RTK request stories
Bucks must release attendance records
December 24, 2009 |
The County must comply with a Right-to-Know
request for employee attendance records, the
state Office of Open Records has ruled. The
Pennsylvania Office of Open Records ruled this
week that Bucks County must make public
attendance records of county employees who swipe
their identification cards to enter the
courthouse.
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Newspaper goes to court for documents
December 13, 2009 |
The Pocono Record's fight for documents held by
the nonprofit once run by the man accused in the
sex-and-scholarship scandal at East Stroudsburg
University reached the state's second-highest
court Monday. Read
More...
Judge: York Co. can withhold addresses in 911 response logs
December 11, 2009 |
York County President Judge Richard K. Renn ruled
Thursday the county is in compliance with the
commonwealth's Right-To-Know law when it refuses
to release addresses in emergency time response
logs. Read
More...
Review drops appeal of open records case against Judge Smith
December 08, 2009 |
The Daily & Sunday Review will not appeal
further the denial by the state of the
newspaper's right-to-know law request for access
to the "inappropriate material" found two years
ago on computers used by Bradford County Common
Pleas President Judge Jeffrey Smith.
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Attorney: Sewer bill secrets ‘alarming’
December 05, 2009 |
SHARON —The legal fight put up by the Sharon
Sanitary Authority to keep a Herald reporter from
reviewing delinquent sewer accounts is “alarming
and unreasonable,” Herald attorney William G.
McConnell said in a document recently filed in
Mercer County Common Pleas Court. Read
More...
Monroe Co. judge overturns two open records rulings
October 16, 2009 |
A Monroe County judge overturned two rulings made
by the state's new Office of Open Records, which
will keep information about the paychecks of
public employees and pre-meeting materials out of
view. Read
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Judge fights release of material on his computers
October 05, 2009 |
Bradford County President Judge Jeffrey Smith has
hired a private attorney to fight The Review's
effort to inspect the non-judicial content of a
copy of the hard drives on computers he used.
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Judge to hear open records case
October 02, 2009 |
A Mercer County Common Pleas Court judge next
week will hear the appeal of the Sharon Sanitary
Authority regarding the Pennsylvania Office of
Open Records ruling that they must allow The
Herald to inspect delinquent sewer accounts.
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Dunmore loses appeal in open-records case
October 02, 2009 |
The state Office of Open Records has ruled a
Dunmore councilwoman must turn over e-mail
correspondence between herself and other council
members regarding the former borough manager.
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State: McKeesport must open officer records
October 01, 2009 |
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records ruled
Sept. 21 that the City of McKeesport is required
to provide the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette with
documents and information surrounding an
investigation into allegations of officers
stealing money from the police department.
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More...
New Pa. Open Records law helps author uncover more information on mine fire
September 21, 2009 |
Former News-Item and Patriot News reporter David
DeKok has written a revised and updated book
about the mine fire in Centralia that details the
relocation of residents, demolition of most of
the town and the resistance of a few diehards.
"Pennsylvania's new Open Records Act, which took
effect at the beginning of 2009, greatly aided my
research," DeKok said. Read
More...
911 tapes raise more questions about crash victim police didn't find
September 17, 2009 |
Newly released 911 audio recordings show that
three callers reported a vehicle that had crashed
in February off the Northeast Extension of the
Pennsylvania Turnpike, leading to the death of a
Taylor man. Read
More...
Williams Twp. to add secretarial hours to process open records requests
September 11, 2009 |
The mountain of trash at the Chrin Bros. Sanitary
Landfill and other contentious issues in Williams
Township have spurred the growth of another
mountain -- one of open record requests.
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More...
York Twp. board to appeal open records ruling
September 11, 2009 |
The York Township board of commissioners voted
Tuesday to appeal a landmark decision from the
Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, but attached
one proviso -- taxpayers won't foot the bill.
Read
More...
Harveys Lake official raises concerns about alleged questionable purchases
September 03, 2009 |
HARVEYS LAKE - General Municipal Authority of
Harveys Lake board members, stunned by
allegations of questionable purchases by
authority employees, vowed to investigate.
Councilman Charles Musial, who is also a police officer, revealed to the board at Wednesday's meeting that, acting on queries by residents about their sewer fees, he filed a Right-to-Know-Act request on authority records for 2007-08 and also did some research on his own. Musial said he was acting as a civilian and had to pay the municipal authority $150 for the records. Read More...
Councilman Charles Musial, who is also a police officer, revealed to the board at Wednesday's meeting that, acting on queries by residents about their sewer fees, he filed a Right-to-Know-Act request on authority records for 2007-08 and also did some research on his own. Musial said he was acting as a civilian and had to pay the municipal authority $150 for the records. Read More...
Ex-York tech school director paid as part of settlement
September 02, 2009 |
The former director of the York School of
Technology is still on the payroll. James A.
Kraft, who resigned June 30, is entitled to full
salary and benefits until the end of March 2010
as part of an agreement that stemmed from
"disputes" between the school and Kraft,
according to the agreement he signed June 19. The
settlement agreement was obtained by the Daily
Record/Sunday News after a right-to-know request.
