KCTV - KCTV5 Investigations

KCTV5 Special Report: Frightening consequences of cyber revenge

Chris Oberholtz — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:15:00 EDT

Online attacks launched to destroy the reputations and lives of former boyfriends and girlfriends is happening more and more these days. KCTV5 examines the painful and sometimes frightening consequences of cyber revenge.

KCTV5 food stamp fraud investigation leads to arrest

Chris Oberholtz — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:18:00 EDT

An arrest was made after KCTV5 investigated the Missouri welfare system's failure to protect tax dollars.

KCTV5 Investigates: Fire drill report card

Chris Oberholtz — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:15:00 EDT

The piercing sound of a fire alarm is something elementary students across Kansas should be used to. State law requires monthly drills. But a KCTV5 survey of logs from a dozen Kansas districts in the area exposed a number of schools failing to conduct this important lesson.

KCTV5 Special Report: New 3D mammography tests offer better detection

Laura McCallister — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:51:00 EDT

Mammograms are already one of the most important tools in the fight against breast cancer, but a revolutionary technology has taken the tests to a whole new dimension.

Marine from KCK recipient of KU's Wounded Warrior Scholarship

Laura McCallister — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:47:00 EDT

A young marine from Kansas City, KS, was one of two recipients of the University of Kansas' new Wounded Warrior Scholarship.

KCTV5 Special Report: Strokes take aim at younger women

Laura McCallister — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:51:00 EDT

Women think they are more likely to die from breast cancer than stroke, but the opposite is true. In fact, twice as many women die from stroke than breast cancer every year. And age is no defense against the devastating illness. Younger and younger women are falling victim to attacks.

KCTV5 Investigates: KCMO Paint Program funding dries up

Laura McCallister — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:07:00 EDT

Without any warning, the Kansas City, MO City Council pulled the plug on a program meant to help low-income families improve their homes' curb appeal by providing free paint and supplies.

KCTV5 Investigates: Alleged harassment by KCPD officers

Chris Oberholtz — Thu, 9 May 2013 23:15:00 EDT

Members of the Kansas City, MO, Police Department swear to serve and protect the public. Most of the men and women on the force carry out that task with honor. KCTV5 investigates whether some officers crossed the line, allegedly launching an online campaign of hate against a woman arrested by the department.

KCTV5 Investigates: Kansas City's pricey sidewalk repair program

Chris Oberholtz — Tue, 7 May 2013 23:15:00 EDT

Kansas City property owners are learning about a unique city ordinance the hard way. Letters from the city have ordered them to fix their own sidewalks, curbs and driveways. Residents who can't afford to do that are being forced to accept the city's high interest payment plan.

City may head to court over Floyd Mayweather event

DeAnn Smith — Wed, 3 Apr 2013 18:13:00 EDT

A $15,000 check written by Kansas City to fund a community event that never happened involving a controversial boxer has roiled City Hall. The city is seeking repayment.

KCTV5 investigates the risk buried below

Laura McCallister — Tue, 5 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST

According to the Department of Transportation, since 1986 pipeline accidents have killed more than 500 people nationally and injured over 4,000. In the past ten years alone those accidents have taken four lives and injured 20 in Kansas, while one person died and six others were injured in Missouri.

KCTV5 investigates bizarre water bills, questions bring about policy change

Laura McCallister — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:15:00 EST

For the past seven months, the KCTV5 News investigative team has exposed one problem after another inside the Kansas City, MO Water Services Department. The reports uncovered millions of dollars in unpaid bills; revealed how taxpayer dollars were being used to pay for pricey public relations personnel; discovered customers without pipes still being billed thousands of dollars. The latest story sparked a big change that could mean money saved for one out of every eight customers.

KCTV5 Special Report: Bridging the digital divide

Laura McCallister — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 23:15:00 EST

Internet service is a luxury many can't afford. KCTV5 News shows you what some big businesses are doing to help some Kansas City students bridge the digital divide.

KCTV5 investigates state agencies failing to collect unclaimed cash

Laura McCallister — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:15:00 EST

Missouri's unclaimed property fund is basically a lost and found of unimaginable proportions. Right now it holds $700 million worth of assets like cash and jewelry. KCTV5 discovered tens of thousands of those dollars wasting away instead of being collected and used by various state agencies.

KCTV5 Special Report: How the controversial sleep aid melatonin is being used locally

Laura McCallister — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 23:15:00 EST

Proper sleep is critical for a child's brain to develop. When one Lenexa, KS mother noticed her exhausted son beginning to miss crucial milestones, she took the controversial step of giving him the sleep supplement melatonin.

