Local Government

Drones might be a better solution for controlling mosquitoes in remote areas that ground vehicles have a hard time accessing.

Wisconsin regulators have approved a unique program allowing a utility to provide customers with backup systems to store energy and maintain power during outages, functioning as emergency islands.

Plus, this week Code for America holds its annual summit event, Boston’s Digital Team shares case study giving transparency to its work, a map charts recent American migration data, and more.

Gary officials have notified the FBI and Department of Homeland Security and brought in a cybersecurity firm to assist with the investigation and restoration process, spokesman Michael Gonzalez said.

In March an appeals panel ruled that township officials could not fly a drone over someone's backyard, take photos and use them to cite the homeowner for zoning violations, without first obtaining a warrant.

The Stillwater, Okla., Police Department is moving to buy body-worn cameras for its officers, which is something that the department and its officials have long said they could not afford to do.

The pandemic spurred the county to launch a one-stop shop for resident services that’s proving to be a boost to public employees, too, sparing Parks Department staff an hour or more on each events permit application.

Digital equity advocates, state broadband offices and local government staffers are encouraged by the president’s emphasis on their work, but what do they need at the federal level to fully solve this challenge?

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the Internet gaps across the 27,000-square-mile reservation. Only 46 percent of households on tribal lands have basic broadband access.

A collaborative effort involving the Vigo County School Corp., local and state government as well as private business will mean improved Internet access for students countywide as well as the community overall.

After serving in an interim capacity since September, Christopher Stewart has been named the city's permanent CIO. Stewart brings 20 years of city experience and succeeds Stephen Elkins, who retired last year.

The King County Council is postponing a vote on whether to ban facial recognition technology, citing the need for more research on the controversial topic. The council plans to revisit the issue May 19.

Construction of a new citywide fiber-optic network is set to begin in the coming months through a no-cost contract between the city and New Jersey-based SiFi Networks. The work is expected to cost the company $35 million.

Plus, an internal federal government innovation program picks 22 ideas to receive phased support funding, a new data warehouse aims to consolidate California’s statewide data on homelessness, and more.

A new report from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research surveyed infrastructure projects in more than 100 major U.S. cities and argues these should be the starting place for federal strategy.

The city of Boulder established new regulations for micomobility devices, outlining where they are allowed to be located and where they can legally go. In January 2020, officials considered banning some services from the city.

Studies show Americans tend to trust their local leaders. The Biden administration should learn from local successes to drive COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and other public communications.