Chicago and San Francisco Wi-Fi plans crumble
Plans for municipal Wi-Fi systems in Chicago and San Francisco have collapsed in the wake of an announcement by Atlanta-based Earthlink, a major provider of municipal Wi-Fi technology, that it was scaling back its investment in the area as part of the company’s restructuring plan. ...
State employee salaries still trail private sector despite slight increase
State employees’ salaries rose slightly from 2006 to 2007, but they still lag behind what the private sector pays for the same jobs, according a report by the Washington-based American Federation of Teacher’s (AFT) Public Employees division. ...
AASHTO opens bridge information Web site
In response to increased public interest following the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis last month, the Washington-based American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has launched a Web site dedicated to providing information on the nation’s bridges. ...
Earthlink restructuring includes new model for municipal Wi-Fi
Atlanta-based Earthlink’s restructuring, announced Tuesday, will include a new approach to its troubled municipal Wi-Fi business, says Earthlink President and CEO Rolla Huff. ...
Georgia town fights to keep gun ordinance
Kennesaw, Ga., officials are lobbying for a change in a state law that apparently prevents the city from enforcing an ordinance banning guns in city parks. ...
Meth addiction on rise, according to law enforcement survey
More women, teens and minorities are succumbing to methamphetamine addiction, according to a survey of 500 law enforcement officials in 44 states by the Washington-based National Association of Counties ...
Few public sector employers understand GASB reporting changes
Most public sector employers do not fully understand the financial implications of the new Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements for reporting other post-employment benefits ...
County officials say nation on the ‘wrong track’
The Iraq war, immigration, health care, the economy and energy prices were the top concerns of respondents to the Washington-based National Association of Counties’ ...
How will shift toward ‘majority-minority’ populations affect county government?
A recent U.S. Census Bureau report shows that the number of “majority-minority” counties in the United States, in which minorities make up more than 50 percent of the population, is increasing...
Civics knowledge slips among students
September is National Civic Awareness Month, and the Washington-based International City/County Management Association (ICMA) wants its members to address a problem revealed by a report last year that showed students at the nation’s elite universities lack basic civics knowledge...
Five cities receive federal grants to fight congestion
Five major cities have been selected as the first to participate in a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) initiative aimed at reducing traffic congestion. ...
Deadline extended for Geospatial Technology Report survey submissions
The deadline for taking the Aurora, Colo.-based Geospatial Information & Technology Association’s survey on geographic information systems has been extended until Aug. 31. ...
PTI project gets new funding
The Columbia, Md.-based Maryland Technology Development Corp. has provided $70,000 to help fund a project to address the threat of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) interruption of electric power. ...
Populations in 300 counties shift to ‘majority-minority’
As of July 2006, minorities made up more than 50 percent of the population in 303 of the nation’s 3,141 counties, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released last week. ...
Officials in two Colorado cities take 16.5 million steps toward fitness
Officials in Arvada and Westminster, Colo., took more than 16.5 million steps toward wellness in a competition to raise awareness about the need to stay active and healthy. ...
Are your bridges falling down?
In response to the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis on Aug. 1, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters called on all states to investigate bridges with similar designs...
American City & County extends awards nomination deadline
American City & County has extended the deadline to submit nominations for the Municipal Leader of the Year and the Crown Communities – Cities awards until Aug. 24....
Deadline near for Geospatial Technology Report survey submissions
Aug. 15 is the deadline for taking the Aurora, Colo.-based Geospatial Information & Technology Association’s (GITA) survey on the operation of geographic information systems (GIS) by infrastructure-based organizations around the world. ...
Big Dig epoxy provider charged with manslaughter
The company that provided the epoxy used to hold up concrete ceiling panels in Boston’s Big Dig has been indicted on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. ...
IRS rules OPEB trust fund is tax exempt
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has ruled that employee contributions to a trust fund established by Bristol, R.I., to fund post employment benefits are tax exempt...
Legislators discuss green energy benefits at national convention
While state legislators at the Washington-based National Conference of State Legislators’ (NCSL) annual meeting at the Boston Convention and Events Center (BCEC) discuss the benefits of green energy...
African-American officials focus on disaster recovery in conference
The Washington-based National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials’ (NBC-LEO) Annual Summer Conference in Biloxi, Miss., focused on disaster preparedness and raising money to assist the Gulf Coast’s recovery from 2005’s hurricanes....
ICMA extends registration deadline for Partners’ Scholarship Program
The Washington-based International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is extending the registration deadline for its Partners’ Scholarship Program....
Incoming NGA chairman announces clean energy initiative
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty assumed the chairmanship of the Washington-based National Governors Association (NGA) during its annual meeting in July, and one of his first acts was to announce a new initiative titled “Securing a Clean Energy Future.” ...
Transportation secretary calls for inspection of all steel deck truss bridges
While Minneapolis emergency workers are searching for missing drivers after Wednesday’s collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters is calling on all states to investigate bridges with similar designs...
