Washoe County Online Voter Registration Coming Soon

From Washoe County press release:

"For the first time ever, voters in Washoe County will soon be able to register and make changes to their current voter registration online. Beginning in mid-April, the Washoe County Registrar of Voters office, working in collaboration with the Nevada Secretary of State’s office, will make the switch to Nevada Online Voter Access (NOVA); allowing citizens to go directly online and register to vote, or update their current information...

When online registration is up and ready to go in Washoe County, citizens will be able to go directly to the Registrar’s webpage at www.washoecounty.us/voters and click on a tab that will take them directly to the Nevada Secretary of State’s website in order to register to vote or make changes to an existing registration."

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is providing public access to the newly discovered audio tape recording of conversations between various individuals in Washington and Air Force One pilots and officials on board during the flight from Dallas to Andrews Air Force Base following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

Available on FDsys, this digitized version of the two hour and twenty-two minute recording was donated to the National Archives by the Raab Collection. The tapes were found among other papers and memorabilia of Army Gen. Chester "Ted" Clifton, Jr., who served as senior military aide to President Kennedy. The White House Communications Agency (WHCA) provided the tapes to Gen. Clifton. The conversations were captured by WHCA, which routed all phone calls and radio traffic. The recording includes references to new code names and incidents, among them are:

* A private conversation by head of the Secret Service Jerry Behn about the disposition of the President's body.
* An expanded conversation about how to remove the President's body from the plane and where to take it.
* An urgent effort by an aide to Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay to reach General Clifton; and attempts to locate various Congressmen from Texas.

Check it out here.

Nevada Career Information System adds new features!

Nevada Career Information System is put together and maintained by the State of Nevada's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. It contains job descriptions and topics that cover the working conditions, physical demands, preparation, skills, abilities and knowledge required of each occupation. The occupation file also contains labor market information such as wages, job outlooks and the licensing and/or certification requirements to work in an occupation.

NCIS also provides the ability to locate schools that provide training for a given career as well as tools for job searching. It is licensed to all Nevada residents and includes a "junior" addition for youths. Check it out here.

Free Tax Assistance

From the Reno Gazette-Journal:

"The Internal Revenue Service has partnered with nonprofit and community organizations to open more than 12,000 free tax preparation sites nationwide for low- to moderate-income and elderly taxpayers." Read the rest here.

Also get free tax help at your local library. WCLS tax assistance schedules for this year are:

Downtown Reno Library: Mondays and Tuesdays, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., February 6-April 10. Walk-ins only.
Northwest Reno Library: Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. - 3 p.m., February 2-April 12. Walk-ins only.
Spanish Springs Library: Thursdays, 1-4 p.m., February 9-April 12. Appointments and walk-ins accepted.

IRS Certified VITA/TCE Volunteer Preparers: Earn It Keep It Save It--A United Way Collaborative:

North Valleys Library: Thursdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., February 2-April 14. Appointments required; can be made in person or call 972-0281.
Sierra View Library: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.., February 2-April 17. Appointments can be made in person.
South Valleys Library: Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., February 1-April 14. Appointments recommended: call 851-5190. Walk-ins are welcome.
Sparks Library: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., January 28-April 14. Appointments recommended; can be made in person or call 352-3200.

Computer glitch creating delay in Nevada unemployment insurance benefit payments

From the Reno Gazette-Journal:

On Tuesday, the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) discovered that a computer error is causing issues processing claims for benefits for this week. This issue could result in some claimants receiving their unemployment insurance benefit payments late, said Frank Woodbeck, DETR Director.

See the whole article here.

Obama wants better digital archive of federal records

"President Obama on Monday ordered agencies to make wider use of digital-based record-keeping systems in what aides promise will be the most significant change to government archiving since Harry S. Truman’s presidency...."

See rest of the article here.

The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has released its first mobile Web application (app), which provides the public with quick, easy access to information on Members of Congress. Based on the Guide to the House and Senate Members and information in the Congressional Pictorial Directory, the app allows users to browse for Members of Congress by last name, state, chamber, or party. Additionally, users can search by first and last name.

Of the new app, Public Printer Bill Boarman says, "GPO has experienced an incredible transformation in its 150 year history from handset type to handheld devices. We are very excited to release our first app for the public and provide a tool that will connect the public with Members of Congress. GPO looks forward to developing more apps in the future to provide the public with new options for accessing Government information."

