Closure can only be achieved through greater adoption  by lower income households The Affordable Connectivity Program successfully connected 23 million  Americans before Congress failed to renew funding for this very popular bipartisan bill. In the wake of its demise some states are attempting to replace the ACP by furtively focusing on affordability by increasingly mandating that internet service providers offer low-cost broadband  to qualifying low-income consumers The evidence is clear - affordability programs alone will not close the digital divide Closure can only be achieved through greater adoption  by lower income households.  51.6 million households qualified for broadband subsidies but just 23.3 million enrolled-only 40% of eligible households.  Why are these opportunities for free or subsidized connectivity being ignored by those  who need it the most The answer is they don’t believe they need it.  Census Bureau’s 2023 Current Population Survey a federal tool  used to understand unconnected households relevance is nearly four times as  significant a barrier as cost 56% of unconnected  households across all income levels cite a lack of perceived relevance to their lives or  lack of interest as the reason for not subscribing to broadband Those numbers explain why narrowly focused price regulations won’t close the digital  divide Real progress will require states to zealously focus on eradicating the perceived  lack of relevance and other adoption barriers and increasing privacy and  security concerns.  Expanding broadband adoption also means looking beyond mere connectivity the National Telecommunications and Information Administration noted “The disparities we find when  looking beyond overall internet use suggest that while our country is making great  strides toward getting everyone online in some fashion the quality and experience of  connectivity still varies greatly.” The demographics of smartphone-only users reflect those on the wrong side of the  digital divide 22 % of American Indians & Alaska  Natives and 16 percent of Black Americans are smartphone only users Without proper deployment the above concerns fade into the background More than 4 years into the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act build-out remains shackled and  hindered by permitting and licensing roadblocks limited access to local rights of way,  and costly and time-consuming disputes over utility pole attachments needed to string  new fiber adoption and equality of Internet experience are only possible if  the networks are built– and time is of the essence-inflation threatens to reduce actual  build out funding.   Congress has done the heavy lifting by appropriating new funds for broadband  deployment NTIA and the FCC must act with urgency  and create effective processes and procedures to eliminate barriers to building out  these new networks Mechanisms for prompt dispute resolution must be established. Delay and inflation must not be allowed to derail one of the most important national  initiatives since the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 LLC is the former head of the FCC Cable Services Bureau (now Media Bureau) and a seasoned communications and business attorney with vast experience and knowledge about broadband policy.  In 1998 Deorah wrote the first FCC report Understanding Broadband and most recently partnered with Paul Garnett in authoring A Handbook for the Effective Administration of State and Local Digital Equity Programs Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media The views reflected in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC Already have an account? Sign in The bill would codify the USDA’s existing Broadband Technical Assistance Program public and private leaders discussed how they choose where Other broadband resources are doing the job Operators turn to gas and coal to meet data’s power demands (KGUN) — A celebration of creativity and outdoor engagement took center stage at Continental School District 39 (CSD) as the ribbon was cut on its newest addition: the Let Grow Playground the playground is part of CSD’s broader initiative to promote unstructured play as an essential component of child development According to the American Psychological Association, unstructured play has been shown to improve relationships Despite expecting the project to take two years Let Grow playground was completed in six months This is thanks to a group of community partners including Eagle Scout and former CSD student CSD’s investment in outdoor activities aims to combat the growing dependence on digital devices among students while enhancing their emotional and social well-being The Let Grow Playground offers a variety of games these activities are specifically chosen to foster social interaction Students are encouraged to build relationships resolve conflicts and strengthen their creativity emphasizes the playground’s focus on developing social and emotional skills “We see it in our school on a daily basis that our kids are struggling emotionally and socially,” Lathen said and being social helps build these skills rather than relying on their phones for social and emotional support.” Lathen further explained that conflict-resolution opportunities are intentionally built into the playground’s design “Conflict is something I want my students not to be afraid of,” he said I want them to see it as a challenge and learn how to resolve it in a positive way.” The idea stemmed from Lathen reading Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation which delves into concerns about young children’s use of cell phones and the resulting feelings of anxiety and disconnection Lathen says he shared the audiobook with a colleague who immediately got on board with developing solutions outlined in the book Superintendent Roxana Rico-Beaucage highlighted the broader educational goals tied to the project risk-takers and creative thinkers,” she said “These are the skills they will need in their futures.” the district is integrating other creative spaces including a sensory garden built entirely from recycled materials with contributions from students These initiatives reflect CSD’s commitment to play-based learning and sustainability The Let Grow Playground was made possible through generous grants from Freeport-McMoRan and the Country Fair White Elephant The structures were constructed by Doty and Sons Concrete bringing durability and thoughtful design to the project CSD worked with Let Grow a nonprofit focusing on using unstructured play to develop confidence and leadership in children CSD plans to expand its play-focused programs reinforcing the idea that play is a serious matter when it comes to developing well-rounded This includes the “Let Grow Experience,” a program where students make a plan to tackle a project to build self-confidence Report a typo the Cherokee Metropolitan District recalled two board members Kim Wilson and Jeremy Atkinson replaced the ousted board members and will serve until May 2025 Other changes include