New York State Courts hold Plaintiff's complaints barred by collateral estoppel having earlier commenced similar actions in federal court alleging violations of various federal, New York State, and New York City statutes

In the words of the New York State Court of Appeals, "Plaintiff was subjected to offensive and demeaning conduct by her colleagues and sued them and her employer in federal court alleging violations of various federal, New York State, and New York City statutes, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. 

"The parties engaged in the full discovery process, including depositions and document production, and defendants moved for summary judgment. 

"A federal judge made detailed factual findings and applied those findings to defendants' federal claims, ultimately granting defendants' summary judgment motions, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed. 

"Plaintiff brought a nearly identical suit in Supreme Court, raising claims over which the federal district court declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction.

"Supreme Court dismissed plaintiff's complaint as barred by collateral estoppel and for failing to state a claim, the Appellate Division agreed".

The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower courts' rulings, Justice Rivera dissenting.

Click HERE to access the Court of Appeals' majority and the dissenting opinions in the State actions posted on the Internet.

OATH Administrative Law Judge recommends the dismissal of a deputy sheriff who stole evidence from a storage container

New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Administrative Law Judge [ALJ] Michael D. Turilli recommended the termination of employment of a deputy sheriff [Deputy] he found had stolen contraband from an evidence storage container.

Judge Turilli determined that on two occasions Deputy was seen on a surveillance video tape exiting the evidence storage container with unidentified objects concealed under his clothing and taking the objects to his car. The ALJ rejected Deputy’s explanation that he had been carrying a mini-tablet and a phone rather than contraband, finding this testimony inconsistent with the video evidence in consideration of the shape of the objects and the manner in which Deputy was carrying them.

Further, the ALJ found that Deputy had made efforts to conceal the objects from video surveillance, which would have been unnecessary if he was removing work-related equipment and not contraband.

ALJ Turilli, however, recommended dismissal of specifications filed against Deputy for stealing or facilitating the theft of contraband on ten other occasions, ruling Employer failed to prove those charges by a preponderance of credible evidence.  

Recommending the Employer terminate Deputy's employment, the ALJ opined that Deputy’s lack of disciplinary history did not outweigh "the egregiousness of the misconduct and his demonstrated lack of integrity".

Click HERE to access Judge Turilli's findings and recommendation posted on the Internet.

 _____

A Reasonable Disciplinary Penalty Under the Circumstances - an e-book focusing on determining an appropriate disciplinary penalty to be imposed on an employee in the public service of the State of New York and its political subdivisions in instances where the employee has been found guilty of misconduct or incompetence. For more information and access to a free excerpt of the material presented in this e-book, click here: http://booklocker.com/books/7401.html.

 

New York State's Comptroller releases audits

On April 24, 2024 New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the following local government and school audits were issued.

Click on the text highlighted in color to access the complete audit report posted on the Internet.

 

Town of Lincoln – Disbursements (Madison County) 

The board and former supervisor did not ensure that disbursements were adequately supported and properly approved. The former supervisor received 13 check payments, totaling $5,142, that were not supported. Also, three of these payments totaling $2,605 were not audited and approved by the board. Claims totaling $109,158 were improperly paid prior to board audit, and claims totaling $533,518 were improperly audited and approved by the former supervisor rather than the board. In addition, 13 claims, totaling $23,116, did not contain sufficient supporting documentation. Lastly, the former bookkeepers did not maintain time records to support the hours for which they were paid, and one bookkeeper received $1,751 in additional pay with no evidence of approval.

 

Town of Lincoln – Town Clerk (Madison County)

 The former clerk did not properly account for, deposit, report or remit collections. As of April 13, 2022, the former clerk could not account for cash totaling $3,869. The former clerk also did not deposit $4,038 in cash collections recorded from Jan. 1, 2018 through April 13, 2022, or maintain complete records for all cash collected. Town officials found $622 in cash in her office with no supporting records showing the source of the funds. She also did not record 44 checks totaling $4,320 in the accounting system, and improperly voided other receipts totaling $769. These unrecorded receipts and voids enabled the former clerk to conceal cash collections that were recorded but not deposited. In addition, the board did not perform an annual audit of the former clerk’s records, as required. In July 2023, the former clerk was arrested on charges of petit larceny for stealing nearly $4,000 from the town. In February 2024, she pleaded guilty to the theft, paid restitution of $3,869 and received a one-year conditional discharge.

