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(InvestigateTV) — Cancer-causing chemicals found in a community’s drinking water spark a years-long investigation into the health impacts on residents. InvestigateTV+ examines the risks and potential solutions as residents push for accountability. Plus, we share one family’s fight to remove their son’s fake obituaries and ways you can spot this kind of scam. Then, a mother and son share their inspiring pursuit of the American dream. Residents of Georgia city claim local officials contaminated drinking water When Coleen Brooks sees something out of the ordinary, she jots it down on paper. It started as a hobby that turned into a full-time career. In her 30 years as a columnist for small newspapers in Calhoun, Georgia, she estimates writing at least 10,000 articles about everything from the weather and local sports to movies. There’s one column, though, that has always stuck with her, one she wrote decades ago entitled, ‘Spreading It Around,’ about city trucks she saw spraying something on fields across from her home and around Gordon County. In the 2004 article, Brooks wrote that a city worker told her at the time it was municipal sewer sludge turned into fertilizer. She said the worker told her the sludge was safe because it was treated with chemicals. “And when it rains, are these chemicals safe if they run off into our rivers and lakes or soak into the earth?” asked Brooks in her column. Twenty years later, Brooks’ article may have foreshadowed a potential environmental disaster, impacting her and thousands of her neighbors. In 2024, Brooks and dozens of her neighbors filed a lawsuit against the city of Calhoun, claiming it contaminated their drinking water with a cancer-causing toxin. According to the suit, the city spread at least 28,000 tons of municipal sewage, or sludge, in fields near their homes with high concentrations of a chemical called PFAS, which has seeped into their land and wells for decades. Kentucky family fights fake online obituaries after teen son’s passing The details in the obituaries were vague, and some were totally wrong. Brett Tinch found himself correcting lies about the life of his son, Noah. “I started seeing these posts, obituaries, and none of the information was accurate. The middle name was wrong,” explained Tinch. “There’s one out there that says he’s 32 years old.” The rising UK sophomore was actually one day away from his 19th birthday. He was in Colorado with his mother. The family says he was helping grandparents clean out a property they had just sold, and he was doing what he loved, fly fishing. “They believe that he had gotten a fly stuck on a rock and he had bent down to pick it up, he hit his head and lost consciousness, and drowned,” said Tinch. The father of two wasn’t planning on sharing those difficult details, but he knew he had to fight the fake facts with the painful truth. High school students gain real-world tech experience repairing district devices At this Missouri high school, students are learning real-world experience each day. Behind the desk of the COPILOT program, electronic devices used by staff members are serviced by students under the guidance of Keith Loveless, the technology internship coordinator. “It’s real world. We help support the entire district as far as device repairs,” Loveless said. The program gives students hands-on experience with technology repair and maintenance. From Nicaragua to Ivy League: Louisiana senior celebrates full-ride to Yale Before he ever opened a college acceptance letter, Norman Morales opened every classroom door for his mom, giving her the high school tour she never had. A month before graduating as valedictorian of Chalmette High School, the senior walked his mother, Kathlyn Morales, through the school’s halls for the first time. The moment was a quiet milestone in their 12-year journey together in the United States since immigrating from Nicaragua in 2013. As a single mother, Kathlyn said she left Nicaragua seeking better opportunities for her children. Norman was 7 years old when they arrived in Louisiana. He still remembers the confusion of his first Mardi Gras. “He was like, ‘Mom, do we get to keep these beads? Or do we have to give them back?’” Kathlyn said. Settling in St. Bernard Parish brought its own challenges. Norman said the early years were lonely and disorienting. “The first couple of years were rough. I didn’t know the language. I didn’t have any friends,” he said. “He used to call from school and say, ‘I feel sick, Mom. Can you come pick me up?’” Kathlyn recalled. They both understood that learning English quickly would be key to building a life in their new country. “I knew I had to pick up the language because good grades resulted in a better future,” Norman said. Kathlyn said the St. Bernard Parish Public School District welcomed them with open arms. Teachers gave Norman extra support, not just academically, but culturally. While her son gradually adapted, Kathlyn focused on survival. “I had worked in restaurants. I had worked in hospitals. I had worked in housekeeping,” she said. As Norman’s English improved, he began teaching his mother what he could. “I can speak English, but I’m not fully bilingual, 100 percent. So there are some things I don’t understand,” Kathlyn said. “Let’s say we go to eat at a restaurant, I would explain the menu. Or even when she went to a new elementary school to sign me up, I would have to explain to her what to sign, put the address, everything,” Norman said. Norman said he grew up fast, translating school forms, watching his sister, managing chores and helping his family navigate the immigration process. Even with all that on his shoulders, he excelled in school. Read the full story by clicking here. Submit story tips to our Investigators Share errors or concerns with our Digital Editors Watch full episodes of InvestigateTV+ Subscribe to the InvestigateTV YouTube Channel
