Jody Habayeb, Tampa Tribune

ONE GOOD IDEA:

It happened by accident. We were breaking a story about a local phosphate company that had for decades been dumping carcinogens in the ground, air and water around it's processing factory in Plant City, a small rural town, known for their strawberry farming.

There had been several phosphate factories on the property since 1920. It took a great deal of research to figure out how long the environment had been soiled by the companies before and during Coronet Industries time as a neighbor in the community where strawberries were often the size of tangerines. They story didn't make a leap to the conclusion that the phosphates were responsible, that was my thinking...

Figuring out exactly what carcinogens were found in the air, ground and water and what ill effects they might have on humans and livestock and pets was my job over the first few weeks. Once word was out and the local, state and federal environmental offices had a lot to answer for, so they arranged to hold a town meeting at the
Plant City High School gym at 7 p.m. one night. As the main researcher on this story I thought it imperative that I go to the town meeting myself, to take notes, hear first-hand what the residents on the town had to say about their health.

What happened as a result deciding to go to that meeting on my own, has changed the way we approach major breaking stories and the news libraries role during that time.