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Round Three In The Readiness Campaign
by Chloe Albanesius
The Homeland Security Department will conduct its next round of emergency-preparedness training this month in Connecticut and New Jersey.
"To make our response system stronger, we have to identify our strengths and weaknesses through challenging scenarios," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced in a Monday release. "They force us to gauge our readiness, test our internal communications and develop and reinforce relationships across all levels of government and the private sector."
The latest TOPOFF exercise, short for Top Officials Exercise Series, will simulate a weapons-of-mass-destruction attack in Connecticut and New Jersey, though specific scenarios still are being developed. The exercises will provide the "reality check against which to measure the quality of New Jersey's planning and training," Attorney General Peter Harvey said in a release.
It will help the state "identify our strengths and weaknesses" and make sure it's "ready to respond to any possible attack," Gov. James McGreevey said.
The work will be the third TOPOFF exercise Homeland Security has conducted since 2000, the most recent being a May 2003 simulation in Chicago and Seattle.
In other security news, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft on Friday announced that his state received $100.7 million in homeland security funding -- $32.5 million from the Urban Area Security Initiative and $68.2 million of previously allocated counter-terrorism grants. Cleveland will receive some $10.4 million to enhance the security of its mass-transit system. Cincinnati will receive about $12.7 million, while Columbus will take home $8.7 million.
The grants "will help us focus on protecting our urban cores," Taft said in a release.
Meanwhile, the state of Michigan on Monday awarded $73.1 million in homeland security funds to 104 local communities. Of that total, some $47 million will be used for homeland security and emergency operations planning; about $14 million will go toward prevention activities like information sharing; and another $978,000 will be designated for citizens' councils.
New Hampshire Unveils Web Site
New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson on Monday unveiled a Web site that gives the state's stamp of approval to prescription drug purchases from Canada.
Through the site, residents now will have access to CanadaDrugs.com, a pharmacy site approved by the New Hampshire Health and Human Services Department. Other online pharmacies also may seek listings on the site, but they must be accredited before links will be added.
The Food and Drug Administration has questioned the safety of purchasing lower-priced medicines from other countries, but Benson said in a release: "I will not stand by and watch our seniors overpay for lifesaving medication. The pharmaceutical industry has balanced their books on the backs of seniors for too long."
The site includes safety protocols, answers to frequently asked questions, cost analyses for drugs and the results of a chemical analysis done on drugs purchased online by Benson. The governor sent a team for a site visit to the CanadaDrugs.com facility to ensure its legitimacy.
In Illinois, meanwhile, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced that senior citizens enrolled in the state's Rx Buying Club now will be able to log onto the plan's Web site to compare the plan's retail and mail-order prices for commonly ordered drugs to treat Alzheimer's, overactive bladders, enlarged prostates and acid reflux disease or stomach ulcers.
The site eventually will include prices on other classes of drugs, Blagojevich announced.
Illinois Governor Seeks Aid For DNA Testing
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday requested that the federal government allocate more funds to help states clear their DNA-testing backlogs.
"DNA testing is an incredibly powerful but expensive crime-fighting tool," he said in a release. "Recently, I allocated an additional $2.6 million that is allowing Illinois State Police to hire 15 more DNA forensic scientists ... but we need more help."
Blagojevich joins members of Congress from Illinois in support of a federal bill, H.R. 3214, that would authorize funds to speed the processing of DNA evidence and expand forensic laboratories. "The legislation provides crucial safeguards to ensure DNA evidence is used appropriately," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill.
New Mexico To Consolidate Tech Agencies
New Mexico agencies must reorganize and consolidate their information technology under an executive order issued Tuesday by Gov. Bill Richardson.
When the order is complete, IT employees will report to a single office of the agency secretary or director, a move that could save $30 million by the end of Richardson's first term, he said in a release. Services that will be consolidated include e-mail, accounting functions, data centers and network security
. "I want the tools to serve the public in the most efficient manner and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers," Richardson said. The state's General Services Department will manage the project.
In Massachusetts, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey on Tuesday endorsed legislation that seeks to enable information sharing among state public schools and law enforcement agencies. Gov. Mitt Romney's Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation recommended an integrated crime-fighting plan that would allow data to flow between agencies.
"Sharing information is a pivotal part of providing effective public safety," Healey said in a release. "On the national level, it will help us improve homeland security. On the local level ... it will help make our schools and neighborhoods safe."
Oregon Wants Clarification On Wine Sales
Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers last week issued his support for state laws that allow wine producers to ship their products to other states that allow practice.
His announcement came after he and 35 other state attorneys general asked the Supreme Court to review the FCC's ruling against Michigan's ban on shipments into the state from out-of-state wineries. Myers does not support Michigan's ban on direct shipping but supports Michigan's effort to get Supreme Court clarification on the issue.
"In seeking that needed clarification, I also support a ruling that accords states maximum authority to decide their policy choices as to direct shipment," he said in a release.
Elsewhere on the e-commerce front, Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore on Wednesday announced that Jessica Jaynes, sister of the world's alleged eighth worst spammer, turned herself in to law enforcers on Tuesday.
Jaynes, her brother Jeremy and co-conspirator Richard Rutkowski are accused of sending unsolicited commercial e-mail messages between July 11, 2003, and Aug. 9 via servers located in Virginia. Their activities included sending more than 10,000 messages in a 24-hour period on July 16, 19 and 26 -- a felony under Virginia's anti-spam law.
All could face one to five years in jail, fines of up to $2,500 or both.
Michigan Online School Accepting Applications
The Michigan Virtual High School (MVHS) on April 1 began accepting applications for its online summer school.
The idea for online tutorials was prompted by a recent survey that said summer-school programs are limited by cost and staffing needs and often cannot offer more than a few remedial courses to students. The survey "revealed that small, rural districts" have the most difficulty providing adequate summer school, said Bob Currie, MVHS' executive director. "Online summer courses could help even that playing field."
Currie expects enrollment to be between 2,000 and 3,000 students.
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