Technology is revolutionizing health care. Of that, there is no doubt. The opportunities for technology firms with medical offerings are almost beyond comprehension for the average person. This is a whole new frontier.

Consider these reasons:

* The American Academy of Family Physicians predicts a shortage of at least 39,000 family physicians in the nation by 2020. The introduction of telehealth will help ease the negative consequences of the shortage by allowing doctors to see more patients and to practice online outside of normal business hours.

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More than $1.5 billion in projects in counties throughout the state to be funded

Darin Bergquist

A five-year plan to improve transportation infrastructure in South Dakota has been approved and will result in $1.564 billion in projects statewide. The state's 2013-2017 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) was recently approved by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transportation Authority. 

"Improving the safety of our highways and spending taxpayer dollars wisely are priorities of the state Transportation Commission and the Transportation Department," said state Transportation Secretary Darin Bergquist. "Having a two-year highway bill provides stability and the flexibility to make sound decisions about South Dakota's highway system."

The plan includes spending in counties across the state for projects that include:

• Statewide bridge painting;
• Rest area improvements;
• Guardrail replacement;
• Culvert repair;
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades;
• Bridge replacement;
• Sidewalk construction;
• Roadway lighting and signage; and
• Safe Routes to School projects.

Recent passage of the federal highway bill ensured funding for two full years for the states and extended the Federal Highway Trust Fund and tax collections through FY 2016. That stability has allowed South Dakota and other states to make future plans relating to transportation and infrastructure, knowing funding is in place for at least two years.

Passage of the South Dakota STIP will open up millions of dollars' worth of contracting opportunities throughout the state, many of which may be available to local contractors, thus creating local jobs and stimulating the local economy.

The STIP document can be viewed here. 

Construction hoped to begin in spring 2013 after permitting, other requirements met

Jeff Morales

Initial but formal regulatory authority for the construction of the California High-Speed Rail Authority's bullet train between Los Angeles and San Francisco is a done deal. The rail authority now can begin acquiring land that will be needed - some 1,000 parcels - for 130 miles of the rail between Merced and Bakersfield. Plans are to have that section of rail completed by 2017, as required by the federal stimulus bill funding received by the state.

Jeff Morales, chief executive of the rail authority, called the latest action a "very big step" and a "very important milestone." He said the action "allows us to move forward in earnest."

Now comes the permit process and a long list of other requirements, from habitat mitigation to diesel emissions abatements that will occur during construction. Permits will also be sought from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District before construction can begin. Efforts are being made to expedite what is often a six-month process.

The new timeline has the authority looking for a construction start of spring 2013. By the 2017 federal funding deadline, officials hope to have $6 billion of the work completed.

The recent approval covers the line of track from Merced to Fresno.

UAlbany makes its case to state officials for new campus facility

Susan Phillips

State University of New York's UAlbany center has made a presentation to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature to build a state-of-the-art research and development facility for emerging technologies and entrepreneurial leadership. The facility will be the core of efforts to provide technology transfer and commercialization resources. The proposal is part of an effort to make the State University of New York a leading creator of job growth in the state, while also embellishing academic and research programs at the university's four centers - Albany, Stony Brook, Buffalo and Binghamton. The university is seeking a NUSUNY 2020 $35 million capital construction Challenge Grant that it is hoping to parlay into $1.8 million in economic impact. The epicenter of the Albany proposal is a $165 million Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex, whose goal is to encourage research and development, technology transfer, business development and workforce training. The center will "bolster UAlbany's ability to translate academic research into commercialization," said Susan Phillips, UAlbany provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. She said the plan will allow the university to "become a national leader in converting its research capacity into a sustainable economic impact." The UAlbany plan also commits to add more than 187 faculty researchers adding $117 million in cumulative research expenditures, 735 permanent positions and 1,587 construction jobs. Those efforts are expected to grow the student population by 1,350 over the next five years.

