Final Story Pitch

As heroin makes a national and state resurgence and opiate abuse continues to be an issue, small, rural towns like Pullman are ill-equipped to deal with local addiction problems. The national influx of opioid painkillers and medications in the last decade has caused many people to develop addictions, which in turns sends them to the street to look for cheaper options like heroin. Pullman is without any local inpatient rehab facility and has only a limited number of outpatient facilities. Palouse Recovery Center, one of the few, has seen a significant increase in opiate abusers in the last few years. My story will examine the trends and the difficulties preventing, policing and treating heroin and opiate issues in small towns like Pullman.

Why now: Rural communities across the country are seeing growing problems with heroin abuse, and many are turning to federal help to deal with the issue.

Format: Feature, 750 words

Sources: Palouse Recovery Center (interviewed), Palouse River Counseling (interviewed), Quad City Drug Task Force, Dr. Pete Mikkelsen: Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Pullman Regional, Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services

Public Records Request

Dec. 4, 2014
Washington State Department of Health Financial Services, Contracts, Properties & Procurement
PO Box 47901 Olympia, WA 98504-7901
Dear Ms. Molly Zirpel,
Pursuant to the state open records law Wash. Rev. Code Secs. 42.56.001 to 42.56.904, I write to request access to and a copy of the record of state expenditures for publicly-funded chemical dependency treatment services in each of the last 15 years. If your agency does not maintain these public records, please let me know who does and include the proper custodian's name and address.
I agree to pay any reasonable copying and postage fees of not more than $100.00. If the cost would be greater than this amount, please notify me. Please provide a receipt indicating the charges for each document.
As provided by the open records law, I will expect your response within five (5) business days. See Wash. Rev. Code Sec. 42.56.520.
If you choose to deny this request, please provide a written explanation for the denial including a reference to the specific statutory exemption(s) upon which you rely. Also, please provide all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material.
I would note that violation of the open records law can result in a fine — payable to me — of up to $100 for each day that I am denied access. Litigation costs, including reasonable attorney fees, may also be awarded. See Wash. Rev. Code Sec. 42.56.550(4).
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Conor King Devitt
1048 NE Monroe St. Pullman, WA 99163
Reporter, Murrow News Service
206-661-4652