Postcards
Leading by example Peachtree City, Ga., Mayor Steve Brown filed an ethics complaint against himself in August. According to the Associated Press, when
- Leading by example
Peachtree City, Ga., Mayor Steve Brown filed an ethics complaint against himself in August. According to the Associated Press, when a meeting conflicted with Brown’s plans to drive his daughter to golf camp, the mayor accepted a staff member’s offer to drive for him. The mayor apologized to the public and offered to reimburse the city for the staffer’s time.
- The pachyderm test
On Oct. 14, elephants from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus crossed the new Leonard Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge to demonstrate the bridge’s structural integrity. (The cable-stayed bridge is part of the city’s Big Dig project and is scheduled to open for partial use in January.) The 14 elephants proved that the bridge supports 112,000 pounds.
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The Boston elephant march resembles tests of the 1800s when bridge engineering was more questionable. Elephants were used to demonstrate the sturdiness of the St. Louis Bridge in 1874 and the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. According to PBS, elephants are used for the shows of strength because they are widely believed to have uncanny instincts and will not cross unsafe structures.
Most Recent
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For the public sector, security and compliance are just good business
State and local officials in charge of distributing public funds understand that security and compliance must be a top priority, but it can feel like a challenge to be fully prepared for audits. First, government organizations face a significant challenge in securing cyber infrastructure and protecting the personal data of their constituents from malicious actors. […]
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City-county fleet managers: Do your homework to determine if your jurisdiction should add EVs and hybrids
Does it make sense for local government managers to add electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrids to their fleets? “Each governmental body needs to evaluate that for themselves,” says Satish Jayaram, vice president of eMobility at ABM. His firm provides people and services, including EV charging solutions, to about 20 sectors in the U.S., such as […]
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EPA to implement national limit on “forever chemicals” in drinking water
For the first time ever, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will implement national limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. PFAS—also known as “forever chemicals”—are man-made chemicals that have been linked to multiple serious health issues, including cancer. The new EPA rule, unveiled April 10, will include health safeguards and require public […]
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Why successful cloud migration extends beyond technology
The most recent cloud survey from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) found that 60 percent of state IT organizations have incorporated the cloud into their operations, with more than 88 percent planning to expedite their cloud adoption in 2024. As the demand for digital government services increases, the cloud has become […]