a new interim manager Brian Beaudette is the new interim manager which means Amy Lathen is no longer with Cherokee On the agenda for the July 24 board meeting one of the items was a “final agreement with former manager” (likely that manager was Amy Lathen) A July 13 Gazette article discussed an agreement between Cherokee Metro and Meridian Service Metropolitan District and the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Groundwater Basin the agreement will allow for increased water rights for thousands of new customers The Gazette article indicated that the deal had been signed off on; however a follow-up statement from The Gazette on July 17 stated that the Groundwater Commission hearing officer had not signed off on the agreement said the hearing officer gave a verbal OK to the agreement and said he would sign off on the deal The water commission cannot change the agreement; their job is to approve it The process was halted when a July 3 hearing was canceled “I don’t know why it was canceled,” Doran said it is totally in the hands of the hearing officers The agreement is more than 30 pages long; Doran said In response to an NFH inquiry about the delay in the signing of the agreement the Groundwater Commission sent a statement by Bryan Garrett hearing officer — which doesn’t answer the reason for a delay.  the Hearing Officer either accepts or rejects a stipulation the Hearing Officer drafts an initial order reflecting the stipulation the initial order becomes the final order of the Ground Water Commission then the matter goes before the Groundwater Commission who can do one of three things: accept the Hearing Officer’s decision or remand it to the Hearing Officer for additional findings Editor’s note: The NFH will follow up and provide details on the agreement between the two districts and the UBSCGB Pikes Peak Culture Pass Staff report Pikes Peak Culture Pass lets you explore.. Mountain View Electric Association celebrated the installation of.. The underdrain problems in Falcon Highlands prompted Cristina Welch to file.. 'Where my hope lies is in the states,' said Deborah Lathen WASHINGTON, March 13, 2025 - Industry experts gathered Wednesday to assess the state of broadband connectivity in America highlighting both significant progress and persistent challenges in closing the digital divide since the COVID-19 pandemic began "We have made progress in terms of connecting building out infrastructure and connecting Americans to broadband," said Deborah Lathen president of Lathen Consulting and former head of the Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau "But still there's a large portion of Americans who happen to be in that low-income area who are not connected." who wrote the first FCC report called "Understanding Broadband," noted that adoption remains a major challenge even as infrastructure expands there's still a category of people who will not adopt broadband who will not subscribe for various reasons – perceived lack of relevance president and CEO of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative and Firefly Fiber Broadband we had zero paying customers and about 20 miles of fiber in the air we've got over 7,000 miles of fiber deployed we're in front of about 75,000 homes and still connecting as fast as we can." Wood noted that the pandemic accelerated their deployment timeline and expanded their service area "We shortened the five-year timeline to four years on our system because we saw the urgency that we needed to have to get to everyone quicker." associate manager of the Broadband Access Initiative at the Pew Charitable Trusts emphasized the crucial role state broadband offices have played in recent years we had maybe 20 states with dedicated broadband offices We've really seen over these last five years state broadband offices growing tremendously in their capacity." Despite political uncertainty surrounding the federal Broadband Equity Varn noted that states continue to make progress "We have the three states that have already selected their providers.. I think there's another eight states that have already closed their application windows.. and I think there's another 18 states that are open right now today soliciting bids." chief investment officer for Connect Humanity expressed concern about the pace of progress I don't know if we'd really be able to say it's been a sufficiently step change that we would have hoped for over five years." Vo also raised concerns about private equity's role in broadband infrastructure "We've seen several instances of effectively some version of redlining but under the umbrella of trying to maximize returns for their shareholders and their investors." brought perspectives from the wireless industry noting that reliability has become as important as speed for many consumers "Consistency and uptime seems to be the highest priority Even something as short as an hour or two has now become critical to people who are working from home." Conaway also highlighted affordability challenges the people cannot afford to keep it running Wireless has had to fill in some of that area because our capital expenditure is a little bit lower." The panel expressed mixed views on the future of digital equity initiatives amid changing political winds but remained cautiously optimistic about states' ongoing commitment to connectivity "This whole attack on DEI and equity is a bad word.. I think people are going to come to realize this isn't something to help black people and Indians and everybody else Rural America encompasses people of all races," Lathen said Vo suggested finding common ground: "I have yet to meet somebody who has disagreed that people should have equal access to equal opportunities people should not be able to access telehealth and healthcare or online education.. I don't even think it's a bipartisan issue Conaway also emphasized education as the key component of digital inclusion "We need to define what type of internet they have.. it's mostly about the education of using the services they do have that would help them in their lives more than they're used to." The virtual event marked the fifth anniversary of Broadband Breakfast Live Online as the COVID-19 pandemic was causing widespread shutdowns across the country West Salem senior Jimmy Lathen has been a big-time athlete for the Titans including football and basketball at West Salem He has the talent to compete at the college level but he still hasn’t decided on his future plans “Beating McNary in a crowded McNary gym to clinch the league in basketball this year.” I spent the most time on it with my dad as a kid and we really bonded over it.” “I would want high school sports to collectively have more community involvement.” His killer mentality and unmatched competitiveness is something I really admire.” What will be your major in college and why?“Right now I’m an open major but I have a passion for law and I would like to choose a major that could explore that further.” “'Hoosiers.' I was actually named after the character Jimmy Chitwood so it’s a movie I’ve been close and familiar with since my youth.” his music is nostalgic and calming for me.” What is your favorite make and model of car or truck?