Open Record

Customers wanted to make solar energy, investing in solar panels on their homes. But they found themselves off the grid instead. With no solar power and looming loan payments, customers reached out to Contact 6. In this episode of Open Record, Jenna Sachs reveals how she found many people who took out massive loans to have these panels installed and the panels didn't work. Plus, the company at the center of it all, Altaray.

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Chances are, you've taken prescribed medication at some point. Most of us don't think twice about showing up at the pharmacy to pick up that prescription. But doctors, counselors, pharmacists, and patients told FOX6 Investigators that this "quick errand" has morphed into something far more stressful. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators look at the delicate balance of treatment and potential oversight when it comes to Suboxone prescriptions.

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If you need to find a licensed optometrist in Wisconsin, you can do so by checking out the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services website. But the truth is, most people don't take the time to check out those kinds of things before they get an eye exam. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn goes in-depth about a story he did with a local woman who wishes she had. Her story lead us to a man accused of doing eye exams without a license...again.

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We're doing something different for this episode of "Open Record." A few weeks ago, we got an email asking if we would speak to a group of students at The Milwaukee School of Engineering. That part's not unusual, we get those all the time. But this was for a class called, "Death and Dying." It's an issue we encounter repeatedly as journalists. We asked MSOE if we could record the conversation and turn it into a podcast episode. They said yes.

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Building a home can be a rewarding, but tedious process. A lot of people who have done it will say they've experienced some sort of delay or unforeseen cost. In this episode of Open Record, Jenna Sachs takes an in-depth look at one man who filed a complaint with Contact 6 after he had an unusual cost pop-up that he didn't think he should have to pay. In the Dinner Party Question, the Open Record team reveals their weaknesses as journalists and where they can improve.

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If you want to know exactly where your money is going, you need receipts. If you want to know what your government is doing, you need the emails. So, what does it mean for YOU when the Governor's Office won't turn over those public records? In this episode of Open Record, Amanda St. Hilaire takes an in-depth look at a routine open records request denied by the Governor's Office and how the process of obtaining the records turned into a story. In the Dinner Party Question, the team reveals how one story turns into several and how they decided to follow-up on a certain topic.

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When public agencies investigate employees, the records tell you how the people you're paying are behaving and how they're investigating that behavior. The law says the records are yours. So, why can't you see them? In this episode of Open Record, Amanda St. Hilaire explains how a routine open records request turned into her calling all 132 Wisconsin lawmakers and discovering an issue when it comes to lawmaker transparency. In the Dinner Party Question, the team reveals their secrets to approaching an interview and why they sometimes ask a "dumb question" on purpose.

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In 1984, the body of Traci Hammerberg was found early in the morning in a driveway in Grafton. Investigators would reveal Hammerberg had been raped, beaten and bludgeoned to death. 35 years later, investigators finally solved the cold case. In this episode of Open Record, Bryan Polcyn takes you inside the investigation of Hammerberg's death and explains how emerging science helped track down the murderer. Plus, the team discusses the reaction from family and how Polcyn got inside access to the cold case files. In the Dinner Party Question, Jenna Sachs and Amanda St. Hilaire discover an assignment they have in common that tested their bravery.

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Have you thought about becoming a bartender? In this episode of Open Record, Jenna Sachs takes an in-depth look at a bartending school that's received several complaints. The Open Record team discusses how they decide to pursue a story and what happens when the subject of a story won't do an interview. In the Dinner Party Question, the team chats about the most challenging story they've worked on and why working in Wisconsin gets even more difficult in the winter.

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Drinking and driving is against the law, but should it be a crime? In Wisconsin, the first OWI offense is not considered a criminal act. In this episode of Open Record, Bryan Polcyn breaks down the history of OWI laws in Wisconsin and what the driving force is behind the state's unique perspective on how drinking and driving is handled. In the Dinner Party Question, the Open Record team reveals if they actually get nervous each time they appear on television.

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