California Court of Appeal declines traffic camera company request to depublish Santa Ana appellate decision.

California’s second highest court on Wednesday upheld the publication status of a key decision that called into question the legitimacy of red light camera evidence. The state Court of Appeal rejected the request of the cities of Santa Ana and Menlo Park to depublish a May appellate ruling of the Orange County Superior Court (view the California v. Khaled decision) that found the red light camera photographs presented as evidence in court were inadmissible hearsay.

Read more via California Court of Appeal Publishes Red Light Camera Hearsay Decision.

Tennessee Appeals Court rules police must show failing to signal caused a hazard to initiate a traffic stop.
The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday ruled that a driver cannot be pulled over for failure to signal when that conduct did not affect any other driver. The decision came down in the case of Antoinette Feaster, 37, who was stopped and arrested on August 15, 2007 around 11am. Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department Officer Travis Robinson had set up a speed trap on the median of Interstate 24 when he saw Feaster’s Chevrolet Tahoe traveling about 8 MPH below the speed limit and making a lane change without signaling. Feaster’s attorney quizzed Robinson on the stand at trial about his recollection of the incident.

Read more via Tennessee Court Rules Overturns Turn Signal Traffic Stop.

Rates Decrease in 17 Counties, Increase in 72, Remain the Same in 6

NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June was 10.1 percent, down three-tenth of a percentage point from the May rate of 10.4 percent. The national unemployment rate for June 2010 was 9.5 percent.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for June 2010, released today, show that the rate decreased in 17 counties, increased in 72 counties and remained the same in six counties.

Lincoln County registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 6.8 percent, up from 6.6 percent in May. Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 20.9 percent, up from 19.6 percent in May, followed by Marshall County at 16.7 percent, up from 16.6 percent in May.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.8 percent, up from 7.7 percent in May. Davidson County was 9.1 percent, up from 8.9 percent in May. Hamilton County was 9.1 percent, up from 8.6 in May, and Shelby County was 10.6 percent, up from 10.0 in May.

NOTE: Information is available on the Internet for other Tennessee counties and cities; enter  http://www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/june2010county.pdf

Data is from the following links –  2009, June 2009, July 2008, August 2009, Sept 2009, Oct 2008, Nov 2009, Dec 2009, Jan 2010,  Feb 2009, Mar 2010,  April 2010, May, 2010, June, 2010

Nashville, TN- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation today arrested the Sullivan County Highway Commissioner and Department Section Foreman on multiple charges after they were indicted by the Sullivan County Grand Jury yesterday.

Sullivan County Highway Commissioner Allan Pope (left picture), 60, 3273 Ridgeview, Kingsport, TN was indicted on seven counts in five separate cases. Charges include one count of theft over $10,000, four counts of theft over $1,000, one count of official misconduct and one count of private use of county equipment.

Sullivan County Highway Department Section Foreman David Campbell (right picture), 60, 244 Clearbranch Circle, Blountville, TN was indicted on eight counts in six separate cases. The charges against him include one count of theft over $10,000, four counts of theft over $1,000, two counts of official misconduct and one count of private use of county equipment.

While working for the county highway department, both Pope and Campbell had work performed on several different private properties at the county’s expense. The incidents occurred at various times as early as November 2006 through March of 2010. Services diverted included performing improvements to real property, filling in a water line ditch and providing a truck load of free gravel. The work was performed at various locations along Graybeal Road, Muddy Creek Road/Brown Circle, Hawley Road, Rice Cross Road and Brookley Drive. The TBI open the case in March of 2010 at the request of the District Attorney General.

Both Pope and Campbell were booked into the Sullivan County Jail on $10,000 bond each.

See the following links for more information.

• Sullivan County Highway Commissioner Allan Pope arrested
• Trustee candidate blames husband’s arrest on politics
• Did Sullivan highway commissioner break law with ditch-digging project?
• Highway commissioner tells his side of the Graybeal Road ditch story
• Sullivan ethics panel to examine ditch issue
• Ditch digging kerfuffle: Confusion muddies the rules of the road

Seasonally Adjusted Rate Down 0.3 Percentage Point from May

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development James Neeley announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for June was 10.1 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from the May rate of 10.4 percent. The June 2009 rate was 10.9 percent. The national unemployment rate for June 2010 was 9.5 percent, down 0.2 percentage point from the May rate of 9.7 percent.

“The unemployment rate in Tennessee fell to 10.1 percent in June as a result of moderate growth in employment,” reported Labor Commissioner James Neeley. “Modest gains in areas like construction and leisure/hospitality were offset by job losses in education and census workers.”

Major Changes in Estimated Nonagricultural Employment
May 2010 to June 2010

According to the Business Survey, leisure/hospitality increased by 5,000; mining/construction added 2,500 jobs, and healthcare/social assistance increased by 2,300. Major employment decreases occurred in government (primarily educational services), down by 34,700; administrative/support/waste services declined by 6,100; and private educational services declined by 3,000 jobs.

Major Changes in Estimated Nonagricultural Employment
June 2009 to June 2010

Year-over-year increases occurred in administrative/support/waste services, up by 10,000; federal government gained 6,700; and retail trade was up by 5,100. Year-over-year decreases occurred in transportation/warehousing, down by 6,200; mining/construction lost 5,100; and accommodation/food services decreased by 5,000.

PHOENIX — Dozens of photo-enforcement cameras on freeways throughout the state are coming down this week.