“‘91 Land Cruiser just because it’s the first car I ever got to drive on my own and I’ve made some great memories in it.” They’ve always been my post game go-to and I consider myself to be somewhat of a connoisseur.” What is your favorite thing to do in Salem and why “I love going to movies at the Willamette Town Center I’m in my happy place when I’m reclining in those seats with a Sprite and popcorn.” Statesman Journal reporter Pete Martini covers college and high school sports. He can be reached at pmartini@StatesmanJournal.com Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAmy Lathen the chair of El Paso County's Board of County Commissioners announced Thursday afternoon that she will end her final term in office six months early to take the reins as executive director of Colorado Springs Forward The nonprofit that was formed by a group of community leaders in 2014 to "re-establish Colorado Springs as the most inviting and respected city in which to live work and play," approached the commissioner in March and offered her the job The term-limited Lathen would have stepped down at the end of 2016 When asked about the timing of her early resignation after 8½ years as a county commissioner chairwoman of the Springs Forward board of directors said the group initially had considered hiring an executive director in April 2015 and instead hired William Mutch as its policy director The board revisited the issue in January during a strategic planning retreat and determined that it needed a full-time executive director to fulfill its mission and two months later identified Lathen as its preferred candidate CANTON ‒ A Plain Township resident has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated assault in connection with the 2022 death of Kennon Lathen, who was found dead in a downtown parking lot was sentenced to three years of intensive supervised probation by Stark County Common Pleas Judge Chryssa Hartnett after entering the guilty plea Dec The plea occurred after the county prosecutor's office amended the initial charge of involuntary manslaughter to aggravated assault and dropped an assault charge on which Alexander had been indicted The prosecutor's office did not return messages seeking comment An order signed by Hartnett indicates the reason for amending the indictment to the lesser offense was "serious provocation" from Lathen that was sufficient to incite Alexander to use deadly force was was found dead in the 200 block of Dewalt Avenue NW on Aug A worker at nearby George's Lounge reported finding him at 3:30 a.m neck and torso and bleeding in and around his brain Hartnett ordered Alexander to perform 100 hours of community service and complete a mental health assessment and follow its recommendations and aftercare plan Alexander was the only person charged in connection with Lathen's death August 2022: Canton police investigate after 36-year-old found dead in downtown parking lot Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.On X Seven-year-old Lathen Hairr's family is in the business of baking cakes as well as croissants filled with yummy things such as lemon custard and Bavarian cream But none of those things can top the sweetness of the cookie cake the youngster himself made Sweetest of all was the donation Lathen made last week to Fayetteville Urban Ministry "He likes to help out,'' said Lathen's dad As well as Lathen's mom Hollie can remember it all started over the summer on one of those school break days when nothing much was going on "I think he was probably bored,'' she said So Lathen hung out for awhile at Burney's Sweets & More the business just off Raeford Road that the Hairrs own along with friends Jana and Chip Humphrey So he came up with the idea of a chocolate chip cookie cake complete with an American flag made of frosting on top "I wanted to give it to the homeless so they wouldn't starve,'' he said Why not put the cake up for auction on the Burney's Sweets & More Facebook page and the money raised would go to those in need a second-grader at Riverside Christian Academy He's a really good big brother to his 5-year-old sister Lila and also enjoys playing flag football But he's always had a talent for something else to: helping others "My boy has a heart of gold,'' Jason Hairr wrote on the Facebook post announcing the contest Lathen came by his heart of gold naturally With both their businesses — they also own Southern Coals barbecue catering business with the Humphreys — they rarely miss a chance to lend a hand they've helped feed those in need on holidays and during emergency situations Everyone seemed to love getting in on the idea But it turns out he wasn't about to stop there "Nobody was going to beat his Uncle Jeff Hairr,'' Hollie Hairr said By the time others chipped in with donations and Burney's display cases filled with pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes they decided on Fayetteville Urban Ministry as the recipient of the donation "He's sweet,'' Hollie Hairr said of her son Kim Hasty can be reached at 486-3591 or khasty@fayobserver.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Oregonian/OregonLive SportsView full sizeMultnomah County Sheriff's OfficeLathen WallaceFormer who is 23 and graduated from Jefferson High School a spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau said Wallace's family members called police because of his erratic behavior Wallace was being held down by members of his family according to sports information director Steve Fenk said late Friday that the family called 9-1-1 expecting an ambulance to arrive to take Wallace to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Miles said several Oregon State basketball coaches –- she did not know which ones –- had driven Wallace from Corvallis to Portland earlier in the week and helped check him into the hospital for evaluation Calls to OSU assistant head coach Doug Stewart asking for further explanation were not returned Friday Wallace had returned to his parents' home and was acting strangely according to the grandmother the police showed up and they took him out of here like he was a criminal Emergency dispatchers followed policy in sending police after Wallace’s family called  9-1-1 “Based on information we received that he was an adult male being physically restrained by relatives it’s dispatch protocol to have police go along with fire or ambulance,” he said Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson issued a statement about Wallace on Friday and did not mention anyone on his staff driving Wallace to a Portland hospital Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices We’re also inviting you - our audience - to share your thoughts Join us for a special Fifth Anniversary edition of "Broadband Breakfast Live Online," where we reflect on five years of broadband policy the broadband landscape has evolved dramatically—shaped