AUGUSTA, Maine -- A telephone cooperative in two depressed Kentucky counties may have found a good path to economic development in poor rural areas -- through super-fast broadband.

The Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative serves 18,000 people in Jackson and Owsley counties in Kentucky - one of the poorest areas in the country due to the collapse of coal mining. PRTC CEO Keith Gabbard said during the Great Recession, they moved to connect every home and business to the internet with gigabit-capable fiber.

He said it was very expensive, but it made possible a boom in tech support work with companies such as U-Haul and Apple.

"We've seen over 1,000 jobs created; work-from-home jobs," Gabbard said. "They have benefits. Some of these people are working for Apple, they're doing tech support for Apple. And all of them are paying more than a lot of the minimum-wage things that are available around here."

Gabbard said it cost $50 million, an average of $5,000 a mile, because it's especially expensive to wire the last mile to buildings. But he called it the best investment they've ever made. Along with the general improvement in the economy, broadband helped cut the unemployment rate by two-thirds -- from 16% at its peak to 5% now.

Like much of rural Maine, eastern Kentucky has suffered in recent years. Not only has it been hit by changes in the energy markets, it's also faced problems such as the opioid crisis.

Gabbard said areas with broadband tend to have better school test scores. And he said through telemedicine, they've been able to help local veterans skip the three-hour round trip to the nearest Veteran's Administration clinic in Lexington.

"We worked out a partnership with our local public library and we equipped a room," he said. "And now the veterans can actually have doctor appointments and go on there and talk to them via the computer."

About one-third of the money came from grants, 60% from loans and 10% from capital the co-op had saved, Gabbard said. He added that, with some help from their successful business as the local cell-service provider, the broadband venture has been able to meet its debt payments.


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Corrections officers and their supporters are rallying in Lansing today, urging lawmakers to stop stalling and act on bills to give them the same pension benefits as state police.

Under the legislation, corrections officers would move from a 401(k)-only plan to a hybrid pension system shared with state police, a step aimed at improving hiring and retention in the Corrections Department.

Byron Osborn, president of the Michigan Corrections Organization, said he questions the integrity of the legislative process and is frustrated the bills passed both chambers with bipartisan support last year but are still being withheld from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk.

"We believe 100% that this was an orchestration of sorts," Osborn contended. "We don't know who orchestrated it, or why. But the fact remains that nobody has offered up any reason as to why these bills still have not been sent to the governor."

Osborn noted the Senate filed a lawsuit against the House for not sending the bills to the governor and they are awaiting a Michigan Court of Appeals date. Meanwhile, Rep. Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, the Speaker of the House, said he is seeking a legal review before advancing bills passed in the previous session.

Osborn emphasized Michigan's corrections system has faced a staffing crisis for almost a decade and his organization has spent years working with lawmakers to fix the retirement plan for their officers. He warned the delay in passing the pension bills is hurting their recruitment efforts.

"We've got a number of our facilities running anywhere from 25% to 35% short, which as you can imagine is causing just a ton of mandatory overtime," Osborn pointed out. "It's causing more and more people to resign and find other jobs because they just can't keep up the pace and it's dangerous."

As of early this year, data showed the Michigan Department of Corrections had more than 2,200 job vacancies, including nearly a thousand corrections officer positions. The staffing shortage drove overtime costs to almost $120 million in fiscal year 2024.


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Minnesota labor groups said to keep the state's economy running, they need a more welcoming tone from policymakers. At a rally Tuesday, many members argued it is not what is happening under the Trump administration.

A coalition of unions gathered at the State Capitol as part of the "Hands Off" movement, which has led almost daily demonstrations in cities across the U.S. The events highlight the downsizing of federal agencies and aid since President Donald Trump returned to office.

Shari Wojtowicz, president of the Minnesota State Council of the Communications Workers of America, said it is not only about their members.

"Union rights are under attack but that means workers' rights in general are under attack," Wojtowicz asserted. "We just really wanna make sure that we're highlighting the fact that workers' rights are human rights."

The union pointed to the administration's handling of the National Labor Relations Board. The union said it is worried the board will not have the capacity to help oversee union elections, potentially slowing collective bargaining.

Some White House actions dealing with labor have wound up in the courts. The administration deems its moves necessary for government accountability and efficiency.

The union represents workers who install broadband infrastructure all over the country. State and federal investments are already providing the funding needed to close broadband gaps and Wojtowicz noted the next step is to ensure safe working conditions for crews.

"Companies got money to lay that infrastructure and in some instances, they're hiring subcontractors or contractors of contractors, so there's less oversight," Wojtowicz explained.

She added unions secured new training standards at the state level last year but in this year's legislative session, there have been attempts to roll back some of the language in the law. The unions said it is another reason why wider federal enforcement of labor protections is needed.


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At least 500 workers in Indiana's recreational vehicle industry are facing layoffs as the mobile home segment of the economy slows down and Gov. Mike Braun said now is the time to prepare.

He spoke at the RV Industry Power Breakfast in Elkhart and pointed to rising interest rates, tariffs and job losses as key factors in the RV slowdown. He said mobile home makers have survived hard times before and urged them to plan and stay lean.

"Perseverance, running your business like you're going broke, you'll never go broke," Braun asserted. "Because one of my relatives in the poultry business said, 'If you run it efficiently, you're going to find more opportunity coming out the other end of adversity than you can ever imagine.'"

Braun reflected on his own experience as a small-business owner during past economic crises and argued companies grow stronger by treating slowdowns as turning points.

While Braun expressed optimism, RV makers still face pressure. Job cuts, high supply costs and slow demand pose challenges.

"Everything we're going through is an opportunity to get through the trial and tribulation," Braun continued. "We'll get it right eventually in D.C. but I'm going to give you a state government that is going to be run like a business. It's going to stress freedom and opportunity, not contrived results from governments."

THOR-owned companies plan to cut jobs in Howe, Elkhart and Middlebury starting June 20. The RV maker, based in nearby Sturgis, Michigan, said the layoffs will affect several Indiana plants and may be temporary.