INVESTIGATING NEPA: THE RETURN

IT’S BEEN AWHILE

 

        Doing a blog takes discipline.  I follow David Yonki’s LuLac Political Letter, and occasionally the blog of my colleague Andy Palumbo.

        The hardest part is determining what you want this blog to be.  Truthfully, I’d be happy if I could write about the news stories I do, the people I work with, my family, Syracuse University Sports, the Montreal Canadiens, why Badfinger is the most underappreciated rock band in history, and why Philadelphia and Chicago are among the top five American cities, but Boston (did I really just say that?) and Los Angeles are not.  But we are all unique people and I have always followed the advice of my old News Director in New Bern, North Carolina, the late Bill Knowles who said, “do stories that the people watching are into, not necessarily the ones you are into.”

        So with that, I re-launch “Investigating NEPA” and will tell you it is about the stories I do, observations about local and national news, journalism people who are into the fusion of investigative, in-depth reporting might like.

 

THE WEEK

 

        Two stories that may be with us all summer: the troubles of State Representative Kevin Haggerty, and the blowback from the sale of the Scranton Sewer Authority to PA American Water.

        Let’s start with Representative Haggerty.  His wife Jennifer filed a Protection from Abuse order Friday, May 19^th, and the story really became an itemMonday the 22nd, when the details of why Mrs. Haggerty sought the PFA became public.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we were able to get an interview with former staffer Harry Kirius in Dunmore, we knew this could be troubling, Kirius says he likes and respects the State Representative, but also claimed Haggerty has a fierce temper and has anger management issues.

        This is the full text of Mrs. Haggerty’s PFA statement May 19^th, to obtain the Protection from Abuse Order.  Please understand this is her claim, her husband has not chosen to tell his side of the story.

"I came home from dinner last night to gas smell in house. Kevin left stove on without being lit bu gas coming from burner. Went upstairs to check on kids. They were sleeping in bed with Kevin. He heard me and said to turn off the TV. I did and told him the house was full of gas smell. He began to say I was out late and telling me irrational things. I then left the room and went in kitchen. He followed me down, and I walks on deck. He kept saying things and threw 2 bottles of water at me and hit me in left side of of head hard enough to feel temporary loss of hearing and facial numbness. He then took kids out of bed and walked to his mothers house."

The PFA Application also asked Mrs. Haggerty to describe prior incidents.  This is what she wrote.

"Most recent head-butt and threw me down approx. May 10. Other have been slapped, hit, hair pulled, objects thrown at me, shed out of way, punched in get and thrown to ground weekly. Defendant has hit me in front of my children and punched me in front of them."

        Kevin Haggerty’s lawyer responded that this is a personal matter and asked for privacy.  Right now, Kevin Haggerty is not to contact his wife or children. A judge in Scranton will rule on the PFA May 31^st.

 

        The Takeaway?

       

        Kevin Haggerty has always struggled to be elected and re-elected to office, and this incident has the potential to drive him from office.  We will see in the next few days if his wife asks to file criminal charges.  She has already filed for divorce.  Local and State Democratic Party Officials are watching closely.  The legal process will determine whether we hear of more disturbing claims, but even if the current claims are never proven, Representative Haggerty could have an uphill battle getting re-nominated next year.  We are likely to see more developments next week.

 

        THE SCRANTON SEWER AUTHORITY

 

        The numbers have people concerned.

        The sale of the Scranton Sewer Authority to PA American Water netted $195-million dollars for Scranton, Dunmore, and the soon to be defunct Sewer Authority, which used it’s cut to pay off debts.  And the numbers disappointed some.

        Take the people who expected Scranton to get $95-million dollars from deal, as the city first claimed.  Instead the city is getting $83-million and there really has not been a satisfactory explanation.

        Then there are the legal fees. 

        Eight law firms.

        50 Lawyers

        $3.1-million dollars, and the billing invoices redacted or whited out what the 50 lawyers did to earn the big bucks.

        Critics wanted the Sewer Authority to allow the State Auditor General review the details surrounding the sale and the legal fees, and that can only happen if the Authority invites the Auditor General to look at the books.

        On Wednesday, the Board voted 3-1 to notask the Auditor General to audit, and that may have political repercussions.

 

 

 

        Feeling the fire is Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright, who is up for re-election this fall, and who is calling for a town meeting to answer some of the many questions about the sale.

        Courtright admits the atmosphere surrounding the sale is “politicized,”  but adds that when more details emerge, people will see everything was done, “above board.”

        One other note from my story:  You saw me chasing Sewer Authority Board Member Kevin Whelan down the stairs of City Hall.  Mr. Whelan seems like a nice guy, and I am sure he didn’t want to have his appearance on TV look this way…but that’s on him.  When an elected or appointed official doing the public’s business, votes on a controversial subject, they should expect a reporter with a notebook, or a microphone and camera to walk up to them asking for a comment, and what they do about it is up to them. 

       

My favorite local news story of the week that was done by one of my colleagues at WNEP comes from Sarah Buynovsky.

DJ Mo was a popular figure in Wilkes-Barre, and a man who did his part to ease racial tensions in this polarized city.

I anchored the news the night after he was gunned down, and you could tell then that he was going to be missed by dozens of people.

This week, the man police say fired the fatal shot that killed DJ Moe was arrested by US Marshals in New York City

Sarah did a nice job capturing the both the feeling of relief from his friends, who seemed gratified that justice may be at hand.

 

MUST SEE JOURNALISM

 

My favorite piece of journalism this week was done last Sunday, on former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf. 

This was the preview, the repeat is on ESPN2 from time to time during the week.

During his playing days, Leaf came across as a pompous punk, and after his career ended, his drug addiction and theft landed him in prison.

Now he speaks to kids about his very public fall and his own descriptions of his life, then and now are worthy of our respect.  I hope he really has turned his life around.  His speeches seem to reach audiences and his story appears to be sincere.  I am rooting for Ryan Leaf.

 

SONG OF THE WEEK

 

Each week I link to a tune that I hear on Pandora exercising to either “Temptations Radio,” “Badfinger Radio,” “America Radio,” or something of that ilk.

This week’s song is from 1972, Badfinger’s “Baby Blue.”  It is not the band’s greatest hit, but it is their greatest song. 

 

 

By the way, if you hear Harry Styles current hit, “Ever Since New York,” you will hear the same guitar riff.  Thank you Harry !

 

        SPORTS STORY OF THE WEEK

        Besides getting a thank you from Ryan Leaf on Twitter, that Game 7 Double Overtime Pittsburgh Penguins win over the Ottawa Senators was for the ages.  I was rooting for Ottawa because I like it when Stanley Cup games are played in Canada, (my mother’s Canadian), and Ottawa Goalie Craig Anderson (who is actually American) was as good as goaltending gets.   Pittsburgh is a far better team, and would have won in five without Anderson, but a good goalie in the Stanley Cup can be an equalizer.

The finals are next, my head says Pittsburgh, my heart wants Nashville and a Cup for ex-Canadien great PK Subban.  I respect the Pens and will be rooting for the Preds.

 

See you next week