A total of 76 cameras will cease operation on Thursday.

The photo-enforcement program, which was meant to catch speeders on Arizona’s freeways, has been controversial from the beginning. The cameras first went up nearly two years ago.

Read more via Freeway speed cameras to be turned off this week | Phoenix News | Arizona News | azfamily.com | Yahoo News.

Drivers, be aware that you stand a better chance of getting a red light ticket and rear-ended in Kingsport because of their shorter yellow light times.

Go to the link below to access the database to get the yellow light times for Johnson City, Jonesborough, and Kingsport.

Information provided by the City of Kingsport, the City of Johnson City and the Town of Jonesborough.

Read more via Caution:  Not every yellow light timed the same | TriCities.

Ohio Appeals Court allows constitutional challenge to speed camera program in Cleveland to proceed.

Ohio’s second highest court on Thursday ruled that a constitutional challenge to photo enforcement should proceed. Attorney Jeffrey Posner had appealed a speed camera ticket he received from a private contractor operating in Cleveland on the grounds that the way the private firm handled the evidence undermined his right to due process. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Eight Appellate District found merit in his concerns and reversed the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court decision that previously had found no problem with the system of automated ticketing.

Read more via Ohio Appeals Court Green Lights Traffic Camera Suit.

US House Transportation subcommittee discusses possible legislation to increase yellow time at red light camera locations.

At a congressional hearing Wednesday, members expressed increasingly skeptical views toward the safety claims made by the usual cast of advocates for photo enforcement. The US House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit invited five representatives of the familiar groups that advocate expanded use of red light cameras and speed cameras. In presentations before the committee and written testimony, however, members seemed to be more swayed by what the two camera opponents that appeared had to say

Read more via Congress Turns Sour On Red Light Cameras.

The 2010 Tennessee Pork Report is out.  Below are some examples of waste that is mentioned in the report.  Click on the link below to see the full report. 

Click here to see the media attention the report has received thus far.

State and local government officials in Tennessee should be scouring their budgets to slash spending in order to help restore some semblance of fiscal sanity. The Pork Report offers dozens of such examples, including:

• $15 million for an aquatics center in Kingsport;
• $3.95 million in excess fees collected by professional regulatory boards;
• $1.6 million washed away on the fairways of the 11 state-run golf courses in 2010;
• $1.5 million to help smokers kick the habit;
• $510,000 for dog parks in Knoxville and Knox County;
• $48,600 in incentives to bring film production to Tennessee; and
• $34,000 to advertise the U.S. Census in Clarksville.

KINGSPORT DROWNS ITSELF IN POOL DEBT (page 7)

In October 2009, the Kingsport City Council made a splash when it authorized $15 million for a new aquatics center. “Bathing suits have been getting moldy waiting on this thing to be built,” noted Alderman Valerie Joh in support of the project.  Kingsport residents should thank their grandkids when they bust out those moldy swimsuits and head to their new government-run swimming pool this summer, because the project was funded as part of a $41.1 million bond issuance by the city. This adds to the city’s enormous debt, which has doubled from $110 million to $218 million over the past five years. Whether they get to take a swim in the pool or not, this debt will undoubtedly be paid off by future generations of Kingsport residents.

Read the entire report at 2010 Tennessee Pork Report

Tennessee was named the second most obese state in the country, according to the seventh annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010 report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The state’s adult obesity rate is 31.6 percent, and, in Tennessee men are obese than women at more percent. Now more than two-thirds of states (38) have adult obesity rates above 25 percent.

Read more via F as in Fat 2010 Tennessee Press Release.

More Than 15,000 E-Learning and Certification Vouchers Available

NASHVILLE – There is one month left for Tennesseans to receive free technology training through Microsoft’s Elevate America Program. Governor Bredesen, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Microsoft announced the innovative public-private partnership in April to distribute 25,875 vouchers for free online technology training and certification. Tennessee has more than 15,000 vouchers remaining including the following: 6,500 vouchers for Microsoft Business Certification training, 7,900 vouchers for Microsoft Business Certification exams, and 800 vouchers for advanced Microsoft IT Professional online learning. The last day to apply for a training and certification voucher is July 26, 2010.

“Time is running out for those interested in taking advantage of these online courses and certifications,” said Labor Commissioner James Neeley. “This kind of skills training, especially while it’s free, should be something that jobseekers can use to compete for jobs.”

Vouchers can be used for the following training and certifications:

· Computer Basics for Beginners – Access basic computer concepts and skills. Perfect for those new to computers. No voucher is required for the beginner courses.

· Intermediate Level, Business Worker Online Learning – Select from Microsoft Windows Vista, Office 2003 or Office 2007 online training. Voucher must be activated by July 26, 2010. E-Learning is accessible for 12 months from activation date.

· Intermediate Level Certification Exams – Certification exams must be taken at a Certiport Testing Location. Select from Office 2003 or Office 2007 exams. Voucher must be activated by July 26, 2010. Certification exams must be completed by July 26, 2010.

· Advanced Level IT Professional Online Learning – Select a training from Microsoft’s online learning library for IT Professionals and Developers. The cost of certification exams at this level is not covered by this program. Voucher must be activated by July 26, 2010.

Microsoft Elevate America vouchers can be obtained online at http://elevateamerica.tn.gov. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities at the Tennessee Career Center nearest you. For a list of Tennessee Career Center locations, visit http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/cc/cccounty.htm.