On this West Virginia Morning, Sue and Stan Jennings for 30 years have run Allegheny Treenware, a company that makes wooden kitchen utensils. But they started off as a couple of coal miners. Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro has more.
A sweeping broadband bill recently passed by the West Virginia Legislature provides protections for current and future internet customers.
To properly disburse up to $2 billion for broadband service and extension, the new legislation sets requirements for all telecommunications carriers regarding the use of federal dollars.
Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, said the law mandates the mapping of environmental or historical infrastructure impacts when installing fiber optic cable below or above ground. It also safeguards customers from carriers passing on tax fees, charging for a paper bill instead of a digital bill or paying when service is out.
“In most other types of products and services, including power and water, there’s a major desire for the provider to get that back up and running,” Linville said. “Because they can’t make any money if the service isn’t working. And we wanted to apply that to broadband service as well.”
Linville hopes the 300,000 or so West Virginia households without broadband access will be connected in much less than the five year federal funding deadline.
A ceremony held Thursday morning in Charleston honored survivors of crimes and their advocates. The annual event featured remarks from U.S. Attorney Will Thompson.
On this West Virginia Morning, uncertainty about the future amidst a changing climate has given rise in recent years to a phenomenon known as "climate anxiety." Ahead of Earth Day Monday, Chris Schulz spoke with Amy Parsons-White, sustainability manager for Marshall University, to discuss this mental health issue and potential solutions.
A suggestion was made during the Joint Committee on Technology and Infrastructure interim meeting this week to create something similar to a Blue Ribbon Commission, focused on improving the state’s secondary roads.
...