These are the top news stories selected by the editor of
Government Innovators Network®.
Pilot program expansion to improve public health testing
The following information was released by the office of the governor of Louisiana: A pilot program that has increased efficiency of state laboratory testing for medical uses in twelve parish health units since 2006 will soon go statewide, and be expanded to include environmental testing. Governor Bobby Jindal highlighted ...
States News Service | January 15, 2009
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New screening of port workers starts: Federal program, similar to state's, intended to boost anti-terror security
Jan. 13--PORT EVERGLADES -- Federal officials begin enforcing a new identification program this morning aimed at boosting security at 10 Florida ports, including Port Everglades, the Port of Palm Beach and the Port of Miami.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale) | January 13, 2009
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Broward Schools using text messages to report dangers
Broward County schools are keeping up with technology by offering students a way to send anonymous tips about danger on campus: text messaging. Superintendent James Notter said that when he went to Dillard High School after a student was fatally shot there Nov. 12, he realized today's students are just as likely ...
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) | January 14, 2009
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Governors map out joint effort; Doyle, Pawlenty ask for agencies' efficiency ideas
Madison - No, we're not going to be part of Wisconnesota or Minnesconsin. But, citing the most challenging economic times in generations - and historic budget shortfalls - Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday signed executive orders directing their state agencies and cabinets ...
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin) | January 14, 2009
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City of Baltimore wants Land Bank to streamline selling of vacant properties
Baltimore housing officials are touting a new initiative that would fight blight and try to get rid of the city's approximately 30,000 vacant properties. The Land Bank Authority, if established, would be a nonprofit, quasi-governmental entity that would help the city acquire, manage and dispose of vacants, and ...
The Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) | January 14, 2009
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New program will help first-time, low-income moms
First-time parents have long lamented that their new babies don't come with manuals. Diana Carriola thinks she may have found one. Carriola, 21, is a recent graduate of the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which helps low-income first-time moms learn how to parent and lead healthier lives. "The program is kind ...
Vallejo Times Herald (California) | January 14, 2009
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State creates loan repayment program for Medicaid doctors, dentists
The following information was released by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC): A new loan repayment program will help Texas increase the number of doctors, dentists and specialists who provide care for children with Medicaid coverage.
States News Service | January 13, 2009
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Mayor Newsom launches Green Rental Car incentive program
The office of the San Francisco Mayor issued the following news release: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is launching the nation's first Green Rental Car program that rewards customers for renting "green" alternative-fueled vehicles and rental car companies for increasing rentals of high ...
US States News | January 13, 2009
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New way to keep track of family health history
Consumers now have a new tool to organize and share their family health histories. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday released an updated version of its "My Family Health Portrait."
Contra Costa Times (California) | January 13, 2009
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In new tactic, L.A. goes after gangs' money
The gang capital of the world is taking a new tack against them: cash damages. The city of Los Angeles, plagued by 23,000 violent gang crimes since 2004, including 784 murders and 12,000 felony assaults, announced Tuesday that it had won its first civil judgment, for $5 million, against a criminal gang that had ...
Christian Science Monitor | January 15, 2009
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School helps children, parents to find a 'positive tomorrow'
Positive Tomorrows is a school for at-risk and homeless children where washing machines, as well as books and computers, are part of the routine. "If their clothes are dirty, we just wash them and give them a new outfit," said Kay Bonebrake, Positive Tomorrows development director.
The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK) | January 10, 2009
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Teen Court makes its mark in Brunswick County: Alternative justice for high schoolers celebrates 10 years
Jan. 9--BOLIVIA, N.C. -- Kevin Brown of the Wilmington Police Department knows how Brunswick County's Teen Court can change lives. For him, a former student volunteer with the court, it illuminated a path that drew him from a near total focus on computers and eventually led him into law enforcement. For students ...
