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Tuesday,
October 12, 2004 (Coverage: September 28
- October 12, 2004)
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HEADLINES
scroll down to find summaries
and links to the articles
SEPT
28 - OCT 4, 2004
* Grandville:
Calvin Christian students offer computers,
friendship to Kenyan school
* Kentwood:
Speedy Tickets - Streamlined citation system makes it
easier for KW cops to issue traffic violations
* Wayne County: Wayne
County, Mich., Establishes New IT Partnership
* Saline: Hospital
implements new technology
* Bedford:
Residents can get absentee ballots through Web site
* University of Michigan:
U-M Web site adds area for Hispanics
* Sterling Heights:
City's Web site now offers latest Internet video
technology
* St. Johns:
Lions donate equipment to library for the visually
impaired
* Dearborn Heights:
Heights cops go high tech
* Clawson: Volunteering
is this mom's gift
* Marquette:
Grants help North Star upgrade
OCT
5 - 11, 2004
* Macomb County:
Court case records being stored online
* Pontiac:
New Web site supports community-oriented policing
* Ypsilanti:
Technology eases learning - E-text quickly converts text
for disabled students
* Michigan State University,
Oakland County: MSU class helps county
online
* Kalamazoo:
Kalamazoo explores wireless Internet
* Bay City:
City sends cameras underground to pinpoint troubles in
sewer system
* Commerce Township:
Internships aid district, kids
* Holland: City
to overhaul, consolidate Web site
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cyber-state.org
3520
Green Court, Suite 300
Ann
Arbor, MI 48105-1579
phone:
(734) 302-4755
fax:
(734) 302-4996
Cyber-state.org,
a member of the Altarum family, is a non-profit, nonpartisan
organization that is committed to ensuring that all Michigan
residents are able to benefit from information technology
(IT). One of our priorities is to assist state and local
policymakers as a resource for their creation and
deliberation of IT policy. With these email news briefings,
we hope to increase the awareness of the importance of
information technology for Michigan's local
governments, schools, health care, nonprofits, and the
economy as a whole.
OTHER
IT NEWS SOURCES
*
Detroit
Free Press / tech
*
Detroit
Tech News
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Michigan CrainTech
*
Great
Lakes IT Report
*
Michigan
Technology News
*
Federal
Computer Week
*
Government
Computer News
*
Government
Technology
*
New York Times: Technology
*
Washtech.com
(Washington Post)
*
eGovernment
Resource Centre
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SEPT
28 2004
* Grandville: Calvin
Christian students offer computers, friendship to Kenyan
school
While their friends spent their summers
socializing, working, or just relaxing, four Calvin
Christian High School students participated in something a
bit more memorable a cross-cultural outreach experience.
The four students, along with school counselor Steve
Veenstra and technology director Jim Boersma, traveled to
Kenya to install donated computers in a lab at the Wareng
Secondary School in Eldoret. Last year, a team from the
school went to Kenya for a similar trip, and the positive
response from those who participated sparked the interest
in this year's trip.
Source: Advance Newspapers, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1096387174313860.xml?advancenewspapers?NEWY
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Kentwood: Speedy Tickets - Streamlined citation
system makes it easier for KW cops to issue traffic
violations
It's innovative, quick, and Kentwood police will
soon be one of only a few departments in the state to use
it. The City Commission last week approved a request for
the Electronic Traffic Ticket system, which will let
officers use less of their handwriting skills, and instead
print computerized citations right inside the patrol cars.
According to Police Chief Richard Mattice, the
streamlining ticket process will benefit everyone in the
end. "It's going to save time and improve the safety
of the officer and citizen while they're stopped near
traffic," he said. "The tickets will also be
more accurate because we won't have to count on legibility
errors. It's an all-around improvement."