 

Raquette Lake Union Free School District – Business Office Operations (Hamilton County)

 The board and district officials did not provide effective oversight of the business office operations. Specifically, the board did not ensure the required 2021-22 annual financial report was filed or obtain adequate written agreements with a third party providing accounting and reporting services that specified the roles and responsibilities of the district and the third-party provider. The board also did not implement controls to safeguard the treasurer's signature on disbursement checks or monitor the third-party online access to the district’s bank accounts.

 

Village of Suffern – Budget Review (Rockland County)

Based on the results of the review, auditors found that the significant revenue and expenditure projections in the 2024-25 proposed budget are reasonable. They also found that the village’s tentative budget includes a tax levy of $12,533,658, which is within the limit established by law.

###

An inference of animus found "sufficiently specific" to bar granting the Employer's motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' claims

The Appellate Division unanimously reversed a New York State Supreme Court's ruling granting the City of New York's motion to [1] dismiss racial discrimination claims alleged by Plaintiffs pursuant to the New York State and City Human Rights Laws and [2] the hostile work environment claim Plaintiffs alleged pursuant to the New York City Human Rights Law which the Plaintiffs had asserted against the City of New York and a named defendant.

Citing Harrington v City of New York, 157 AD3d 582 and Reichman v City of New York, 179 AD3d 1115, the Appellate Division opined that Plaintiffs' employment discrimination and hostile work environment claim alleged pursuant the New York City Human Rights Law were improperly dismissed by Supreme Court for failure to sufficiently allege discriminatory animus.

Noting "the comments of the now-dismissed defendants are not properly considered, and the sole remaining individual [named] defendant is not alleged to have made any even arguably discriminatory statements, [Plaintiffs] raised an inference of animus through their allegations of differential treatment of similarly situated white officers in terms of assignments, evaluations, and placement on performance monitoring".

In the words of the court, "Plaintiffs sufficiently alleged that the white officers were similarly situated." In addition, said the Appellate Division, "[the] allegations of differential treatment were also sufficiently specific and factual in nature."

Click HERE to access the Appellate Division decision posted on the Internet.

 

Substantial evidence held to support finding the accused guilty of certain disciplinary charges filed against him

A New York City police officer [Petitioner] was found guilty of four of the five disciplinary charges filed against him by the New York City Police Department [Employer] which included allegations that Petitioner [1] "engaged in a physical altercation with his estranged wife; [2] "failed to request permission before leaving his residence while on sick report, and [3] "violated a protective order on multiple occasions." 

Terminated from his position, Petitioner appealed, claiming violations of his right to due process.

The Appellate Division held that Petitioner's claims were "unavailing", finding that Petitioner received advance notice of the charges, was provided a full evidentiary hearing, and he was represented by counsel at the hearing. 

The court said contrary to Petitioner's arguments, Employer appears "to have submitted the administrative record, including a certified transcript of the hearing," in its answer. Further, the Appellate Division opined, "Petitioner's contentions regarding his sealed arrest records are unavailing as the administrative decision reflects that the Hearing Officer based his conclusions on the witnesses' testimony and exhibits entered into evidence by stipulation of the parties".

The Appellate Division unanimously confirmed the Employer's terminating Petitioner from his position pointing out that substantial evidence supported the Employer finding that Petitioner was guilty of four of the five charges served upon him.

Noting that the Hearing Officer was entitled to credit the testimony of Petitioner's estranged wife that Petitioner "failed to identify himself as a uniformed member of the service during a ... domestic incident" over the Petitioner's testimony concerning the event as Petitioner's testimony was inconsistent with the responding police officer's body camera footage and the responding police officer's testimony that Petitioner did not so identify himself.

As to the penalty imposed, dismissal from his employment with the New York City police department, the Appellate Division opined that "the penalty of dismissal is not disproportionate to the seriousness of the multiple violations involved", citing Matter of Kelly v Safir, 96 NY2d 32.