The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) | January 9, 2009
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Students learn the value of canning it: Food preservation can be an inexpensive alternative in a tough economy
MANCHESTER, Pa. -- Students who might have reached for some store-bought jelly for that after-school peanut butter sandwich can now have a healthier -- not to mention cheaper -- alternative. People who know how to can and preserve food will have a leg up if the economy continues to decline, said Shari Steager, ...
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania) | January 12, 2009
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Cameras track plowing needs
sbarry@repub.com The city stays on top of storms with new surveillance equipment. SPRINGFIELD - Like the police and retailers trying to keep a lid on crime, public works officials believe surveillance cameras can do them a world of good.
The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts) | January 6, 2009
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Cold case playing cards debut at local jails
They are playing with faces of the dead and a handful of killers. Sylvia Elaine Mangos' innocent face peers up from the eight of spades, the oldest unsolved murder in the new pack of cold case playing cards being sold in local jails. The 8-year-old girl was kidnapped March 27, 1988, from the Yucca Valley swap ...
San Bernardino County Sun (California) | January 11, 2009
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Keeping Seattle green: a partnership renewed
The office of the Seattle Mayor issued the following news release: Mayor Greg Nickels today signed an agreement with the Cascade Land Conservancy to extend a nationally-recognized partnership to maintain and improve Seattle's green spaces.
US States News | January 8, 2009
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New bus service gets moving; Joint effort features buses with bike racks, Internet, newspapers
The new bus route between Huntington and Charleston made its debut - not exactly on time but with a full load of passengers. The bus was scheduled to pull into the state Capitol at 8 a.m. Monday, outside Building 5, for its final stop of the morning. It wound up pulling up at 8:23 a.m., a delay attributed to traffic ...
Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia) | January 6, 2009
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Schools going green with paperless fliers; Online notices save kids' backpacks for academic purposes
Schools have long relied on one emissary to deliver paperwork into parents' hands: students' backpacks. But driven by environmental and economic concerns, many schools now are posting notices online, instead, to remind parents of next week's dance recital or alert them to a new program at the local library. One ...
Chicago Tribune | January 8, 2009
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Labor grant offers job training for older workers; The federal funding would fill a need in Dayton, which has seen an influx of older workers seeking jobs
DAYTON - Tony Curington, a former labor union official who has spent the past two years helping former General Motors and Delphi Corp. production workers find training for new careers, now needs a new job of his own.
Dayton Daily News (Ohio) | January 4, 2009
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Lake Worth rolls out plan for bike trails: City to conduct first public meeting today
Jan. 9--Getting around Lake Worth on a bike is going to get easier. The city and its Community Redevelopment Agency have embarked on a plan to make the city bike friendly by creating a network of bike lanes and trails that will link downtown, neighborhoods, the beach, parks and schools.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale) | January 9, 2009
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New hospital fee plan would insure thousands
Roughly 200,000 Coloradans could be added to public insurance rolls under a new hospital fee proposal that could revive Gov. Bill Ritter's stalled health care reform effort.
Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) | January 7, 2009
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Governor Kaine announces legislation to expand absentee voting
The following information was released by the office of the governor of Virginia: Governor Timothy M. Kaine today proposed legislation to allow for no-excuse, in-person absentee voting in Virginia. The proposed legislation would allow any qualified voter to cast an absentee ballot in person at their registrar& ...
States News Service | January 7, 2009
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State proposes reorganization of agencies to aid homeless faster
Confronted with a growing number of homeless families across Massachusetts, state officials have proposed a reorganization of key state agencies that will help find homes faster so that the root causes of the problem can be addressed.
The Boston Globe | January 7, 2009
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Gov. O'Malley launches website aimed at government transparency, accountability
Gov. Martin O'Malley, D-Md., issued the following news release: Governor Martin O'Malley announced the launch of a new state website today aimed at providing public accountability for state spending. The website, created and maintained entirely with Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) resources ...
