In about two weeks, the U.S. government will begin mailing out census forms and it is sparing no expense to ensure the 2010 census is the most complete ever. Part of that includes a broad outreach effort to the country’s minority communities, where past responses have been less complete.

In Allegheny County, said U.S. Census Bureau Media Specialist Pamela Golden, the outreach effort includes some 450 partner organizations. Some of these include churches, community-based organizations, libraries, media companies and local government.

FOLLOWING UP— In April, census takers will begin going door-to-door to follow up with households that did not return their census forms.

“It is critical to achieve a complete count because not only does the information determine our number of representatives in congress, but it also helps to determine how federal resources are allocated,” said Golden. “It’s used for community planning and economic development. It’s about where roads go, where schools are built.  Even the allocation of H1N1 vaccine was based on the census.”

Philadelphia-Former Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner announced her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.

Smith-Ribner has spent more than two decades as a statewide appeals court judge dealing with matters that touch upon every aspect of local and state government.

DORIS SMITH-RIBNER

She upheld campaign finance laws that limit the amount of political contributions in local elections; she ordered state agencies to disclose public records under the state’s Right to Know Law; she ordered the Philadelphia School District to provide full-day kindergarten that gave thousands of public school students a better chance to succeed in school; she upheld the right of ex-offenders to vote in Pennsylvania; she decided countless cases that dealt with the rights of the injured and unemployed workers; and she decided numerous cases under laws that cover zoning, environmental protection, labor relations, state and local elections and public officials’ conduct in office.

This Spring, André Kimo Stone Guess will begin the task of setting up The August Wilson Center for African American Culture as the top African-American cultural institution in the world. As the August Wilson Center’s new president, Guess, who will start his position April 16, said this goal is well within reach.

ANDRE KIMO STONE GUESS

“My vision for the August Wilson Center is it can and will be the preeminent institution for African-American culture in the world,” Guess said. “I’ve been fortunate to travel all around the world and there’s really nothing like it in the world. It’s everything in one that deals with African-American culture.”

For the second time, Jordan Miles, who was allegedly beaten severely by plain-clothes police during an arrest Jan. 12, must wait to defend himself on charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest.

Miles attorney, Kerry Lewis, argued against the second delay granted by District Judge Oscar Petite Feb. 18, saying the charges should be dismissed. A Jan. 21 hearing was also postponed when officers Richard Ewing, Michael Saldutte and David Sisak did not appear.

JORDAN MILES

Prosecutors requested the delay due to an ongoing FBI investigation into Miles claim that the officers beat him during his arrest.