Where are DC’s rats? New dashboard maps rodent reports across the city
Steve Karesh / WTOP
July 11, 2026
D.C. has dashboards for tracking snowplows and leaf collection crews. Now there’s a dashboard tracking the District’s response to its rat problem.
The Rodent Control Dashboard is a “centralized, public tracking tool built to monitor the District’s ongoing rodent control initiatives, active service requests, and community abatement efforts,” D.C. Health said in a statement.
DC considers tighter rat control restrictions after poison, tracking and trash concerns
Lianna Golden / ABC7 News
July 14, 2026
WASHINGTON (7News) — D.C. leaders are weighing new restrictions on the use of rat poison in the District and changes to how the city tracks rodent activity after a marathon meeting that highlighted concerns about both public safety and the accuracy of current reporting.
i9 Investigation: Accidental 911 hang-ups straining Eastern Iowa dispatch centers
Rebekah Vaughan / KCRG News
July 15, 2026
Iowa (KCRG) - Accidental 911 hang-ups are creating a growing workload for Eastern Iowa law enforcement, and dispatchers say there is a simple step callers can take to help.
In the first four months of this year, Johnson County dispatch logged more than 3,300 hang-up calls to 911. Deputies had to respond to 83 percent of those calls. Dubuque County logged 1,700 hang-up calls in the same period.
Starting Aug. 1, it's a crime to call 911 in Scottsdale for non-emergencies
Matthew Casey / KJZZ 91.5 Phoenix
July 15, 2026
A city ordinance barring misuse of 911 is set to take effect in Scottsdale on Aug. 1.
Scottsdale officials want to keep 911 available to report true emergencies and crime. But they say there’s a small group of people who intentionally misuse the system over and over.
Teller County officials plead with Colorado Springs to drop pending 911 Authority departure
Cleo Westin / The Denver Gazette
July 14, 2026
Law enforcement and elected officials representing Teller County and its communities stood together in asking Colorado Springs to drop its proposal to withdraw from the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority at a news conference on Tuesday.
“Mayor Yemi [Mobolade], you’re a friend, and I know your staff brought you a proposal. … You can turn this down; this is a bad idea,” Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams said.
Eastern Shore’s new $10 million 911 radio system performing well after six months, officials say
Staff / Shore Daily News
July 15, 2026
The Eastern Shore of Virginia’s new regional public safety radio system has been in operation for approximately six months and is performing successfully overall, despite some coverage challenges, according to Eastern Shore of Virginia 911 Commission Director Jeff Flournoy.
Winona County, Minn., Struggles With 911 Dispatch Staffing
Rachel Mergen / GovTech
July 14, 2026
(TNS) — Throughout Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude’s time as the region's top cop, his agency has consistently faced one vexing challenge.
“Since I've been sheriff, we have never been at full staff in the dispatch center,” he said during a county board meeting June 23.
The job is not one that anyone can step in and do easily.
Colorado Springs gives context on potential to start new 911 authority
Danielle Blyn / KRDO News
July 14, 2026
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The City of Colorado Springs is reemphasizing its decision to separate from the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority (EPTC-911).
In statements from the city's police and fire chiefs, and the mayor, officials say the decision to release extra information came after a period of recent public comments.
Poorer Philadelphia ZIP codes wait weeks longer for 311 responses
Darnell Weeks / Northeast Times
July 14, 2026
Residents in Philadelphia’s lower-income ZIP codes wait roughly 54 percent longer than those in higher-income areas for the city to close routine 311 requests, according to an analysis of about 466,000 service requests from 2024 and 2025.
18 Days in 19142. Four Days in 19103
Nick Jain / The Philadelphia Citizen
July 10, 2026
Across nearly half a million service requests, residents in lower-income ZIP codes wait roughly twice as long for routine 311 service. The pattern is too clean to be an accident