News from Across the Nation - July 11, 2016

NORTH CAROLINA

Eleven-year-old Zoey Craven’s drawing tied for first place among 10-to-13-year-olds in GUILFORD COUNTY’s National County Government Month art contest. Contestants were asked to draw something related to the National County Government Month theme of “safe and secure counties.” Zoey’s mother works for the county’s Emergency Services department.

 

ARIZONA

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink has begun rejecting prison-only plea deals in drug cases that stem from federal-origin charges and wind up in county courts.

In one recent case, he said, “The court does not want its hands tied in connection with sentencing in this matter,” Fink said, adding that because the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined what is essentially a federal case, he would reject the sentencing provision of the plea, the Nogales International reported.

Fink has previously said that up to 50 percent of the cases at Santa Cruz County Superior Court “are federal cases and should not be in our courts.”

CALIFORNIA

●ORANGE COUNTY voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of what local officials say is the first county-based ethics commission in the state. By a vote of 70 percent to 30 percent, voters backed Measure A to form a County Campaign Finance and Ethics Commission.

The commission will have jurisdiction over campaign finance laws, financial conflicts of interest, lobbyist regulations, the county’s gift ban and other county ethics rules. The commission is legally bound to respond to citizen complaints. 

It can also can impose fines on politicians of three times the amount of money illegally spent or illegally received.

●The LOS ANGELES COUNTY Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to ban medical marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, laboratory testing and distribution in unincorporated areas of the county for a year, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

The ban would give zoning officials extra time to examine the impacts on residents and communities across the county. Water usage and pesticides are among the impacts being studied.

●SANTA CLARA COUNTY Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese makes good on his bet with ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. Executive Rich Fitzgerald on June 29 by delivering donated sports equipment to the Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley wearing a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey.  

The bet was placed in May when the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins began the Stanley Cup finals, which the Sharks lost. (Photo courtesy of Santa Clara County, Calif.)

FLORIDA

Gov. Rick Scott (R) declared a state of emergency in MARTIN and ST. LUCIE COUNTIES because of widespread algae blooms that have fouled the St. Lucie River and area beaches.

The declaration allows local government agencies to redirect the flow of water in and out of Lake Okeechobee. Lakes north of Lake Okeechobee will hold back about 20 billion gallons of water that otherwise would flow into the lake, and subsequently, into the river.

Blue-green algae blooms have taken a toll on water-related businesses, harmed the river’s ecology and could cause health problems for people who come in contact with the water, according to the Treasure Coast Palm.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulates when and how much water is released from the lake.

GEORGIA

A FULTON COUNTY pilot program that uses Uber drivers to transport senior citizens to community centers is being expanded. The Board of Commissioners approved $10,000 to continue testing the service, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

Seniors don’t need smartphones to hail the service. Volunteers can book the rides on seniors’ behalf, confirm the arrangements with them by phone and call back with the driver’s name and time of arrival.

The original program lasted from February through May; it will now continue until September, unless the money runs out sooner.

ILLINOIS

●The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded $10 million to Rush University and COOK COUNTY Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) to fund continuing research into drug-resistant germs, so-called “superbugs.”

The county’s substance abuse program in Waukegan, the county seat, has been designated a Federally Qualified Health Center allowing it to add counselors, a clinical social worker and to prescribe methadone, buprenorphine and other medications that help with withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

CDC officials highlighted Rush and CCHHS’ success in reducing the spread of certain drug-resistant intestinal bacteria by using a cleaning protocol they developed. It cut the number of such infections by more than 50 percent in hospitals where it was tested, according to CCHHS.

The CDC estimates that antibiotic resistance causes 2 million serious infections and 23,000 deaths annually.

●Thanks to a $325,000 federal grant, LAKE COUNTY will be able to treat twice as many people through its medication-assisted treatment program for people addicted to heroin or prescription opioid drugs.

The policy would require reporting of the reasons why a commissioner’s trip is necessary at least two weeks before the travel takes place and requires disclosure when an outside source pays for a commissioner’s travel, KRQE News reported.

MARYLAND

Each of BALTIMORE COUNTY Police Department’s 10 police precincts now has a body-worn camera in the first phase of the program’s rollout, county and police officials announced recently. The department will train 10 officers per week for 15 weeks until 150 cameras are in use.

By December of next year, 1,400 of the county’s 1,900 police officers will be outfitted with cameras.

An eight-year, $12.5 million contract with a vendor covers the cost of purchasing cameras, maintenance, unlimited data storage, licenses and other expenses. These costs will be paid with revenue from the county’s speed-camera program.