US States News | January 7, 2009
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City eyes Wi-Fi for its buses ; Net could attract riders, some think
The Columbia City Council is pondering whether the ability to surf the Web on city buses will entice more people to ride them. At a meeting last night, council members decided that providing wireless Internet access on all city bus routes would be too expensive considering the tight budgets during the economic ...
Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri) | January 6, 2009
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11 states agree to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle fuels
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued the following news release: Massachusetts and 10 other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states have committed to developing a regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fuels for vehicles and other uses, Secretary ...
US States News | January 5, 2009
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Schools tap '21st-century skills'
For decades, the emphasis in public education has been on making sure that students can read, write, and do math. But can they apply those skills in a real-world scenario, such as designing a bridge? Can they identify what information they need and use digital tools to find it? Those are some of the capabilities ...
Christian Science Monitor | January 8, 2009
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SEPTA to test "quiet cars" on rush-hour trains
Tired of cell-phone squawkers on the train? Relief may be on the way. SEPTA will offer a "quiet car" on the R5-Lansdale/Doylestown line starting next week, with plans to follow suit on other rail lines in March, if passengers like the pilot program.
The Philadelphia Inquirer | January 7, 2009
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Social Security builds new online system to handle boomer surge
By Jim Abrams The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Social Security Administration, envision ing the near-future prospect of 10,000 baby boomers applying for benefits every day, has put together a new online service that will allow people to get their benefits without ever traveling to a Social Security field office ...
The Virginian-Pilot(Norfolk, VA.) | January 7, 2009
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Voice recognition system helps manage patient records
The following information was released by the U.S. Air Force: It's faster, more accurate and highly maneuverable. What may sound like the latest weapons system is actually a new way of doing business for doctors at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. With the introduction of Dragon Medical speech recognition ...
States News Service | January 6, 2009
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Partnership to help city businesses, Associated Desert Shoppers launch advertising program
The city of Cathedral City issued the following news release: Concerned that Cathedral City businesses were having a tough go of it in the current hard economic times, Associated Desert Shoppers, Inc (ADS) President and Publisher Hal J. Paradis donated advertising valued at $50,000 in his publications the White ...
US States News | January 5, 2009
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The library - a recession sanctuary
IN A SPEECH a month ago to the nation's governors, 41 of whom he said were likely to face budget shortfalls, President-elect Obama said, "Jobs are being cut. Programs for the needy are at risk. Libraries are being closed..." Libraries are a rhetorical anchor for Obama, from his 2008 campaign promise to "connect ...
The Boston Globe | January 3, 2009
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Cameras help recover 3 stolen cars in one day; Jefferson system scans license plates in traffic
Tuesday was the most successful day thus far in the new effort by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office to find stolen cars with the use of special cameras that scan license plates in traffic, a spokesman said. Deputies recovered three stolen vehicles in Algiers, Harahan and Terrytown.
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) | January 2, 2009
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Oregon explores tax on mileage, not gas
PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon is among a growing number of states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles.
Record Searchlight (Redding, California) | January 2, 2009
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How your zip code can influence your level of health care in CNY
People who live on Syracuse's South Side in ZIP code 13205 are about 3 1/2 times more likely to be hospitalized for preventable illnesses than Skaneateles residents who live in ZIP code 13152. A new Web site created by the state Health Department shows where you live in Central New York, combined with your ...
The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York) | January 2, 2009
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State looks to trim NOW; Program allows home services
Costs for providing home and community-based services for the developmentally disabled surpassed $400 million last state budget year when nearly 6,500 people were enrolled. The average cost of care per person hit $70,000. Now enter a new state attempt to reduce the list of some 9,200 people waiting in line for ...
The Advocate | January 2, 2009
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Habitat's mission gets some remodeling
Until this year, Habitat for Humanity followed a predictable pattern for getting deserving families into homes: collect donations, purchase land, then build a house from scratch using volunteer labor. In 2009, with record numbers of foreclosed properties sitting empty and the federal government preparing to hand ...
