When looking to transform a city or town, the goal is to attract people and businesses. One of the best ways to go about that is to start with the downtown. As the 35th largest city in the nation, Mesa, … Continue reading →
When Sheriff Steve Draper of Martinsville, Va., took office in 1994, the department of public works was in charge of the city farm. When the farm came under the purview of the sheriff’s office, Draper decided he wanted to change … Continue reading →
When Sheriff Mike Chitwood was elected by Volusia County, Fla., in 2016, he brought with him some new ideas. After attending a weeklong training in Scotland in 2015 with the Police Executive Research Forum, Chitwood gained a new way of … Continue reading →
The city of Seaside, Calif., was awarded a Building Better Communities grant in 2017 to create the Robert’s Lake eco-recreation station complete with play equipment and an outdoor classroom. The city partnered with multiple groups and agencies to make the … Continue reading →
As cities, towns and states work to decide the best ways to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, those in public safety are also working on guidelines for emergency storm shelters. Emergency management personnel in many cities and towns are promoting … Continue reading →
As the 2011 Lagunitas Creek stewardship plan comes to an end, Marin Municipal Water District begins to make watershed enhancement plans for the 2021 stewardship plan. One of the responsibilities of the Marin Municipal Water District is diverting water from … Continue reading →
In February 2020, two self-driving shuttles were launched in Columbus, Ohio, to operate in a residential setting. These autonomous shuttles were designed to provide free transportation for up to 12 people. Each shuttle can accommodate strollers and wheelchairs and has … Continue reading →
Beginning last fall, a webinar highlighting the New York City street ambassador program inspired Gabriela Barillas-Longoria, livability planner for Tucson, Arizona, to think up new ways to increase community engagement. “I started thinking of how we could scale it down … Continue reading →
The city of Copperas Cove, Texas, continues to place an emphasis on wellness and has created an incentive program for city employees called CoveFit. The program was started in 2015 and Eddie Wilson, Copperas Cove police chief, has acted as … Continue reading →
Suicide prevention and mental health awareness are becoming increasingly important topics, particularly among first responders. Many municipalities are now encouraging first responders to participate in available programs, training and therapy. Central Ohio Technical College held a First Responder Mental … Continue reading →
The game of Quidditch got its beginnings as a fictional sport in the “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling. In October 2005, a freshman at Middlebury College in Vermont decided to make this fictional sport a reality and laid the … Continue reading →
