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SEPT
15 2004
* Genoa Township: Working kids
have new school option
Students enrolled at Livingston Technical Academy
charter school can work during the day and attend school at
the academy's new evening program. Academy Director Jim
Perry said the program has about a dozen students. The
school will continue enrollment until it has the maximum of
25 participants this first year. Evening students will
use NovaNET, a self-directed, online software-system for
grades six through nine that is produced by Pearson Learning
of Scottdale, Ariz.
Source: Lansing State Journal, http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040915/NEWS05/409150319&SearchID=73184435280850
SEPT
16 2004
* Wayne County: Technologically
incompatible - Livonia, Redford find they can't pool 911
dispatch services
Municipal officials, who were considering pooling their
respective police, fire and ambulance dispatch services in
an effort to save money, have said technology
incompatibilities prevent them from doing so. Elsewhere in
Wayne County, municipalities have adopted the
emergency-dispatch cost-cutting strategy. Plymouth Township
and the City of Plymouth have worked together since 1999,
and Northville Township and the City of Northville will
marry their emergency dispatch on Oct. 1. North of 8 Mile,
Pleasant Ridge contracted its dispatching needs out to
Berkley; Lathrup Village is covered by Southfield's
dispatchers.
Source: Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com/news/cfp/1/ldisp16_20040916.htm
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Belding: Record-keeping system more centralized
Belding Area Schools are implementing a student record
keeping system that will save the district $10,000.
The Skyward system replaces Winschool in keeping track of
all the student records as required by the state, including
MEAP scores. Another advantage to the system is that it is a
centralized single record student database that can be
accessed from any building in the district. Once fully
operational, in about a month, the system will allow parents
to check some student information online, including lunch
balances and attendance. A teacher can access any type of
information from any classroom, such as emergency contacts,
immunizations, seating charts or class rosters.
Source: Grand Rapids Press, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-17/109534610928630.xml?grpress?NEG
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Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle Counties: HUNT
establishes its own Web site
The Huron Undercover Narcotics Team launched its
own Web site this week, hoping to increase awareness of the
problem of the availability of drugs and narcotics in
Northeast Michigan, as well as to provide education
regarding the team itself and the work it does. “One of
our goals has always been to inform the public around here
of what it is we do and what the problems are,” said
Detective Lt. Rick Schultz, team commander. “Hopefully
this will make it easier for people to leave information,”
Schultz said. “We can’t man the phones 24 hours a day
and people may prefer this over calling in.” Eventually,
the Web site will include alerts that would be useful to
parents and school districts and could include information
such as certain drug trends.
Source: Alpena News, http://www.thealpenanews.com/Archives/2004/September/16/local2.html
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Fenton: West Shore students have access to 'Study
Island'
Students at West Shore Elementary now have access to Study
Island, a Web-based program, to help them prepare for the
state of Michigan MEAP testing program. Study Island will be
accessible from school, home or anywhere the student has
access to the Internet. Principal Joseph Reinfelder said he
is very excited to be able to offer his students the highly
acclaimed study resource. He said the program was purchased
by grants from United Way and the Bridges to the Future
Initiative program.
Source: Tri-County Times Online, http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12930797&BRD=2524&PAG=461&dept_id=494488&rfi=8
SEPT
17 2004
* Metro Detroit: Two-thirds of
Metro Detroit homes have high-speed Net
Metro Detroit has the nation's third-highest rate
of broadband Internet usage, ranking well above all other
Midwestern cities in a new report by Nielsen NetRatings.
Sixty-seven percent of homes in the region have cable
Internet, digital-subscriber line or other high-speed
connections, the report shows, putting Detroit slightly
ahead of New York's 66.8 percent. Only San Diego and
Phoenix, have higher broadband penetration. Detroit's high
ranking is likely a product of its ultra-competitive cable
and telephone market and rapid installation of broadband
infrastructure, said Jeff Kagan, a telecommunications
analyst in Atlanta. Southeast Michigan also has
exceptionally high cell-phone usage.
Source: Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com/2004/technology/0409/17/b01-276428.htm;
Related story: Government Technology Magazine, http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=91487
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St. Clair County: Grant helps pay for radios
Thanks to a $360,000 federal Department of Justice
grant, county officials will be able to buy 800-megahertz
office radios for every fire department and police agency in
the county. They also will buy one 800-megahertz mobile
radio to be mounted in a command vehicle for each of the
county's local communities. County officials have said the
new system is needed to let different departments
communicate. The current system, which was built in the
1970s, doesn't allow that. The system failed during the
blackout in August 2003 and has dead spots in it.