by major policy shifts and the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic we’re bringing back top broadband experts who have previously appeared on Broadband Breakfast Live Online to discuss where broadband stood in 2019 vs and what could come next in the Trump administration Don’t miss this special edition as we look back at five years of broadband progress—and ahead to the future of connectivity Gary Wood is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) & Central Virginia Services Inc. (CVSI) dba Firefly Fiber Broadband (Firefly) Firefly is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVEC CVEC has established a reputation as a low cost high reliability electric distribution company The company has invested in infrastructure to address issues with inadequate capacity and outdated equipment as well as to install and leverage technology to increase efficiency and member satisfaction Jake Varn is an associate manager with Pew’s broadband access initiative He provides technical assistance to state broadband offices through Pew’s broadband education and training initiative Varn served as a policy analyst for the National Governors Association and for the Bipartisan Policy Center Varn holds a bachelor’s degree in history and international relations from the University of Iowa Brian Vo is the Chief Investment Officer for Connect Humanity a non-profit impact investor providing structured credit to broadband projects serving low-income and rural communities Brian was with McKinsey & Company's Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice and Macquarie's Private Equity Group He serves on the Board of Public Knowledge Rory Conaway is an entrepreneur and technology expert with over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and wireless industry He is the founder and CEO of Triad Wireless a leading wireless network engineering and consulting company based in Phoenix Conaway began his career in the early 1990s as a telecommunications engineer and has since become a recognized authority in wireless network design He is a graduate of the DeVry Institute of Technology and has worked on diverse projects including designing wireless networks for major corporations and government agencies.  Based in Phoenix he has just sold Triad Wireless to Wi-Fiber and has assumed the role of CTO with Wi-Fiber Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008 he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois Already have an account? Sign in LEWISTON - Lewiston High School's girl's soccer team shines with multiple players earning top honors in the Inland Empire League Avery Lathen was named "League MVP," while Allison Olson and Taylor Musser secured spots on the 1st team Coach Scott Wimer was honored with the title of "Coach of the Year." let's take a closer look at the athletes and their coach Avery compiled a record-setting 29 goals and five assists earning the recognition of 5A Inland Empire League Most Valuable Player this season Avery is an extremely talented soccer player and one of the most dynamic forwards in the state She played a vital role in their offensive attack and helped their team meet some key goals Allison has played an integral part in the Lewiston's girls soccer success She's technically excellent and consistently makes big saves Ali earned a spot on the 5A Inland Empire League All 1st team as the best goalkeeper and graduates this year with a 4.0 GPA Ali is certainly a contender as one of the best goalkeepers in the state Asia Roberts is by far one of the best defenders in the state of Idaho With the exception of large physical stature she has all of the attributes of an ideal center defender and her physicality is unmatched to go up against the best forwards; she is extremely fast which allowed her to score 1 goal and 1 assist another this season Asia earned a spot on the 5A Inland Empire League All 1st team as a defender it may seem like Brynn is either not working hard or not doing anything out of the ordinary; however cutting out dangerous situations before they even happen she maintains composure to connect passes out of the back she has the amazing ability to read the ball out of the air and win the majority of them Brynn ended the season with three goals and six assists her most impressive performance was in the district championship against Lake City; Brynn scored their first goal with a header and assisted their second with a cross back into the six She was on her way to the goal when she was taken out of the game on a vicious side tackle in the 66th minute just outside the 18 Her other goals came against a tight defense in 4A state champions Sandpoint and defensive senior-equipped Moscow Brynn earned a spot on the 5A Inland Empire League All 1st team as a midfielder Taylor played an integral part of Lewiston's success in several different positions throughout the year Taylor is extremely technically proficient but her physicality and toughness set her apart from other players She has a strong presence in the backfield and is often fearless in taking on opponents Taylor is well recognized for her ability and desire to head the ball which led to the go-ahead goal against Lake City in the 72 minute for their first win over the Timberwolves in years Taylor had two goals and two assists on the season Coach Wimer leads the Lady Bengals on a journey through the most successful season for the program since 2010 The Bengals 11-5-3 were crowned Inland Empire League conference champions for the first time in 13 years set a program record of 65 goals (previously 51) in a season ended the season ranked 7th in 5A by MaxPreps ranking beat Lake City twice in the regular season (program 1st) and finished with over ten wins for only the second time in the past decade "I was so lucky to have such an amazing group of distinguished ladies There are so many players worthy of recognition on this team and deserving of credit for all their hard work For most of the season we ran a tight roster of 13-14 players and they all played a vital role to our great success 12 of the 13 positions players score at least one goal this season and that is truly remarkable I am so proud of each and everyone of them I am honored to be their coach and for this award Congratulations to these talented athletes and their dedicated coach Tatu City now attracts some two-thirds of foreign investment into Kenya Would you like to receive our daily news? Signup today there are no recent results for popular commented articles Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: business-to-business negotiations between internet providers and pole owners communications providers have butted heads with utilities over the right to attach wires to their poles.  