Tennessee

Bristol, Tenn., officials are considering a two-year moratorium on new data processing centers as they study how the growing industry could impact the city.

More Hamilton County youth will be able to earn thousands beginning late this summer through a paid internship program, now backed with an additional quarter-million dollars in state funding.

Just months in the making, the city’s new facility includes an advanced public safety hub with real-time video analytics and artificial intelligence-enabled surveillance to respond to incidents, and guide future strategy.

The county sheriff’s website came back online Monday, after a cybersecurity event prompted its shutdown in mid-April. The Sheriff’s Office has worked with a cyber defense company to restore systems.

The city has rolled out a new 311 app and request platform that enhances how residents request and track help in real time. Its features include being able to show a location by dropping a pin.

The cybersecurity incident, which dates to July, stemmed to an agency that “provides debt collection services to city government,” a city spokesperson said in a news release, noting there’s “no indication that anything other than debt collection services data was affected.”

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp acknowledged that a data breach of a county contractor's system may have exposed the private information of as many as 14,000 ambulance customers.

The longtime technology executive has served as CIO for four health-care organizations, and as enterprise CIO at a fifth. She will join the state several months ahead of six-year CIO Stephanie Dedmon’s coming retirement.

CIO Stephanie Dedmon discussed the state’s technology work, including new AI policies and use cases, cloud migration and cybersecurity projects, and what’s on the horizon. She is set to retire in July.

Elevated to lead state technology in October 2018, Dedmon is a nearly 20-year state staffer and former deputy CIO. Her recent work has included guiding a refresh of the unemployment insurance system.

The project has, since March, used a machine learning system to set variable speed limits on an area of Interstate 24. The freeway runs through Nashville. The existing system steps in if the tester makes a questionable choice.

The Tennessee city has affirmed Jerele Neeld as chief information officer, roughly four months after he became its interim CIO. Neeld joined Chattanooga in January after a career in the private sector.

Plus, the FCC is taking steps to update broadband data collection, more states have had their initial proposals for BEAD funding approved, Oakland got a grant to expand broadband infrastructure, and more.

In 15 years as CIO and director of Information Technology Services, his work was foundational to internal areas like information security — but also to resident-facing services like 311 and free Wi-Fi.

While some concerns about filling government IT roles persist, eliminating education requirements, leaning on skills-based qualifications and expanding internship programs are helping states find new talent.

After two years as the Tennessee city’s tech leader, Tyson Morris will pursue other opportunities. He said Friday he is committed to continuing his work using technology to help people.

Sen. Joey Hensley said his legislation allows public K-12 districts and universities to make their own choices regarding if and how artificial intelligence should be used for learning, pending state approval.

Over the past year, the state’s IT journey has been propelled by an emphasis on system modernization, digital government services and strategies to integrate emerging technologies.