We are proud to share what ANF fiscally sponsored project, Vallejo Sun based in Solano County California, has done to create a serious impact in their community. Below are three stories that have created results and exposed what wouldn’t have been known if it was not for their in-depth reporting.

 

If you appreciate their work, they would appreciate your tax-deductible donation to their fund for local reporting at the bottom of this post.

 

Library cyberattack

Because of our persistent inquiries into the cyberattack that disrupted internet service for the Solano County library system, we were the first to report the reason that phone and computer systems were down systemwide. The library would only say that the computers were down because of “unexpected activity.”

For weeks we’d received questions and tips about the service disruption in the library, but when we asked what was going on, the library wouldn’t answer us. Finally, we received a vague statement with few specifics. But one of the tips we received provided enough information that we were able to track down the ransomware website that targeted the library where hackers were threatening to release the stolen data.

Library internet service is a vital and important community service, and we thought it was important for library patrons to know what was going on, what the risks of the stolen data could be, and how long they could expect the library computers to be down. We’ll report more as we find out.

Benicia teacher arrested

Our reporters also brought to light a disturbing case involving the arrest of a Benicia teacher who had previously faced criminal allegations of lewd conduct with students. We received tips about the arrest and confirmed it through court records, but two weeks after the teacher was charged with five felonies, the school district had not reported it to parents.

After we published an initial story, we received more tips, including that the teacher had been hired by a different district while the subject of a law enforcement investigation. We asked another reporter, Holly McDede, to look into the tips. Holly had previously written a story for the Vallejo Sun about decades-old abuse allegations involving a Vallejo coach.

Last week, we published our findings, and were the only news outlet to report that the school district is now being sued by one of the teacher’s alleged victims.

Vallejo police military weapons

We also were instrumental in bringing the Vallejo Police Department into compliance with state law regarding its use of military equipment. Zack Haber, a freelance reporter who works with the Sun, noticed that Vallejo police had done nothing to comply with the law, which took effect in 2021. Here’s what Zack told us:

Some cities seem to be slacking on their AB 481 requirements, specifically, some are doing the required yearly Military Equipment Community Engagement meetings and some seem not to be. One thing I’m noticing so far is that compared to the other cities, Vallejo PD seems to be *the worst* so far at following *any* of the requirements. I can’t even find a list of their military equipment on their website.

Zack followed up with records requests and inquiries to the department. Days after Zack spoke with Vallejo police, the department announced a new military equipment policy and disclosed its military equipment for the first time. As Zack reported, while that’s a first step for compliance, the city still has more to do. We’ll be keeping our eye on it.