2/25: Florida considered a 'growing gang capital'

FLORIDA: State is considered a 'growing gang capital'

There are an estimated 49,000 gang members living in Florida, making up 1,100 gangs.

South Florida has the most gang members at 19,685, with Palm Beach County considered a hotbed of gang activity.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Jerry Bailey says data sharing among different agencies and departments is helping bust more bad guys, but adds there is room for improvement.

"We're going to have to be able to talk better, to share more of the information, but the big thing is getting it all into a centralized database so that gang that's working today in Palm Beach County and tomorrow in Leon County, that we can better track their movements and their activities," says Bailey.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State has spent only 7% of $71.8 million stimulus package

ARKANSAS: Legislators prepare to cast final votes on spending plan today

GEORGIA: Pew Center study shows state's children need better dental care

KENTUCKY: Cockfighting supporters want the practice legalized

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal proposes bill to give colleges control over tuition

MISSISSIPPI: Budget battle enhanced by $14 million federal funds windfall

NORTH CAROLINA: Editorial: Governor's order might help create jobs

SOUTH CAROLINA: State House committee passes tobacco tax increase

TENNESSEE: State is ranked #2 in credit card debt

VIRGINIA: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield customers to see double-digit rate increases

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org

8/31: Open access at risk as Internet turns 40

Clarion Ledger -- Open access at risk as Internet turns 40

The researchers who created the Internet (no, not Al Gore) intended the open network to be a place for freely exchanging information. Now, 40 years later, despite developments in social networking like the World Wide Web and Facebook, the openness may be breaking down.

To blame: Spam and hacking force network operators to put up security firewalls. Some governments block access to the Internet within their borders. And some commercial applications create policies to thwart their competition, further limiting what some devices can do.

Already, there is evidence of controls at workplaces and service providers slowing the uptake of file-sharing and collaboration tools. Video could be next if consumers shun higher-quality and longer clips for fear of incurring extra bandwidth fees. It'll be interesting where the Internet goes in the next 40 years.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: H1N1 virus hits Alabama college campuses

ARKANSAS: Arkansas Medicaid launches adult dental program

FLORIDA: Little done to enforce state hotel regulations on pest infestation

GEORGIA: Average global temperatures up, but not in Georgia

KENTUCKY: Reclaimed coal strip-mining sites being used for agriculture

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal orders state agencies to buy Louisiana shrimp

MISSISSIPPI: State to pilot civil rights courses for K-12 students

NORTH CAROLINA: OLF environmental impact study delayed in the state

SOUTH CAROLINA: State seeks innovative way to rebuild reefs for oyster beds

TENNESSEE: Cigarette waste the target of a new pollution study in the state

VIRGINIA: 19-tower wind tower project in Virginia draws criticism from neighboring state

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org