Alison Young Investigates

Cash-strapped Fulton County to repay $3.2 million

Officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are requiring Fulton County to repay $3.2 million and refuse to release another $3 million in grants. The federal agency is concerned about the county housing department's ability to manage the money. Despite these concerns, HUD is sending the county more than $13 million in economic recovery money. The county manager says there's no need to worry. Fulton repaying $3.2 million to HUD

(See related article from November 2008:  Fulton wasted HUD's money)

Full-price propane grill tanks may be only 3/4 full

If it seems that your grill is running out of propane more often than usual, it could be that you're buying tanks that now contain just 15 pounds of propane. While the metal tanks remain the same size, last summer two of the major tank exchange firms -- Blue Rhino and AmeriGas -- reduced the amount of propane they put in them. A full tank should contain 17-19 pounds of propane, experts say. To find out what's happened and learn about ways to get more propane for your money, go to: Propane users fear new tanks aren't full

Winners of weight-loss contest unhappy about prize delay

Two winners of a weight loss contest at an Atlanta-area Gold's Gym never received their $1,000 prize after the fitness challenge ended in April. For months they hounded gym managers. They even complained to the Better Business Bureau. After this reporter called the gym, the contest winners were notified checks were available for pick up.  Read the full story: Weight-loss contest finds unhappy winners

A credit report nightmare: Equifax mixes files

Under federal law the major credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) are supposed to correct errors consumers find in their credit reports. But a Georgia woman has battled Equifax for two years after the Atlanta-based credit bureau merged her credit file with her brother's. How often do such problems happen? There are no good numbers. But consumer watchdogs say they suspect many consumers have problems with their reports and getting errors fixed. For tips on what you can do, check out: Credit report fix turns fiasco

School vaccination law ignored, new data show

More than 10,000 kindergartners and sixth-graders were allowed to attend Georgia schools this past year even though they were missing required shots or completely lacked documentation of their vaccination status, according to state audit data obtained under the Open Records Act. Children who are missing doses put themselves and others at risk of preventable diseases. And principals who allowed them to remain in school were guilty of a misdemeanor, though the state never enforces the law. But the recent spread of H1N1 swine flu in schools across the U.S. reinforces the importance of enforcing Georgia's school vaccination law when classes resume in the fall, some officials said. This article includes an on-line database where readers can look up audit results for most of Georgia's public and private schools. Georgia schools lax on vaccinations

Beware weight-loss hype for acai, other supplements

Marketers of dietary supplements like acai and hoodia claim their capsules are all-natural ways to shed pounds fast -- but often lack convincing evidence, experts say. Meanwhile, federal tests are increasingly finding hidden prescription drugs and other dangerous substances in weight loss supplements. And some firms are using schemes to get consumers' credit card numbers and run up charges. Do you really know what you're buying? Dietary supplements can hurt health, wallet

Be wary of auto warranty telemarketing calls, experts say

All those telemarketing calls pitching extended car warranties aren't just annoying. Some are selling products that fail to provide consumers what they thought they paid for, consumer watchdogs warn.
How to stop telemarketing auto warranty calls

Wrong-site surgeries persist despite safety protocols

Doctors at one Atlanta area hospital performed a double mastectomy, when only one breast was supposed to be removed. At others they've operated on the wrong knee, drilled into the wrong side of a patient's head and circumcised the wrong babies. Wrong-site surgeries are supposed to be "never events." But they persist, despite basic safety protocols pushed for years by The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals, and other leading medical groups. This story details recent incidents across Georgia and gives tips for what patients can do to protect themselves. Medical mistakes are an unhappy reality

NHTSA investigates Ford Explorer rollaway complaints

Two days after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighted consumer complaints about 2004 Ford Explorers dangerously slipping from park to reverse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a formal investigation of a potential defect, records show. The investigation involves 2002-2005 Ford Explorers and Mercury Moutaineers. Feds probe charges of SUV transmission hazards

CDC keeps public relations risk assessments secret

Instead of releasing information to the public, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for years has engaged in "environmental scanning to determine emerging threats to the agency's reputation." The agency's employees have generated 4,000 pages of documents assessing risks posed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's reporting. But the CDC is keeping them secret, despite the Obama administration's directives that federal agencies presume government records are open to the public under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). CDC sits on documents