Source: Times Herald, http://www.thetimesherald.com/news/stories/20040917/localnews/1251860.html
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Muskegon: City newsletter to resume information flow
The Channel, a newsletter put out by the city of Muskegon
for its residents, was a casualty of the budget crisis that
hit the city two years ago. Like a slow-moving hurricane,
the crisis has hung on. But the newsletter is poised for a
comeback. Kundinger said the newsletter also will try to
promote more use of the city's Web site and the extensive
information it offers. In addition to being available
online, printed copies of The Channel will be available at
city hall and other locations around the city, such as
Hackley Public Library, she said. It will not be mailed to
residents.
Source: Muskegon Chronicle, http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-5/109543602986580.xml
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Monroe County, Bedford School District: Reading,
writing and technology
Since the Bedford School District is part of a
network of 22 school districts that participate in the
Monroe-Lenawee Technology Consortium, it has access to a
gargantuan computer server, which shares software for
business functions as well as education purposes. Using a
fiber-optic network that reaches out from the Monroe County
ISD’s Professional Center on Raisinville Road, area
schools and administrative offices access programs that help
govern everything from payroll and attendance to educational
videos. For Bedford Schools, it means that the district can
put into action its 2004-2007 technology plan, which
integrates technology into everyday curriculum. Students as
young as kindergarten are learning basic keyboarding skills
as part of their weekly activities. By third grade, it is
part of their curriculum.
Source: Bedford Now, http://www.bedfordnow.com/headlines/headline1/10489869.cfm
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Jackson County: Communication equipment key part of
public health crisis plan
The Jackson County Health Department is buying communication
equipment that, with luck, will never be needed. Amateur
radio gear to be used in the event of a catastrophic public
health crisis will be installed when the department moves in
January to new offices at the former Medical Care Facility,
1715 Lansing Ave. Radio equipment could be vital if
telephones become useless due to sabotage, damage or massive
over-demand.
Source: Jackson Citizen Patriot, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1095437257118870.xml?jacitpat?NEJ
SEPT
19 2004
* Saginaw County: County to
collect old computer parts
The Saginaw County Department of Public Health will
conduct its first scrap computer collection Wednesday.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to drop off any
unwanted computer components at the County Mosquito Control
Facility. People may use the collection to get rid of all
types of computer equipment, including printers, monitors,
CPUs, speakers, keyboards and power cords. Computers are not
suitable for disposal in landfills along with regular trash
because various components in them contain heavy metals,
which can contaminate drinking water supplies.
Source: Saginaw News, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1095589443113930.xml?sanews?NECN
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Wayne County: CD tracks kids' online activities
The Wayne County Sheriff Department’s Internet Crime Unit
is distributing more than 9,000 ComputerCOP compact discs,
software aimed at preventing sexual predators from targeting
children. The discs help parents monitor their child’s
computer activity. Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans said
the device will help rid the streets of predators who are
surfing the Web looking for vulnerable children. The Wayne
County Sheriff’s Department is distributing the discs
free. The retail value is $40. A $25,000 state grant will
cover the cost, Evans said.
Source: Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com/2004/wayne/0409/20/e04-277684.htm
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Statewide: College Web applications rise
Online college applications are surging in popularity, as
more and more students are applying to schools through the
Internet. At Oakland University in Rochester Hills, online
applications were up 45 percent over last year. Sixty
percent of the University of Michigan’s applications were
completed online this year. And at Michigan State
University, they were up 56 percent, from 7,330 to 11,432.
All 15 public universities in Michigan offer online
applications. Students fill out the forms, and the
information arrives to colleges within minutes rather than
days.
Source: Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com/2004/metro/0409/20/e01-277659.htm
SEPT
20 2004
* Otsego County: Fiber optic
network saves members big bucks
The UC MAN network is the cooperative effort of the
University Center, Otsego County administration, Gaylord
Community Schools, and county courts to manage and maintain
a fiber optic network which links the four organizations
with plans to offer network hotspots countywide with
communication and data transmission capabilities. According
to County Administrator Denise Koning, participation in the
UC MAN network has reduced the county's data processing and
technology costs from $160,000 annually to $60,000. In
addition to the savings realized by outsourcing technical
support, the county saves on each local phone call placed.
