A county of 17,000 people accounts for a third of the forfeitures in Nebraska. Drivers are given a choice: give up their cash, or be taken to jail, charged with a crime.
Incredible piece from Seacrest Greater Nebraska reporter @nataliaalamdari.
mattwynn
30.3K posts
mattwynn
@mattwynn
Executive Director at Nebraska Journalism Trust. Behind the curtain at @flatwaterfreep/@siliconprairie. Previously @USAToday, @MedPageToday, @OWHNews.
- Reporter Yanqi Xu did some good journalism. Rather than respond to her findings, Jim Pillen went on the radio and said that her work wasn't worth reading because of where she came from. How embarrassing. Infuriating. Sad. My column:
- Replying to @mattwynnSeward County has raked in millions from the practice. They've used the dough to buy stun guns, shields... and entire buildings.
- Replying to @mattwynnYanqi spent months digging into his hog farms. She found they tested wildly high for nitrate. That his employees jerry-rigged PVC pipe to route pig waste into a creek. That they violated laws multiple times. Her work speaks for itself.
- Let's kick off a new phase in Nebraska journalism. I'm the executive director of the Flatwater Free Press, a statewide journalism nonprofit devoted to telling important investigative & feature stories and sharing them with all Nebraskans -- no matter where you get your news.
- Was confused reading @asanderford's Q&A with @jim_pillen. Asked about @flatwaterfreep's nitrate work, the incoming Gov. said, "some of that study has come from a group from far out of state, the coastline, with maybe other agendas." Nothing could be further from the truth.
- Replying to @MaryEllenKlas and @nataliaalamdariAgreed. I'm really proud of Natalia's beat, which is our bid to ensure that even the smallest towns and rural areas have a way to get their stories told. It's not perfect. But after years of cuts and less is more, it's a push in the right direction.
- I guess it's official: I'm on my way to @USATODAY, where I'll join a murderer's row of some of the best investigative minds in the country.
- It's the same story!
- If a governor shuts down a request in a way never ever tried before in Nebraska, we're gonna write about it.New @flatwaterfreep: Gov. Jim Pillen's staff has taken unprecedented step to shield Pillen's words from public, citing "executive privilege" as reason to withhold emails Pillen sent. That's likely never happened before, say six public officials. flatwaterfreepress.org/nebraska-gover…
- I've been a journalist, largely in my home state, for 15 years. I would have no idea how to fill this out. I've never been asked to try. Not in any state, county, nrd. Not for any federal agency. Nowhere. This is not good. I implore our gov to go back to the drawing board.NEW: Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has created a credential application for journalists covering his media events. The gov’s office will analyze if the applicant is a “bona fide journalist” or if they “maintain journalistic integrity.” Check it out for yourself 👇🏼👇🏼
- This morning, we launched @flatwaterfreep, the culmination of years of dreaming and planning and scheming about the best way to support and grow Nebraska's news ecosystem.
- Replying to @mattwynnWe genuinely look forward to working with the incoming administration. But it's my job to speak up when folks malign our work. I'm proud to defend this important series.
- Replying to @jameswilkerson@jameswilkerson I know, I started there and found some classics. Just wondering if anyone had anything new to add.
