Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI)

November 15, 2024

SEJ Happy Hour in Chicago

Meet SEJ board members gathering in Fulton Market this Friday, November 15, 2024, from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. at PB&J (aka Pizza Beer Jukebox) for an evening of Chicago community and connections. Get happy hour with us by RSVPing and to stay up-to-date on exciting Windy City developments ahead for SEJ.

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Prize Winner Spurs Policy Change on Illinois PFAS Contamination

When Illinois downplayed the results of long-delayed PFAS testing in the state’s public water supply, Chicago Tribune reporter Michael Hawthorne revisited a story he had first covered two decades before. His investigation uncovered dangerous practices threatening public health, won him accolades and moved the needle on state policy. How he went about it, in the new Inside Story Q&A.

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Researchers In Lab Near Lake Erie Study How Toxic Algae Can Damage Health

"Steven Haller remembers the look of fear on people’s faces when toxic algae in Lake Erie made it into his community’s water supply 10 years ago, shutting it down for two days."

Source: AP, 10/23/2024

On Iowa Border, the Mississippi River Is Eroding Sacred Indigenous Mounds

"A multimillion-dollar bank stabilization project proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could protect one of the densest collections of ceremonial and burial mounds still existing in North America."

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/21/2024

Wisconsin Estimates Around 40 Percent Of Private Wells Contain Pesticides

"The state estimates one or more pesticides are found in around 43 percent of 800,000 private wells in Wisconsin, and more than half of the pesticides detected aren’t regulated in groundwater by the state or federal governments."

Source: Wisconsin Public Radio, 10/11/2024

Fossil Interests And Hometown Newspaper Work To Kill Solar In Ohio County

"A retired gas industry executive, a shadowy 'grassroots' group and a controversial media company are spreading misinformation while turning residents against a proposed solar farm — and each other"

Source: Floodlight, 10/09/2024

Public Records Bring Independent Reporting to the Next Level

Freelancers may worry they don’t have time to chase down government documents. But if you’re looking for tools to help get your hands on public records, help is on the way. In the new Freelance Files, MuckRock’s Dillon Bergin offers a step-by-step guide to filing document requests, organizing and analyzing your documents and joining the FOIA community. Get started.

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