The City of Vallejo, CA,  plans to implement new measures to secure it's ferry terminal and improve passenger screening methods. Surveillance cameras, improved lighting, and in event of a credible threat, passenger searches will be implemented in the coming months. Plans to safeguard the city's ferry system come in response to the Maritime Transportation Security Act, enacted post 9/11, which requires improved security for passenger vessels such as ferries.

High rates of teen pregnancy have spurred a coalition of two dozen government agencies and offices to sponsor a new exhibit at the Old U.S. Mint. By using art as an awareness raising tool, planners of the exhibition, entitled "Children of Children: Portraits and Stories of Teenage Parents," hope that the free, multi-media show demonstrates the brutal reality of early pregnancy and parenting to teens and tweens. Featuring audio stories accompanied by black and white photographs by the artist Michael Nye, the exhibit has spread its message to over 50 cities since its inception.


A recently approved rezoning by the Dayton City Commission has helped to establish "The Glen," a unique five building residential facility catering to single moms and their children. Replete with a library, classrooms, chapel, and banquet room, the complex is designed to house up to 36 low-income families for up to two years, giving women an opportunity to finish their education and gain marketplace skills before departing. Informed local service agencies are responsible for choosing from over 3,600 eligible mothers.


The RFK Children's Community Outreach program, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services has provided a new way for teen offenders to transition from residential treatment back into society. The strategy incorporates a holistic approach to its current 26 teens, giving them skills to treat anger-management problems, acquire their GED, break the cycle of addiction, and receive special mentors throughout the duration. The success of the program has spurred its integration into recommendations by judges at sentencing.

In an effort to help kids achieve academic success, a non-profit agency, Communities In Schools of Southwestern Pennsylvania Inc., has incorporated a tutoring component to its already existing site - the local mall. According to the agency's executive director, Linda Smith, this effort is helping to answer the call of No Child Left Behind.


A grocery market teams up with the local community college to bridge the gap between work and education. Managerial courses will soon be available for Price Chopper workers in Rotterdam, N.Y., which will allow workers to receive a certificate degree relevant to their work.

Trucks and school buses in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts are making the switch from diesel to biodiesel, a cleaner burning fuel based made in part from vegetable oil. The change is part of the city's efforts to bring greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels. Since the new fuel still is 80 percent diesel, the old trucks and buses can run on the new fuel, saving the city the expense of buying new vehicles.


Oregon's anti-sprawl boundaries are known nationwide for keeping the city's property values high and preventing the environmental destruction of farmland. But Oregon voters believe the plan infringes on property rights. The state's new law essentially prohibits down-zoning without just compensation. Some believe Oregon's new law could become a model for other states across the nation, potentially changing the strategy of the smart growth movement.

An innovative bank in Oregon has set up a business to finance builders looking to drain and fill wetlands. Habitat Bank has adopted an interesting new model to mitigate risk for developers and builders on wetland areas.


Pittsburgh-area bankers, government leaders and affordable housing experts are offering a new financial literacy program to teach young adults the basics of money management, debt and financing. The goal is to help them start building strong credit for eventual homeownership and other life choices.

Californian research institutions are crafting creative solutions to manage federal and state funds for stem cell research . Since Californians passed Proposition 71, to pay for the innovative and controversial research, the state must spend a large portion of the $3 billion on building new lab space.


As E-Government becomes more common, it becomes more vulnerable to computer viruses. Researchers at Stony Brook University are developing a system of protection for computer networks that they hope will prevent mass infection of viruses. Their system is based on models of biological systems. In effect, the researchers hope to create an immune system within a computer.

The Texas Department of Health and Human Services can now reduce expenses while helping low-income patients become better informed about their health conditions. The state recently notified over 55,000 chronically-ill Medicaid patients that they are eligible to participate in the new Medicaid Enhanced Care program giving them access to a 24-hour nurse hot line, a primary care doctor if they don't have one, nurses in the community who can provide face-to-face help, and up-to-date information about their conditions. The privately administered service estimates $28.6 million in savings of the more than $500 million annually it spends taking care of these patients.


A special federal grant has helped the Healthy Communities Access Project [HCAP] of St. Joseph County, IN, to launch a new initiative giving residents without health insurance access to free medical care. With the swipe of a card, patients can show proof of coverage while participating providers process and send a "bill" to HCAP as a public record of charitable care. The program currently enrolls 1,800 individuals, but officials estimate that it can potentially unlock services for over 49,000 community members that lack any health insurance, opening the door to "universal" local care. The provider network includes two hospitals, surgery centers, and 330 local doctors who provide services to eligible participants.

The Internal Revenue Service is initiating a phased retirement system that allows employees to work part time, rather than retire outright, and extend their benefits. This innovative approach will allow more baby boomers to stay in their jobs longer, accrue pension benefits and contribute to Federal Government service.


The State of Arizona is in the process of administering a new self-funded health care program through Harrington Benefit Services, Inc., a health care administrator. The new plans have already involved 30,000 state and university employees and retirees.

And the winners are.... Constructech Magazine named its 2004 Vision Award recipients. Citadon, along with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) received this prestigious honor for innovations in technology techniques leading to increased production.

State and federal firefighters in San Diego are refining cutting edge surveillance gear and remote cameras linked to the internet, to combat wildfires. In addition to providing firefighters with miles of sweeping views of a county, the system also allows them Internet access in the most remote areas. The system can also provide important weather data, such as wind speed and humidity from a fire zone, back to a commander in another location.


Embedded chips could be used in the areas of home health care, shopping, manufacturing, and even in humans for medical use, according to futurists' predictions. This op-ed suggests public applications for this technological innovation.

Thank you for your interest in Innovators Insights, the weekly news digest on government innovations.  This digest is compiled and written by the editorial staff at the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation.  Headed by Stephen Goldsmith and managing editor, Justin Huxol, the editorial team consists of five editorial assistants, all of whom are either graduate students or alumnus at Harvard University.  Each week the editorial team identifies top policy-specific news that is related to government innovations and presents it to you with the goal of keeping you on the cutting edge of creative government.

Once again, we thank you for your interest.  Please contact us with suggestions or questions.

Sincerely,

Steven Goldsmith
Justin Huxol
Christina DiIorio-Sterling
Alex Dworkowitz
Siddarth Gejji
Brendan St. Amant
Gayle Simidian