Source: Advance Newspapers, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1096388483313860.xml?advancenewspapers?NEK
SEPT
29 2004
* Wayne County: Wayne County,
Mich., Establishes New IT Partnership
The Wayne County Department of Technology has established
a partnership with the State of Michigan, Dell, Microsoft,
and Comcast Corporations in an effort to reduce the gap
between those who have access to computers and the
Internet and those who do not. This project is called
"Connecting the Partners." This program is a
three-year initiative that offers computer and Internet
access to thousands of residents throughout Wayne County
with the support and commitment of local faith-based
organizations and community centers.
Source: Government Technology, http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=91630
SEPT
30 2004
* Saline: Hospital implements
new technology
On Tuesday, Saint Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital
will implement a new electronic information system
specifically designed to fully automate the hospital's
emergency department (ED). One of the most important
features of the new system is its ability to improve the
efficiency of the care delivery process in four
significant ways. Doctors, nurses and other caregivers
will be able to simultaneously access patients' care
information on multiple computer terminals. Second, the
system has the ability to further reduce potential medical
errors. All orders and care plans are entered on a
computer, eliminating hand-written orders, one of the
leading causes of medication errors. A third feature of
efficiency is the elimination of repetitive questioning.
Patients who have previously visited the emergency
department at SJMSH can easily have their medical history
be reviewed and updated if needed. Fourth, the system's
"tracking board" feature will give ED staff a
simple visual view of what needs to happen next for a
specific patient, as well as an overall view of the
department status.
Source: Manchester Enterprise, http://archives.heritage.com/mn/20040930/M06IMJC.htm
OCT
01 2004
* Bedford: Residents can get
absentee ballots through Web site
With fewer than 20 percent of Bedford Township
residents venturing to the polls on election days — only
3,965 people of 20,000 registered participated in the
August primary — the township is reaching out to get
more voters involved. Last week, the township added yet
another way for residents to obtain an absentee ballot for
the Nov. 2 election. It’s now possible to request an
absentee ballot via the township’s Web site at www.bedfordmi.org.
Source: Bedford Now, http://www.bedfordnow.com/headlines/headline2/10584894.cfm
*
University of Michigan: U-M Web site adds area for
Hispanics
The University of Michigan's Web site now has a large
Spanish-language area that officials hope will help
attract more Hispanic students to the school. Informally
known as the En Espanol Project, the site went online late
Thursday afternoon. At 200-plus Web pages, it is one of
the largest and most ambitious Spanish-language Internet
sites operated by any public university in the nation, U-M
officials said.
Source: Ann Arbor News, http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1096641720217990.xml
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Sterling Heights: City's Web site now offers latest
Internet video technology
Sterling Heights' award-winning Web site now
offers state-of-the-art Web video streaming technology
featuring several distinct attributes of Michigan's fourth
largest city including local businesses. In partnership
with e-Local Link of Rochester, NY, Sterling Heights now
has the ability to showcase its community into homes and
businesses around the world. "The city's Community
Relations Department worked closely with e-Local Link to
produce vibrant, high-quality informative videos,
aggressively marketing 10 specific areas of the
community," said Sterling Heights City Manager Mark
Vanderpool. "We hope to utilize this latest
technology as a marketing and redevelopment tool, allowing
businesses around the world to learn about our community.
We also hope residents log on to the site to learn about
various businesses in our city that supported this
project."
Source: The Source, http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/articles/2004/10/01/neighbors/neighbors4.txt
OCT
03 2004
* St. Johns: Lions donate
equipment to library for the visually impaired
About a year ago Jack Bertoldi and Gene Buckley
attended a libraries without walls meeting in Lansing.
While there, they learned about the kinds of technology
that are available for visually impaired individuals. The
two men brought their information back to the St. Johns
Lions Club who took up the cause. Sept. 27, acting on
behalf of the St. Johns Lions, Bertoldi presented Sara
Morrison, director of Briggs Public Library with a check
for $1,067.64 to cover the cost of new equipment at the
library. The check covers the cost of new software, a new
keyboard, a special mouse for individuals with arthritis
or other maladies that make it difficult for them to use a
normal mouse, and headphones for hearing impaired
individuals. The Lions will also pay for training so
library employees can assist patrons who need to use the
special equipment.
