Jim Heaney

Jim Heaney is editor and executive director of Investigative Post. He was an investigative reporter with The Buffalo News from 1986 to 2011 and a reporter and editor with The Orlando Sentinel from 1980-86. His coverage over the years has focused on economic development, local and state government, politics, education, housing and transportation, and he was an early practitioner of computer-assisted reporting. Heaney has won more than 20 journalism awards and was a finalist for the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.

Oct 10

2012

Q&A: David Rust of ‘Say Yes To Education’

Buffalo schools have a new superintendent, a new School Board president and a $190-an-hour consultant. But Say Yes to Education may hold the key to turning around the city’s troubled school district. David Rust is executive director of the non-profit organization, which will begin providing full tuition scholarships to all graduates of Buffalo public and charter schools beginning next year. Those scholarships, thus far underwritten largely by two local foundations, provide Say Yes leverage in pushing for reform of the moribund school system. Also on the agenda: providing wall-to-wall services for students and their families and reforming educational practices. Rust,[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 7

2012

Talking education reform

David Rust, executive director of Say Yes to Education, talks about how the program, if successful, will boost high school graduation rates and increase the number of students going on to college. A transcript of the full interview will be posted Monday.

Posted 12 years ago

Sep 28

2012

iPost hosting panel on investigative reporting

The economic decline of mainstream news outlets has lead to major cost cutting at newspapers and television stations, limiting their capacity to produce investigative reporting that is vital to our democracy. Yet advances in technology and research provide reporters more tools than ever to produce and distribute their work. Against this backdrop, Investigative Post, a non-profit investigative reporting center serving Buffalo and Western New York, is hosting a speakers panel Oct. 23 at the Burchfield Penny Art Center to discuss the challenges and opportunities for investigative journalism in the 21st Century. The panel, “The State of Investigative Reporting,” features David[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Sep 22

2012

Concerns of a moderate Republican

Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs talk politics, downtown development, water authority shenanigans and lease negotiations with the Buffalo Bills.

Posted 12 years ago

Sep 22

2012

Interview: Chris Jacobs

Chris Jacobs is that rare Republican who doesn’t hesitate to label himself a moderate or express his concern about his party’s shift to the far right. He took office as Erie County Clerk in January and is one of only two Republicans holding countywide office. (Sheriff Tim Howard is the other). Jacobs previously served 7 1/2 years on the Buffalo Board of Education. Other public service includes a stint as State Secretary of State under George Pataki during his last year as governor. Jacobs is a developer by trade and his Avalon Development is active in the city. He earned[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Sep 16

2012

Power and policy

iPost interview with Kevin Connor of the Public Accountability Initiative and Little Sis.

Posted 12 years ago

Sep 16

2012

Interview: Watchdog researcher Kevin Connor

Kevin Connor is a research provocateur and one of the leading intellects in Buffalo’s burgeoning activist community. The Boston native and 2005 graduate of Harvard University moved to Buffalo five years ago. Since then, he has launched two watchdog research organizations, the Public Accountability Initiative and LittleSis. His work has garnered press attention, both locally and nationally, connecting dots among the powerful and authoring studies that have called out the false claims of developers and supposedly independent researchers. Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney interviewed Connor Sept. 12. A 4 minute 43 second feature with interview highlights appears above. The full 21-minute interview[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Sep 14

2012

Primary night analysis

Jim Heaney offers his analysis on primary night winners and loser as part of WGRZ’s 11 p.m. newscast.

Posted 12 years ago