Read
More...
Village plans to be kept confidential
August 27, 2009 |
Carroll Citizens for Sensible Growth has appealed
to the Office of Open Records to obtain
stormwater and traffic study information on a new
set of plans for the Village at South Mountain
submitted to Carroll Township by Dillsburg
Ventures, LLC. Read
More...
Senate releasing contract list online
August 07, 2009 |
HARRISBURG - The state Senate has released a list
of 66 contracts and leases that will be posted
soon on the Treasury
contracts Web site to comply with the
state open-records law. Read
More...
Reporter scores Right-to-Know Law victory
July 31, 2009 |
NORRISTOWN — In a victory for public information,
an officer from the Pennsylvania Office of Open
Records granted an appeal from a Times Herald
reporter seeking documents that were originally
denied for release from a Montgomery County
authority. Read
More...
Open records request concerns resident, councilwoman
July 22, 2009 |
The open records
policy adopted by Hatboro Borough Council in
January is being challenged for the first time by
both a resident and a member of borough council
who want access to a document ruled unavailable
to the public by the borough’s public records
officer and solicitor. Read
More...
Opinion: Luzerne County has unhealthy stance on right to know
July 20, 2009 |
For decades, attorneys who work part-time for
Luzerne County or Luzerne County courts have been
provided health insurance benefits or payment in
lieu of benefits. Who are they? How many? What's
the cost? We can't tell you that, thanks to a
county lawsuit aimed at blocking the newspaper
from reviewing health-insurance documents.
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Ruling: Schools' draft budgets are public record
July 18, 2009 |
When Pat Barget requested a copy of the South
Eastern School District proposed budget in May,
she was denied. The budget was due to be approved
by the school district by June 30, but the
documents Barget wanted were draft records, not
subject to the state's Right-to-Know law, the
district wrote back. "It would be a disservice to
the community and to the District, to provide
information that is a draft document," the
district's refusal letter read. The state Office
of Open Records disagreed. Read
More...
Mellow's Senate office records difficult to obtain
July 18, 2009 |
HARRISBURG -- The slow process this week of
obtaining copies of leases for state Sen. Robert
Mellow's district office highlighted the
inefficiency of the Senate's process compared to
that of the House of Representatives.
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911 logs disagreement points out issues in RTK law
July 12, 2009 |
The York Daily Record/Sunday News and York County
are headed to court over the newspaper's request
for what the state deems a public record: 911
time-response logs. Read
More...
Court to determine public access to 911 logs
July 12, 2009 |
York County's refusal to release addresses or
locations along with dispatch and arrival times
of emergency responders is not an attempt to stop
the York Daily Record/Sunday News from reviewing
that data, county solicitor Michael Flannelly
said Friday.
Read More...
Delco judge orders Radnor Right to Know case settled
June 24, 2009 |
A Delaware County Court of Common Pleas judge
ordered that a Right to Know case between a
citizen and the Radnor Township School District
be settled. Read
More...
Complete Wachovia Arena contract released
June 23, 2009 |
The company hired to manage Wachovia Arena has
provided a complete copy of its management
contract that guarantees the company a minimum of
$2 million over the next 10 years. Read
More...
New light shed on lawmakers' secretive grants
June 20, 2009 |
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Tens of millions of tax
dollars that support Pennsylvania lawmakers'
favored causes are directed by legislative
leaders through a secretive process that appears
to benefit some leaders' constituents the most,
according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
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No written policy on ceremony attendance
June 19, 2009 |
The Shenandoah Valley school board never voted on
the policy used to keep a Republican-Herald
reporter out of Shenandoah Valley High School’s
2009 graduation ceremony, according to an open
records request response received by the
newspaper Wednesday. Read
More...
Wachovia Arena manager’s numbers kept secret
June 15, 2009 |
The board that oversees Wachovia Arena last week
refused to release the financial terms of a new
contract for management of the facility, and
attorneys disagree on the legality of the
decision. Read
More...
Charter school appeals to block release of records
June 11, 2009 |
The Chester Community Charter School has filed a
court appeal to a recent Pennsylvania Office of
Open Records ruling that gave The Inquirer access
to a wide range of financial records from the
management company that operates the school.
Read
More...
State: York County must give addresses in 911 logs
May 27, 2009 |
The state Office of Open Records ruled recently
that publicly released time response logs from
York County's 911 Center must include where
police or fire units were headed when they were
dispatched. The office made the ruling Friday in
response to an appeal by the York Daily
Record/Sunday News. More than two months ago, the
Daily Record/Sunday News asked the county for the
logs with addresses. Read
More...
Luzerne County denies disclosure of health-care benefits costs
May 24, 2009 |
Luzerne County claims federal law prevents the
disclosure of who gets health-care benefits from
the county and how much a county employee’s
benefits actually cost. In denying a
right-to-know request from The Citizens’
Voice, the county right-to-know officer cited the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act. Read
More...
