FOIA

I was able to get my public records via email from Linda Rhodes, FOIA officer for the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture Bureau of Weights & Measures. 

I received my public records within a couple of days, due to my calling and emailing her several times. I basically bugged her. But she was very friendly and helpful. 

The public records really helped my story and made it more reliable.

Followed a gas pump inspector!

I was fortunate enough that Jonelle Brent was able to help me set up an interview with one of the gas pump inspectors here in Illinois. Inspections are always a surprise, so luckily she was inspecting a gas station nearby Carbondale. 

Illinois Dept. of Agriculture

I was able to get more information from the http://www.agr.state.il.us website by going to the Weights and Measures section. 

I found that Jonlle Brent is the Bureau Chief of Weights and Measures. I emailed her and got a quick reply back.

Helpful Sites

These sites has helped me find information on my investigative topic.

Illinois Department of Agriculture

http://www.agr.state.il.us

Attorney General's Office

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/index.html

Other helpful sites I listed below has helped me come up with ideas and ways to make my topic better and make more sense. There is nothing wrong with using other reporter's ideas, as long as each reporter comes up with a new and fresh take on that specific topic.

Investigative Reporters and Editors

http://www.ire.org

Poynter Online

http://www.poynter.org

PR Newswire

https://profnet.prnewswire.com

Brookings

htttp://www.brookings.edu

Investigative Reporting

For my Journalism 419 class I will be looking at a consumer story about price gauging and gas pump inspections. We all know as consumers how expensive and out of control gas prices has been. So my curiousness has lead me to investigate and question how inspections work here in Southern Illinois.