Tooth-rattling bumps, zigzag detours: These are what city drivers experience when roads are ripped up by telecommunications companies laying fiber-optic cable.

After four years of infighting, and with the nightmare of Hurricane Andrew's $16 billion devastation in mind, Florida's legislature adopted a new statewide Unified Building Code this May.

In a hot real estate market, some governments are seeking to cash in on their city hall.

When Lady Luck smiles on lottery players, state officials are sometimes left gritting their teeth. On a single day in May, the Maryland Lottery paid out $7 million to more than 2,800 bettors who chose the winning numbers 1-1-1-1 in the state's Pick 4 game.

All those city council members who grumble about having to go out in the evening to attend a monthly meeting can be thankful they don't have to fly eight hours to get there.