York school board to review trip expenses
May 22, 2009 |
The York City School Board voted 5-4 to pull the
receipts for expenditures during an April trip to
San Diego for further review. The board was made
aware of how the money was spent on the trip
because of a Daily Record/Sunday News article,
written after he receipts were obtained
through a Right-to-Know request.
Read
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York school board spends on San Diego trip
May 22, 2009 |
Four York City School Board members spent about
$2,000, mostly on food and cabs, at a seminar in
California last month -- and that sum does not
include air fare, hotels, conference fees and a
fifth board member's expenses, according to
receipts for the expenditures obtained through a
Right to Know request. Read
More...
Schools peppered by Right to Know requests
May 16, 2009 |
EAST STROUDSBURG — One resident of East
Stroudsburg Area School District wanted to see
the internal investigation into how the district
sold a classroom trailer on eBay for $1. An
aspiring school board member for that district
requested all the correspondence between
administrators and board members from this year.
A sitting board member asked to receive complete
copies of legal bills.
These are some of the requests that reflect a flurry of activity sparked by the state's newly robust Right to Know Law. Since the beginning of the year, requests have been peppering the area's four school districts. Read More...
These are some of the requests that reflect a flurry of activity sparked by the state's newly robust Right to Know Law. Since the beginning of the year, requests have been peppering the area's four school districts. Read More...
Lobbyist notes to Rendell mix charm, pressure
April 27, 2009 |
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP, April 27) - Newly disclosed
correspondence between Pennsylvania Gov. Ed
Rendell and lobbyists from last year shows he
received particular pressure regarding a property
assessment bill he eventually vetoed and a
stalled proposal to extend health coverage to
more of the uninsured. Read
More...
County's public 911 response logs not useful
April 26, 2009 |
If state residents want to know if their local
fire companies, police departments and EMS
agencies are responding promptly to emergencies,
Pennsylvania's new Right-to-Know law gives them
the right. Residents can request time response
logs from their county 911 center, which would
help them determine if agencies arrived in a
timely fashion, officials say. But that's not the
case in York County, because of how the county
defines a time response log. Read
More...
York Twp. official: Post names of public records seekers
April 16, 2009 |
A York Township commissioner presented a plan
during the board of commissioners' meeting
Tuesday night that would allow the township to
publish the names of people who make
Right-to-Know requests. Read
More...
Negative coverage divides Radnor
March 15, 2009 |
For some Radnor residents, the controversy
surrounding the township manager and his salary
bonuses wasn't as troubling as the widespread
news coverage. Unaccustomed in many ways to the
glare of publicity, they are questioning how open
township business should really be. Read
More...
Radnor board axes manager over alleged bonus cover-up
March 08, 2009 |
Radnor Township's Board of Commissioners voted
unanimously last night to suspend Bashore and
request his resignation after the recent
discovery that he had distributed hundreds of
thousands of dollars in bonuses - $141,500 for
himself - then allegedly attempted to cover his
trail by falsifying financial documents.
Read
More...
Township manager's spending draws questions in Radnor
March 04, 2009 |
Imagine a job that includes a six-figure salary,
a generous benefits package, an interest-free
loan for a new house, an SUV for personal use and
the ability to award yourself no-questions-asked
bonuses every year. Welcome to Dave Bashore's
world. Bashore's contract and other previously
undisclosed documents were pried loose in recent
months by residents who filed records requests
under Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law, which was
strengthened this year. Read
More...
PHEAA foundation chief fired, board blasts expenses
March 03, 2009 |
Michael Hershock was given an ultimatum Friday to
resign or be fired from what is perhaps the most
lucrative part-time job in state government. The
president and CEO of the nonprofit Pennsylvania
Higher Education Foundation chose to be fired
over a dispute about travel expenses. Foundation
board members became aware of the expenses when
they reviewed records requested by The
Patriot-News through the state's new Right to
Know Law. Read
More...
Manager suspended in Radnor
February 28, 2009 |
RADNOR — It appears David A. Bashore’s days as
township manager are numbered. Whether he will
face criminal prosecution for allegedly awarding
hefty bonuses to himself and about 30 other
township employees without the approval of the
board of commissioners remains to be seen. A
string of public record requests uncovered
Bashore’s employment contract, signed in 2001,
which included a $175,000 interest-free loan he
used to purchase a home in the 200 block of
Spruce Tree Road. Read
More...
Documents in Right-to-Know case released
February 17, 2009 |
The Radnor Township School District has released
two sets of documents that it has maintained for
nearly two years were not public records.
Read
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Your RTK: Gaming Control Board halted leak investigation when questioned
February 17, 2009 |
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board canceled an
investigation of its own employees over suspected
press leaks the same day The Morning Call
formally asked about it. Read
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Your RTK: Warning letters go out to enforce Pa. smoking ban
January 22, 2009 |
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's Department
of Health is sending warnings to establishments
that may have violated the new statewide ban on
smoking in most public places, a newspaper
reported Thursday. Read
More...
Halifax Township supervisors order study of building fees
January 13, 2009 |
The Patriot-News has filed a right-to-know
request to obtain how much money in permit fees
Halifax Township has collected from developers
since a 2005 ordinance was passed, Read
More...