KCTV5 Investigates: Danger of aging tires, how to protect yourself

Chris Oberholtz — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 23:18:00 EST

KCTV5 News goes undercover to investigate how area tire shops deal with wheels some consider too dangerous to use. Every tire comes stamped "born on" date showing the week and year the tire was manufactured. Learning how to read that number could prevent your family from harm.

KCTV5 Investigates: Troubled Kansas City area day cares exposed

Chris Oberholtz — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:48:00 EST

Dozens of daycare facilities in the metro have been cited with serious safety and care issues, some of which are still open for business and funded in part with Missouri tax dollars.

KCTV5 Special Report: Debate over drones pits press against privacy

Laura McCallister — Wed, 6 Feb 2013 23:15:00 EST

The University of Missouri's latest journalism venture is taking off. The school is turning unmanned aircraft or drones, equipped with cameras, into news gathering tools. A Missouri lawmaker wants to ground the experiment for violating privacy. The drone debate heats up in Jefferson City.

KCTV5 investigates benefits for needy families spent overseas, at Vegas casinos

Eric Chaloux — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:20:00 EST

More than $3.2 million in Missouri tax dollars intended to help struggling families get back on their feet is being withdrawn in exotic places far from home and even inside seedy venues where the children who qualify for the aid are prohibited.

Exclusive look at Kansas City's "hot spot policing" program

Chris Oberholtz — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:15:00 EST

It's been one year since the police department began fighting crime with something the chief calls "hot spot policing."

KCTV5 Investigates: Gas line fires

Chris Oberholtz — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:15:00 EST

Fire marshals around the country are sounding the alarm that a form of flexible piping used to deliver natural gas or propane to a home, when combined with severe weather, could ignite a flame.

KCTV5 Investigates: Issues with reverse mortgages

Chris Oberholtz — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 23:15:00 EST

Reverse mortgages have become a popular way for seniors to stay in their homes and create an income. However, to avoid possible financial ruin and heartache, experts and one Kansas widow say the practice must come with a warning.

KCTV5 Special Report: Kansas City doctor discovers 'milk & cookie disease'

Chris Oberholtz — Thu, 8 Nov 2012 23:15:00 EST

The tightly scheduled lives of American children are being linked to a serious health condition discovered by a Kansas City physician known as the "milk and cookie disease."

KCTV5 Investigates: Rogue debt collection practices

Chris Oberholtz — Wed, 7 Nov 2012 23:15:00 EST

A Butler woman, unable to convince aggressive bill collectors that she actually owes no money, is just one of the many Americans that phantom debt collection agencies are currently chasing down.

KCTV5 Investigates: Used beds for sale in metro

Chris Oberholtz — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:15:00 EDT

A Raytown woman paid for a brand-new mattress but ended up with a used one with yellow stains. KCTV5 discovered the bed never should have been delivered, uncovering the big difference in used mattress rules between Missouri and Kansas.

KCTV5 Investigates: New Kansas City water bill issues

Chris Oberholtz — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:55:00 EDT

In an ongoing investigation of the Kansas City, MO, Water Services Department, KCTV5 uncovered a brand new billing problem.

KCTV5 special report explores Kansas City's mob history

Dave Jordan — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 23:15:00 EDT

Kansas City's dangerous and thrilling mob history remains intriguing to many and interest is only growing with the debut of CBS' new hit show, Vegas.

KCTV5 Investigates: Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback's spending

Chris Oberholtz — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 08:45:00 EDT

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is known for slashing budgets, but a KCTV5 investigation into his expenditures uncovered about $250,000 in questionable discretionary spending paid for by taxpayers.

KCTV5 Investigates: Food stamp fraud in Missouri

Chris Oberholtz — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:15:00 EDT

A military family in Washington fell on tough economic times and needed food stamps, but discovered someone in Missouri was already collecting their aid. KCTV5 News launched an investigation into the food stamp fraud.

KCTV5 Special Report: Drought hurting horses in Kansas and Missouri

Chris Oberholtz — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:15:00 EDT

The summer drought that dried up America's heartland is now being blamed for another growing crisis. Neglected and starving horses are being abandoned across Kansas and Missouri by owners who can no longer afford to keep them.

KCTV5 Investigates: License to Hide

DeAnn Smith — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:42:00 EDT

The Chinese website at the heart of a KCTV5 News Investigation into fake IDs purchased online has now been shut down after pressure from four United States Senators.

