Stolen DOT laptop held personal data
A laptop computer belonging to the federal Department of Transportation inspector general’s office was stolen last month, putting the sensitive personal information of nearly 133,000 Florida residents at risk, Acting Inspector General Todd Zinser said Wednesday.
The laptop, assigned to a special agent in the Miami office, was stolen from a government vehicle on July 27 in Doral, Fla., Zinser told Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday in a letter obtained by the Washington Post.
Zinser wrote that a team of special agents has been dispatched to the Miami area to work with Miami-Dade police in investigating what happened to the laptop. A reward will be offered for its return, he wrote.
New York
Statue of Liberty crown tours ended
Tourists won’t be climbing back up to the Statue of Liberty’s crown.
That’s the word from the National Park Service to lawmakers, some of whom have been fighting to reopen the crown following the 2001 terror attacks.
The crown has been closed out of concerns that fire and terrorism hazards for the cramped spiral staircase could not be overcome.
In a letter to Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., dated Aug. 4, outgoing Park Service Director Fran Mainella wrote that “the current access patterns reflect a responsible management strategy in the best interests of all our visitors.”
Indianapolis
Extra security planned for fair
A spate of violence in Indianapolis that has left 13 people dead in a week prompted authorities to increase security at the Indiana State Fair as the 12-day event got under way Wednesday.
About 300 officers or security guards will be posted at the fair each day, including about 130 state troopers, 40 state conservation officers, and some 50 private security guards, said fair spokesman Andy Klotz. Police bike patrols also are helping.
The extra security is part of the city’s response to the slayings, including stepped-up police patrols and extending officers’ shifts by two hours, said Indianapolis Police Department spokesman Maj. Lloyd Crowe.