Maui landfill has problem with flying bags
Officials in Maui County, Hawaii, are asking residents who use the new Central Maui Landfill to secure and recycle their plastic bags when disposing of them. ...
Santa Barbara, Calif., approves housing aid for residents making $160,000 a year
People with an annual income of $160,000 usually aren’t considered for public assistance, but the Santa Barbara, Calif., City Council is considering putting a public housing development for residents in that income bracket on the city’s last sizable vacant lot...
Former Atlanta mayor sentenced to 30 months in prison
Saying that former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell “fostered a culture of corruption” despite doing some good in office, a U.S. District Court judge sentenced Campbell to 30 months in jail on charges of tax evasion. ...
The grass grows tall in Toledo
Heavy rainfall has kept the grass growing while the city’s public works department struggles with aging equipment and a staff shortage, according the Toledo Blade...
Illinois mayor arrested on birthday
Federal agents arrested the mayor of Niles, Ill., while he was in the middle of his 78th birthday party, accusing him of taking kickbacks to force businesses to use a friend’s insurance company...
Developer sues Miami
A developer is suing Miami over the city’s decision to throw out the company’s plan for a $110 million project on a city-owned golf course near Miami International Airport...
Telecommunications bill passes House
The House of Representatives has passed its version of a bill that would establish a national system for franchising broadband service...
Aspen housing board considers bending rules in affordable housing project
Developers of an affordable housing project in Pitkin County, Colo., say confusion over the policy of the county’s housing authority may exclude six people from getting apartments ...
Wheeling using tax relief to promote downtown development
Wheeling, W.Va. is trying a three-year program in which it will eliminate or reduce Business and Occupation taxes for downtown businesses ...
New York’s new council speaker faces budget negotiation
New York’s new city council speaker is about to go head to head for the first time with Mayor Michael Bloomberg in negotiations over the city’s budget...
Native Hawaiian bill gets emotional response
A bill in the U.S. Senate would create a government for Native Hawaiians if passed, but opponents say it would balkanize the nation. ...
Los Angeles County out of money for safety brochure
Los Angeles County emergency preparedness officials need another $30,000 to finish and print a brochure that will teach residents with special needs how to survive disasters...
Utah city considers new pet ordinance
A group of residents will help the Spanish Fork, Utah, City Council form a new pet ordinance that the residents hope will be less restrictive. ...
New Mexico city councilman wants ethics reform
An Albuquerque, N.M., council member wants residents to vote on the ethics reform bill he proposed but the council voted down. ...
South Carolina island residents fight incorporation
Besieged by annexation efforts from nearby Charleston and Folly Beach, some residents of James Island, S.C., are trying to incorporate the community. ...
Boston mayor proposes police review board
Critics say Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s proposed review board for complaints against the city’s police department isn’t independent enough. ...
Cheyenne gets bicycle friendly
Cheyenne, Wyo., is expected to decide soon on a new plan to make it easier for people to commute by bicycle. ...
Atlanta firefighters demand raise
Atlanta’s firefighters are threatening to march in protest if the city council doesn’t give them the same raise that Mayor Shirley Franklin wants for the city’s police officers. ...
Los Angeles County refuses to release hospital documents
New officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services are refusing a request from the Los Angeles Times for updated information on a troubled local hospital. ...
Chicago jury told of Daley “machine”
A witness in the ongoing Chicago corruption trial testified that Mayor Richard Daley operated an election “machine” that used city workers to help the campaigns of select candidates....
Orange Beach, Ala., developer pleads guilty to bribing mayor
Federal prosecutors say a developer in Orange Beach, Ala., bribed the then-mayor of the beachfront city with a partnership in a vacation home and a BMW....
D.C. immigrants pay taxes
Immigrants in the Washington area are paying their taxes on the same level as native-born Americans, according to a recent study. ...
Michigan towns fight for underground utilities
Two Michigan towns plan to fight for a change in state law if the Michigan Supreme Court overturns their ordinances requiring residential developers to put power lines underground at their own expense. ...
Planners foresee water shortage for Chicago
There may be plenty of wind in Chicago, but planners say the water supply is running low. ...
Los Angeles' power couple faces different times
Husband and wife Judy Chu and Mike Eng rose to political power in Monterey Park, Calif., in the 1980s, fighting for Chinese residents’ right to put up signs in their native language....
