| MOST POPULAR All Hands on Deck Creating new disparities in access to employment and education, the COVID-19 pandemic has underlined, yet again, how important it is for communities across the country to be connected. In his September column for Government Technology magazine, Evanston, Ill., CIO Luke Stowe talks about the role he and his colleagues can play in lobbying for equity in connectivity. Scaling Down: Small Town Innovates with Drones Linn, Wis., may be a bit of an outlier in its use of unmanned aerial vehicles. In fact, the town of just over 2,000 residents has been using the technology for five years. The rural community has a large lake, and one use case that has gotten a lot of traction is utilizing drones to locate drowning victims. Read more about how the technology is being put to use from GT’s Jed Pressgrove. CIO Search Is on in Illinois The state of Illinois is once again on the hunt for someone to lead its technology efforts. Ron Guerrier has stepped down for a position in the private sector after about a year and a half as CIO. While the state looks for a permanent replacement, Assistant Secretary Jennifer Ricker will fill the role in an acting capacity. Beyond Fixed Routes More evidence of the creativity of public transit providers came to light this week in FutureStructure writer Skip Descant’s story about a new partnership serving three Florida neighborhoods. On-demand service via traditional shuttles and smaller, open-air electric vehicles supplements the fixed-route service offered by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. | 