For A News Café, an independent news site in rural Shasta County, California, R.V. Scheide revisited the sidelining of the county’s sheriff and assistant CEO two years ago and found that complaints against him had been investigated and were not substantiated. Scheide’s reporting, supported by the Fund, involved reviewing hundreds of pages of documents and interviewing more than 30 sources. The reporting also looked into a captain who made the allegations against the sheriff and who was discredited in the investigation into his claims. The captain received a $2.6 million settlement from the county. The second story in the investigation focuses on members of the county’s board of supervisors who reportedly ignored evidence of the captain’s wrongdoing and helped ensure his settlement.
Grantee investigates dispute between rural county supervisors and local sheriff
