A year ago, the Las Vegas Sun reported on a rash of construction-worker deaths on the booming Vegas Strip. In 16 months, the deaths had reached the number recorded throughout the whole 1990s Strip construction boom. Reporter Alexandra Berzon found that the dizzying rate of development was leading to lax safety protections and oversight. The stories Berzon wrote led to public outcry, investigations and, most importantly, policy changes, which appear to have made lifesaving differences.
The Sun reports: "Twelve workers had died in 18 months. But after the improvements, the deaths stopped. No workers have died since June 2008."
The Sun and Berzon today were awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Public Service. You can read the whole series here.
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