Let the record show                                                                                 3/5/06

Documents, testimony don't mesh in Mullen controversy

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    This was the culmination of three months worth of investigations and research. The work included a trip to Charleston to dig through tax records, a stakeout at a Hilton Head house to see if this judicial candidate truly lived there, and hours worth of angry – near threatening – phone interviews with her husband.

    The controversy made it all the way up to the Supreme Court. Even though she eventually was placed on the bench, lawmakers are still talking about ways to reform the judicial selection process in South Carolina, partly because of the questionable system we went after in this story.

     In addition to the printed version, we published a package of the public documents we used for the story online so readers could read them and judge for themselves.

 

To read the online version of this story, click here.

 

 

Illegal cab operators thriving on island                                                                        10/29/06

Companies avoiding town review process and licensing

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    After receiving a phone tip about the possibility of illegal cab companies operating in town, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request at Town Hall to find out if there was indeed a problem, and how widespread it was.

It proved fruitful, and we landed a cautionary tale to alert residents and visitors of the potential hazards of taking a taxicab.

To read the online version of this story, click here.

 

 Despite 'green' image, survey shows few businesses actually recycle
 11/2/08

 Hilton Head is marketed as an eco-friendly destination, but businesses still hesitant to act

This project came about as a way to highlight the debate over the town's first public recycling program. While the town is advertised as a green, eco-friendly place to live and play, the lack of a good recycling program often frustrated tourists who were used to sorting their cans and bottles back home. The idea for the survey came about to highlight the distance between the town's image and some of its actions when it comes to reducing waste. 

For this project, I created a survey, administered it to 30 restaurants and bars and analyzed the results in a spreadsheet. I also talked to officials from other municipalities and waste experts to get a sense of where Hilton Head differed from its peers. Survey results were also published online for readers to analyze for themselves.

 

 Once a week, Jan Koehler throws used cardboard boxes, empty bottles and other recyclables from his St. Tropez Cafe into the back of his truck and takes them to the drop-off center.

Koehler is among a small minority of restaurant owners on Hilton Head Island who recycle, according to a survey conducted by The Island Packet.

Of 30 restaurant managers and owners asked, only two said they take part in significant recycling programs. Five said they recycle cardboard, and six said they recycle some items such as glass or paper. More than 50 percent said they participate in no recycling whatsoever.

 

Read the whole story here.

 

Is the tobacco industry spending for sway in S.C.?                                  1/21/08

Several months of investigation reveal where tobacco dollars are being spent

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    South Carolina is famously tobacco friendly, and the legislature here is typically not considered the keenest bunch when it comes to taking campaign contributions. 

    So when it became apparent major tobacco issues would be at the top of the agenda this session, I wanted to take a look at how much big tobacco money was being spent on state lawmakers. 

    This story, reported over several months, required a trip up to Columbia to pore through years of financial data and lobbyist disclosures. The story brought a new perspective to the continuing actions of legislators as they tackle smoking bans and cigarette taxes this year.

To read the online version of this story, click here.

Tree removal said neglected                                                                     4/8/07

Records show management avoided issue

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Two issues draw more interest and ire on Hilton Head than few others: tree protection and the Hilton Head Island Airport. 

This story saw a rare union of the two hot-button topics when county officials said it was now crucial this tree obstruction issue be taken care of immediately. 

But I took the time to go through hundreds of tiny lines of town tree records to show that the airport had several opportunities to address this in the past – and didn’t. Now they were making up for past mistakes.

 

To read the online version of this story, click here.