University of Washington residence halls under construction

A $201 million residence hall building program is under way at the University of Washington. Many students who previously have been housed off-campus are finding new on-campus residences as a result. The new residence hall building projects began in 2008 and is expected to continue to provide both remodeling and construction projects. One new apartment complex opened last year and two more are opening this month. The three combined will house more than 1,700 students. On the drawing board for the future are a proposed new Lander Hall for 2014, a new Terry Hall in 2015 and two more buildings - Maple and Madrona - in 2020. Other existing residence halls will be remodeled.

 

Twelve Baltimore schools to get state-of-the-art libraries over four-year period

Rachel Monroe

One Baltimore elementary school recently celebrated the opening of its new $1 million library and media center, as one of 12 schools in the city that will benefit from library funding from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The Foundation originally anticipated helping provide funding - supported by 30 businesses, nonprofits and government agencies - for three school libraries, but last year added $5 million more to increase that number from three to 12. Rachel Garbow Monroe, the foundation's president, said the foundation has touched nearly 90 percent of the schools in the city so far. Monroe announced that the next three schools that will be recipients of the foundation funding for new libraries are Arlington Elementary, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary and the Henderson-Hopkins East Baltimore Community School. The new libraries will feature new equipment and furniture, at least 2,000 new books, e-readers and computers and an area open to parents and guardians.

 

Niagara Falls voters approve $67M bond issue for renovations, upgrades

Voters in the Niagara Falls City School District this week overwhelmingly approved a $67 million bond issue that will result in renovations and improvements to numerous facilities. The bond win comes after voters just last year said no to a $130 million bond issue. The pared-down proposal this year incudes funds for repairs, security projects, implement projects to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, improve energy efficiency and provide artificial turf for athletics fields. Among the projects planned are a visitor entry system, wireless networking, a communication system, science lab, fire alarm, security cameras, exit lighting and numerous repair and reconstruction projects at the 79th Street Elementary School. The LaSalle Preparatory School will see its gym dressing rooms reconstructed, will get a new domestic hot water boiler, repairs to the roof, masonry, concrete, storm drains, electrical, air handling system and its foundation. Other schools will have similar projects paid for by the bond proceeds.

 

Mary Scott Nabers (pictured), president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., co-founder of the Gemini Global Group and author of Collaboration Nation, will be the guest for an upcoming interview on C-Radio, a live national talk radio show dedicated to business and personal finance news and information. Nabers, one of the nation's leading experts on business opportunities, will be interviewed by host Cynthia Nevels, Visa Practical Money Awards winner, author and entrepreneur. The program's theme will be "Public and Private Collaboration That Work." The interview will air live here at 11:30 a.m. (CST) on Oct. 16.

Water projects in Texas funded with $27.3 million in loans, grants

The Texas Water Development Board recently announced financial assistance totaling more than $27.3 million to be used for water and wastewater improvements in seven cities throughout the state. The funding includes the following:

• A $6,655 million loan and $1,153,511 in loan forgiveness to the city of McAllen to finance wastewater system improvements;
• A loan of $705,000 and $564,750 in loan forgiveness to the city of Comanche to finance water system improvements;
• A $550,000 loan and $537,000 in loan forgiveness to the city of Menard to finance water system improvements;
• A $2.9 million loan and $500,778 in loan forgiveness to the city of Paris to finance water system improvements;
• A loan of $895,000 and $717,761 in loan forgiveness to the city of Ranger to finance water system improvements;
• A grant of $102,000 and a $102,000 loan to the city of Alpine wastewater system improvements; and
• Loans of $12 million to the city of Brownwood for wastewater system improvements.

Fran Millar

If Georgia legislators agree with the Education Financing Study Commission, the state's schools could see $52 million in new classroom technology spending across the state. The money would be spread over three years, beginning with the 2012-14 school year. The commission, created in 2011, recently recommended additional spending on technology and the funding of a $20 million grant program to expand technology infrastructure in the schools. State Sen. Fran Millar, who led the commission, highlighted the final package's emphasis on technology and pointed out that the recommendations now will go to lawmakers and the governor when the General Assembly convenes next January. The proposal calls for the state's education agency to design and administer the grant program, which would be financed by bond proceeds. Elementary and secondary schools would be linked on a central network and there would be more virtual classrooms and Web-based instruction. The additional $52 million in technology spending would be used for technology in classroom instruction.

