OpenNews’ SRCCON, held in Milwaukee from August 15-16, 2024, is a peer-led conference for journalists to talk about technical and cultural changes that can transform our work.

This year, MuckRock Senior Developer Chris Amico led a hands-on session on self-hosted, interactive maps. Now he shares his techniques in For the Record, so you can create your own.

Try this at home

Follow the directions in this GitHub repository to get started. You can run the entire project in a GitHub Codespace, meaning you don’t have to install anything on your own computer (or even use your own internet for large downloads).

Once installed and running, you’ll have a starter map showing the area around the University of Minnesota. From there, you can add controls, visualize other data or change the theme. Use it as a playground to try new mapping ideas and learn new skills.

For more, see our earlier post on self-hosted maps.

The Update

• Georgia court rules private contractors are subject to public records law: The Georgia Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a private contractor working for a public entity is still subject to the state’s Open Records Act, reports Jill Nolin for the Georgia Recorder. The ruling also found that public contractors “can be sent requests for public records they may possess.”
• Meet the new FOIA Advisory Committee Members: The Archivist of the United States announced the appointment of 20 individuals to the National Archives and Records Administration’s 2024–2026 Freedom of Information Act Advisory Committee. They include current national agency employees as well as academics and journalists.
• One town’s attempt to hide data center emails: In Virginia, the town of Warrenton is attempting to withhold over 3,000 emails about a proposed Amazon data center, reports Michael Pope for Radio IQ. The case is currently on the docket at the Fauquier Circuit Court.

FOIA Finds

• New records from the Manhattan Project’s director: The National Security Archive released new papers from Leslie Groves, the director of the Manhattan Project, which included memos and other correspondence from inside the Project and “the importance of being the preeminent atomic power.”
• The cost of NASCAR in Chicago: Closing roads and shutting down street parking for NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race cost the city a total of $600,000 over the past two years, reports Jake Sheridan in the Chicago Tribune. The city’s contract with a private firm “penalizes the city for taking metered spaces out of commission for things like street festivals.”
• How Oregon spent millions on a behavioral health effort: After $80 million was spent on The Oregon Health Authority to improve the state’s behavioral health workforce, the agency failed to “properly engage intended communities” in order to “develop and grow the behavioral health pipeline,” auditors wrote in a report obtained by the Capital Chronicle through a public records request.