The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government will hold its 7th Annual “Stories Behind the Big Stories” panel discussion on Thursday, Feb. 9 in West Hartford.

The discussion at Elmwood Community Center at 1106 New Britain Ave. will be moderated by Leslie Mayes, a reporter and anchor for NBC Connecticut.

Panelists will include David Collins, a columnist for The Day, Taylor Hartz, a criminal justice reporter for the Hartford Courant, John Penney, a reporter for The Norwich Bulletin, Alex Putterman, a reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media and CT Insider and Walter Smith Randolph, the investigative editor and director of The Accountability Project at Connecticut Public Broadcasting.

The discussion will include Collins’ use of the state Freedom of Information Act to uncover ethical breaches and cost overruns at the Connecticut Port Authority. Hartz will explain her coverage of the Anthony Todt murder case for The Day and her podcast for “Looking for the Todt Family.”
 Penney will describe covering the controversy in Killingly about a school-based mental health clinic. Putterman will talk about his story on the way schools in wealthy Connecticut towns dominate high school sports championships as well as Hearst’s project on the use of restraints in public schools.
 Smith Randolph will discuss an FOI controversy in Avon, where the town has refused to let the public see a document describing incidents involving a former police chief.

The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government is a nonprofit organization founded in 1991 by citizens of Connecticut interested in promoting open government and the public’s right-to-know.

The event begins at 5 p.m. with registration and a reception, and the panel discussion will follow from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A $10 donation is requested, which includes refreshments.

Tickets can be purchased in advance using the “donate button” or QR code at https://ctfog.org or at SBTBS_2023. Walk-ins are also welcome and can pay at the door with cash, checks made out to CFOG or with credit cards through PayPal. The event will also be live-streamed. Watch for more details at https://ctfog.org.