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | January 4, 2009
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HUD aid helps tidy up foreclosures; Because of limited federal funds, cities across the U.S. are zeroing in on the neediest areas
Terry Ware, head of Denver's housing and neighborhood development office, is a man under siege. The city is due to receive $6 million under an unusual federal program to help cities and counties deal with abandoned properties. Not surprisingly, there are many people in town who want help. Representatives of ...
Los Angeles Times | January 4, 2009
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Mayor wants to make city a bit more green
Jan. 3--For Pittsburg's new mayor, green is good. In her fourth stint as the leader of this East County city, Nancy Parent has several goals that she hopes to accomplish. Among those is encouraging a philosophy of green building on new projects in the city and looking at subtle green improvements when existing ...
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, California) | January 3, 2009
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Program sees stable home as route to job
SUMMARY: Homeless | The county may try offering housing to men likely to be able to find a job Program sees stable home as route to job Washington County may try offering housing to men likely to be able to find a job Program sees stable home as route to job
The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon) | January 1, 2009
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States push fire-safe cigarettes by passing their own legislation; Proposed federal laws have failed
States are circumventing more than 30 years of tobacco industry opposition to federal safe cigarette legislation by passing their own laws that require the sale of self-extinguishing cigarettes.
USA TODAY | January 2, 2009
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War veterans benefit from new state laws; New voter-approved laws will make it easier for veterans to make the transition from wartime service to everyday life
Some war veterans in Oklahoma will no longer pay property taxes and others in New York will have an advantage in getting civil service jobs under new provisions that take effect in 2009. Veterans in California, meanwhile, have had help buying a home since November, under a new law there. Voters in each of these ...
Stateline.org | December 31, 2008
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Traffic stops get easier; police adopt citation equipment for easier and more efficient, accurate roadside ticketing
No one likes getting pulled over for speeding. But Howard County police promise that a new technology deployed recently at least makes such stops more convenient for highway scofflaws. More than 50 county cruisers have been equipped with a system developed by the Maryland State Police that allows officers to issue ...
The Baltimore Sun | December 28, 2008
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Maine pilots eco-friendly way to dispose of drugs; Backers, who say it will prevent abuse, want drug makers to pay the cost
Mainers have a new way to get rid of unused and unwanted medications, and to keep them out of the environment and away from people who might abuse them. And if advocates get their way, drug manufacturers will soon be footing the bill for the new disposal system, under a first-of-its-kind funding mechanism. Special ...
Portland Press Herald (Maine) | December 29, 2008
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Program may keep jobs in state; Goal is to help schools tailor training for area needs
New state legislation offers future income tax revenue as a carrot for employers and educators to spark economic growth. Not only will a new work program fund training for jobs paying "wages that people could feed their families on," it also could attract more employers to Michigan and provide incentive for companies ...
Grand Rapid Press (Michigan) | December 27, 2008
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Violators to face tougher DUI law; Alcohol sensors required after 1st conviction
Motorists busted for drunken driving in Illinois after Wednesday will have to blow into a device to prove their sobriety every time they get behind the wheel -- or their vehicle won't start. The restriction is part of a new law that appears to be the state's biggest crackdown since 0.08 became the blood-alcohol ...
Chicago Tribune | December 29, 2008
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Quirky Or Not, Studio Fosters Innovation; Santa Fe Complex Aims To Do 'Economic Gardening'
Can a robot made of Legos save the economy? Maybe, with the help of a chain-smoking computer programmer, an artist with one name, half a dozen schoolchildren, a dog named Jezebel, and a small army of scientists, idealists and ordinary citizens who now have a home for their strange machines and the schemes in their ...
Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico) | December 27, 2008
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Head Start program uses re-reading to teach lessons
BY ALISON BLACK Special to the Gazette KALAMAZOO -- Imagine reading books not once or twice, but three or four times -- maybe five. Learners at Kalamazoo County Head Start are doing just that to build pre-kindergarten readiness skills, thanks to a new book-centered curriculum.
Kalamazoo Gazette (Michigan) | December 28, 2008
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With state aid, Californians warm to rooftop solar power; Rebates, new financing models spur adoption despite recession
At a time when many investors are sticking money in their mattresses, Californians are putting it on their roofs. Applications for state rebates to install solar panels hit their highest level ever in December, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise gloomy economy. Residents filed a record 1,215 applications ...
Los Angeles Times | December 27, 2008
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Nuclear-education programs mushroom in U.S. classrooms
By Zinie Chen Sampson The Associated Press RICHMOND Universities and colleges are developing or restarting nuclear-education programs, often working with energy companies to replenish the industry's aging work force in anticipation of new plants going online to meet increasing electricity demand. Virginia Commonwealth ...
The Virginian-Pilot(Norfolk, VA.) | December 27, 2008
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Program will train veterans to be engineers
OAK RIDGE - A new program will bring military veterans to East Tennessee for education and training as engineers and then place them in jobs at one of the area's participating companies, including several based in Oak Ridge.
Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee) | December 26, 2008
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State employees warm to 4-day workweek
The state's four-day workweek appears to be gaining converts among employees, but not everyone's a firm believer. A new survey by the Utah Department of Human Resource Management shows an increasing percentage of state employees are adjusting to and even embracing the compressed workweek.
The Salt Lake Tribune | December 25, 2008
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Kids with autism forge new path to adulthood; School-to-work program teaches autonomy as districts rise to need
SPRINGDALE - When T.J. Bennorth was in kindergarten, his teacher asked him to take attendance every morning. Without leaving his seat or looking around, he could rattle off a list of every child who wasn't in the room. That skill, a curiosity when he was a young child, became the basis for T.J.'s diagnosis ...
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock) | December 22, 2008
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New program to certify Missouri hotels for conservation efforts
The city of Springfield issued the following news release: Recognizing the responsibility for all industries to employ sustainable energy and green business practices, the Missouri Hotel & Lodging Association (MH&LA) has developed the Certified Green program in partnership with the Missouri Department of ...
US States News | December 23, 2008
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Call for ideas on living in a warming world; Competition asks designers to 'climate-proof" Bay Area
The impacts of climate change are a hot topic among scientists and environmental activists. Now the Bay Conservation and Development Commission wants to hear from another perspective: the design community. The state agency is preparing to launch a $125,000 competition that will invite architects, planners and engineers ...
The San Francisco Chronicle (California) | December 19, 2008
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State upgrades school report cards; The Department of Education's new data should allow schools and parents to track grade-level achievement
The Minnesota Department of Education's school report cards used to just show how well or poorly students were doing on state tests at a particular time. Now, they'll show how much students are improving -- or regressing.
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) | December 19, 2008
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State Dept. Web site helps Americans adopt children abroad
The U.S. Department of State has launched a new Web site to help individuals bring children from abroad here for adoption. The new site, www.adoption.state.gov, provides an excellent explanation of the rules for bringing an adopted or orphaned child to the United States. Usually this involves U.S. citizens adopting ...
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) | December 11, 2008
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New bikes put smiles on faces of homeless students
Being homeless in high school is tough. But a new bicycle will help lessen the sting for 90 Alameda County youngsters this holiday season, said education officials who handed them out at 16 homeless shelters Monday.
Contra Costa Times (California) | December 22, 2008
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State report touts online textbooks
College students would save nearly 40 percent, or an average of $245 a semester, on the cost of their college textbooks if they shopped online, according to a new report from the state comptroller's office.