By the time I took over as Chief of the FCC’s Cable Services Bureau in 1998 under President Bill Clinton cable was evolving from an analog TV service to a digital “fat pipe” for the nascent internet This transition required access to utility poles Recognizing the monopoly power pole owners exercise Congress passed the 1978 Pole Attachment Act and the 1996 Telecommunications Act which required owners to provide pole access to cable and telecommunications providers at reasonable rates reduced barriers to entry and gave rise to the robust video offerings and internet services that consumers enjoy today as states get ready to kick off the most ambitious taxpayer-funded rural broadband buildout in history pole attachment challenges are again rearing their head – and posing a very serious threat to the success of the $42 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program As I saw firsthand from my seat at the FCC pole attachment laws are patchy at best.  Rural electric co-ops and municipal utilities are exempted entirely; the FCC has no authority to compel them to share space on their poles with broadband providers states have opted out of FCC pole rules altogether choosing to instead regulate pole owners under a patchwork of state rules.  Even where pole attachment obligations are clearly spelled out by law smaller rural utilities may simply lack the capacity and resources to process the BEAD-induced flood of pole attachment requests heading their way.  And some larger pole owners – who could easily cooperate – instead choose to hold up projects for leverage until broadband companies (and their customers) agree to pay for long-overdue maintenance and pole replacements The bipartisan infrastructure bill’s $42 billion BEAD program is about to force these long-simmering frustrations into a full-on crisis President Biden touted BEAD as a roadmap to bring high-speed broadband to every American by 2030.  But if providers can’t get timely access to rural utility poles then they may miss contractually mandated construction deadlines which in turn may cause forfeiture of part or all of their BEAD grant.  Meanwhile rural Americans still waiting for high-speed internet service will be left to wait even longer even $42 billion in taxpayer funding won’t be able to deliver on the Biden-Harris promise of “Internet for All” if pole access squabbles eat up years of time and burn through billions of dollars business-to-business negotiations between internet providers and pole owners aimed at expeditiously resolving this decades-old impediment to broadband deployment.  All parties lose if this roadblock is not removed—especially rural Americans there’s also still time for policymakers to take measures to reduce this risk before BEAD dollars start flowing in earnest next year.  The FCC already has an active rulemaking underway looking at this issue Commissioners should seize this opportunity to set concrete timelines for pole owners to respond to the kind of large-scale pole attachment requests that will be commonplace as BEAD ramps up.  Clear rules – with timely enforcement for those who break them – will help give pole owners stronger incentives to play ball in expediting broadband buildouts NTIA could help by requiring any rural co-ops and municipal utilities that apply for BEAD funding to agree to follow the FCC’s pole regulations.  Better yet Congress could just eliminate the special interest loophole that exempts municipalities and co-ops from any obligation to let broadband network builders onto their poles at least for BEAD purposes.  States that regulate pole attachments directly should mirror this change holding all pole owners to the same standard.  After all municipalities and co-ops together own a disproportionate share of the poles in the unserved rural areas BEAD hopes to wire for broadband.  the billions of dollars that lawmakers have already committed to rural broadband just won’t produce the promised results.  Policymakers can’t let BEAD’s potential for progress and opportunity crumble into a cautionary tale of failure and waste Deborah Lathen is a telecommunications and media regulatory expert and the former Chief of the FCC’s Cable Services Bureau (now the Media Bureau) This Expert Opinion is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC Two enterprising youngsters sell lemonade to raise money for homeless kids.FAYETTEVILLE NC (WTVD) -- Two children in Cumberland County are selling lemonade to help homeless kids in their community They're using the money to buy book bags and school supplies made their own sign and had their little lemonade cups and they even started drawing pictures and selling pictures for a nickel," said Jason Hairr the father of the two enterprising youngsters For two hours a day during the course of two weeks the pair got to work and sold lemonade for $1 a cup "They don't have school supplies They don't have anything to play with "We need to get money so we can get school supplies so they can have a good life The children earned $350 and they're already making plans to make more money next year but add more stuff like cupcakes and cookies The one-and-done convenience of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine made it a go-to for many nonprofits and congregations hoping to get their communities protected against COVID-19. But after the vaccine was briefly paused in the spring there has been hesitancy among those organizations to offer the J&J vaccine Community advocate Lorraine Lathen is a member of St Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church on Milwaukee’s Northside She said the church has served as a COVID-19 testing center and vaccination site throughout the pandemic and used the J&J vaccine because its single dose was ideal for the congregation’s population But when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S Food and Drug Administration recommend pausing the use of the vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots “A lot of work was put in just to build the confidence (in the vaccine),” Lathen said “We felt like we made a lot of progress and now we feel like we have to rebuild that progress.“ Mark now offers the J&J and Pfizer vaccines And Lathen noted that most people prefer the Pfizer vaccine Those preferences are reflected in the state’s data on vaccine administration According to the state Department of Health Services only 219,834 doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered there have been about 2.2 million doses of Moderna and 2.9 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered to Wisconsinsites since December health departments across the country are finding themselves with more J&J vaccine than they can use the health department has 1,147 J&J vaccine doses that will expire Aug Tau said the county is seeing success in administering the J&J vaccine at several mobile clinics where people don’t want to worry about setting up a second shot “The percentage breakdown between Pfizer and J&J varies from clinic to clinic,” Tau said. “I’m sure there is still some hesitancy, especially with women under the age of 50 but there is a demand for it as well.” who heads the Greenfield Health Department outside of Milwaukee said in the next few weeks about 200 doses of J&J vaccine would expire “We have exhausted all options of trying to get rid of the