Counties at Highest Risk for Covid Harm Often Have Lowest Vaccination Rates
The vaccine rollout was meant to prioritize vulnerable communities, but four months of data shows healthier — and often wealthier — counties have been faster to vaccinate.
A County Plan to Require Permits for Roadside Soliciting
The measure, introduced last week in Montgomery County, Maryland, is designed to increase safety for pedestrians as part of a larger goal to end traffic fatalities.
Local Corrections Costs Rose by $25 Billion in Last 40 Years
But the coronavirus has ushered in creative lower-cost alternative jail programs that could last long after the pandemic, local leaders say.
Public Sector Jobs Up in March, But Still Far Below Pre-Covid Levels
Education employment in particular saw strong growth.
Bestiality is Legal in Four States. Two Are Trying to Change That.
Lawmakers in Hawaii and Wyoming have proposed measures to formally outlaw sexual abuse of animals, a crime that animal rights advocates say is often hidden in plain sight.
How Local Governments Can Deal with Recycling Scofflaws
Education is often cited as the key to improving recycling rates and reducing contamination. But a new report suggests cities might be better served by cutting off problem households.
Need Amid Plenty: Richest U.S. Counties Are Overwhelmed by Surge in Child Hunger
While every U.S. county has seen hunger rates rise, the steepest jumps have been in some of the wealthiest counties, where overall affluence obscures the tenuous finances of low-wage workers.
The 'New Normal': A Survey of Covid's Lasting Effects for Localities
A new survey is asking local government staff and officials how Covid has changed their work—and what might happen next.
What Lies Ahead for State Health and Human Services Programs
COMMENTARY | States and counties will face complex health and human services challenges over the next year.
How One County Helps Low-Income Homeowners Rehab Their Houses
James City County, Virginia tapped federal housing dollars to fund repairs and rebuilding projects that make homes safe and habitable. "Nothing is more affordable than the house you already have," notes a local official.
Florida Officials to Spring Breakers: Please Try to Not Spread Covid Everywhere
City and county leaders in Florida, prohibited from enforcing local mask mandates, are relying largely on public messaging to keep visitors in line.
With Covid Aid Approved, Counties Will Look to Infrastructure
A major public works package, which proved elusive during the Trump years, is the next priority county governments will press for on Capitol Hill.
For Seniors in One County, Robotic Pets Help Ease Pandemic Loneliness
Oswego County, New York's Office for the Aging has distributed 30 animatronic pets to senior citizens to provide companionship amid a year of social isolation.
If Your State is Struggling With the Vaccine Rollout, This Is Probably Why
Intergovernmental relations are never easy. But they’re vital when confronting the logistical nightmare of inoculating a nation.
A Bolder Way To Tweet About Boulders: How A Traffic Alert Typo Rocked the Internet
On Jan. 27, 2020, San Miguel, Colorado Sheriff's Office PIO Susan Lilly tweeted a warning of a highway obstruction: a "large boulder the size of a small boulder." The rest is internet history.
After a Wave of Violent Threats Against Election Workers, Georgia Sees Few Arrests
For nearly a year, election administrators across the country weathered the pandemic while facing attacks and threats — leading many officials to resign or retire. In Georgia, little was done to prevent it from happening again.
Two Women Dressed Up as 'Grannies' to Skip Vaccine Line, Officials Said
The allegedly disguised women were issued trespassing warnings after officials in Orlando found discrepancies between their identification and Covid-19 vaccine registration cards.
A Pennsylvania County Goes Hydro With its Government Buildings
Allegheny County will power its facilities with hydroelectric power under a 35-year agreement with a planned plant on a nearby river.
Hackers Tried to Poison a City's Drinking Water Supply
The cyberattack used remote access to toggle levels of sodium hydroxide at a water treatment plant near Tampa, Florida, but an operator at the facility quickly fixed the problem, officials said.
'We Have Counties in Deep Trouble': Oregon Lawmakers Seek to Reverse Timber Tax Cuts That Cost Communities Billions
For decades, corporate timber benefited from tax cuts that devastated local budgets. Lawmakers want change and have filed dozens of bills, making this one of Oregon’s most consequential sessions for forest policy.
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