There’s a certain romance that comes with the term “investigator.” Fedoras, trench coats, long stakeouts, and confrontations immediately spring to mind. In reality, the vast majority of an investigation takes place at a desk, sorting and organizing documents and files, and searching for relevant information.

This is why investigative transcription is so helpful to an investigator, whether they wear a rumpled trench coat or not.

Richie Camden’s goal was to find a dog who could run a few miles with him every day. Eight years later that one dog has become 14 and they run 90 miles at a time, cutting through the frigid tundra of places like Michigan and Minnesota.

Goals, it seems, are destined to change.

High-pressure common-rail (HPCR) systems are precision components that require the cleanest fuel possible in order to function without breakdown. The old "clear and bright" visual inspection of fuel is no longer good enough when inspecting fuel for cleanliness; even microscopic contaminants can cause engine failure and costly downtime.

Jason Howe was out of hope. Sobee the Dog was out of time. They both found salvation with a Maine-based nonprofit. And together, they’re paying that salvation forward in Missouri.

“When K9s handed me Sobee, a switch went back on,” Jason remembers. “I had purpose again. A reason to leave the house. She got me doing things again.”

In nearly every industry that uses heavy machinery, efficiency is king. Whether you’re talking about man-hours, fuel usage, equipment wear and tear, or anything else, the ultimate goal is to get the most out of everyone and everything on the job site. Nowhere is this truer than in the mining and oil industries, where a single hour of downtime can have drastic ramifications on the bottom line. 

The Minneapolis law firm Robins Kaplan produces a yearly Community Service Report highlighting the agency’s philanthropic and pro bono work focused on creating positive change for underrepresented and marginalized groups.

For nearly 10 years, I concepted, wrote and edited this lovely piece.