Anya Sostek

Recent Articles

• Birds of Passage
• May 1, 2002
• Global warming is causing some official state birds to take flight.

• Tacoma Finds Fuel Cheaper by the Biodiesel
• Apr 1, 2002
• Garbage trucks in Tacoma, Washington, carry waste, but that doesn't mean they have to produce it. Through the use of biodiesel fuel, the trucks have cleaned up their own act, reducing tailpipe emissions by 25 percent.

• Iowa's Overtime Error
• Apr 1, 2002
• By declining to hear an Iowa appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the way for state and local employees to sue for overtime pay. The action could have a devastating fiscal impact on Iowa, but it won't necessarily affect other states.

• A Taxing Time
• Apr 1, 2002
• Filing state income taxes online has its hurdles. Sometimes you have to buy or download special software. Or you need to get an identification number from the Internal Revenue Service.

• Not Just For Parking Anymore
• Mar 1, 2002
• Some public garages are ramping up their looks and services.

• Real Training at Virtual U
• Mar 1, 2002
• Arizona state employees no longer have to wait until their departments offer the training classes they'd like to take. Now, they can research classes, register for them and then take them at Arizona Government University, an online clearinghouse that carries all classes offered by the state.

• Can They Eat Popcorn in Class?
• Feb 1, 2002
• Faced with a cash-flow problem, most people would not think of going to the shopping mall. But officials at the University of South Florida in Tampa had just the opposite reaction.

• DMVs, the First Line of Defense
• Feb 1, 2002
• In the aftermath of 9-11, states are taking definitive steps to tighten up how and to whom driver's licenses are issued.

• Selling the Dome
• Feb 1, 2002
• In South Carolina, people can do more than just visit the historic State House. They can have a piece of the carpet in their own home. They can wear earrings molded from the copper dome.

• High Court Deals Spammers a Blow
• Jan 1, 2002
• Turns out the U.S. Supreme Court justices don't like spam any more than anyone else.

• The Immortal Chad
• Jan 1, 2002
• After the presidential election fiasco, major voting reform looked like a sure thing in 2001. Maybe this year.

• Bringing Sprawl to Life
• Dec 1, 2001
• Geographic information systems are becoming a powerful tool for showing the consequences of growth to the public.

• The Scarlet E
• Dec 1, 2001
• To collect back taxes, Pulaski County, Arkansas, turned to a high-tech version of an age-old technique: public humiliation. In July, the county put up a Web site listing companies and individuals with delinquent tax records. The site, which started out with just the top businesses, now includes personal property taxes, real estate taxes and special improvement district taxes.

• Cattle Battle
• Nov 1, 2001
• In a state known for rodeos and livestock, it's hard to imagine that a dispute would arise over one additional cow. But that's just what has happened in Texas since Fort Worth, fondly known as "Cowtown," unveiled its new logo.

• Jacksonville's Free Ride on the Web
• Nov 1, 2001
• Visitors to a popular tourist spot in Jacksonville, Florida, can now surf the Web from sidewalk cafes, park benches and even boats. The city has installed wireless Internet access at the riverfront Jacksonville Landing, enabling visitors to use the Internet free of charge from most laptops and personal digital assistants.