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Welcome Back, FaceTheState.com!

by | 4:30 pm, June 12, 2010 | Comments Off

After a hiatus of just less than a year, FaceTheState.com (FTS) has relaunched, and the results are worth celebrating.

April 22nd, FTS re-examined Denver’s claim that the new justice center was completed “on-budget.” An excellent work of follow-up journalism, new FTS reporter Jared Jacang Maher essentially proved that any project can come in on-budget as long as you move the goalposts.

May 3rd, FTS broke the news that east plains Democrat Wes McKinley was being hit with a sexual harassment suit by a former capitol lobbyist.  Whether the charges are merited or not, we’ve yet to find out.  Still, the allegation was newsworthy in-and-of itself, and FTS broke a story that is still bubbling under the surface.

June 1, somewhat off the usual political beat but great reporting nonetheless, FTS managing editor Brad Jones authored a story that broke news adding a new evidentiary link between the murder of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, and the possible witness-killing of Denver resident Kalonnian James-Clark.  If Colorado gave their attention to the Williams murder trial, let’s hope they’ll do the same for the Kalonnian Clark murder trial as well…witness killings (if there was one in this instance) aren’t just about circumventing justice once, they cast a pall over the entire justice system and the rule of law.  The murder of Kalonnian Clark is a topic even we at CompleteColorado.com have editorialized about.

June 10, FTS out-digs other local news outlets for documents, and comes up with the gem that Denver International Airport “fired two key staffers who oversaw contracting last year after an internal city investigation found instances of fraud.”  Then, proving that luck is the result of hard work, FTS obtained an embarrassing email from DIA after publishing their original findings about the DIA firings:

…when FTS’s Maher followed up on the city’s refusal with another appeal challenging the city’s arguments [for the denial of documents], he got a terse acknowledgment via e-mail from Assistant City Attorney Debra Overn and a promise that a more substantive response would follow. Overn also inadvertently forwarded the following e-mail she had sent to Day and other DIA officials:

“FYI. I will respond, but he obviously does not like my answer (which will not change, though I will send more on why the exceptions apply). This may require smoothing by PRM? Is there some other way to help him feel he has been answered that would not include releasing protected docs?”

The inadvertent email ended up being a microcosmic warrant of FaceTheState’s mission, and a not-so subtle reminder as to why watchdog reporting is so critical in the first place.

Finally, check out this great piece that mixes localism with great questions and overarching implications for government efforts to provide public transportation. FTS followed up on reporting by the Longmont Times Call and asked the question: Can Longmont secede from the Regional Transportation District?

At CompleteColorado.com, everyday we try to bring you the best mix of important news from across the state, and we knew when FTS suspended operations last August that our news content would be poorer as a result.  Now that they’re back, we’re glad for our own benefit, but mainly glad for news consumers in Colorado.

Welcome back FaceTheState, we’ve missed you.

Category: Colorado Politics, Uncategorized
Tags: > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

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