Buffalo News (New York) | December 22, 2008
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Mass. health plan has national appeal; Seen as model for 47 million uninsured
WASHINGTON - Key players in the debate over how to provide healthcare coverage for the nation's 47 million uninsured say they view Massachusetts' landmark 2006 law as an important model for what Washington could do and how to get it done. Massachusetts achieved near-universal coverage by investing heavily ...
The Boston Globe | December 19, 2008
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Pilot program to bring public art to Pasadena
PASADENA - In a pilot program designed to bring more public art primarily to Northwest and East Pasadena, the city will provide one-on-one matching grants of up to $2,500 for artist/community collaborations in a new Neighborhood Enhancement Mural Program.
Pasadena Star-News (California) | December 18, 2008
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License-plate cameras boost arrests; Jefferson devices scan roads for stolen cars
After just 25 days, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office has racked up 20 arrests and recovered stolen 23 vehicles and license plates using its new automated license-plate recognition cameras. Sheriff Newell Normand provided an update Wednesday on the system of 76 fixed and mobile cameras that are programmed to ...
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) | December 18, 2008
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Inmates clean up York County's crime-heavy areas
West York is the first to benefit from a new initiative that uses prison inmates to clean up nuisance areas across the county. The county launched the Inmate Work Crew program last week. So far, the eight participating inmates have disposed of about 100 bags of trash and 30 truckloads of debris from West York.
The York Dispatch (Pennsylvania) | December 17, 2008
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Gov. Beshear touts initial success of E-Warrants system
States News Service | December 17, 2008
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State officials launch 'green' initiative; The plan would help gauge the safety of chemical products
Is that laundry soap truly "environmentally friendly"? Was that mattress treated with toxic chemicals? Is that sweatsuit fashioned from organic cotton? Is that lipstick "natural"? California officials launched a sweeping green initiative on Tuesday to inform consumers exactly how hundreds of ...
Los Angeles Times | December 17, 2008
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Pew launches project to examine federal subsidies
The Pew Charitable Trusts issued the following news release: With the role of government in financial markets rapidly expanding, The Pew Charitable Trusts today announced a new project to focus public and policymaker attention on the size and scope of all federal subsidies. Subsidyscope, an initiative of Pew' ...
Targeted News Service | December 15, 2008
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New affordable student loan program will help increase access to higher education in New York
States News Service | December 16, 2008
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New York creates statewide recycling program for plastic bags
The American Chemistry Council today applauded New York Governor David Paterson's decision to sign legislation (A.11725/S.8643-A) that expands consumers' access to recycle plastic bags and product wraps statewide. The new law requires all large grocers and retailers that offer plastic bags to their customers ...
U.S. Newswire | December 13, 2008
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Mayor hits the streets to help the homeless
Mayor Thomas M. Menino seemed to know where he wanted to go. In his 16 years walking Boston's streets for the annual homeless census, he has remembered the crevices and alleys that the city's most desperate call home.
The Boston Globe | December 16, 2008
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Florida to offer low-cost health insurance to uninsured
States News Service | December 11, 2008
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Social Security to be first government agency to use Nationwide Health Information Network
States News Service | December 16, 2008
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City signals it will change traffic bulbs; Energy-efficient stoplights to help save $4 million annually
Houston is poised to become one of a handful of U.S. cities to replace the light bulbs at all 2,381 of its traffic stops with energy-efficient bulbs that could save more than $4 million a year in electricity costs.
The Houston Chronicle | December 11, 2008
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Stepping up to the plate for more food regulation; State and local officials, worried about health risks, push trans fat bans and menu labels; Some restaurants and manufacturers object
Restaurants are being told to list calorie counts on their menus. Schools are banning bake sales, and cities are outlawing new fast-food restaurants in some neighborhoods. State and local governments, concerned about the growing cost of obesity and diabetes and the ever-higher cost of healthcare, are acting more ...
Los Angeles Times | December 17, 2008
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Maine, 3 states form education coalition; Group seeks to redefine high school for 21st century
Maine and three other New England states have formed a groundbreaking regional partnership aimed at transforming high school for the 21st century. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island have joined to form the New England Secondary School Consortium that will work to redefine the traditional concept of ...