Click HERE to access the opinion of the Appellate Division posted on the Internet.

_______ 

A Reasonable Disciplinary Penalty Under the Circumstances - an e-book focusing on determining an appropriate disciplinary penalty to be imposed on an employee in the public service of the State of New York and its political subdivisions in instances where the employee has been found guilty of misconduct or incompetence. For more information and access to a free excerpt of the material presented in this e-book, click here: http://booklocker.com/books/7401.html

 

 

Former Utica City School District Superintendent sentenced for public corruption, must pay over $160,000 to the school district

On April 19, 2024, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville, and the New York State Police announced that the former Bruce Karam, the former long-time superintendent of the Utica City School District (UCSD), was sentenced to pay the UCSD restitution of $11,549 for the resources improperly diverted, serve five years’ probation and perform 250 hours of community service. Karam was also ordered to pay UCSD $150,000 by May 17, representing a reduction in his pension earnings from the date of his crime until his termination.

State Comptroller DiNapoli said “Bruce Karam shamelessly diverted funds meant to benefit students to further his personal interests," DiNapoli thanked "Oneida District Attorney Todd Carville and the New York State Police for their assistance in ensuring justice was served.”

Oneida County District Attorney Carville said: “Today’s sentence represents accountability and just punishment for a former local leader who abused his power and the public trust. I want to thank the New York State Comptroller’s Office and the New York State Police for their assistance and tireless pursuit of justice in this matter.” 

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Mr. Karam deliberately embezzled funds intended to enrich the education of the youth and enhance the community for his own selfishness. This sentencing should serve as a reminder that defrauding of any amount will be met with multi-agency collaborative investigations resulting in indictments and arrests. I commend the diligent work of our State Police members, along with our partners at the State Comptroller’s Office and Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, for their hard work in putting an end to this dishonest act.”

Karam had pleaded guilty to public corruption, a felony, for using public resources to support the school board election campaigns of candidates he favored and who would determine his salary as members of the board. He also used school resources to send invitations for a non-school related fundraiser for a purported charity run by former Utica mayor and school board president Louis LaPolla. Fundraiser fliers for the charity were inserted by school district employees during school hours in envelopes the school district paid for and were mailed using the district’s stamps.

Karam was the UCSD’s Superintendent from 2011 until October 2022. He was terminated by the school board shortly after his arrest in November 2023. His co-defendant, LaPolla, was sentenced to 60 days of house arrest and three years of probation earlier in April 2024.

Since taking office in 2007, Comptroller DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. Allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money may be made by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236 or by filing a complaint online at https://www.osc.ny.gov/investigations.

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NYPPL public personnel law handbooks available from Booklocker

The Discipline Book, - A concise guide to disciplinary actions involving public employees in New York State and its political subdivisions set out in an e-book. For more information and access to a free excerpt from this e-book, click here: http://booklocker.com/books/5215.html

A Reasonable Disciplinary Penalty Under the Circumstances - an e-book focusing on determining an appropriate disciplinary penalty to be imposed on an employee in the public service of the State of New York and its political subdivisions in instances where the employee has been found guilty of misconduct or incompetence. For more information and access to a free excerpt of the material presented in this e-book, click here: http://booklocker.com/books/7401.html

The Layoff, Preferred List and Reinstatement Manual - an e-book reviewing the relevant New York State laws, rules and regulations, and selected court and administrative decisions. For more information and access to a free excerpt of the material presented in this e-book, click here: http://booklocker.com/books/5216.html

Disability Benefits for New York State and municipal public sector personnel - an e-book focusing on administering the Retirement and Social Security Law, the General Municipal Law Sections 207-a/207-c and similar laws providing disability benefits to employees of the State of New York and its political subdivisions. For more information and access to a free excerpt of the material presented in this e-book, click here: http://booklocker.com/books/3916.html

 

Selected links to items focusing on government operations posted on the Internet during the week ending April 19, 2024

 Click on the text in color to access the item posted on the Internet.