vaccine,” Rausch said Rausch said his department prepared for a long drawn out vaccine campaign through the end of June but in May there was “a precipitous drop in vaccinations given on a weekly basis.” “It’s really just an unfortunate situation that we are flush with vaccine now so unfortunately will have some waste here but we continue to give it to anyone who comes in,” Rausch said director of medical services at the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management said every vaccinator is worried about waste “The strategy at (the) state and local level is to not waste any vaccine,” Weston said “It’s to look for an opportunity to get someone vaccinated or protected.” Vaccinators recieved good news from the makers of the J&J vaccine last week a FDA review concluded the shots would remain safe and effective for six weeks after their current expiration date the FDA authorized the vaccine for up to three months when stored at normal refrigeration levels now the J&J vaccine can be used for four and a half months the state had about 30,000 to 40,000 doses of the J&J vaccine “Now that the expiration date has been extended to August we expect vaccinators who have supplies of the vaccine on hand to use them or share them with other vaccinators in need,” she said Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsAmanda Batchelor Jeff Weinsier Terrell Forney MIAMI – Authorities have confirmed that three people have been arrested after illegally selling a plot of land owned by an elderly woman which has been owned by her family for more than a century Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle identified the suspects during a Friday news conference as Otis Lathen Powell Shantel Vennissa Chang and Jason Webley Sr Fernandez Rundle said they were arrested in Broward County and are charged with money laundering conspiracy to commit organized scheme to defraud and fraudulent use of personal identification information “I am deeply hurt that someone would do this to me,” Shirley Gibson told Local 10 News last month My grandfather purchased this in the early 1900s.” the 86-year-old Gibson said she doesn’t mind being the poster child of elderly exploitation if it allows others to avoid a similar situation to be cognizant of what’s going on,” she said Gibson is a descendent of early Bahamian settlers turned pioneers of Coconut Grove A family that has kept several properties in its name for more than a century including the 5,000-square-foot lot that was handed down to Gibson “I would like to have a legacy to leave to my niece and my nephew and my family,” she said When she showed up to pay the annual tax bill last month she was told it had already been paid by a new owner which was prepared by an Aventura title company and notarized by a licensed notary two months prior she showed her driver’s license and signed this warranty deed which we know she did not,” Gibson’s attorney a company whose address comes back to a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn a second property in West Grove that is owned by Gibson was also listed for sale without her knowledge Fernandez Rundle said the South Florida title company and the buyer were also victims in the scheme and the title company suffered a loss of $230,000 though it could take some time to clear up all the paperwork The state attorney’s office says it is going to create a task force to deal with these types of problems in the future As for how others can prevent this from happening homes without a mortgage are more susceptible because it provides less red tape for criminals Experts suggest monitoring the property appraiser’s website every three months or so to check for anything suspicious and setting up a fraud alert with the credit bureaus They are trained to alert people about matters like these Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Closed Captioning / Audio Description Contact Us Careers at WPLG Terms of Use Privacy Policy Public File FCC Applications EEO Report Do Not Sell My Info 1.0 Host Exhibit Copyright © 2025 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC. 2025 – Advocates for racial diversity and equity in the telecommunications industry expressed shock and confusion about how to reconcile recent Trump administration orders with longstanding practice and law but legal mandates for the telecommunications industry experts said during a Federal Communications Bar Association session Tuesday panelists warned that the rollback of DEI initiatives threatens decades of progress to ensure diversity in leadership and equity in communications Several panelists pointed to the telecom sector’s unique position Principles of equity are grounded in foundational laws like the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 vice president of strategic alliances and external affairs at T-Mobile emphasized that DEI principles aren’t just modern buzzwords but were deeply rooted in constitutional amendments – including the 13th “It’s enshrined in the statute,” Odom emphasized “We can’t read it out of existence — it is there.” The Communications Act requires that telecommunications services be made available “so far as possible without discrimination on the basis of race The Telecommunications Act of 1996 reaffirmed principles of equity by emphasizing universal access to telecommunications services And the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 explicitly prohibited digital discrimination – based on income or geography – in the rollout of broadband infrastructure.  FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced sweeping changes to align the FCC with the Trump administration’s executive order to dismantle DEI initiatives across federal agencies.  although it is under review by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Carr’s announcement included a detailed plan to rescind the FCC’s 2022 Equity Action Plan disband the Communications Equity and Diversity Council and eliminate DEI priorities from the agency’s strategic plans very difficult line here between what is required of him by law for the FCC and what is dictated to him from the White House,” said Deborah Lathen president of Lathen Consulting and former chief of the FCC’s Cable Services Bureau Carr must navigate the political reality of serving under an administration that has openly criticized DEI as discriminatory and wasteful Carr’s legal obligations as FCC chairman are rooted in law and policy emphasizing equity the FCC has long pursued policies that promote diversity and inclusion These include the FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity rules which ensure that broadcast license holders comply with diverse hiring practices Historical programs like the Minority Tax Certificate Program (1978-1995) and the Designated Entity Rules for Spectrum Auctions created pathways for minority- and women-owned businesses to participate in telecom ownership and spectrum allocation.  