Bangor Daily News (Maine) | December 16, 2008
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Governor announces bold multi-state effort to prepare students across New England for success in the 21st century
The Vermont Department of Education issued the following news release: Governor Douglas today announced the formation of the New England Secondary School Consortium, a groundbreaking regional partnership encompassing four states: Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Consortium is funded by the Nellie ...
US States News | December 15, 2008
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City College of New York, EPA sign memorandum of understanding to build long-term recruitment and educational relationship
US Fed News | December 16, 2008
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State grants pave path to home ownership
ANDOVER -- Stroll into your human-resources department and ask if your company has a mortgage-assistance program and you'll probably get that "deer in the headlights" stare. But a new initiative from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership is working to change that. MassWorks Mortgage, which began in 2007, is touted ...
Lowell Sun (Massachusetts) | December 15, 2008
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Teacher does the math -- and sells ads on test papers; To pay for his photocopies, 'tough action' is the answer
Tom Farber gives a lot of tests. He's a calculus teacher, after all. So when administrators at Rancho Bernardo, his suburban San Diego high school, announced the district was cutting spending on supplies by nearly a third, Farber had a problem. At 3 cents a page, his tests would cost more than $500 a year. His ...
USA TODAY | December 2, 2008
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First offenders pass through new DUI court
Three men have become the first to be sentenced to Lebanon County's new DUI court. The program, approved by the county commissioners in March, requires repeat drunken drivers to attend a two-year treatment program as an alternative to a jail sentence.
The Lebanon Daily News (Pennsylvania) | December 15, 2008
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Police department offers weekend mentor program
FULL TEXT The students are running and cops are right behind them. But it's not what you think. They aren't in trouble. They are football players and the policemen are their coaches.
Chicago Defender (Illinois) | December 17, 2008
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City may buy vacant homes; Huntington Beach considers fixing up properties and selling them to residents.
In the midst of a nationwide housing crisis, some cities in the region are looking to take advantage of the bad hand they've been dealt by reining in vacant foreclosed homes that are generating fewer and fewer property tax dollars. Surf City is the latest municipality in the county -- following Fountain Valley ...
The Orange County Register (California) | December 14, 2008
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Innovative stormwater plan with special pavement proposed
New Alexandria officials are hoping to replace the town's aging storm sewers at the same time a new sanitary sewer system is constructed in the borough and an adjoining section of Derry Township.
Tribune-Review (Greensburg, PA) | December 12, 2008
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State orders big cuts in gases; California aims to slash greenhouse emissions 15% by 2020 with the most sweeping plan of any state.
California regulators adopted the nation's first comprehensive plan to slash greenhouse gases Thursday and characterized it as a model for President-elect Barack Obama, who has pledged an aggressive national and international effort to combat global warming. The ambitious blueprint by the world's eighth-largest ...
Los Angeles Times | December 12, 2008
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L.A. alley project moves forward
The city of Los Angeles is moving forward with an innovative proposal to transform some of its alleys, long used for dumping, crime and not much good.
Los Angeles Times | December 12, 2008
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Maryland Launches Greenprint
The Conservation Fund issued the following news release: As part of the launch of GreenPrint, a forward-looking statewide plan to protect Maryland's best natural resources, Governor Martin O'Malley today joined The Conservation Fund to announce a conservation deal that could protect 4,473 acres in three counties.
Targeted News Service | December 3, 2008
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Internet map aid to many
Developers and municipal planning officials beware. Civic advocates got a new tool yesterday with an interactive Internet map of Long Island packed with census, transportation and land-use data.
