We recently received word from the Chicago Headline Club that we've been awarded $5,000 from the club's Watchdog Fund to pursue a series of stories on police misconduct.

Needless to say, any grant is a good grant. But this one is particularly good, because it allows us to spend some time and effort on a subject that's vitally important to our city.

And it's a first step in what we hope will be a long partnership with the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, which provides the financial backing for the Watchdog Fund, as well as many other notable Chicago journalism projects.