Local Government

Jake Trippel is dean of the College of Business and Technology at Concordia University, where he also chairs the master’s in business administration, which includes a specialty in cybersecurity.

As the Minnesota capital continues to recover from last week’s cyber attack — and as officials seek accountability — lessons are starting to emerge from various parts of the gov tech world. Here’s what they have to say.

Luzerne County employees will start learning how to use an artificial intelligence program to improve county services, with around 35 to 40 county employees slated to learn how to use Microsoft 365 GCC.

Created by Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, the Digital Government Hub’s latest feature tracks the connections between public-sector organizations and how they deliver services.

Cities across the U.S. are implementing AI technology solutions to improve operations. Although their approaches are unique, they share a focus on prioritizing AI to improve sustainability in local government.

With support from a state grant, New Milford will be able to expand community Wi-Fi coverage to key outdoor spaces in town and provide internet access to residents in need.

The state of emergency continued Wednesday in St. Paul after officials shut down the city’s digital infrastructure and worked to stop the spread of a cyber attack that began Friday.

Commissioners approved discarding 95 outdated electronic pollbooks and other voting equipment. The county officials also created a new 2025 Election Security Grant Fund, to manage $10,000 in state cybersecurity funds.

Officials shut down city systems on Monday to contain a data breach that started late Friday. It was a “complete network shut down” of Wi-Fi and Internet-based systems, though 911 and emergency response remained unaffected.

The City Council has approved a non-exclusive installation deal with the technology provider, allowing it to install its equipment. Its fiber is now only available in limited areas of Cobb County.

The county has updated its application for cellphones, which enables residents to pay bills and obtain key services. Its notifications tab allows the receipt of real-time updates on severe weather and other events.

Methuen Public School District and the city have filed court documents regarding control of and access to the district’s IT department and systems as a disagreement over merging city and school IT departments builds.

Officials at the capital city had not been optimistic the funds could be recovered, but were able to obtain the payment — stolen from an online vendor payment portal after a bad actor gained access to an account.

County commissioners announced the recent incident, which prompted the local government to shutter its network, has been resolved, in part by making a payment. Officials continue to securely restore systems.

The Pathogen Forecast Model launched this week by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego looks five days ahead at weather, tides, waves and river flows to calculate ocean water conditions hour by hour.

The state’s most populous county has launched a $30 million, voter-approved investment in child-care workers. Tech plays a central role in the process by enabling equitable cash distribution at scale.

Elyse Rosenberg, a longtime executive, has been named the city’s next chief information officer. Having served as interim CIO for most of the year, she now officially steps in for Jeff Baer, who retired in April.

The police drone program began in 2023, in response to thrill-seeking stunts that have lead to at least 16 deaths. In related news, the city has debuted a public safety alert tool on a popular app.