Blog note: A press release on
this award was originally posted on November 5, 2015. This is the article published by the Lompoc Record.
The Lompoc Record has received the prestigious
California Grand Jurors’ Association 2015 News Media Excellence in Reporting
Award for its news coverage of “A Failure of Oversight: Lompoc Housing and
Community Development Corporation,” a report issued by the 2011-12 Santa
Barbara County Grand Jury.
"It's an honor to receive this award
because it results from targeted reporting that in partnership with the Grand
Jury, shed light on misuse of taxpayer money and led to change in the
community," said Managing Editor Marga Cooley. "It's what local
journalism is all about."
The Lompoc Housing and Community Development
Corporation was a nonprofit organization that owned and operated homeless
shelters and many other affordable housing projects in the Lompoc area.
In January 2012, the corporation closed two
homeless shelters on a holiday weekend with five days notice. That fact coupled
with complaints of homes in disrepair and defaults on loan payments indicated
that the corporation was in serious trouble.
The Grand Jury received several citizen
complaints requesting an investigation into what went wrong. By the beginning of
2012, 30 of the corporation’s 42 properties had been repossessed by lenders,
placed in receivership or foreclosed upon.
The Grand Jury’s report addressed oversight
issues and the steps the County of Santa Barbara and City of Lompoc should have
taken to protect the public’s investment in funds loaned to the corporation.
The report focused on the relationship between the county and the City of
Lompoc as conduits of funds to the corporation as a provider of affordable
housing and the monitoring undertaken on behalf of the taxpayer.
The Lompoc Record, lompocrecord.com, made the
Grand Jury’s report available to readers throughout the county and published 25
articles, many of which were written by reporter Carol Benham, describing and
following up on the Grand Jury’s findings. The reporting encouraged the Santa
Barbara County District Attorney to look into the nonprofit's operations. It
also revealed a potential conflict of interest involving a county supervisor.
The California Grand Jurors’ Association is a statewide
nonprofit organization of current and former grand jurors throughout
California. The association’s mission is “to promote, preserve and support the
grand jury system through training, education and outreach.”
The News Media
Excellence in Reporting Award program recognizes individuals and media that
have created positive changes in their communities and increased awareness of
the California Grand Jury system. The award was presented Nov. 19 to Managing
Editor Marga Cooley by members of the 2011-12 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury,
including Mel Kimlinger, who nominated the newspaper for the award.
Current Grand Jury
Foreperson Maria Millsaps, 2011-12 Grand Jury members Pam Olsen, Barbara Breza,
Lorelei Snyder, Mel Kimlinger, Travis Gibbons, Jack Snyder, and Mary Frink. Tim
Putz, also a grand juror, is not pictured, since he was the photographer.
Recipient Marga Cooley is holding the award.
Mel Kimlinger and Managing Editor
Marga Cooley
November 20, 2015
Lompoc Record
Staff report
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