For the Gaylord Community Schools, the UC MAN project has
allowed the district to trim the technology budget in half,
by sharing the cost of outside technical support rather than
employing its own staff. In addition to this savings, the
school system also saved money by joining the network rather
than striking out on their own.
Source: Gaylord Herald Times, http://www.heraldtimes.com/articles/2004/09/20/news/top_stories/top_stories02.txt
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Wayne County: Free computers a godsend to churches
Wayne County wanted is helping low-income churches
and community centers get connected with technology.
Harp of God is one of seven sites now up and running with
refurbished government computers -- PCs that would have been
scrapped otherwise. Forty more sites have applied and will
soon get theirs. Angela Williams, who runs the new
Connecting the Partners program, says the goal is to have
1,000 sites by next year. The program's only catch is
that the recipients must be able to demonstrate a financial
need and have someone available to oversee the online
activities. If the computers break down, Dell has promised
to fix them for free. Besides surplus government computers,
the county plans to seek castoffs from big corporations.
Source: Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com/money/tech/mwendland20e_20040920.htm
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Marquette: WNMU offers Internet radio
WNMU-FM Public Radio 90 has implemented streaming
technology to make its programming available on the
Internet. WNMU-FM Public Radio 90 has implemented streaming
technology to make its programming available on the
Internet. "Public Radio 90 has long struggled with
reception problems in the challenging geographical terrain
of the Upper Peninsula," said program director Gregg
Beukema. Beukema added that webcasting is part of the
station's strategy to become more financially independent as
it reorganizes after a reduction in operational funding from
Northern Michigan University.
Source: Ironwood Daily Globe, http://www.ironwoodglobe.com/0920wnmu.htm
SEPT
21 2004
* Wayne County: Grant to buy
equipment to keep cops connected
Police-radio dead zones, where law enforcement
officers can neither receive nor transmit messages, exist in
key buildings in downtown Detroit and in several areas of
Wayne County, ranging from Sumpter Township to parts of
northwest Detroit. Those broadcast dead zones soon will be a
thing of the past -- and the county safer for it -- thanks
to a $2.4-million Homeland Security Department grant that
will upgrade an antiquated analog police radio system in the
county Sheriff's Department, Wayne County Sheriff Warren
Evans said. The grant was processed through Wayne County's
Department of Homeland Security. The money will be used to
buy new digital radio equipment. Sheriff's deputies can use
the equipment to interact with other police departments in
Wayne County, which will be given consoles to monitor the
Michigan Public Service Communications System.
Source: Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com/news/locway/homeland21e_20040921.htm;
Related story: Canton Observer, http://www.hometownlife.com/Hometownlife/NewsSearch.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=55160
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Warren: Warren will join emergency network
Residents can expect faster response from police and fire
services, along with better coordination with neighboring
agencies, thanks to a federal grant awarded to Warren. The
$5.8 million grant from the Justice Department’s Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services is intended to allow
police, fire and city services from multiple communities to
communicate with each other by radio. “We are trying to
get everyone on the same radio system to talk to each
other,” said Warren Police Commissioner James Vohs, who
hoped to have Warren on the new system within a year. Warren
is one of 23 communities in 17 states that received a total
of $82.6 million. The grant comes as the Macomb County
Office of Emergency Management is overseeing a project to
upgrade the radio infrastructure in the county.
Source: Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com/2004/macomb/0409/21/b05-279820.htm
SEPT
22 2004
* Allegan County: 9-1-1 grant
will develop county's computer mapping system
A $25,000 grant will be used to develop a computer
mapping system to locate anyone who calls into the county's
central dispatch. The federal government requires anyone
installing a wireless system, such as Allegan County's new
9-1-1 radio system, to install a mapping system as well to
locate the location of emergency calls from cellular phones.
Joe Kramer, 9-1-1 technical supervisor, said the county was
one of a few receiving the grant. "We're one of two in
Michigan out of 117 nationwide," Kramer said. The
system will make the county's system run much smoother when
called by a cellular phone and decrease the chance of a
mistake.
Source: Allegan County News, http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12980832&BRD=8&PAG=461&dept_id=476333&rfi=8
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Statewide: State to test high-speed Net grants
program
Michigan will be the first state in the nation to use a new
federal grant program to provide high-speed Internet access
to low- and moderate-income families. The program will begin
with pilots in Marquette and Muskegon counties, Gov.
