In a bid to improve internet access for underserved households, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a contract of up to $30 million for the Office of Statewide Broadband to provide laptops for an estimated 150,000 underserved households in the state. The contract is part of the state’s larger Connect Maryland initiative.

Pennsylvania has inked a $3 million contract that will bring new digital mental health services to school districts statewide.

A new initiative – Upskill Together – is aiming to help universities and employers expand access to “high-demand, industry-recognized technology credentials” both for corporate and educational partners, and with scholarships for groups that are underrepresented in the tech sector.

State and local government CIOs and private sector experts made the message easy to understand at ATARC’s Nov. 1 webinar on Building for Secure MultiCloud Environments within State and Local Agencies: get moving on it now.

In a move to advance school safety, Oklahoma K-12 and charter schools will now be able to use an anonymous tip application. The new app will allow students, staff, and parents to confidentially share concerns about safety threats.

The use of automated decision-making systems by the District of Columbia (D.C.) government is having widespread impact on the accuracy, fairness, and equity of decisions that affect District residents, according to a report released on Nov. 1 by a prominent privacy advocacy group.

As part of the state’s push to expand broadband access, the Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) is encouraging residents to take the Indiana Speed Test before the end of the year to ensure accurate broadband mapping data.

As cyberattacks against state and local governments rise, the state of Maryland has hosted a statewide cybersecurity tabletop exercise. The exercise was hosted by the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), in coordination with all cabinet-level agencies, and enabled critical partners to discuss plans, policies, and procedures in order to identify and address potential vulnerabilities or issues in preparation for a cybersecurity incident.

The Treasury Department has approved more than $90 million in funding to help Vermont expand affordable broadband access across the state. The funding, which comes from the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF), will help Vermont close its digital divide by connecting nearly 14,000 homes and businesses to reliable, affordable high-speed internet.

The chief information officer (CIO) for Clark County, Nev. – which houses the city of Las Vegas – aims to bring broadband to 100 percent of eligible residents and businesses through access, affordability, and adoption.