Very Rude Winner
Back in 2023, former H-Town Mayor Sylvester Turner told KPRC Channel 2 News Investigative-Consumer Reporter Amy Davis that she was “very rude” and went on to tell her, “I don’t like rude people.” Davis was in the middle of her “DRAINED” series investigation of the City of H-Town’s water billing and water meters mess. Davis had approached the Mayor at an event and he didn’t take her questions kindly.
Well, Amy’s series investigation just picked up a major national journalism award. See this from Channel 2 News:
The headlines:
KPRC 2’s DRAINED series investigating Houston’s bad water bills earns journalism’s highest honor
KPRC 2 Investigates’ groundbreaking series uncovered widespread failures in the Houston Water Department
The story:
HOUSTON – It’s an incredible honor for our team, and it’s all thanks to your trust in us to tell the stories that matter most to our community.
Tonight, Amy Davis and the KPRC 2 Investigates team were awarded the prestigious duPont-Columbia Award in New York City for our series DRAINED.
For more than two years, we’ve been exposing serious issues within the Houston’s Public Works water department — problems that left many Houstonians facing inaccurate water bills overcharging them thousands of dollars. Our investigations shed light on overbilling, faulty water meters, and mismanagement of city contracts.
We are grateful for the recognition, but even more so for the Houstonians who trusted us to share their stories and be their advocate when the system failed them. This award reflects our commitment to transparency and holding people in power accountable.
The incredible team behind the DRAINED series who are receiving the duPont-Columbia Award includes:
- Amy Davis, Investigative Reporter
- Andrea Slaydon, Senior Investigative Producer
- Adrian Montes, Photojournalist
- Jon Hill, Photojournalist
- Bill Carruthers, Editor/Photojournalist
- Ninfa Saavedra, Digital Producer
- Ana Lastra, News Director
If you’ve ever dealt with a huge Houston water bill, you know how stressful it can be. That’s why Amy and Andrea started digging into water issues, because it’s an issue that directly impacts your wallet.
Since 2022, the KPRC 2 Investigates team has helped customers get back more than $300,000 in refunds and credits. We also worked with Mayor John Whitmire to reveal the new Houston water bill plan.
Even more impactful, the team’s reporting exposed shady contracts dealing with Houston water line repairs that led to the arrest of seven people.
Thanks to these efforts, Houstonians are getting more accurate bills, working water meters, and greater transparency from city leaders. This is the kind of meaningful change KPRC 2 Investigates strives to bring you every day.
Again, thank you for trusting us to tell your stories – it’s honors like these we don’t take lightly!
A very rude winner. See the featured photo.
Here is about the award:
Founded by Jessie Ball duPont in honor of her late husband Alfred I. duPont, for over 80 years the duPont awards have set the standard for audio and video reporting, in broadcast, documentary and online.
The duPont-Columbia Awards uphold the highest standards in journalism by honoring winners annually, informing the public about those journalists’ contributions and supporting journalism education and innovation, thereby cultivating a collective spirit for the profession.
Every year about a dozen news stories and films are honored by the duPont-Columbia University Awards for the strength of their reporting, storytelling and impact in the public interest. The winning pieces are selected by the duPont jury from hundreds of entries vetted by a board of screeners. The awards are usually presented at Columbia University’s Low Library in a ceremony hosted by some of the country’s leading broadcast journalists. The evening features highlights of the award-winning reporting.
A well-deserved award for Amy Davis and her KPRC Channel 2 News team.
H-Town Mayor John Whitmire has done a good job of cleaning up the mess at the water department.
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It turns out my Tuesday hard copy of the Chron had been delivered on Tuesday right before it started snowing. I found it on the sidewalk after the snow had melted. The hard copy had been buried. It was still in the plastic bag and dry. Yesterday’s paper was delivered with today’s.
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The Astros put this out yesterday about today’s happenings:
The 2025 Astros Caravan is making a stop near you! Join us tomorrow at the following locations to meet Astros players and broadcast as we kick off the 2025 season.
Thursday, January 23 | Baytown
Astros Players: Spencer Arrighetti, Colton Gordon, Zach Dezenzo, Taylor Trammell
Astros Broadcaster: Robert Ford
*Players and broadcasters subject to change
Chick-fil-A
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Address: 8738 N Highway 146, Baytown TX 77523
Details: Join us for lunch at Chick-fil-A, hang out with Astros players and the Shooting Stars and have an opportunity to spin the prize wheel for a free prize!
Thursday, January 23 | Central Houston
Astros Players: Spencer Arrighetti, Colton Gordon, Zach Dezenzo, Taylor Trammell, Jeremy Peña
Astros Broadcaster: Robert Ford
*Players and broadcasters subject to change
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Address: 2000 Lyons Ave, Houston TX 77020
Details: Join us on the patio for a Q&A with Astros broadcasters and players and take your chance on spinning the prize wheel for a cool prize!
I am pretty sure there will be a nice crowd at Saint Arnold.
