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This Week's Facts:
U.S. Mint Honoring Louis Braille with New Coin
The U.S. Mint is yet again releasing a new coin. This one, however, is a little different than most. Officially known as the “Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar,” the coin was authorized by Public Law 109-247. It features inventor Louis Braille on the obverse (“heads”) side, and is the first U.S. coin to include readable Braille on it. The coins are available until December 31, 2009, and are non-circulating. Patrons interested in purchasing one can visit the U.S. Mint website or call their toll-free number at 1-800-USA-MINT. They can also view images of the coin by visiting the Mint’s Press Image Library. Any surcharges in sales will be sent to the National Federation of the Blind for its blind literacy programs.
------------------------------- Friday Facts Editorial Team:
Katharine Springer Join the FDPL listserv to get the latest government information |
April is Autism Awareness Month
In a March 24, 2009 press release from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), it was announced that the DTV Coupon Program is back on track. The program was designed to provide government subsidies for citizens who had to purchase digital cable converters for their analog televisions. Prior to the DTV Delay Act (PL 111-4), a major concern was that the program had run out of funding and was unable to provide coupons for households who needed them, thus creating an extensive backlog. However, because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the backlog has been alleviated. Households with expired coupons can contact the NTIA to get a replacement. Please see the press release for detailed contact information. The NTIA is accepting new applications for coupons and their stated turnaround period is nine days. However, as these coupons are being distributed on a first-come-first-served basis, citizens are encouraged to redeem their coupons as soon as possible. Unwind with a Nice "Stay-cation" this Spring
Census 2010 Preparation Getting into Gear  You
and your patrons may notice U.S. Census workers soon in your
neighborhood, sporting identification badges, starting now and
throughout the year. Workers have begun canvassing addresses to
make sure no one goes uncounted. One year from now, on April 1,
2010, the Census Bureau will begin counting the nation.
Performing an accurate count of the population is very
important. Information collected during the decennial census is
used to: “distribute Congressional seats to states, to make
decisions about what community services to provide, and to
distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and
tribal governments each year,” according to the Census Bureau’s
Census 2010 website. One of the main differences for Census
2010 is that there will be no long form to fill out. Everyone
will fill out the same short form which takes a convenient 10
minutes to complete. For more information, please visit
Indiana’s Census 2010 website for more on
Why the Census Matters and read the March 30 Indy Star
article,
Census wants to count on you. |
