe to consume. But some residents are still fishing in the bay and eating what they catch. Story by Jessica Priest

Trustees spending fire and police pension funds on expensive travel | WOAI

Taxpayers pay millions each year to make sure San Antonio firefighters and police officers have a secure retirement. But records obtained by the News 4 Trouble Shooters show the trustees in charge of the pension fund have spent more than $193,000 since 2015 on dozens of trips to places like Las Vegas, New Orleans and China for investment conferences.

“Of the nine pension fund trustees, the ones who traveled the most still work for the police and fire departments. When they travel the city says it often has to pay their salaries AND the salaries of people to replace them while they’re gone.”

City officials limited the travel expenses after the television station’s investigation aired. Story by Jaie Avila

Is Austin training police to be too aggressive? 10 ex-cadets say yes | The Austin American-Statesman

Interviews with nearly a dozen former cadets at the Austin police training academy reveal instructors referred to homeless people and prostitutes “cockroaches,” demeaned suspects, and said anyone who resists arrest “just earned a legal ass-whooping,” raising questions about the academy’s methods. Story by Tony Plohetski

Four Texas prison guards fired, major resigns after allegedly planting evidence in inmate’s cell | The Houston Chronicle

Prison guards are out of a job after the Houston Chronicle revealed a short-lived quota system that required them to discipline prisoners twice a day or face punishment. A grand jury later indicted some guards accused of planting screwdrivers in an inmate’s cell.

“In the weeks after news of the scandals was first reported in the Chronicle, five officials were fired, another resigned under investigation, several others — including a warden — were demoted or transferred, more than 600 disciplinary were cases tossed out, and the prison system set out to review its disciplinary policies,” the Chronicle reported. Story by Keri Blakinger

Why do Bexar County judges keep releasing domestic violence suspects on the honor system? | KSAT

A months-long investigation by the KSAT 12 Defenders found that more than 32 percent of Bexar County domestic violence suspects were rearrested after being released from custody without posting bail. Victims advocates say the findings are concerning because it’s already been a record-setting year for domestic violence-related fatalities in Bexar County. Story by Dillon Collier

Atmos’ gas leaks go far beyond one northwest Dallas neighborhood | The Dallas Morning News

A sharp increase in natural gas leaks has plagued neighborhoods across North Texas after three explosions and fires in February, including one that killed 12-year-old Linda Rogers. The Dallas Morning News analyzed public data to create a map showing areas where leaks have been detected since then.

“Our data analysis reveals potential widespread problems with aging and wear and tear in the gas delivery system running under customers’ homes and businesses all over Dallas County,” the newspaper reported. Story by Holly Hacker, Allan James Vestal and Cory Aspinwall

How a natural gas group pushed for new energy curriculum in Texas | The Austin American-Statesman

The Austin American-Statesman revealed how a politically connected Texas natural gas industry advocacy group developed classroom materials for teachers that cast fossil fuels in a softer light, avoid any mention of climate change, and raise questions about “perceived” renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind power. Story by Asher Price

Federal officials investigate loss of potential habitat for endangered species | The San Antonio Express-News

After residents complained to the Express-News about a real estate developer bulldozing up to 38 acres of trees on a picturesque hillside, the newspaper discovered the developer may have mischaracterized habitat studies when he told city officials that his project wouldn’t harm any endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a federal agency that enforces the Endangered Species Act, is now investigating. Story by John Tedesco

Did I miss a good story? Contact me or leave a comment below. Don’t forget to sign up for blog updates and check out more watchdog journalism from the great state of Texas.

The post Must reads: Texas watchdog journalism roundup for August 1, 2018 appeared first on John Tedesco.

Uresti found guilty on all charges in end to salacious month-long fraud trial | The San Antonio Express-News

More than a year after the Express-News first revealed how state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, had persuaded a former client to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a Ponzi scheme, Uresti was found guilty last week of 20 felony charges in a month-long criminal trial. Patrick Danner, the reporter who first broke the story, covered the trial and was on hand for the verdict. Story by Patrick Danner and Guillermo Contreras

As Wolff remained free, others with fewer probation violations rearrested | KSAT 12 Defenders

Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff, who is on probation in a drunken driving case, remained free despite more than two dozen probation violations that included skipping breath tests. Records show 40 other DWI defendants on probation were arrested for similar violations, according to a months-long investigation by KSAT 12. Story by Dillon Collier

Record reservoir flooding was predicted even before Harvey hit Houston | The Houston Chronicle

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers knew heavy rains would overwhelm reservoirs and flood neighborhoods in Houston before Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas. But records obtained by the Houston Chronicle show the Corps did not share its predictions with the public. One lawmaker is already calling for an investigation. Story by Lise Olsen

Congressional candidate exaggerates background | The Victoria Advocate

Republican Congressional candidate Jerry Hall claims he’s “overqualified” for the job and touts a long list of credentials. But an investigation by the Victoria Advocate found there’s little support for his claims. Story by Marina Riker

Downtown nonprofit spent thousands of tax dollars to entertain, lobby | The San Antonio Express-News

Centro San Antonio, the troubled nonprofit organization that lost $291,0000 from an accountant suspected of embezzlement, spent taxpayer money on ritzy meals, cross-country trips and music festival sponsorships, according to financial records obtained by the Express-News. Story by Richard Webner