the panel’s conversations reflected a growing tension between the historical intent of DEI — ensuring equal opportunity and addressing systemic inequities — and what they called its increasingly politicized framing.  Panelists pointed to the Trump administration’s recent executive order as a pivotal moment with its rhetoric labeling DEI initiatives as “woke” and “Marxist ideology.” The shift recasts equity and inclusion as controversial and even exclusionary Odom pointed to a stark contrast between today’s rhetoric and the Republican Party’s approach to diversity and inclusion in the past He quoted former FCC Republican Chairman Michael Powell “It is essential that we promote greater inclusiveness in our media and communications delivery sectors.”  this has not historically been a controversial area of public policy,” Odom said The Trump White House may force agencies like the FCC to reevaluate long-standing commitments The bill would codify the USDA’s existing Broadband Technical Assistance Program. At International Telecoms Week, public and private leaders discussed how they choose where, and whether, to build. Other broadband resources are doing the job, White House said Operators turn to gas and coal to meet data’s power demands. and High School On SI has scores for every team and classification Keep track of Oregon high school boys basketball scores below Oregon high school boys basketball scores  CLASS 6A CLASS 5A  CLASS 4A CLASS 3A  CLASS 2A  CLASS 1A  2024-25 OREGON BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULES: FIND YOUR TEAM  Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school boys basketball season for Live Updates the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school boys basketball news To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App -- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi ANDY VILLAMARZOAndy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007 writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER CO — The Cherokee Metropolitan District held a ceremony Tuesday morning to celebrate the expansion of its wastewater facility The district provides water to the Cimarron Hills area just east of Colorado Springs. The expanded plant is the nation's largest municipal membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater treatment facility of its kind This is also the United States ' largest high-recovery reverse osmosis treatment plant What makes this plant unique is its efficiency and sustainability through returning water to the aquifer for further use that cleaned water or "effluent" is placed in rapid infiltration basins (RIBs) allowing for cleaned water to seep back into the aquifer to be reused as drinking water at a later time This sustainable method is different from traditional water treatment plants where effluent would be discharged into a river or stream not allowing for recapture at a later date The metropolitan district says this plant will help guarantee safe drinking water for their customers for many years to come "This water is so clean that it can be used again in the future if it's needed resilient project and it is the only one in the state of Colorado with this type of pre-filtration system General Manager-Cherokee Metropolitan District The Cherokee Metro District provides water to more than 40,000 customers The project had a $45 million price tag and the Cherokee Metropolitan District sold bonds in 2020 to help pay for the project The district also said that 45.8% of the annual obligations for the project came from the Meridian Service Metropolitan District while Cherokee paid the rest Residential customers pay a restricted surcharge of just over $7 a month to support the project Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV, and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5 Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker and won a state tournament berth off an own goal by the Lewiston Bengals in the 90th minute of a sudden-death overtime soccer match Tuesday at Walker Field “Both teams fought real hard,” Lewiston coach Scott Wimer said “Both knew what was on the line here — getting the playoff berth straight into State This is a key element that a team wants to win it’s unfortunate that it didn’t go our way but our girls fought hard and Lake City is a great team.” 5-2) took advantage of Lewiston’s miscue at the end of the match the home team took advantage of some mistakes from the visitors The Bengals in the first half drove the ball several times into the Timberwolves’ side of the pitch With both teams in the penalty box and shoving for position Brynn Wimer got the ball through the net on a header to put Lewiston (11-4-3 Lake City wasted no time responding and Chloe Burkholder managed to sneak a shot under the outstretched side of Lewiston goalkeeper Allison Olson to even up the score at 1-all in the 13th In a goal that played out similarly to the first with both sides scrambling for position in the penalty box Jessa Hartwig scored after Brynn Wimer passed it to her off a Timberwolves’ deflection to put the Bengals up 2-1 in the 27th minute The rest of the half played out without another goal and Lewiston went into halftime with momentum and up by one goal The Timberwolves ramped up their defensive efforts in the second half and controlled the time of possession for most of the 40-minute period The Bengals scrambled to find an opportunity to score and put the match out of reach for the visitors Eva Steele passed the ball past her defender to a sprinting Lathen for a potential one-on-one opportunity with Lake City goalkeeper Acaja-Lyn Scott in the 51st minute The pass put the ball too far in front of Lathen and the home team missed a chance to go up two goals The Timberwolves continued to apply their defensive pressure and maintained possession until Gabbie Henkle found the net on an assist from Taylor Miller to tie the match up 2-2 Both teams had penalty kick opportunities in the final 26 minutes of regulation to try and take the lead but none of the attempts were successful and the match went to sudden-death overtime “We were a little more patient with the ball on the back line,” Lake City coach Matt Ruchti said “We just started to play the ball a little more direct instead of short passes you have to skip the midfield and go straight to the frontline to cause more goal-scoring opportunities I thought in the second half our backline and our centers did a really great job keeping the momentum going forward.” Before the 10-minute overtime period started the Lewiston students in attendance tried to hype up the players with renditions of Keyshia Cole’s “Love” and Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls.” Maybe it’s a stretch to say the dulcet tones of the Bengal faithful helped the home team out Lewiston played more aggressively in overtime and disrupted Lake City’s residency of the ball with several attacking opportunities Olson saved a potential Timberwolves score in the 84th minute with a slide kick and the defense forced Lake City’s Emily Medina to bounce a shot off the crossbar Medina had a penalty kick opportunity