When a major tornado or earthquake rips through a community, local leaders and residents need to know quickly what homes and buildings are safe for use and what structures remain a risk for collapse. The magnitude of the damage can … Continue reading →
When it comes to environmental responsibility and reducing our collective carbon footprint, communities are quick to promote the three Rs of sustainability: reduce, reuse and recycle. But what about the fourth R — repair? The fix-it shop, once a staple … Continue reading →
Cities across the country are incorporating invasive vegetation removal programs in hopes of promoting healthy plant growth. The removed plants are usually nonnative and grow quickly, disrupting plant ecosystems and causing harm to the environment or human health. In 2019, … Continue reading →
Nine years ago, the Lynn Lane Wastewater Treatment Plant in Broken Arrow, Okla., was using 220,000 gallons of potable water per day in its processes. Through a new sustainability process called the Water Reuse Project, it has gone from using … Continue reading →
“Oh, yeah!” That catchphrase for one of America’s most iconic soft drinks applies just as well today as it did when the now ubiquitous concoction was invented 95 years ago in Hastings, Neb., by child whiz entrepreneur Edwin Elijah Perkins. … Continue reading →
Imagine being trapped inside a bottle of thick, wavy glass. Everything you see and hear is distorted. Sights, sounds and sensations are magnified. No one outside the bottle understands you. This is how I describe autism. Now imagine being trapped … Continue reading →
Getting public input on municipal projects is generally a good idea, but sometimes city officials might shy away from it for a variety of reasons. With waste and recycling, the officials we spoke to said community engagement is the key … Continue reading →
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on the American job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Labor, March 2022 reported 6.3 million total unemployed persons — a 3.8% unemployment rate. But, one … Continue reading →
An innovative internship program is working to address gaps in the city of Moline, Ill.’s, public works workforce, and it could serve as a model for other cities looking to address similar issues. Students will soon get real-world experience through … Continue reading →
Remember playing in the woods and coming across a little pool? It seemed almost magical, because they came and went. The cool, flower-child thing to do if you found a stream or any other small body of water was to … Continue reading →
As a nine-year-old boy living in a refugee camp, Sokhary Chau did not aspire to be the first Cambodian American mayor elected in the United States. He was merely looking for a place to call home. Over 25 years later … Continue reading →
