NewsWatch: Cities and Counties -- "Whitey" on the Ballot

City Council Rejects Panhandling Ban
Citing high unemployment, the Tampa, Fla., City Council on Thursday rejected calls to ban panhandling on city streets. St. Petersburg Times

"Whitey" is on the Ballot
The last name of Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney is misspelled as "Whitey" on electronic-voting machines in nearly two dozen wards -- about half in predominantly African-American areas -- and election officials said Wednesday the problem cannot be corrected by Election Day. Chicago Sun-Times

Preparing County Employees to Lead
Three years ago, Boulder County officials began to plan for the expected retirement of its baby boomer employees. They developed the Boulder County Leadership Academy to focus not only on preparing some of the county's 1,700 employees to take on bigger leadership roles, but to allow current leaders to share their knowledge. Governing

Initial County OK for Food Truck Grading Plan
Food trucks in Los Angeles County will soon be required to post letter grades from public health officials evaluating their food-handling practices, supervisors said Tuesday. Los Angeles Times