 

Miami-Dade County looking at sewer repair needs of $12 billion

The long-range capital improvement plan for Miami-Dade County includes $12 billion in new sewage and water lines and new state-of-the-art plants for the six sites that now treat water and sewage. Officials say that repairing and replacing some 13,000 miles of water and sewer pipes and the treatment plants to which they connect could top $12 billion over the next 15 years. The project could end up being one of the largest in the county's history. The county already is under a mandate by the federal government regarding necessary repairs to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act. That alone could cost the county $1.4 billion. The county is expected to begin working soon on projects to help meet those requirements. Included are $948 million in repairs and upgrades to three water treatment plants in Goulds, North Miami and Virginia Key. Another $405 million in similar projects are upcoming throughout Dade. The projects will be paid for with bond proceeds and grants and other revenues, including water connection charges and fees.

 

New Mexico village to seek grant funds for capital improvement program

Officials in the village of Tularosa, New Mexico, have passed resolutions allowing for seeking grant funding for an infrastructure capital improvement program for fiscal years 2014-18. The village will apply for a $500,000 New Mexico Community Development Block Grant to be used for water improvements in the village. The village also will be looking for grant funds for other projects it has outlined, including designing a comprehensive plan, street improvements, a senior citizens facility, department of public safety improvements, waste water line improvements, an animal shelter, a veterans memorial park and museum and street improvements. The village will be seeking a total of $2.7 million. Some of the projects already have funding set aside.

 

San Mateo planning allocation of $81 million for 23 projects

The San Mateo County Transportation Authority is readying to approve more than $81 million in spending on nearly two-dozen local highway projects. The Authority had 27 applications from cities and other agencies in the county that it was considering. Their requests totaled more than $101 million. The largest project among those planned would be building a seven-lane overcrossing at Broadway in Burlingame. It will include bike lanes and sidewalks, reconfiguring ramps and ramp meter installation. Those projects would cost $36 million. Loop ramps at Highway 101 and Woodside Road in Redwood City will cost another $8.9 million. Among the projects recommended for approval or partial funding are:

• $7 million for traffic improvements in Half Moon Bay along Highway 1;
• $7.5 million for Pacifica projects, including widening of Highway 1 to six lanes between Fassler and Reina Del Mar avenues;
• $3 million for Holly Street improvements at the intersection of Highway 101 in San Carlos;
• $5 million for interchange improvements at Highway 101 and University Avenue in East Palo Alto; and
• $2.5 million for a raised median on Poplar Avenue between North Idaho Street and Highway 101. 

States continue plugging in to digital textbooks

Seattle City Council gives arena big assist

(To view these stories, click here and look under "Around the Nation.")

Check out these recent awards:

• Xerox has been awarded a contract worth $72 million by the state of Nevada to provide the technology and services to design and build the state's health insurance exchange (HIX). The state's Silver State Health Insurance Exchange will use Xerox's cloud-based technology and Web portal to support the HIX Web site.

• W. Murray Thompson Construction Co. has been awarded a $1.6 million contract by Cameron County, Texas, for the construction of the new Los Fresnos annex building.

• A&D General Contracting has won a $10.5 million government contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to make numerous renovations at the Third Fleet Command Headquarters Building C-60 at Naval Base Point Loma. Most of the work will involve repairing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

• Reytec Construction Resources has won a $4.8 million contract with the city of Corpus Christi to improve two blocks of Chaparral Street.

• Cablik Enterprises LLC has been awarded a $3.2 million contract by the Cherokee County (Georgia) Board of Commissioners to build a Fire/ES Training Center.

• Illumina, Inc. has been awarded a contract up to $17 million over five years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to provide the agency with MiSeq sequencing systems and reagents for conducting whole genome analysis on produce and produce-related environmental Salmonella and shigatoxigenic E. coli isolates.

• Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd. won a $1,334,263 contract from the city of Lufkin, Texas, for sidewalk construction in conjunction with the Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program, including constructing 17,000 linear feet of sidewalk in the city.

• Lockheed Martin Corp. has won a $9.8 million contract from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide the agency with cloud email services for 18,000 employees.

• Structural Preservation Systems has been awarded a $22.8 million contract by the Marion County (Oregon) Board of Commissioners and Salem Area Mass Transit Board of Directors to remediate the Courthouse Square complex. 

• Hunt Construction Co., Zachry Construction Co., Populous Inc. and Marmon Mok Architects, a joint venture, have been awarded a $304 million contract by the San Antonio City Council for the expansion of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, including a 280,000-square-foot expansion of exhibit space and construction of a 55,000-square-foot ballroom.

NIH plans public-private mobile health collaboration partnership

Wendy Nilsen

The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research of the National Institutes of Health is seeking to form a public-private partnership to coordinate research on mobile and wireless technologies in health care - mHealth. A request for information has been released for vendors who can serve as managing partner as well as other participants for a partnership. The plan is to facilitate research and collection of scientific evidence related to wireless technology.

The P3 would accelerate the use of mHealth while supporting education and integration of stakeholders on mHealth opportunities and challenges. The goal is to improve health both domestically and around the world.

"We believe that we can advance mobile health by working together," OBSSR health scientist administrator Wendy J. Nilsen said in a statement. The managing partner chosen would be responsible for getting the various stakeholders together, setting up a governing structure for the partnership and participate in fundraising efforts. NIH also will seek other partners, both public and private, to support the partnership.

High school stadium to be built because of public-private partnership

A new sports stadium is in the future for Gloucester, Massachusetts, thanks to a partnership that includes the school, the community and the private sector. The field will be used by football, soccer, field hockey and track and field teams. Work will begin soon, after demolition of the current site, with officials hopeful of a June 2013 completion date.

  

Heimleich Landscaping and Construction Company was awarded the construction contract after it bid $3.5 million. The school and community already have raised $3.2 million toward its costs.

  

Included in that funding is money from private business, including a $500,000 pledge from New Balance in exchange for naming rights. The city contributed $1.5 million in bonding and a state grant of $500,000 was received. Another half million dollars was donated by local businesses and individuals and the Dusky Foundation threw in a $100,000 pledge as well.

 

Port authorities announce they will seek public-private partnership for development

Paul Toth

Ohio's Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority recently announced that it is likely to seek a public-private partnership as a way of developing the Overland Industrial Park. The Port Authority, according to Port Authority CEO Paul Toth said the group has $9 million in grants it can use to develop the 110-acre site.

The Port Authority is also planning remediation and redevelopment of another 180-acre site in East Toledo that can be used as a new home for the Ironville Docks.

 

Three parking facilities and the metered parking system were purchased and are currently being upgraded. The Port Authority partnered with the Ohio Department of Transportation to build a new $5.5 million garage in Northwest Ohio as well.

 

The Port Authority has provided financial assistance for more than 300 economic development projects that represent a $1 billion investment that officials say helped create or retain 15,500 jobs.

 

New Hampshire

• The Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission is seeking statements of qualifications to provide on-call engineering services in support of transportation planning efforts throughout the Central New Hampshire Planning Commission region. The projects include Safe Routes to School projects and other local and regional transportation planning projects.
• The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is seeking bids from qualified vendors to provide security services for 24-hour, seven-day-a-week security system and fire panel monitoring, preventative maintenance and servicing at the Concord main office, warehouse, Enforcement Division and all of its retail store locations throughout New Hampshire.

 Massachusetts 

• MassDevelopment is seeking to enter into a house doctor contract with one or more architectural firms (and subconsultants as necessary) to provide architectural and architecture-related consulting services on an as-needed basis. The selected firms will be expected to undertake a variety of assignments potentially ranging from concept-based studies to full design and construction management services.
• The town of Rowe is seeking bids for the installation of a 5.64kW solar power system to be installed on Rowe DPW garage.