Jennifer Granholm announced. The Digital Divide Investment
Program was created by a U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development grant. The state will combine Michigan
Broadband Development Authority loans with federal block
grants to encourage additional investment in underserved
regions of the state and reduce Internet access prices. Up
to $4 million in grants will be made available during the
program's first phase.
Source: Lansing State Journal, http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040922/NEWS04/409220323&SearchID=73185245227371
SEPT
23 2004
* Livonia: The lunch line gets
a new look
Livonia Public Schools is installing a debit system that
enables students to punch in their 4-digit PIN codes at the
end of cafeteria lines to pay for their meals. Parents can
send in cash or checks to refill the accounts. If they pay
ahead, there are fewer transactions," said Martha
Terry, the district's food-service supervisor. "They're
not paying every day, so they move down the line
faster." And a quickly moving lunch line is a
good thing. Another advantage is the reduced paperwork Terry
and her staff will have to tackle. Instead of filling out
government forms by hand for subsidized meals and
commodities, a computer tracks the information. Moms and
dads can put specific blocks on their youngsters' accounts.
For example, they can ban foods the kids are allergic to, a
la carte items and junk food -- and can impose per diem
spending limits. In addition, they can request printouts of
what their children ate each day.
Source: Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com/news/cfp/1/llunch23_20040923.htm
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Dowagiac Union Schools: Fiber could be 'magic WAN'
for speed
Dowagiac Union Schools Board of Education heard a
presentation this week on the district's need for a WAN, or
"wide area network," to provide faster computer
connections between buildings - particularly before the new
middle school opens next fall. A WAN would increase network
bandwidth and, hence, speed, eliminate recurring fees for
leased lines and increase the abilities of Dowagiac's
network in terms of reliable connections to the Internet,
e-mail, ability to use streaming throughout the school
system, library services, food services and voice, data and
video capabilities. They investigated several options,
evaluated current and future needs and compared costs to
conclude that "fiber is the obvious choice."
Source: Dowagiac Daily News, http://www.leaderpub.com/articles/2004/09/23/news/dowagiac_news/dnnews1.txt
SEPT
24 2004
* Livingston County: GIS
helps to map the county
Livingston County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was
launched in 1999 with the goal of providing the newest
information to the county's emergency services, allowing
police and fire personnel to reach accidents and victims
more quickly and efficiently. Today, the program is
expanding its reach, encouraging the participation of local
communities to provide a comprehensive database of
residences, land and other information.
Source: Daily Press and Argus, http://www.hometownlife.com/Hometownlife/NewsSearch.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=55491
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Holland: Downtown wireless service loses connection
Holland officials' vision of having a free public wireless
system is experiencing some static. In April, city council
gave the Holland Board of Public Works permission to spend
$7,500 on equipment to create a wireless network in downtown
Holland. The work hinged on a collaboration of the city, the
Downtown Development Authority and local private interest.
Downtown merchants supported the idea but were not ready to
pick up the $30,000 to $50,000 tab to establish the site.
Source: Grand Rapids Press, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1096038976304300.xml?grpress?NELK;
Related Story: Holland Sentinel, http://www.thehollandsentinel.net/stories/092304/loc_092304061.shtml
SEPT
26 2004
* Jackson: Technology will
change health monitoring for patients, doctors
Remote health monitoring, a trend that goes by the
buzzword telehealth, has arrived in Jackson. Foote Hospital
calls telehealth "the next billion-dollar business in
medicine" and it is working to get in on the ground
floor. The hospital formed a partnership with Sparton Corp.
of Jackson and Cybernet Systems of Ann Arbor with a goal of
becoming a national leader in the emerging market.
Foote, in a research grant application to Michigan
government, predicted the state could save $31 million in
health outlays by spending $1.9 million for remote
monitoring of patients with chronic illnesses. Money would
be saved, the argument goes, by keeping people out of
expensive hospitals.
Source: Jackson Citizen Patriot, http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-10/109619325653700.xml?jacitpat?NEJ
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Grand Ledge: High school library offers online voter
registration
With free online access at the Grand Ledge High School
Library, registering to vote this season is easier. The
Grand Ledge High School Library is offering all eligible
voters the opportunity to register or update their voter
registration information online directly through the
library's computer workstations.
Source: Grand Ledge Independent, http://www.hometownlife.com/Hometownlife/NewsSearch.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=56122
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