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Topix – Under Pressure – Agrees To Reform

By Press Release | Last updated Aug 9, 2010, 11:33 am

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, joined by 31 other state attorneys general, today announced an agreement with Topix.com to improve consumer protections and eliminate a $19.99 fee to expedite review of abusive or inappropriate posts.

All reports of abuse on Topix, an Internet message board host, will be reviewed free of charge, and the site will make improvements — both in technical and human resources — in order to better review and block inappropriate posts.

Topix has also agreed to review all posts that are “flagged” for review, rather than require multiple users to report a post before it’s reviewed. The site will also seek to review and remove inappropriate posts within three working days — rather than seven to 14 days, as previously done.

The company agreed to these and other reforms after Blumenthal and Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway first contacted Topix in February with their concerns.

“Our agreement eliminates a pay-to-police policy that Topix ultimately realized was unfair to victims of abusive posts,” Blumenthal said. “Stopping harassment should be a right — not a paid service — and I applaud Topix for recognizing its responsibility to respond to such reports.

“Online abuse and harassment will be addressed more promptly and free of charge, and illegal activity reported to law enforcement. Our coalition of states will continue to monitor the site to ensure that reports of abusive and harmful posts are handled appropriately.”

Topix has also agreed to:

• Continue cooperating with law enforcement agencies in combating unlawful activity on its website;

• Consult with the attorneys general to discuss issues of concern, including responsiveness to abuse reports and other consumer complaints; and

Contact: Tara Downes or Christopher Hoffman 860-808-5324

• Continue to explore new technology and processes for preventing misuse of its site.

Topix.com, of Palo Alto, CA, describes itself as a “top ten online newspaper destination,” which encourages readers to post comments about news items or other matters of community interest.

The attorneys general from the following states and jurisdictions have joined Connecticut: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Filed in Attorney General, Business, Congress, Ct Politics, Ethics, Future of Journalism, Govt., Internet Issues, Media, Scams.

Georgia DOT and TDOT Seek Federal Funding for Atlanta to Louisville High Speed Rail

Released on Mon, Aug 09, 2010 - 10:11 am under

Transportation

From the Georgia DOT:

ATLANTA – Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Vance C. Smith, Jr. announced today that the Georgia DOT, along with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, applied for $34 million in federal funding to accelerate development of high-speed rail service from Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tennessee, continuing to Nashville and eventually to Louisville, Kentucky. GDOT is the lead state in the initiative and applied on behalf of the two states.

Earlier this summer, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said states could apply for federal funds under the U.S. High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program created by Congress last year. Funds would be used to plan and implement high-speed service along approved corridors.

“Even before the federal High Speed Rail program was announced last year, Georgia DOT was already planning several related projects such as the Atlanta-Chattanooga High-Speed Ground Transportation Project and the downtown Atlanta Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal,” Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Vance C. Smith, Jr. said. “We expect to fit right in.”

With FRA approval, Georgia DOT, and the Tennessee DOT, would continue environmental planning and engineering on a high speed rail link between Atlanta and Chattanooga, design approved stations along the corridor, and create a comprehensive plan for high-speed service to the public that could one day stretch from Florida to Chicago. TDOT would then manage planning along the extension from Chattanooga to Nashville.

Commissioner Smith thanked co-applicant TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely for his strong support, and gave specific credit to Rep. Zach Wamp R-TN, and the Georgia Congressional Delegation. They were instrumental in securing nearly $14 million in federal funds last year for the Atlanta-Chattanooga HSGT Project.

Smith noted that when Wamp leaves Congress at the end of this year, “The South will lose one of its strongest high-speed advocates who has given years of service to the northwest Georgia-southeast Tennessee region.”

Smith also congratulated the State Transportation Board whose members have long advocated for this development.

“We look forward to the day when Georgians have a vibrant range of travel alternatives and can choose to travel in safety and comfort along a beautiful high-speed corridor where no options exist today” Smith said.

The application received written support from key transportation partners, including the Atlanta Regional Commission which will cooperate on livable communities planning, AMTRAK and numerous cities and organizations in Georgia and Tennessee. The Chattanooga Enterprise Center has been a special partner in this endeavor for many years.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is committed to providing a safe, seamless and sustainable transportation system that supports Georgia’s economy and is sensitive to both its citizens and its environment. Additional transportation revenues are imperative to grow and sustain Georgia's economic vitality and quality of life through the 21st Century. Georgia is the 3^rd fastest-growing state in the nation, yet 49^th in per capita spending on transportation. For general information on the Georgia DOT, please visit our website (www.dot.ga.gov).

Press Release Issued by the Georgia DOT.
CONTACT:
Crystal Paulk-Buchanan
GDOT
404-631-1835

White Pine School -

August 12, 2010 - First Full Day of School

Kindergarten Registration

School Supply Lists for the 2010-2011 school year are posted and available for printing.

Classroom Supplies - Donations of Kleenex, hand soap, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, 409 or other disinfectant cleaning supplies, paper towels, and Lysol spray would be greatly appreciated. These supplies are items that are used by all students, or help stop the spread of germs within classrooms. All teachers at WPS would appreciate donations of these items throughout the school year.WHITE PINE School Website is an excellent source of information.

TVA Energy Efficient Homes Have Impressive First Year of Energy Savings

August 6, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Despite a year of temperature extremes, the Tennessee Valley Authority has seen significant energy savings at its research project for energy efficient homes.

July marked the first full year of data collection at TVA’s energy efficient homes project at Campbell Creek subdivision in Knox County.

“Power bills for the most energy efficient of the three houses totaled less than $450 for the entire year,” Project Manager David Dinse said. “That averages out to about $37 per month for a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house.”

“With solar panels, super-efficient materials, better insulation and other technologies, TVA’s advanced efficiency house is not your typical home. But this has not been a typical year.”

TVA’s power production peak for the past year came during a colder-than-normal January, while this June was one of the hottest ever in Tennessee, according to TVA records.

“During our first full year of data collection we recorded remarkable energy savings even in hot and cold temperatures beyond the normal extremes for the TVA service region,” Dinse said. “In fact, it was in these most extreme conditions that our advanced technology home realized the greatest cost savings.”

The research project is measuring energy consumption in three, two-story homes of similar size (2,400 to 2,500 square feet) on similar lots with similar solar and wind exposure. Inside, automated mechanisms replicate the occupancy of a family of four, regularly opening and closing the refrigerator, using the oven, running the clothes dryer or taking a shower.

The difference is that one home is an advanced house with energy efficient features, including solar electricity and hot water, installed during construction. A second house was retrofitted with aftermarket efficiency upgrades, including a heat-pump water heater. The third house is a standard, code-certified home that serves as a control.

The first year data showed that in hotter periods such as this June, the advanced house uses only about half the energy of the retrofit house and less than a third compared to the standard house.

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