Source: Clinton County News, http://www.hometownlife.com/Hometownlife/NewsSearch.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=57482
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Dearborn Heights: Heights cops go high tech
At the old Dearborn Heights police station, the
dispatch radio was nothing more than a modified car radio,
Lt. David Knezek said. But thanks to the department's new
building and a partnership with CLEMIS (Courts and Law
Enforcement Management Information System), the department
now has one of the best radio systems available — one
that can track officers' locations and communicate
directly with surrounding police agencies that have the
same equipment.
Source: Press and Guide, http://www.pressandguide.com/stories/100304/loc_20041003001.shtml
OCT
04 2004
* Clawson: Volunteering is
this mom's gift
Jan Avery is a part of an innovative Society of
St. Vincent de Paul program at Guardian Angels that puts
senior citizens on the information superhighway.
Avery volunteers with 20 other specially trained
instructors every week for a new program called
"Experiencing Senior Power," where at-risk kids
and senior citizens jump into the technological pool.
Since January, Avery and fellow volunteers have introduced
people to Internet searches, photo scanning, e-mail, and
programs such as Windows and Excel. Volunteers hope to get
school kids involved soon so they can help teach seniors,
interact with adult role models and hear stories about
days gone by they might not get anywhere else. She said
the program has already changed lives and turned timid
seniors into Internet junkies in touch with far-flung
family and friends.
Source: The Daily Tribunes, http://dailytribune.com/stories/100404/loc_unsung04001.shtml
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Marquette: Grants help North Star upgrade
North Star Academy, chartered by Northern
Michigan University, has been awarded two Freedom to Learn
grants to provide students and staff members with slick
new computers. Mary St. Clair, North Star's principal,
said bringing technology into the classroom has a unifying
effect. "I've noticed that it (computers in class)
equalizes everyone," St. Clair said. "When you
have a mix of kids with different technologies at home,
some with new computers, some with old ones and some
without any, providing everyone with the same materials
closes the digital gap." Individual computers can
make up for a lack of facilities, St. Clair said. "In
an isolated area like ours, technology really brings in
the world. You don't have to have a large, expensive
library full of books because everything is right
there."
Source: The Mining Journal, http://www.miningjournal.net/news/story/104202004_new02-n1004.asp
OCT
06 2004
* Macomb County: Court case
records being stored online
The weight of bureaucracy upon the local court system is
shedding a few pounds of paperwork this week, as Macomb
County Circuit Court brings online its new and expanded
computer case records system. Just how much court
information will be available from home at the click of a
mouse is still under review for policy decisions by court
officials. But at the very least, routine matters such as
motions and court hearing dates or a search of litigation
against a person or company should be easier than ever,
said Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh.
Source: Macomb Daily, http://macombdaily.com/stories/100604/loc_records001.shtml
OCT
07 2004
* Pontiac: New Web site
supports community-oriented policing
Residents can now look up crime statistics in
their neighborhoods, all with the click of a mouse.
The Pontiac Police Department is one of the first in the
state to put such information online and is hoping the
effort - which is in cooperation with Oakland County and
the Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information
System (CLEMIS) consortium - will help reduce crime.
Oakland County used $100,000 to develop the Web site and
will launch similar efforts in other police departments
locally, as well as in the Oakland County Sheriff's
Office, later this year, said Robert Daddow, assistant
deputy county executive for special projects. He said the
technology also allows more detailed information to be
included on the site that can only be accessed by law
enforcement. And there is also a component planned for
county police departments to share information on a
network.
Source: The Oakland Press, http://theoaklandpress.com/stories/100704/loc_20041007014.shtml
OCT
08 2004
* Ypsilanti: Technology eases
learning - E-text quickly converts text for disabled
students
Eastern Michigan University recently purchased
technology that can turn textbooks, course packs, syllabi
and more into audio and Braille for blind students and for
students whose learning disabilities make reading
difficult. The equipment and computer programs,
collectively called E-text, have opened up another corner
of the world to disabled students. Instead of waiting
months for delivery of a textbook on tape, or finding
someone to read to them, students now have near-immediate
access to almost any text. There are other uses: Students
have brought in instructions and project manuals for DVD
players and tape recorders.