 

[Free Webinar] Connecting the Dots Between Your Strategic Plan and Your Budget A strategic plan is critical to help communities forward—but strategic action often falls flat. On April 30th, explore how connecting your budget with your plans helps drive strategic action. REGISTER NOW

 

70,000 Fewer Texas High School Students Applied for Federal Financial Aid The lower number in completed applications for aid has education advocates worried about a smaller fall enrollment this year. An overhaul of the form has caused delays and setbacks across the country. READ MORE

 

A Comeback on Housing for New York’s Governor? Gov. Kathy Hochul says she and lawmakers have a “conceptual agreement” that includes both tax breaks for developers and some new tenant protections. She failed to win approval of an ambitious housing package last year. READ MORE

 

A Digital Ads Tax Would Devastate Small Businesses Like Mine Affordable online advertisements are critical for thousands of brick-and-mortar businesses that need to reach out to national customers to survive. A Nebraska proposal and similar federal legislation would be a serious blow. READ MORE

 

Addressing America’s Housing Crisis: Lessons from Denmark Other countries have dealt with similar challenges in different ways. The Danish model has some elements state and local governments in the U.S. could adapt. READ MORE

 

ALPR Audit Takeaways: What We Learned About Policy Gaps As the use of automatic license plate readers grows, Government Technology reviewed public safety agencies’ audits and policies to determine progress. READ MORE

 

April is National Financial Literacy Month. New York Slate Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and New York State Education Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa advocate teaching financial literacy in high schools to better prepare students for making important financial decisions in the future.  Read more

 

ASU+GSV 2024: K-12 Leaders Endorse Experiments With GenAI
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Bridging Communication Gaps in Civic Infrastructure Projects
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Build AI Apps with Low Code Empower anyone in your organization – from developers to decision-makers – to rapidly build AI solutions that increase productivity, agility, accessibility, and automation. Build Apps with AI

 

California Can’t Curb Homelessness? Look What Texas Cities Have Done.
Cities there and in other states are building more housing of all types. They’re approaching housing on a regional basis. And there are other steps California could be taking to prevent homelessness. READ MORE

 

California Faces a Crisis Over Lack of Court Recorders Last year, 332,000 hearings occurred without a court reporter or an electronic recording device in Los Angeles County Superior Court alone. Without a verbatim recording of what happened, defendants struggle to protect their rights. READ MORE

 

California’s Debt Continues to Grow After borrowing billions from the federal government to pay for unemployment during the pandemic, the state’s debt now stands at about $21 billion and growing. The state also currently accounts for about 20 percent of the nation’s unemployment. READ MORE

 

Camille Stewart Gloster Leaves Federal Cyber Role Stewart Gloster departs the Office of the National Cyber Director after two years serving as the deputy national cyber director for technology and ecosystem security. READ MORE

 

Chicago Separation from Illinois Referendum Reaches Ballot
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Civics and Science: Contemporary Issues for Civil Democracy Dr. Robert A. Michaels' new book focuses on contemporary issues of critical importance to American democracy exploring the nexus between civics and science, identifying contemporary issues of critical importance for American democracy. For more information click HERE.

 

Colorado DMV Focuses on Accessibility, 'Omnichannel Experience' Officials have leveraged digital and mobile tools to make services more widely accessible to Coloradans regardless of location. Simultaneously, they are upgrading their IT infrastructure to more modern tools. READ MORE

 

Columbia, S.C., May Use AI on Garbage Trucks to Enforce Codes The technology works by using cameras to take pictures of the houses along garbage truck routes, and artificial intelligence is then used to analyze the pictures and detect code violations. READ MORE

 

Connecticut Bill Asks State to Choose AI Tool for Schools A proposed piece of legislation would have the Connecticut State Department of Education select an AI tool for educators and students to use, and create a professional learning program to teach them how to use it. READ MORE

 

Cyber Storm. Federal government will revise the National Cyber Incident Response Plan after testing it in mock response to a simulated major cyber incident on critical infrastructure, Federal News Network reports.

