seattlep-i.com: Special Reports

For other Hearst Corp. newspapers, start here.	Journalism of Distinction is an everyday story at Hearst newspapers, of which the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is one of more than a dozen. Here are a few of the recent P-I reports that have won recognition from the experts, the industry and the community for their excellence.

The Wenatchee investigations

In February 1998 the Post-Intelligencer published an investigative series re-examining the 1994 child sex-ring case in Wenatchee, Wash. Forty-three people were charged with molesting or raping children over several years. Some were acquitted, others had cases dropped, but 16 still remain in prison.

The series raised serious questions about the conduct of investigators, prosecutors and therapists in Wenatchee. Among them: the chief accusers were foster daughters of the lead investigator; civil rights of the accused may have been violated; bystanders who spoke up for the accused were not only ostracized but subjected to professional reprisals and sometimes charged themselves.

Susan Hutchison Bosch Award
Society of Professional Journalists

First place, enterprise reporting
Hearst Distinguished Journalism Awards

Remembering the war

At 105, Laura Frost Smith became the oldest living American woman to serve in World War I, a war when nurses, even those who served at the front lines in France, could earn neither the rank nor pay of men.

The women of WWI are nearly gone now, and most have died without telling their stories. But their service changed the outlook for women in America.

This is the story of one of them.

First place, features
Hearst Distinguished Journalism Awards

The sinking of the Scorpion

The submarine USS Scorpion sank with 99 aboard on May 22, 1968. A naval court of inquiry concluded the most likely cause was that a runaway torpedo accidentally became armed and struck the submarine. In 1970, a different Navy panel disavowed the earlier findings, but because of underwater recordings of the event, some Navy officials still believe it was an accident.

Thirty years later, P-I military reporter Ed Offley revisited the story, exploring new allegations and new evidence that the Scorpion may have been deliberately sunk.

First place, enterprise reporting
Hearst Distinguished Journalism Awards

A matter of principals

When John Stanford became superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools, he wanted to build a "world class" education system. But his efforts have been hindered by weaknesses among the ranks of the district's principals. Reporter Ruth Teichroeb explored just why things don't seem to be working out as Stanford planned.

Second place, enterprise reporting
Hearst Distinguished Journalism Awards

Tales of war that hit home

Five thousand refugees settle in Washington state each year, coming in search of a new life and a fresh start. They leave behind homelands decimated by civil war, revolution and ethnic strife.

But they can't leave behind their memory of the chaos they fled. This special six-part series tells the stories of those who have overcome struggles to start anew in the Puget Sound region.

Second place, feature writing
Hearst Distinguished Journalism Awards

Angie's story

The truth is often elusive when it comes to investigating child abuse. So it was in the case of Angie Yarwood, who at age 12 was taken from her family and placed in foster care during investigations into her family for alleged violent behavior.

Heath Foster's series illustrates the challenges often faced by families, caseworkers, counselors and judges as they try to figure what's best for our children.

Third place, feature writing
Hearst Distinguished Journalism Awards

From here to eternity

Millions of gallons of radioactive waste sit at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, awaiting disposal. Solveig Torvik, who has covered the nuclear waste crisis for 12 years as a reporter and editorial writer, examines the causes, the possible cures and their complications in this special series.