Virginia delegate is Pungo’s most profitable preservationist
A story about a state delegate who developed a scheme to cash in on the city’s farm land preservation program. With another reporter, we sifted through hundreds of city file and emails to piece together the story.
In convention biz, perks can drive business deals
Virginia Beach was planning to spend more than $60 million to help a developer build a hotel to bolster its convention business. I submitted a FOIA for all the city’s convention contracts and figured out the business wasn’t as lucrative as taxpayers were led to believe. In many cases, the convention space was given away for free.
Our schools’ unbalanced equation: Student-teacher race divide widest in Va. Beach
A story examining the racial imbalance between students and teachers. The story started with a hunch, and came together by requesting federal employment statistics and comparing it to the state’s student race data.
Council considers new vision for Va. Beach zoning
An interesting story about zoning. Enough said.
Open Access: Robeson board’s private meeting violated law
One example of my dispatches from Robeson County, a county in middle-of-nowhere North Carolina that wasn’t used to having a reporter paying attention.
Mike Hixenbaugh | Investigative reporter 