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BackgroundLegislative bodies across the country have increasingly allowed off-road vehicles (ORVs) including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility task vehicles (UTVs) on public roads, an environment for which they are not designed. In 2004, Iowa gave individual counties the discretion to pass ordinances allowing ORVs on public roadways. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the passage of ORV ordinances and ORV crash rates, especially on public roads.MethodsAn Iowa ORV roadway ordinance database and an Iowa ORV crash database (2002–2018) for all 99 counties were compiled. Crashes for which county location could not be determined were excluded. Utilizing a zero-inflated Poisson model, correcting for background crash frequency trends and population, investigators compared the relative rates of crashes after ordinance passage to time points before ordinance implementation and to counties without such ordinances. Sub-analyses, including that focused on more recent years (2008–2018), were also performed.ResultsForty-five county ORV roadway ordinances went into effect between 2011 and 2018 and 2,347 crashes (69%) met inclusion criteria. Adjusted for year, there was a 58% greater ORV crash rate in counties after passing an ORV roadway ordinance (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.58, 95% CI 1.32–1.90). Roadway crashes (n = 834) increased 48% after ordinance passage (IRR 1.48, 95% CI 1.14–1.94). This roadway crash association remained statistically significant when analysis was limited to the years 2008–2018 (IRR 1.39, CI 1.06–1.83, n = 544); to ATV crashes only (IRR 1.70, CI 1.20–2.40, n = 683); and to ATV crashes excluding counties with UTV-only ordinances (IRR 1.74, CI 1.40–2.15, n = 2,011).ConclusionsORV roadway and total crashes increased significantly after implementation of county ordinances allowing ORVs on public roadways and when compared to counties without such ordinances. It is likely that these increased crashes have resulted in more injuries and possibly deaths. Results from this study may help inform policymakers as they consider legislation regarding ORV usage on public roads.

Probation is the most commonly imposed correctional sanction, is often accompanied by supplementary costs, and can be operated by the state or private companies. Private probation is a unique sanction used in lower courts, most often for misdemeanor offenses, and is managed by third-party actors. We focus on documenting the process and unique costs of private probation, including the rituals of compliance and proportionality of punishment. We use data from interviews with individuals on private probation and local criminal justice officials as well as evidence from court ethnographies in Georgia and Missouri. For individuals on private probation, payment of monetary sanctions is a crucial way of demonstrating compliance. Yet the financial burden of added costs for supervision and monitoring creates substantial challenges.

The Muncie metro showed continued employment and wage gains over the past year. However, the level of employment is still lower than the pre-pandemic period, unemployment is higher than it was a year ago and the labor force has decreased. New home construction has slowed, even as sales prices for existing homes have reached new highs. The number of food stamp recipients is lower than it was a year ago, but is still much higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Local regulation of timber harvesting can increase the time and capital required to conduct timber harvesting operations. These ordinances are typically difficult to locate, use vague language, and vary considerably in intent and requirements across jurisdictions. This research determined that the number of New York State towns with ordinances increased from 58 in 1995 to 150 in 2013. Ordinances and their provisions were classified into eight categories and then examined using content analysis supplemented by expert opinion interviews with 18 foresters. Ordinances varied considerably among towns and across ordinance provisions; however, the complexity of ordinances (measured by the number of provision categories in an ordinance) was not equivalent to the onerousness of an ordinance. Foresters indicated that the most onerous ordinances contained specific provisions (long and involved permit applications, public hearing and site plan reviews, and excessively high performance bonds) or vague language that could be applied inconsistently by town officials. This study provides foresters, landowners, policymakers, and other stakeholders with insights they can use to better navigate and improve local regulation of timber harvesting.

Meeting communities' goals to be safer, more livable, more pedestrian-friendly, and more accessible for persons with disabilities requires pedestrian safety and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance. This can be challenging, as many communities' Land Development Codes (LDC) for site development and the transportation network are not designed to integrate safety and ADA considerations or to enhance the delivery of public works services to the public. Also, many communities have not fully implemented federally required ADA transition planning and corresponding improvements for public rights of way. To address these goals and needs, the Orange County Code Amendments for Pedestrian Safety/ADA (Code Amendments) updated six LDC chapters to enhance pedestrian safety and meet ADA needs. Over a multiyear period, Orange County Government's public works department and transportation planning division staff led an interdisciplinary team from the development engineering, traffic engineering, planning, zoning, and building safety divisions, with additional reviews from the county attorney's office and the environmental protection and roads and drainage divisions.