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Culver Applauds Drop in Crime Rate

Overall, crime in Iowa has declined in 2007 from the previous year. The latest statistics released by the Iowa Department of Public Safety showed that crime reports declined by 8 percent in 2007. The governor’s office said the rate is consistent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation national crime report, which also showed a slight overall decline. “These new statistics demonstrate that here in Iowa we are heading in the right direction,” Gov. Chet Culver said. “Iowa’s law enforcement officers are making our state proud, and deserve our thanks for their tireless efforts to protect our communities and keep our streets safe.” Read more

AZ- Napolitano Helps Kick off 6th Year of Literacy Program. Governor Janet Napolitano kicked off the sixth year of her statewide literacy program. The governor was at Crockett Elementary School to pass out copies of a book to fourth graders. “Its one of the great adventure stories in American history, which makes it fun to read,” Napolitano told the kids. “But it’s also about setting goals and challenges which I want you to be thinking about for your own selves and for your own lives.” Read more

CO- Ritter: Expanded Broadband Access Critical. Broadband is the electricity of the 21st century, with the power to fundamentally change the way Colorado companies and other organizations do business, Gov. Bill Ritter said. “Expanding broadband access has never been more important,” Ritter said in opening the second annual Colorado Broadband Summit. He made his remarks after noting that while Colorado’s economy thus far has been “somewhat protected from the strongest headwinds” of the country’s financial turmoil, it may yet find itself in peril. Read more

ME- Baldacci Honors Veterans in Radio Address. Veterans Day has come and gone, but Gov. John Baldacci says there are many opportunities each day to say “thank you” to the men and women who serve in the military. In his weekly radio address, Baldacci said there are now more than 150,000 veterans living in the state, including more than 10,000 women. He said it is his duty as governor, and the collective duty of all citizens, to show veterans from every war that America will never forget their sacrifices. Baldacci said Maine is continuing to improve the services it offers veterans. He pointed to a new law creating a Veterans Campus in Bangor that will provide independent housing, medical care and various veterans programs all in one location. Read more

MI- Granholm Leads Trade Mission to the Middle East. This is Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s seventh trip overseas since becoming governor, and she says the auto industry is her top concern. Gov. Granholm says she trimmed her trip to Israel and Jordan to just seven days so she “can get back in time for anything further that might happen” on possible loans for automakers. While in the Middle East, she plans to meet with companies in alternative energy, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, defense and homeland security. Read more

MO- Nixon Names Longtime Public Advocate his Chief of Staff. Gov.-elect Jay Nixon announced that John R. Watson will fill the role of chief of staff under the new governor’s administration. Watson, who has served as Nixon’s chief of staff at the Attorney General’s office since 1997, will now serve as the governor’s top advisor, overseeing the operations of the office and staff. Prior to being appointed as chief of staff at the Attorney General’s office, Watson was an assistant attorney general. He has also worked for the state’s Department of Economic Development. Read more

NJ- Corzine Announces Transportation Grants. Gov. Jon S. Corzine has announced the award of $78.75 million in New Jersey Department of Transportation municipal aid grants to fund street improvement, rehabilitation and safety projects in 372 New Jersey towns, “a move that will create jobs and help keep property taxes in check statewide.” Read more

OH- Strickland to Lead More Education Discussions. Gov. Ted Strickland will return to Cincinnati next month for a second round of public discussions about an education overhaul he’s promised to unveil next year. Strickland’s office announced six more “conversations on education.” Strickland last summer toured the state to talk about possible changes to curriculum and structure of Ohio’s public schools, but intentionally avoided sticky financial issues. This round will focus entirely on Ohio’s system of paying for education. Read more

WA- Gregoire Seeks Budget Suggestions From the Public. Do you have an opinion on how the Washington state budget should be fixed or how state money should be distributed? If you do, the governor wants to hear your ideas. Gov. Chris Gregoire wants to know what the public thinks about budget priorities. The Governor wants people to go to her Web site and submit their own cost-saving strategies. She also wants to know what programs might be handled better in the private sector or as a non-profit organization. Read more

WV- Manchin Honors Fallen Miners. It’s been 40 years since the Farmington Mine Disaster took the lives of 78 miners on that cold November day. Family and friends attended the Number 9 Memorial Service to honor those miners. In spite of the cold, a sizeable crowd gathered at the mine site in Mannington to honor the 78 coal miners who lost their lives in the disaster. The same flag flew today that witnessed the No. 9 coal mine devastation 40 years ago. Gov. Joe Manchin was in attendance at the mine, having lost his mother’s brother in the explosion. Gov. Manchin passed landmark legislation for miner safety after the Sago Mine Explosion of 2006. “This state and the people and the coal miners in this state have given America so much,” said Gov. Manchin. “For us to be able to do what we can to make it safer is the least we can do.”Read more

WI- Doyle Urges Employers to Hire Veterans. Governor Jim Doyle urged employers to honor the men and women who have served the nation and recommended Wisconsin’s new free, user-friendly Internet site, JobCenterOfWisconsin.com, as the first stop to meet the needs for both employers and veterans. “Our veterans have risked their lives to defend our country, and one way to honor them is by helping them get a good job when they complete their tour of duty,” Doyle said. “It is my hope that any employer, given a chance, would consider a veteran for employment. While we are in the midst of a severe national economic downturn, employers still need skilled workers, and hiring veterans makes good sense for many reasons.” Read more

WY- Freudenthal, GE Work to Open Coal Research Plant. A proposed coal research plant in Wyoming may be operating as soon as 2012 although the process of determining where to put it is just beginning, a representative of General Electric Co. said. GE and the state of Wyoming have agreed to jointly build a small-scale plant that would allow the company and the University of Wyoming to study the most economical ways of turning Wyoming coal into a synthetic natural gas as well as develop “clean coal” technologies. “I think the role of coal is there,” Gov. Dave Freudenthal said. “The question of whether it remains a strategic part in a carbon constrained world is going to be driven by projects like this.” Read more

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