How WHAS11 got the exclusive on the dentist office drug ring, and how a local company's response provides a good lesson.
I have been using my blog to provide a lot of details and background information on my stories, but one of the main reasons WHAS11 launched these blogs was to provide some transparency into how we do our job.
And, the story of Hillview dentist, Dr. Brandon Allen's and six others' arrests on hydrocodone charges is a good opportunity not only to show how I got the story, but to show how our team works together behind the scenes.
On Tuesday, August 21, assistant assignment editor Travis Kircher checked court files for anything that seemed newsworthy. Sometimes you have to read all of the arrest slip to get to the heart of the story. This is the e-mail Travis sent to the newsroom:
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From: Travis Kircher
To: @Newsroom
Subject: COURT STUFF - GOOD STORIES (Others to Follow)
Sent: 8/21/2007 10:16 AM
DAVID A ROSENAVER (DOB: x/xx/83): He’s a 24-year-old who allegedly sent text messages to a 14-year-old arranging a meeting for sex. Also sent lewd images of himself. Charged with Unlawful Transaction with a Minor, Unlawful Use of Electronic Means to Induce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Distribution of Obscene Matter to Minors. They are also seeking Federal prosecution. He was busted by the Sheriff’s Department. I spoke with Carl Yates and he is making calls to see if we can talk to someone. THREE SCHOOL RESOURCES OFFICERS ARE LISTED ON THE REPORT AS WITNESSES AND INVESTIGATORS. Would be interesting to see how they found out about this guy. Did a school resource officer see the messages and come to this girl’s rescue?
JESSICA CONDILL-SCHMIEDELER (DOB: x/xx/77): For the past three years, she has allegedly been fraudulently obtaining thousands of hydrocodone pills for her boss…A DOCTOR BRANDON ALLEN OF MORTENSON FAMILY DENTAL. Haven’t found a police report on Dr. Allen, but we have hers. I have calls into Phil Russell saying we want to talk to someone.
Those are the big ones. More coming…
-TKK
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You might recognize Travis' name from his extensive blogging on the Camm/Boney Murder trials. He also was the first media member to whom a circuit court clerk staff member mistakenly released the Ivan Cano case search warrant affidavit. Travis is a former reporter for the SNITCH crime newspaper and is an invaluable member of our staff, albeit one viewers rarely see. When one of our reporters is live
from the newsroom, look in the upper left of the screen and you might spot Travis.
We were able to get the text message story on the air immediately, because the subject had been arrested. But, in the dentist case, we held off as we gathered more information on our own and let police get Dr. Allen in for questioning. We were 99% sure WHAS11 was the only media outlet to have a bead on this story, and we were.
We contacted the Kentucky Board of Dentristy and LMPD, but waited until the next day to make any other calls.
On Wednesday, I was assigned the story. I checked Dr. Brandon Allen's bio on the Mortenson Family Dental website, which revealed he had moved to Louisville from Oregon. As I called Dr. O. Wayne Mortenson, who runs the company, my colleague, Melissa Swan, called the Oregon Board of Dentristy, which showed no disciplinary action there. I also searched the internet and found Allen's former employer in Oregon, who declined to say anything, citing privacy laws.
As we made those calls, Travis called me from court, indicating he had found several other arrests, but none mentioned Dr. Allen by name. I had to do some detective work to ascertain who was who.
Our diligence and patience really paid off. Narcotics Commander Captain Steve Thompson recognized our approach when he supplied the details of Allen's arrest (although he was very careful to keep the dentist from our camera -- as we were talking to Thompson, his detectives were hustling the dentist out of the building).
I was also very impressed with Dr. O. Wayne Mortenson of Mortenson Family Dental. It is that company's Hillview office at the center of the probe.
When I reached him by phone on Wednesday morning, Dr. Mortenson could not have been any more forthcoming. He explained how the scandal began to unfold the week prior, how he had suspended the entire Hillview staff pending the outcome of the investigation and then offered to share with me the internal memo he was issuing.
He then drove to WHAS11 and gave me an on camera interview, shying away from none of my questions.
Other companies in crisis could learn a thing or two from Dr. Mortenson. Not only did he act appropriately in reporting suspicions to authorities, but his candor in response to my questions made a potentially damaging story for his business into a potentially positive story about how they do business.
Have any questions about how I got a story or the decisions made in reporting it? Shoot me an e-mail at joe.arnold@whas11.com. Or respond here!
Joe, I am in the WHAS site to try to figure out how to tip you on an obituary of interest that was published in C-J yesterday (8/25/07). No story - just normal obit.
"BRAMMER, ROBERTA LOUISE, 66, a retired Jefferson County public school teacher, who once was recognized as "Teacher of the Year" for Kentucky schools, passed away Tuesday, August 21, 2007 in her home..."
Remember her repeated probation violations (after convicted of killing someone while drunk)? Once she went shopping in Indiana but didn't realize she was no longer in Kentucky - another violation?
A LOT of Louisvillians may wish to know that she is no longer a threat to Louisville (& Strathmoor) drivers.