Source: Ann Arbor News, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1097252581248970.xml?aanews?NEA
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Michigan State University, Oakland County: MSU
class helps county online
A new Michigan State University class is bringing the
Spartans out of their classroom and into the technology
world. Representatives from 14 businesses, schools,
nonprofits and governments pitched projects to the class,
and students and Pentland chose the six projects from that
pool. Five students have adopted Oakland County’s
eGovernment initiative as part of their course work in a
semester-long information technology class. The Oakland
County eForms team is one of six in professor Brian
Pentland’s class, which is designed to give students
from all majors a specialization in information
technology. Each team has been matched with a client to
perform information technology-oriented work in exchange
for real-world experience and class credit.
Source: Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com/2004/technology/0410/08/d04-297313.htm
OCT
09 2004
* Kalamazoo: Kalamazoo
explores wireless Internet
Kalamazoo may soon hop on the technological
bandwagon and go wireless. Scientel America, an
Illinois-based consulting group, visited Kalamazoo in
mid-September to perform a feasibility study as the city
takes an initial step to setting up a wireless connection.
"It's a direction we see as important for the
city," said Duane Hettinger, director of information
technology for the city of Kalamazoo. The wireless
connection wouldn't be a free service, however. Kalamazoo
residents would have to pay a subscription fee to an
Internet provider that would allow them to use their
laptops anywhere in the city, including in their homes. To
benefit those visiting Kalamazoo and to provide an added
perk, some designated areas, such as Bronson Park, would
be hot spots where users could access the Internet free of
charge. Hettinger estimated that if Kalamazoo goes
wireless, residents can expect the network to be running
sometime in 2005.
Source: Kalamazoo Gazette, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1097317224300490.xml?kzgazette?NEKP
OCT
11 2004
* Bay City: City sends
cameras underground to pinpoint troubles in sewer system
It's like a colonoscopy of Bay City's sewer
system. After the city's complex network of underground
pipes is given a good cleaning, a video camera on wheels
is lowered through a manhole, snakes its way through the
pipe, inspecting every inch for damage. Every crack, leak,
collapse and glob of congealed grease winds up on film.
The camera work is tedious; camera operators work from
manhole to manhole, marking the damaged spots. But the
rewards are an accurate diagnostic picture of the sewer
system that can be used to do repairs without tearing up
an entire street.
Source: Bay City Times, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1097507738191011.xml?bctimes?NEB
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Commerce Township: Internships aid district, kids
Facing a shortage of cash and an overflow of
computer-related demands, Huron Valley Schools is tackling
its problem with a resource it has in steady supply:
talented students. The district is using 16 students as
in-house technology interns who troubleshoot, repair
systems, train staff and program the technology at the
district’s 18 buildings. The students, who are paid
$6.50 an hour for their eight- to 15-hour-per-week job,
learn more about technology systems through the program,
and help a district with a tight budget keep things
running for relatively little money.
Source: Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com/2004/schools/0410/11/c04-299551.htm
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Holland: City to overhaul, consolidate Web site
Holland city officials want to bring together a
hodgepodge of more than 600 Web pages into one
comprehensive and consistent site. Work started on an
overhaul of the city's Web site after the Holland City
Council voted recently to spend $10,500 to Holland-based
Elevator Up. New technology will provide city employees
with a new way to update their own pages, said Aaron
Schaap, founder of Elevator Up. Don Steeby, the
city's technology services director, said there will be
interviews with all of the city departments and random
interviews with people around town, trying to find out
what people want to see.
Source: Holland Sentinel, http://www.thehollandsentinel.net/stories/101104/loc_101104013.shtml
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