Too Big To Fine, Too Small To Fight Back | The Texas Observer

The Texas Observer analyzed a database of more than 300,000 records to determine the enforcement priorities of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The analysis found the state agency aggressively went after mom-and-pop gas stations while taking a softer approach with thousands of big-money industrial facilities. Story by Naveena Sadasivam

Women describe 14 years of Austin Opera maestro’s lewd talk, touches | The Austin American-Statesman

Seven women say a culture of permissiveness at the Austin Opera allowed conductor Richard Buckley to touch women inappropriately and engage in lewd talk. The women say executives and board members of the opera knew about Buckley’s behavior but failed to intervene because he was a star. Story by Andrea Ball

On Karolyi Ranch, gymnasts with Olympic dreams endured ‘perfect environment for abuse’ | The Dallas Morning News

The Karolyi Ranch in Texas trained the elite of the elite of U.S. gymnasts. But its severe, secretive training regimen created a culture of intimidation that enabled Dr. Larry Nassar, the women’s national gymnastics team doctor, to sexually abuse young gymnasts over nearly two decades, according to critics and two recently filed lawsuits. Story by David Tarrant and Terri Langford

Anti-Escobar PAC fails to report campaign spending on advertisements | The El Paso Times

A new political action committee targeting Democrat Veronica Escobar has spent $10,000 in advertising that went unreported to the Federal Election Commission — a possible violation of campaign finance laws. Escobar is competing with five other Democratic candidates for the seat of U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke. Story by Madlin Mekelburg

George P. Bush’s secret mansion is financed by an undisclosed loan from Texas donor’s bank | The Texas Tribune

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush took elaborate steps to hide his ownership of an Austin mansion. Financed with an $850,000 mortgage by a Republican donor’s bank that also employs Bush’s wife, the tony property doesn’t show up in Bush’s state-mandated financial disclosure report. After the Texas Tribune discovered the reporting lapse, Bush’s political director dismissed the reporting as “another absurd fake news story from the liberal media” — but the Tribune’s discovery later prompted the campaign to promise that Bush will amend his ethics filings. Story by Jay Root

Suicide and assaults: Which Dallas psychiatric hospitals have bad safety records? | The Dallas Morning News

Half the psychiatric hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have suffered at least one major safety incident since 2011, according to a review of inspection records and lawsuits. “Nearly anyone in Dallas could end up there in a crisis,” the Dallas Morning News reported. “If your teenage daughter starts cutting herself. Or your husband confesses he wants to crash his truck head-on. Or your son overdoses and ends up in the emergency room. In these emergencies, there is no easy way to check a hospital’s safety record.” Story by Sarah Mervosh and Sue Ambrose

Did I miss a good story? Contact me or leave a comment below. Don’t forget to sign up for blog updates and check out more watchdog journalism from the great state of Texas.

The post Must reads: Texas watchdog journalism roundup for Feb. 25, 2018 appeared first on John Tedesco.

State investigation contradicts fire chief’s early claims about fatal fire | The San Antonio Express-News

A fire marshal’s investigation of the deadly blaze that killed San Antonio firefighter Scott Deem last year reached conclusions that contradicted early assertions by Chief Charles Hood, who claimed the Fire Department had followed national safety standards. State investigators disagreed. Story by John Tedesco

Anonymous web of companies controls 130 Victoria properties | The Victoria Advocate

More than 100 troubled properties in Victoria County are owned by an opaque network of nonprofit organizations that falsely claim to provide free rent for residents. The Victoria Advocate investigated the anonymous owners by digging through corporate records, lawsuits and nonprofit tax filings. Story by Marina Riker

Another Harris County building flagged for fire code violations | The Houston Chronicle

The Houston Fire Marshal has flagged at least two county-owned buildings for fire code violations. “Red warning stickers were posted on the glass entry doors to the former jail this week after the Houston Chronicle began questioning safety at the nearby Harris County Family Law Center, a building that was pressed into service after Hurricane Harvey despite not having sprinkler systems or sufficient exits.” Story by Brian Rogers

LaHood once defended clients accused of sexually assaulting children | The San Antonio Express-News

Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood accused a political opponent of seeking business from child abusers as a defense lawyer. But a review of court records shows that LaHood represented the same type of clients when he was a defense lawyer. Story by Brian Chasnoff

What does it take to get fired from the City of Houston? | KHOU 11

A review of thousands of Houston personnel records reveals that few city employees are fired for goofing off or screwing up on the job. KHOU 11 found out the city’s philosophy is “discipline without punishment.” Story by Jeremy Rogalski

Authorities arrest woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars in land scam | KSAT 12

After an investigation by KSAT 12, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office arrested Amanda Manzo, who was accused of operating a land scam and duping people out of thousands of dollars. Victims claim Manzo sold them properties that were never on sale. Story by Tiffany Huertas

Houston-area officials approved a plan for handling a natural disaster — then ignored it | The Texas Tribune and ProPublica

A review of thousands of emails obtained through open records requests reveals that Harris County had adopted a “Mass Shelter Plan” before Hurricane Harvey that could have helped 10,000 displaced residents — if anyone had followed its recommendations. Story by Jessica Huseman and Decca Muldowney

Did I miss a good story? Contact me or leave a comment below. Don’t forget to sign up for blog updates and check out more watchdog journalism from the great state of Texas.

The post Must reads: Texas watchdog journalism roundup for Feb. 14, 2018 appeared first on John Tedesco.