KCTV5 Investigates: Pricey changes at Kansas City water department

Chris Oberholtz — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT

A recent investigation into the Kansas City, MO, Water Services Department exposed how the city decided to tackle unpaid water bills and poor customer service by spending more money.

KCTV5 Investigates: Missouri's foreclosure settlement money

Chris Oberholtz — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 12:06:00 EDT

When Missouri received $40 million in a foreclosure settlement , the state kept the money from those hurt most in the mortgage mess. It's a decision being questioned by still-desperate homeowners and former lawmakers alike.

KCTV5 Investigates: Kansas City's unpaid water bills

Chris Oberholtz — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 12:06:00 EDT

A KCTV5 investigation uncovered millions of dollars in untapped revenue; money that could be used to help fix the metro's water woes. Discovered among the 12,000 names on the Kansas City Missouri Water Services Department's list of delinquent bills obtained in late May, some unexpected customers.

KCTV5 Investigates: Circuit Danger

Chris Oberholtz — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 12:06:00 EDT

Circuit breakers are designed to protect your family from an electrical fire. There is one particular brand of breakers that some electricians say they would never trust in the homes where their family members sleep. The experts know these breakers are not reliable but the nation's top safety agency refuses to issue a warning.

KCTV5 undercover investigation exposes home inspector scheme

DeAnn Smith — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 12:06:00 EDT

An undercover investigation by KCTV5 exposed a scheme in which a Northland home inspector did more than examine vacant houses and take inventory; he advertised the contents online as his own personal belongings.

KCTV5 investigates Prius headlight problems

DeAnn Smith — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:35:00 EDT

KCTV5 exposes the popular vehicle leaving thousands of drivers in the dark and investigates why the government agency set up to protect you from dangerous vehicles decided this is not a safety issue.

Frack or Fiction: Economic Boom or Environmental Bust?

Stacey Cameron — Wed, 9 Jan 2013 13:05:00 EST

KCTV5 Investigates: Frack or Fiction.

Frack or Fiction: The Quake Controversy

DeAnn Smith — Wed, 9 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST

Record-setting earthquakes are striking across the Midwest, and some are connected to drilling for gas and oil.

Preschooler left alone for hours in hot daycare van

DeAnn Smith — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:56:00 EDT

A Kansas City daycare that serves abused children is apologizing after a 4-year-old boy was left locked inside a hot van for hours Friday.

Soldier surprised with wife 150 pounds lighter

Frances Weller — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:21:00 EDT

A soldier from Wilmington returns from Afghanistan to a big surprise: a new wife, a new house and a different child.

Tornado levels Oklahoma town

RNN Staff — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:36:00 EDT

Dozens of people have died after a second day of tornadoes twisted through Oklahoma, this time taking aim at the town of Moore, south of Oklahoma City.

Death total dropped to 24 from OK tornado

RNN Staff — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:15:00 EDT

A medical examiner's office spokeswoman said 24 deceased victims from the Moore, OK, tornado had been transported to their Oklahoma City office. Seven of the dead were children.

Homes damaged, trees down after storms hit west-central Missouri

Chris Oberholtz — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:12:00 EDT

Authorities are assessing the damage after severe storms pummeled west-central Missouri near the towns of Warrensburg, Sedalia and Knob Noster.

Missing Oregon girl found safe after 18 years

Kate Cagle — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:43:00 EDT

An Oregon girl abducted as a baby and missing for 18 years finally emerged in Dallas this week when her mother turned herself in to authorities, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Department.

Branson recovers from tornado, loss of stars

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:16:00 EDT

Branson officials say they are cautiously optimistic about this year's tourist season even though the city continues to recover from a 2012 tornado and the loss of two of its biggest stars.

How to help Oklahoma tornado victims

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:21:00 EDT

Here are ways to help victims of the Moore, OK tornado.

Fake explosive device found at Kansas City charter school

DeAnn Smith — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:30:00 EDT

A possible explosive device was reported at a Kansas City charter school Monday afternoon.

Stacey Cameron

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:15:00 EDT

Stacey Cameron joined the KCTV5 team in March of 2010 as an investigative reporter. Prior to joining KCTV5, Stacey worked at WRAL in North Carolina as a morning show reporter, at KWTV in Oklahoma City.

Eric Chaloux

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:09:00 EDT

Eric Chaloux joined KCTV5 News in December 2002 as a general assignment reporter. He's now a member of KCTV5's award-winning investigative unit.