Texas 

• The Texas Department of Criminal Justice will soon release a Request for Proposals for architectural/engineering services that may include architectural, roofing architects/engineers, mechanical, electrical (power, high voltage and electronic security), plumbing, civil, structural and fire protection engineering.
• The Irving Police Department is seeking requests for information for a quote on all software, licensing and support for scheduling software specifically meant for use by police departments. The quotes should include installation, configuration and training.

New Jersey

• The New Jersey Department of Transportation is seeking bids for the rental of loaders required by the Department at its various regional locations.
• The New Jersey Division of Risk Management (DRM) is seeking bid proposals to provide insurance placement and consulting services to the DRM in fulfilling its critical role in ensuring proper protection for the state.

Arizona 

• The Mohave Community College is seeking bids for architectural services for school design of new construction of a multi-use classroom building on the Lake Havasu City Campus located at 1977 W. Acoma Blvd., Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403.
• Arizona State Parks is seeking proposals for a grading and drainage plan for the Fort Verde State Historical Park. 

Ron Curry (top left), a former New Mexico environmental regulator, has been named regional head of the Environmental Protection Agency, overseeing the multi-state area that includes Texas, replacing Al Armendariz, who resigned in the spring. David "Troy" Riggs (top center), a former Kentucky police officer who has been serving as assistant city manager for safety, health and neighborhoods in Corpus Christi, Texas, is the new Indianapolis public safety director. Michael DePallo (top right), director and general manager of the Port Authority Trans Hudson Corp., has been selected as chief executive officer of Metrolink, Southern California's premier regional passenger rail system. Brad Pollitt, a veteran 29-year educator who came to the Sedalia, Missouri, school district years ago as a girls basketball coach and history teacher at the middle school, has been chosen superintendent of the district, replacing Harriet Wolfe, who is retiring. Olathe, Kansas, Mayor Michael Copeland has been selected as a new deputy secretary of labor for the state of Kansas, replacing retiring Deputy Secretary Kathy Sparks. Brig. Gen. John Finan, a retired Air Force general and former University of South Carolina administrator, is coming out of retirement to serve as South Carolina's Commissioner on Higher Education. Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright (middle right),   who has served on the court since 2003, has announced he will leave the High Court at the end of this month to join an Austin, Texas, law firm. Gene Johnson (middle center), superintendent of the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas since 2008, has announced his retirement, effective later this summer. Paul Jadin (middle left), former Green Bay mayor who served as the first head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., has announced his resignation to become president of Thrive, an economic development partnership for an eight-county region in south-central Wisconsin. Andy Bowne, head of Grand Rapid Community College's foundation in Michigan, has accepted the post of chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College's East Central Region in Indiana. Andy DuRoss, assistant superintendent for human resources at the Schaumburg-area School District in Illinois since 2007, has been selected as the new superintendent of schools, replacing Ed Rafferty, who is retiring. Cameron L. Clapper, who has served as interim city manager for the city of Whitewater, Wisconsin, since the departure of former City Manager Kevin Brunner to become director of public services in Walworth County, was recently named city manager. Kansas Secretary of Labor Karin Brownlee (bottom left), who previously was a Kansas senator from 1996 to 2011, has been ousted from her post by Gov. Sam Brownback. Lana Gordon (bottom center), former member of the Kansas House who chose not to seek re-election and who was recently named deputy secretary of Labor in Kansas, has now been named interim secretary of the department. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp (bottom right) is expected to step down as UNC's Chancellor effective at the end of the 2012-2013 school year and will return to the faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill's chemistry department. The Petersburg, Virginia, City School Board has selected Dr. Joseph Melvin, Essex County Public Schools superintendent, as the new superintendent, replacing Stanley O. Jones, who has been serving as interim superintendent. The city of Novato California, has hired Peggy Flynn of Santa Rosa, a communications manager for the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, as its public communication coordinator. Greg Caudill, who has been serving as police chief of the Winchester Police Department in Ohio since 2005, has been chosen as the police chief for the city of Aberdeen.