facing nearly straight-on to the goal a Bengals player attempted to block the shot The ball ricocheted off her leg into the net to give the Timberwolves a 3-2 overtime win a berth to state and the district championship trophy I’d rather it be this way instead of a shut-out or something like that,” Wimer said so hopefully we can regroup and still make our playoff berth.” The Bengals’ last chance to punch a ticket to the Idaho Class 5A state championship tournament will be against either Mountain View Lake City — Chloe Burkholder (Riley Brazle) Saves — Lake City: Acaja-Lyn Scott 3; Lewiston: Allison Olson 14 tkowatsch@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch AchieversOklahomanThree metro-area teens have earned the rank of Eagle Scout the highest rank within the Boy Scouts of America program is a member of Troop 168 chartered to Chapel Hill United Methodist Church under the direction of Scoutmaster Daniel Kemp Talon demonstrated leadership to others in a service project benefiting White Fields Boys Home where he oversaw the construction and installation of a Lifeguard chair for the indoor pool Talon believes Scouting prepares young adults for life and helps create long-lasting friendships Talon attends Putnam City North High School and is a Francis Tuttle Ambassador is a member of Troop 685 chartered to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Edmond under the direction of Scoutmaster Nathan Davis Brayden demonstrated leadership to others in a service project benefiting Mark Twain Elementary School in Oklahoma City His project was to manage the construction and installation of raised flowerbeds for the school When learning of Mark Twain Elementary School's desire to have raised butterfly gardens Brayden began working closely with teacher Karen Macway building the raised beds and planting native flowering plants to attract butterflies.Brayden is a straight A student at Edmond Santa Fe High School where he plays the French Horn in marching band He is an avid sportsman and enjoys fishing and his three older brothers have each received the rank of eagle He is a member of Troop 792 chartered to the First Presbyterian Church in Norman under the direction of Scoutmaster Dan Wacker Lathen demonstrated leadership to others in a service project benefiting Whittier Middle School His project was to manage the construction and installation of five benches for the school’s playground Lathen is a member of the National Honor Society and the varsity football and baseball teams His favorite memory of Scouting is fishing backpacking and kayaking in Alaska with his Troop please email achievement announcements and photos to LLynn@Oklahoman.com Local breaking news delivered as it happens News headlines delivered at 7:00 am Monday - Friday News headlines delivered at Noon Monday - Friday News headlines delivered at 4:00 pm Monday - Friday Weather forecast delivered at 9:00 am daily Germany -- A high-tech train that floats on powerful magnetic fields smashed into a maintenance car on an elevated test track Friday killing 23 people and injuring 10 -- the first fatalities on a maglev train was to blame for putting the maintenance vehicle on the track at the same time as the Transrapid train The train was moving at 125 mph but can reach speeds of up to 270 mph The speeding train's low nose scooped up the maintenance car hurling it against the front and along the roof of the sleek Rescuers had to climb fire ladders and use cranes to reach the 13-foot-high track to clear debris and retrieve the dead and injured Seats and other wreckage were left strewn beneath the track Maglev trains -- short for magnetic levitation -- use powerful magnets that allow the train to skim along its guideway without touching it which floats about half an inch on a cushion of magnetism a joint venture between Siemens AG and ThyssenKrupp AG built in 1985 near the northwestern towns of Doerpen and Kathen consists of two loops connected by a long straightaway It is operated by Munich-based IABG mostly as an exhibition aimed at showing off Germany's maglev technology Aboard the train that crashed were Transrapid employees workers from a nursing care company and people from local utility RWE The Chinese city of Shanghai has the world's only commercially operating maglev train Officials in Germany are studying the possibility of a line between Munich and its airport Japan has been experimenting for years with a maglev line that has clocked a record top speed of 361 mph German prosecutors seized records of the radio communications on the train line and were examining Friday's crash was used to check the tracks and clear them of branches and other debris IABG employees told The Associated Press the track's control center must get an all-clear that the maintenance vehicle is out of the way before starting the train They spoke anonymously because they were not permitted to talk publicly about the information said the accident was the result of human error the accident was not caused by a technical failure Chancellor Angela Merkel abandoned a public policy conference in Berlin and arrived at the scene by helicopter "I want to show that I am with them," she said Merkel declined to talk about what effect the accident would have on Germany's maglev technology industry which she worked to promote during a trip to China in May she rode the maglev train that links Shanghai's Pudong International Airport with the city's financial district But she added that "at this point I don't see any connection with the technology "I remain convinced that this is a safe travel technology," he told broadcaster ZDF Maglev supporters contend that the trains are nearly impossible to derail because they wrap around the guideway and have no wheels A broken wheel was blamed for Germany's worst train accident at Eschede in 1998 in which 101 people died Instead it came to rest on the track itself The idea of magnetic levitation dates to the 1890s conceived the idea and worked for 20 years on its application to a train A model of a maglev train received much public attention in 1914 when it was demonstrated in London where photographs show Winston Churchill and other government officials viewing it the technology has still not caught on even as high-speed service with conventional trains has expanded Concerns include the cost of the new tracks and the amount of electricity the trains use at high speed The technology's image was not helped by a fire that broke out in an electrical storage compartment aboard Shanghai's magnetic levitation train as it was headed toward the city's international airport Aug generating large amounts of smoke but causing no injuries Transrapid expressed "shock and sadness" over the crash which Osnabrueck police spokeswoman Andrea Menke said killed 23 people and injured 10 said it was the first time that he was aware of a crash of a magnetic levitation train "I have to believe that this is not a malfunction of the technology but a communications breakdown" between the operators and the maintenance personnel