 

Deciphering Metrics: From NCAA Women’s Basketball to Cyber Trends Iowa’s Caitlin Clark clearly propelled NCAA women’s basketball viewership. But what do past numbers teach us about future expectations — in both basketball and cyber metrics? READ MORE

 

Eastern Cooke County, Texas, Will Get Fiber-Optic Broadband A pact between the county and Internet service provider Nortex will extend high-speed Internet to residents in the underserved communities of Callisburg, Woodbine and Oakridge. The network is slated to come online in late 2025. READ MORE

 

Economic Fallout from Baltimore’s Bridge Collapse Hits Home Maryland legislators are taking steps to protect workers and businesses affected by the port and highway closure. There are broader, indirect effects, however, that are creating additional uncertainty. READ MORE

 

Ed-Tech Development Evolves to Address Risks of AI As schools and universities make more use of artificial intelligence-driven tools, some ed-tech developers are seeking input from educators and implementing policies related to ethical use and data privacy. READ MORE

 

Education Sector in Constant State of Flux, Driven by AI Ed tech has been in a constant state of upheaval since 2020, first because of remote learning and now artificial intelligence. These technologies aren't going away, but they're also not solving all of education's problems. READ MORE

 

Empower Everyone in Your Organization with AI Low code can help democratize the development of AI solutions and bolster productivity across government sectors. Learn 5 ways CIOs can use AI and Low Code

 

Federal Dollars Seek to Reverse Decline in Head Start Enrollment
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Federal funding is complex. We make managing it smarter. The KPMG Smart Grants Platform suite is helping governments transform grants management for better outcomes. EXPLORE MORE

 

Fighting Every Wildfire Makes Big Fires More Extreme It also may harm forests’ ability to adapt to climate change and affect the way plants and animals interact with fire. READ MORE

 

Firefighter Numbers Continue to Shrink as Calls Increase Firefighter staffing shortages come in contrast to the increased amount of work on their plates. Calls now range from wildland fires to motor vehicle accidents to medical problems that would never have prompted a call years ago. READ MORE

 

Florida COVID Deaths at Nearly 2,300 Already This Year Only about 16 percent of Florida adults are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, compared to 23 percent nationally. Experts urge the elderly, who make up 91 percent of deaths in the state, to get vaccinated. READ MORE

 

Former Educator, Tech Leader Is Raleigh, N.C.’s New CISO Raleigh has hired Marina Kelly to lead its cybersecurity efforts as CISO. Her executive-level experience includes time at North Carolina State University, where she was an IT manager in its Office of IT. READ MORE

 

Four Stages of Communications for a Successful Government Customer Experience This guide outlines four critical communication stages that best enable government to communicate with customers and improve outreach, enrollment and engagement around public services. DOWNLOAD

 

From Nation’s Capital, Opexus Looks to Grow State, Local Business
The company rebranded and moved to Washington, D.C., last year to be closer to federal customers. But, as its CEO explains, non-federal markets remain important to the firm’s growth. READ MORE

 

Go Modular: How a Stackable Strategy Helps Governments Modernize Business Systems To optimize business systems and deliver value to taxpayers, governments should focus on a modular strategy that allows them to stack solutions and applications that work together seamlessly — without having to overhaul all their business systems at once. READ MORE

 

Google Will Remove Links to California News Sites The tech giant’s announcement is pushback against pending legislation that would require companies such as Google to pay a “journalism usage fee” when they sell ads next to new content. READ MORE

 

High Schoolers Train to Become EMTs Amid Shortage Public schools in Chicopee, Mass., are working with a local ambulance company to train students. They can be qualified as emergency medical techs by the time they graduate. READ MORE

 

How Inclusive Content Can Increase Resident Engagement Local government websites should be resident engagement tools, not digital brochures or org charts. We use intuitive navigation, smart search, and more for optimal self-service. DOWNLOAD NOW

 

How to Protect Water Systems Against Cyber Attack Recent events highlight the fact that water systems are targets for cyber attacks. There are ways of strengthening defenses at little to no cost, but more needs to be done to implement them. READ MORE

 

How to Tackle Cyber Crime Ecosystems, Teen Extortionists At an event held by the Institute for Security and Technology, experts discussed why simply arresting ransomware developers isn’t enough to effectively combat this cybersecurity problem. READ MORE

 

