Local Government

The construction phase of a multiyear project to provide high-speed fiber-optic Internet to more than 16,000 rural residents in Lowndes County has begun. The project will connect around 96 percent of the unserved county census blocks.

New York City’s inaugural class of Cyber Academy graduates have completed their training. City employees across 21 agencies completed the first cohort and will bring new skills to better defend the city against cyber threats.

Officials with the Oakland police union filed a claim asking for monetary damages of up to $25,000 per affected employee nearly two months after a ransomware attack that released 12 years of city employee data.

James Farrell, CIO of Bolingbrook, Ill., outside Chicago, on his city's new chatbot, the importance of working with other jurisdictions and how he gets staff excited about tech projects.

The Maine State Library has launched a pilot telehealth program with 10 libraries across the state in communities with high instances of health issues or a lack of ready access to health care or technology at home.

Chris Stewart has moved to an executive advisory role as Kerrica Laake moves into an interim leadership role. The city has also brought its cybersecurity leadership into the central IT department.

As home to popular vacation destination Breckenridge, Summit County, Colo., turned to GIS and data to create long-term policy solutions to issues around short-term rental properties.

As more state and local agencies turn to cloud computing for security, efficiency and flexibility, Polk County, Fla., offers a quick lesson about why that choice can be vital. In short, it’s about speed and transparency.

Flock Safety, the company behind Houston’s array of automated license plate readers, says its technology is helping police curb crime, but privacy and civil rights advocates say the tech raises other concerns.

New York City’s new MyCity portal offers residents a single digital space to check eligibility for and gain access to city services and benefits across city agencies, starting with child care.

Dr. James Smith Jr., who brings years of expertise in data security and web architecture, will replace Brandee Ganz following her appointment to the chief administrative officer position earlier this month.

The Kansas police department has plans to test a virtual reality training simulator and a new taser. The training software has the potential to make the training process more efficient.

Citing a lack of communication, union officials say they are now considering lawsuits to secure more extensive credit protections for the thousands of workers whose personal information was stolen last month and posted on the dark web.

Thousands of county computers sold at auction could have exposed the personal information still on the devices. Officials say they are working to understand the scope of the incident.

A grant proposal from the state’s Office of Criminal Justice would cover $98,150 of the initial $170,000 cost for body cameras over a five-year period. The council is expected to vote on the grant next week.

Plus, a continued look at what some state and local governments are doing to increase participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program, and more.

The city of Brownsville is installing its BTXFibers project that, when completed, will make the Internet accessible and affordable to all residents and businesses. The first connections are expected in July.

The Syracuse Police Department wants to install automated license plate readers at 26 locations around the city. But without the proper checks in place, the program threatens privacy, civil liberties and civil rights.