Recent technology-related headlines from across the U.S., courtesy of Government Technology:
Philadelphia Works to Embed Innovation in the City’s People, Places, Processes
Philadelphia has been busy adding to its Office of Innovation and Technology workforce by hiring — in three years’ time — 20 employees, some with creative titles like procurement advocate, data scientist and, soon, storyteller.
Mobile Line Placeholder App Paying Dividends for Michigan
Michigan residents frustrated by long lines to get a driver’s license are in for a surprise the next time they need to renew their ID or register a vehicle. The state has added a virtual placeholder system so that customers don’t have to waste time waiting for their turn.
Ashtabula County, Ohio, Commissioners Look to Improve Mapping System
The county’s three overlapping map systems lack a consistent standard and have become too convoluted, Ashtabula County officials said Tuesday.
Janet Boland, 911 coordinator for the Ashtabula County Emergency Management Agency, said misappropriated street numbers or addresses assigned by a municipality independently of the agency’s computer-aided dispatch are responsible for a handful of emergency responses to the wrong location within the last year.
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad Will Try Again on Broadband
The governor will introduce the "Connect Every Acre" broadband initiative during his Condition of the State Address on Tuesday, Jan. 13. A similar measure, "Connect Every Iowan," was defeated last year in the Iowa House of Representatives.
Maine Puts Data from Day Care Inspections Online for First Time
The state Department of Health and Human Services on Monday unveiled an updated database of the state’s child care providers, correcting deficiencies in a previous version. That version did not display the inspection reports and contained outdated information, including high rankings for at least one day care center where children were abused.
Philly, Residents Co-Create City Website
The concept of a "minimum viable product" isn’t new, but in the realm of government IT, the approach might be considered revelatory.
It’s a technique the city of Philadelphia employed for the launch of its next website, unveiled in prototype on Dec. 23 as alpha.phila.gov. The project, which runs parallel to city’s official site at Phila.gov, is meant to be an iterative process, and guides construction and design by resident opinion and the city’s own experimental tinkering.
Rural Broadband Funds Still Flowing in Missouri
Janie Dunning, state director of USDA Rural Development in Missouri, announced in late December that the USDA would accept applications for its 2015 Community Collect Program grants until Feb. 17. The amount awarded will fall between $100,000 and $3 million.
Kentucky Broadband Expansion Begins
Congressman Hal Rogers and Governor Steve Beshear announced last week that statewide broadband expansion has taken its first physical strides in becoming a reality.
A public-private partnership has been formed between the state and Macquarie Capital, a tech team that will be developing the fiber "backbone" infrastructure for the high-speed Internet. It is expected to be operational in two years.
Hawaii Health Connector Expects to be Cash-Flow Positive in 2022
The Hawaii Health Connector, beset by delays, computer malfunctions and low enrollment since its inception in late 2013, expects to be cash-flow positive in fiscal year 2022.
West Virginia Launches New Education Database
The system was created to provide public access to essential data and analysis tools the department claims will support student achievement and school improvement.
New Jersey Legislators Look to Lead on Driverless Car Front
The New Jersey State Senate passed legislation to make the state a hub for the development, testing and implementation of driverless vehicles.