Insights for Faster Incident Response Transit agencies are flooded with real-time data from social media feeds, sensor alerts and more. Event detection platforms help them find the most relevant information and take action. DOWNLOAD

 

Keeping First Responders Safe: The Latest Tools and Strategies This paper from Verizon details how network upgrades, additional data and artificial intelligence applications are set to change how agencies respond to emergencies and keep first responders safe. DOWNLOAD

 

L.A. County to Be Net Zero by 2045 Under Updated Climate Plan The County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a new climate action plan on Tuesday that will set updated standards for phasing out oil and gas production, construction of zero-carbon buildings and reducing driving trips. READ MORE

 

Lack of ITIL and Automation Remain Public-Sector Challenges A study found public-sector IT struggles with automation and ITIL. Learn how to tackle these challenges and gain insights into what other public-sector IT leaders are doing to solve these problems. READ MORE

 

Lawmakers advanced data privacy legislation that supporters say would be unique in the U.S. in protecting individual privacy and limiting the type of digital information companies can collect and maintain. READ MORE

 

Local Officials in Michigan Team for Election Security Prep Sponsored by the Michigan Secretary of State's Office, the closed-session event took place at the Michigan Works office in Traverse City, with more sessions planned elsewhere in the coming weeks. READ MORE

 

Many Migrant Children Evicted from Shelters Also Left School Almost 700 children who were evicted from New York City’s migrant shelters on Jan. 9 are no longer enrolled in the city’s school system. Many educators are worried about how this will impact those students’ futures. READ MORE

 

Medicaid, SNAP Could Become Key Cyber Attack Targets A new report predicts cyber attackers may increasingly target federal services that support residents’ basic needs, aiming to disrupt U.S. society, spark panic and foment distrust in government. READ MORE

 

Modernizing Spaces for a Hybrid Workforce Wake County, the largest county in North Carolina at over 1 million residents, is home to North Carolina State University as well as Raleigh, the state capital. The county is known for its innovative spirit and has been modernizing to meet the increasing demand for remote work. The county recognized the need for a more seamless approach to collaboration between its in-office and remote teams. DOWNLOAD

 

New Mexico Laboratory Unveils Supercomputer to Advance AI Los Alamos National Laboratory has unveiled its newest supercomputer, which officials say will accelerate how they integrate artificial intelligence into both national security work and scientific research. READ MORE

 

New Ransomware Actor Threatens Change Healthcare Change Healthcare has reportedly already paid off one set of cyber attackers, but now a second group is claiming that it has stolen data, too. READ MORE

 

New Vermont CISO Has Extensive Federal, Private-Sector Resume John Toney, the new chief information security officer for the state of Vermont, replaces Scott Carbee, who stepped down in August to join the University of Vermont as ISO. Toney spent more than a decade at the U.S. Secret Service. READ MORE

 

Nine Website Design Techniques to Help Residents Find Information in Two Clicks CivicPlus's 2-click concept to and build trust within your community by ensuring they can find the information they need in the most efficient way possible. DOWNLOAD NOW

 

North Dakota Initiative to Offer Cybersecurity for Hospitals The North Dakota Hospital Association is working with a cybersecurity company and an insurance firm to offer affordable services to hospitals and health-care organizations statewide. It comes as cyber attacks on health-care groups are rising. READ MORE

 

One City's Quest to Rein in Reckless Driving City and state leaders in the Milwaukee area are addressing a spike in reckless driving in a variety of ways, from increasing penalties to redesigning streets. The city has a goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2037. READ MORE

 

Pharmacists' Crucial Role in Getting Vaccines into Arms Pharmacists are convenient, accessible and trusted. Improving reimbursements and making permanent the authority they were given for the pandemic will increase immunization rates and save lives. READ MORE

 

Piercing the Veil on the Obscure and Powerful Politicians Who Set the Rates for What Floridians Pay for Energy The five members of Florida’s Public Service Commission have great sway over what sources energy utilities use to generate electricity and how much Floridians must pay for their power. READ MORE

 

