SAN FRANCISCO -- Worldwide, only 65% of women have a bank account, compared with 72% for men, so as we celebrate National Businesswoman's Week later this month, community development financial institutions are working to even the playing field.

Many of those institutions specialize in making loans to under-banked groups.

Ebony Perkins, director of investor relations for Self-Help Credit Union, said her organization has loaned $3.25 billion dollars to women over the past 40 years. And 43% of the Paycheck Protection Program dollars they distributed went to companies run by women of color.

"Our mission is to provide economic opportunity for all people," Perkins stated. "And historically in America, women have been underserved and kept out of the financial conversations."

According to the International Finance Corporation, there is a financing gap of $300 billion dollars for formal, female-owned small businesses. In addition, financial services are limited or out of reach for more than 70% of female-owned companies.

Nuray Ozbay, investment associate for Self Help Federal Credit Union in San Francisco, said her division lent almost $410 million to 17,000 women in California since 2008. She pointed out some women can have a hard time qualifying for a loan.

"Women's ownership of land or home or that type of asset is lower than men," Ozbay explained. "Hence, they have larger barriers in access to lending."

Malea Chavez, executive director of the Women's Building, a nonprofit in San Francisco which helps women get ahead, said during the pandemic, women took on the bulk of the caregiving, which kept millions out of the workforce.

"It's much more challenging for them to prove their working records, to have access to credit, to be able to qualify for loans, to be able to start a business," Chavez outlined. "All of those things are just more challenging because they have less access to the experience that's needed to qualify."

Many community development financial institutions provide free counseling to help clients take charge of their financial future.

Thousands of wireless transmitters could pop up across unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County in the next few years if the Board of Supervisors approves an ordinance at its meeting tomorrow.

The ordinance sets height standards and requires camouflage but also makes it possible to approve them without a public hearing.

Brenda Martinez, a volunteer with FiberFirstLA and a Los Angeles resident, said community members should have a say in where small-cell wireless boxes are placed.

"If you have a light post right in front of your house, they might place it there; you will have no say," Martinez noted. "The way they usually do it now is that you will be notified, they have to have a hearing, they have to give you a chance to appeal. None of that will happen. "

The county has not updated its rules for wireless in decades, so officials say the change is badly needed and is intended to help close the digital divide by ramping up faster internet to underserved communities. The Supervisors gave preliminary approval three weeks ago, so if it passes again, it would take effect next month.

Currently, the county requires a conditional-use permit with public input on each wireless transmitter.

Bruce Durbin, supervising regional planner in the county's Department of Regional Planning, said it has become problematic because the Federal Communications Commission requires government agencies to approve or deny them within two months.

"A conditional-use permit in California requires 30-days public notice, a public hearing in front of the commission," Durbin explained. "And to be able to approve that all within 60 days, it's impossible."

Martinez emphasized she worries about possible fire hazards from the wiring in the boxes, and about the health effects of radiofrequency radiation coming from the boxes. Durbin pointed out the county is not allowed to weigh in on the safety of the equipment.

"I'm respectful of those concerns about the RF output," Durbin acknowledged. "But the fact is, the FCC forbids local agencies from considering those impacts. The thinking is that FCC has tested this equipment, and it complies with federal standards, and it has no place in the land-use regulation."

The wireless industry's trade association, the CTIA, did not respond by deadline but has argued for years that inconsistent, time-consuming rules for siting small-cell boxes is slowing the spread of high-speed internet.

W. Scott McCollough, an attorney who consults on telecom issues and works with FiberFirstLA, noted the wireless industry has supported similar fast-track ordinances all across the country.

"They find public involvement in their facility placement decision to be bothersome, and they want to get rid of it," McCollough asserted. "The main point is to dispense with notice and hearing and any environmental review. That's what it's all about."

McCollough added fiber-optic cable is much more secure and reliable compared to wireless and already has been laid in wealthier areas. He stressed companies are balking at extending fiber to homes in underserved communities because it's less profitable.

After the calendar flips to December, South Dakota will see the return of colder temperatures during a period of higher natural-gas costs. Fire officials say if you haven't already done so, now is an important time to make sure you have a safe heating source.

At the start of each winter season, home heating safety tips are often provided to prevent a fire.

Brandon Fey, fire inspector for Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, said some guidance is commonly known, such as keeping space heaters away from flammable items. But he added you also need to avoid overloaded circuits when powering up these units.

"They'll take either an extension cord or a power strip or a multi-plug, and they'll plug that device inside that power strip," Fey observed. "What happens then is that power strip can't handle the wattage, and then it overloads that power strip, and that power strip fails, and then you have a fire."

Fey explained you should plug portable heaters directly into an outlet. One way to avoid overreliance on secondary sources is to have your main heating system serviced. For those worried about the costs or affording higher heating bills, they can turn to a state program for financial assistance. Help can be found through calling 211 to determine if you're eligible.

Fey emphasized people should completely avoid using an oven to heat their home, because leaving the door open for a long period can lead to a dangerous situation.

"Things can fall inside that oven, the oven can overheat. Things around the oven, like cupboards, are not meant to have that type of heat put onto them," Fey outlined. "They can start on fire. "

For renters who have a landlord unwilling to fix a broken heating system, Fey noted cities such as Sioux Falls have ordinances requiring property owners to maintain mechanical items. Local laws typically offer guidance on how to proceed if the landlord is not following up with needed repairs.

The holiday shopping season is here, and people are being reminded about the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses, in Wisconsin and elsewhere.

A recent Global State of Small Business Report, issued by social media company Meta, notes the closure rate for minority-led small firms was 7% higher than other operations. And more than half led by Black owners reported lower sales than the previous year.

Trinity Rush, assistant event coordinator with the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, said there's still an uneven recovery from the pandemic. She said by helping these businesses, they can have stronger communities and inspire others to follow suit.

"When you talk to people, [or] you do business with people as the same background as you," said Rush, "you can have that moment to educate them in the way that can relate, that you can more get in tune with them."

Rush has her own business called Trin-setter, which sells beanies and hats designed to protect a person's hairstyle.

She said her product has cultural significance for the Black community, although it's useful for other customers as well.

Since the racial reckoning, there are calls for consumers and larger companies to be more inclusive in retail and other forms of business.

Rush said stronger support for Black-owned businesses, especially those still struggling, coincides with any progress in making their communities more vibrant, such as better access to health coverage.

She said she hopes shoppers keep this in mind when they're planning their purchases.

"Now would be a time to come back and support them and help them," said Rush, "you know, get back up and running and just, you know, feed their dreams."

Just 2.5% of businesses in the U.S. are Black-owned, even though nearly 13% of the country's population is Black.