Newsday (New York) | December 11, 2008
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New lease on vacant homes'life; Homeless make foreclosed houses temporary shelters
For Max Rameau, a vacant, boarded-up home is more than just a symbol of the national housing crisis. It's an opportunity to house the homeless. Rameau, a homeless advocate, runs a controversial program in Miami that helps families squat in homes vacated because of bank foreclosures. Using Internet listings and ...
USA TODAY | December 11, 2008
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DUI flashlights help fight drunken driving -- but are they legal?
As the holidays approach, law enforcement agencies will attempt to blanket the region in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the streets but does one of the more recent tools used in DUI investigations violate drivers' rights? This weekend, DUI task forces from law enforcement agencies around Alameda County ...
Contra Costa Times (California) | December 11, 2008
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City polishes green image with solar power
Broomfield leaders hope new solar panels will give a little more juice to the city's effort to promote itself as an environmentally conscious community. Because of an arrangement with renewable energy company SunEdison, the panels are a cheap and easy way of making a point.
Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado) | December 11, 2008
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Zoning plan aims for urban living; 'Form-based' proposal would bend codes to allow denser building
An effort to make it easier to build dense urban neighborhoods in Dallas took a step forward at City Hall on Wednesday, even as a debate over particulars of the plan continued between city officials and a group representing developers and neighborhood interests.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS | December 4, 2008
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Procurement initiative secures DoD computers, saves money
US Fed News | December 8, 2008
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Gov. Rell announces state grants to spur biofuel production, research, testing
Gov. M. Jodi Rell, R-Conn., issued the following press release: Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that three Connecticut universities will share a total of more than $900,000 in grants to test biofuel quality and study different production methods and feedstocks, while a total of $2.2 million in grants to four ...
US States News | December 7, 2008
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OMB's Visualization For Understanding Expenditures In Information Technology feature increases federal IT transparency
US Fed News | December 11, 2008
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Army debuts Second Life island, virtually
States News Service | December 10, 2008
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Traffic cam benefits; A new study provides early documentation that Texas red light cameras reduce serious traffic accidents
WHEN Houston Mayor Bill White proposed placing cameras at selected Houston intersections to reduce deaths and injuries from collisions caused by motorists running red lights, he set off a public debate that has continued even after the system was approved by City Council and installed at 50 locations here.
The Houston Chronicle | December 7, 2008
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Counting on new census approach; In response to a fast- changing world, the U.S. bureau debuts a geographically detailed set of data
About this time every decade, the U.S. begins to hanker for the next great national self-portrait. That old still life that told us who we were -- magnificent as it once was in scope and detail -- has grown dusty and is ready for the closet. It's the time when the Census Bureau begins mustering the army of ...
Los Angeles Times | December 8, 2008
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Fit City; How Somerville became a national model of healthy living
SOMERVILLE - Pedestrians in this city of 77,500 stride onto bright, recently striped crosswalks. Bicyclists, who until this year navigated traffic aided by a single bike lane, enjoy 2 additional miles of designated lanes, and almost 4 more are planned. In school cafeterias, fresh produce has replaced canned fruits ...
The Boston Globe | December 2, 2008
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Hawaii to be 1st state with electric car stations
HONOLULU - Hawaii plans to roll out electric car stations statewide by 2011 - a move the governor hails as a major step toward weaning the islands off oil.
Broadcast News (BN) | December 3, 2008
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T removing Red Line seats; Overcrowded riders will have a cow
Red Line riders will be packed like cattle starting Monday as part of an MBTA plan to herd more passengers into already crowded cars by ripping out seats in the region's overloaded subway system, the Herald has learned.
The Boston Herald | December 4, 2008
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Electric scooters give Fairfax police a silent edge
Fairfax's version of the stealth fighter is black, nearly silent and runs on batteries. The police department's two new electric scooters - vehicles that look like a cross between a skateboard and a mountain bike - will give officers greater mobility and flexibility, said inventor Rob Fruechtenicht, a Fairfax resident ...
Marin Independent Journal (California) | December 4, 2008
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Government Innovators Network®.