Public Health's Strategy to Protect Against Bird Flu Detection of avian flu in dairy cows and one sick worker don’t add up to imminent danger for lots of people. But public health officials say the threat shouldn't be taken lightly. READ MORE

 

Public Safety Firm Versaterm Buys ICS, Expanding ‘Ecosystem’ The Canada-based gov tech supplier has acquired a company that sells CAD, RMS and other tools for first responders and public safety agencies. Versaterm’s CEO explains the thinking behind his company’s latest deal. READ MORE

 

Resisting the Campaign for Safer Streets Reducing traffic deaths is a compelling proposition, but it gets complicated when trying to make it so. READ MORE

 

Robots Step in Amid Rising Labor Costs and Worker Shortages Manufacturing companies are frequently turning to robotics in response to labor shortages, increased strike risks and the need for flexibility with the transition to electric vehicles. READ MORE

 

Scooters Cluttering the Sidewalk? Corral Them New research from the Urbanism Next Center shows e-scooter parking areas need to be spaced within a few hundred meters of each other to see the highest use and to help declutter sidewalks. READ MORE

 

Smart Cities and Cybersecurity: Protecting Citizens from Malicious Attacks Smart cities and cybersecurity are inseparable. When you start integrating the Internet of Things with infrastructure, a city cyber attack is, unfortunately, inevitable. But that doesn't mean it has to be successful. READ MORE

 

SoCal Commuter Rail System Gets $1.3M for AI-Powered Security The Metrolink network, which connects six Southern California counties, has received $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its mission: to develop security with artificial intelligence to detect hazards on tracks. READ MORE

 

Stanford Report Compares AI to Human Intelligence The report shows just how much the possibilities of AI, and very real worries, have come to the fore since OpenAI launched its ChatGPT chatbot that sent the artificial intelligence industry into overdrive. READ MORE

 

Taking EMS Challenges to Capitol Hill This briefing from Verizon offers updates on key legislation, policy news and advocacy initiatives that seek to improve the delivery of prehospital care. DOWNLOAD

 

Texas to Implement New Teacher Residency Program The state hopes that the training program will better prepare teachers with real classroom experience — and improve recruitment and retainment. Roughly one in three teachers hired in Texas in the 2024 academic year were uncertified. READ MORE

 

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The Obsolete Zoning Laws That Leave Downtowns Stagnant Seattle’s mayor wants to revive the city center by opening much of it to businesses that have long been forbidden. It’s a move toward more lenient zoning that has been gathering steam in other places. READ MORE

 

The States Where Pro-Growth Policies Rule Federal tax cuts may be in jeopardy, but some states are reducing the tax burdens on their citizens and businesses. It’s not surprising that millions are moving to states with robust free-market policies — and leaving those that don’t have them. READ MORE

 

The Surprising Political Difficulty of Promoting Infrastructure Safety For politicians, there are lots of incentives in favor of new construction projects but not much for maintenance. That can lead to deadly results, as the bridge collapse in Baltimore demonstrated. READ MORE

 

Tuscaloosa, Ala., Is Among the Worst Cities for Fraud The Alabama city leads the nation with a 235.3 percent increase in reported fraud cases between 2019 and 2023. The city also has 296.6 cases of reported credit card fraud per 100,000 residents. READ MORE

 

University of Arizona Will Add AI Degree Program The university will add two academic programs, artificial intelligence and neuroscience, and revise one for fall 2024, pending approval by the state Board of Regents. READ MORE

 

Unlike many competitors, ChargerHelp trains workers for network operations and field repair, with a focus on people and communities long overlooked during earlier periods of technological change. READ MORE

 

Using AI to Get the Most Out of Your Data This whitepaper details how organizations can use AI to make better use of data. DOWNLOAD

 

Virginia Governor’s Adviser Named Chief Transformation Officer Longtime business leader Robert Ward, senior adviser to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin since 2023, has been appointed to help state officials in realizing change and modernization. READ MORE

 

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DOWNLOAD

 

Webinar: K-12 Schools Move to Cloud to Enhance Data Security At an Education Week webinar, panelists from the cloud software provider Softdocs said schools can enhance data security by moving away from on-premise data management and using third-party cybersecurity expertise. READ MORE

 

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