To access the app on your mobile device, go to <http://m.gpo.gov/memberguide> or scan the QR code with your mobile device that is available at <http://www.gpo.gov/mobile/>.

Supported Devices

* iPad or iPhone (iOS 4.3.3 or higher)
* Android devices (Android 2.1 or higher)
* Blackberry devices (Blackberry 6.0 or higher)

Farewell, Statistical Abstract.

A source for free government photos and images

Looking for photographs or images to use that are in the public domain? Start your search at usa.gov with U.S. Government Photos and Images. It includes many images that are in the public domain and can be freely used and that are broken down by topic. See the link here.

(Original article discussing freely available government images ran in Spring /11 Documents to the People by Rebecca Hyde and Lucia Orlando; issue is available here.)

Historical Map Collection Now Online

From a recent email from the USGS coordinator:

"Nearly 90,000 high resolution scans of the more than 200,000 historical
USGS topographic maps, some dating as far back as 1884, are now available
on-line from the US Geological Survey. The Historical Topographic Map
Collection includes published U.S. topographic maps of all scales and
editions, and are offered as a georeferenced digital download or as a
printed copy from the USGS Store....

Historical maps are an important national resource as they provide the
long-term record and documentation of the natural, physical and cultural
landscape. The history documented by this collection and the analysis of
distribution and spatial patterns is invaluable throughout the sciences
and non-science disciplines. Genealogists, historians, anthropologists,
archeologists and others use this collection for research as well as for a
framework on which a myriad of information can be presented in relation to
the landscape. For more than 130 years, the USGS topographic mapping
program has accurately portrayed the complex geography of our nation
through maps using the lithographic printing process. The historical
collection contains high resolution scanned images from the USGS legacy
series and other sources...."

Check out the collection here.

S&P may face probe on mortgages

Rating company S&P is being investigated by the Department of Justice for its possible role in the financial collapse.

"Ratings agency Standard & Poor's is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly overrating mortgage-backed securities, whose meltdown led to the 2008 financial crisis, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation. "

Check out the full story on CNN here.

Newly cataloged FBI files

Check out the new(ish) electronic resource for viewing scans of FBI files as the FBI's "The Vault" page, located here. It includes PDF scans of files on individuals, specific events, groups and happenings that the FBI has investigated over the years.

State of Nevada launches new website

The State of Nevada's website has a new look! Check it out here.

Bill Passed by House Would Provide No Money for GPO's Federal Digital System, Sharply Cuts Other Information Resources

See the Library Journal article here.

Change in open record law in NV affecting concealed-carry weapon permits.

Check out the Reno Gazette-Journal editor's take on the change that took effect July 1st, and a previously published article on the change here.

Nevada State Agencies links

Check out a handy list of Nevada-specific state agency links here.

US Government Shutting Down Half Its Websites

"The White House is requiring the federal government to cut their 24,000 websites down by half in the next year. This will reduce taxpayer expense, as well as give them easier access to official portals.

The order was made because many of the websites the government currently operates were deemed redundant, out-dated, or hard to use. The Office of Management and Budget has issued a 90-day freeze on new .gov registrations to get the ball rolling. And the Energy Department has already begun to consolidate its sites, saving taxpayers $10 million a year.

In the next 120 days, each governmental agency will have the chance to check out Data.gov to see which sites need saving and which will get the ax. They could call it spring cleaning."

Apps and sources of information on Congress.

Check out this article that covers some smartphone apps and other sources of information about Congress and its members and happenings.

USDA updates dietary guidelines, gets rid of the food pyramid

Via CNN: "The food pyramid has been dismantled in favor of a simple plate icon that urges Americans to eat a more plant-based diet.

One half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, with whole grains and lean protein on the other half, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Low-fat dairy on the side, such as a cup of skim milk or yogurt, is also suggested.

The new icon, MyPlate is designed to remind Americans to adopt healthier eating habits, in a time when more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese."

You can look at the USDA's revamped MyPlate page here.

What is FDsys?

For a short and entertaining video, check out the Youtube video put together by The University of Colorado. Here's the link.