When fully implemented in FY19, the ongoing annual maintenance cost of the cameras will be an estimated $1.6 million.

NEW JERSEY

While much of the focus on Great Britain’s “Brexit” vote to leave the European Union was on the United Kingdom’s economic future, part of one of England’s former colonies, who left 240 years prior, benefitted a little.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY will save close to $400,000 over eight years after refinancing a bond, thanks to a sudden demand for bonds during a stock market plunge following the Brexit vote, NJ.com reported.

NEW MEXICO

●Travel for any BERNALILLO COUNTY commissioners costing more than $3,500 may be subject to a public vote, plus additional disclosures, under a new policy under consideration.

The office will manage the continued growth of film and television productions; expand, grow and unify existing support services; support local filmmakers; develop new markets in emerging media; explore educational, employment and local business engagement opportunities; and recruit related enterprises.  

●SANTA FE COUNTY and the City of Santa Fe have created a regional Santa Fe Film Office to promote film, television and digital media production and related activities. The office will be housed by the county.

Grasty barred Bundy from using a county fairgrounds building after armed militia appeared with Bundy at another community meeting.

OHIO

Every dog warden in CLARK COUNTY now has his or her eight-hour day.

The County Commission agreed to make wardens full-time county employees as of July 1.

The wardens were previously employed by both the county and the Clark County Humane Society, but once wardens were dispatched to situations, including unruly dogs and possible dog bites independent of sheriff’s deputies, the county began to take more responsibility for their safety, according to the Springfield News-Sun.

OREGON

●A recall effort against the HARNEY COUNTY judge who opposed wildlife refuge occupier Ammon Bundy failed, with nearly 70 percent voting to keep Steve Grasty in office.

That additional load, up to 50 million pounds per year, could be worth $3.4 million for the county, which had seen a decline in incinerator revenue, according to the Statesman Journal.

●MARION COUNTY commissioners approved a plan for the county’s garbage incinerator to accept more out-of-state medical waste from Washington and California.

That additional load, up to 50 million pounds per year, could be worth $3.4 million for the county, which had seen a decline in incinerator revenue, according to the Statesman Journal.

TENNESSEE

Using physical activities and team-building to help the students gain self-confidence, the SULLIVAN COUNTY Sheriff’s Office’s summer camp will focus on stopping bullying.

The camp teaches the students what to do if they see bullying or are bullied themselves.

TEXAS

TRAVIS COUNTY and Austin will partner to manage a sobriety center, scheduled to open in 2017.

The governments will form a nine-member board to head a local government corporation to manage the center, which will staff 27 people to tend to 30 to 40 people picked up for public intoxication.

The Austin American Statesman reported the county would donate the medical examiner’s building, which is scheduled to be vacated soon.

VIRGINIA

●Launchpads have landed at FAUQUIER COUNTY public libraries. They’re pre-loaded learning tablets that preschool through middle school kids can check out from any of three branches.

The tablets come loaded with at least 10 ad-free applications grouped by subject area, theme, grade level and age. Each library branch has 13-15 devices available for a 21-day checkout.

Friends of the Fauquier Library bought the launchpads with a grant from the Kortlandt Fund to create a digital literacy lab, according to The Free Lance-Star.

●Congratulations to HENRICO COUNTY’s government television channel (HCTV) on snagging an Emmy award for the program Ringing the Bell: Police and Fire Chaplains of Henrico County.

The program won the award in the religion – news single story/news series category. The 17-minute show highlights the volunteer ministers who provide pastoral care and spiritual support to Henrico’s first responders and residents.

It was producer-director Gene Byard’s first Emmy and the sixth for Henrico’s media relations office since 2003. HCTV programs can be viewed online at henrico.us/pr.

WASHINGTON

Under a new policy, KING COUNTY will track the number of contracts awarded to LGBT-owned small businesses, as it has been doing with other minority populations, County Executive Dow Constantine announced recently.

“We are stronger when we reduce barriers to opportunity so everyone can fully participate in our economy,” he said.

WISCONSIN

DANE COUNTY supervisors passed an ordinance banning hired security guards from wearing uniforms or badges that resemble those of the sheriff’s office.

The department received complaints of former deputies wearing their uniforms while working security at local events, The Star reported. County deputies purchase their own uniforms and do not have to surrender them when they leave the department.

The new ordinance prohibits both wearing of actual Dane County Sheriff’s uniforms and badges or anything that would give the impression that security employees are sworn Dane County Sheriff’s deputies.

News From the Across the Nation is compiled by Charles Taylor and Charlie Ban, senior staff writers. If you have an item for News From, please email ctaylor@naco.org or cban@naco.org.