Inspired by initiatives adopted in North Dakota and Montana, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has decided to run a pilot project on Grand Lake to produce and market paddlefish eggs, which offer a cheap alternative to sturgeon caviar. Instead of discarding paddlefish eggs or using them as bait, anglers will have the option of donating them to state officials, who, in exchange, will clean the fish and package the filets for free. The income produced by selling the eggs will be reinvested into paddlefish management and law enforcement.

Hoping to contribute to the success of Opportunity NYC, a program by which poor families get financial incentives to act in their and society's long-term interests, the City of New York is collaborating with eight banks and credit unions to offer a special Opportunity NYC savings account. These flexible "starter" accounts do not require a minimum opening balance and do not charge monthly fees. There is a $50 incentive for Opportunity NYC participants to open an account, which provides easy and safe access to the bi-monthly allowances paid to Opportunity NYC families. The goal of the accounts is to encourage savings and budgeting and help beneficiaries establish and maintain good credit.

Following the example set by Wisconsin in the 1990s, 42 states are using federal money to establish one-stop counseling centers designed to assist seniors in their search for home care services. By allowing elderly and disabled citizens to keep their independence, and by saving federal and state monies, alternatives to nursing homes--such as day care programs--have become very popular. By creating one-stop counseling centers, states hope to minimize confusion and alleviate stress for seniors looking for long-term care. 

The state of Connecticut is pioneering a radio system that enables state and local police officers from across the state to communicate instantly whether in governmental agencies, police stations, or dispatch centers. The technology, which helps transmit sensitive information in a timely manner, will allow law enforcement officers to effectively and quickly coordinate personnel across town borders and is expected to greatly enhance homeland security and natural disaster response.

The city of Miami is constructing accessible playgrounds to bring together children with and without disabilities. The playscapes include features such as raised sandboxes, swings with high backs, and ramps that make even the highest points of the playground accessible to children in wheelchairs. 

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is expanding a pilot program in Polk County that recycles tons of pounds of Styrofoam peanuts used in packing materials. Currently, the material is shipped to Asia to be made into things such as plastic picture frames or soles of shoes. Officials are also looking into the marketing potential for the end recycled product in the United States.

Following Florida's example, Texas will begin to rate willing preschools, day-care centers, and Head Start programs on how well they prepare children for kindergarten. State officials expect the new School Readiness Certification System will aid parents searching for good preschools and encourage those programs to improve. The voluntary system will affix a state seal of approval to qualifying pre-kindergarten classrooms for one year.

In what the governor of Minnesota has called a "dramatic and pioneering" solution to the administrative waste and information safety problems in health care, medical records in Minnesota will soon be accessible through an online "information exchange." This tool will give doctors and hospitals instant access to vital health information about new or unfamiliar patients. Health officials envision that this system will help prevent medical errors--such as harmful drug interactions--and also save time and money by reducing the number of tests performed and the amount of paperwork produced.  

Nine school systems in Indiana are offering parents a way to keep tabs on what their children eat at lunch and how much they spend. With the new technology, parents can create small account balances and check them online, set limits on how much their children spend each day, and choose whether they can purchase a la carte items instead of or in addition to regular meals.

The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth's Division of Professional and Continuing Education has unveiled the new Success by Degrees program created to award qualified community college graduates a scholarship equal to a one-third cut in their tuition for each course taken in the Professional and Continuing Education division at UMass-Dartmouth. Backers want to ease the financial burdens of community college students who often have other familial and work obligations.

Newsletter produced by: Vanessa Ruget and Brendan St. Amant (researchers and writers); Maureen Griffin (editor)