The Appalachian Regional Commission has announced its 2022 POWER grant awards, and Garrett County Maryland is on the list.

The POWER program focuses on communities in Appalachia affected by coal-related job losses. This year's grants totaled $47 million and went to a variety of projects throughout the Appalachian region.

Garrett County won $435,000 dollars for expansion of broadband internet service to hundreds of homes in the county.

Cheryl DeBerry, broadband and energy manager for Garrett County, said they will be using the grant to help reach homes and communities far from existing broadband infrastructure.

"In places where our providers can't make money by extending to homes, we are trying to do things like digging or boring for them to install the conduit to reach the homes or businesses they're trying to reach, to help offset their costs," DeBerry explained.

She estimates there are 6,000 homes in the county without broadband service.

The Appalachian Regional Commission was founded in the 1960s as a federal-state partnership to help promote economic growth among the 423 counties in the region.

DeBerry noted the benefit of the commission's funding model is projects originate from within the communities themselves.

"The good thing about ARC is the requests come from the people who know what is needed in their specific community," DeBerry pointed out. "It's not the federal government coming in and saying, 'Thou shalt build a road here.' It's the people who are here saying, 'We need a road here. Let's find the funding to do that.' "

The commission reported more than 19% of households in Appalachia lack broadband internet access.

Gayle Manchin, co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, said expanding broadband access is a top priority.

"Part of the mission of the ARC is to create equity, and to help eliminate the disparity," Manchin emphasized. "So certainly broadband is at the top of our list in terms of what we consider the new highway construction that needs to be completed throughout the Appalachian region."

A small Pennsylvania community is hoping Congress will remember the needs of rural areas as lawmakers negotiate the final, contentious debt ceiling deal.

Jamie Kinder, mayor of Meadville, said larger cities tend to get more attention and funding from federal and state governments, and small rural areas like hers are more likely to be left out. She added her town has benefited from Bipartisan Infrastructure Act dollars, which have funded projects and programs in the community.

Kinder contends federal funding for small, rural areas must continue.

"We have used that federal money; we bought a fire truck," Kinder pointed out. "That's what helped us be able to bring the EMS service into Meadville. We don't have a lot of money, we have no way of bringing in revenue for a city, right? They tie your hands at the state level. So, the only way you get money in a city is through property tax."

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Pennsylvania is expected to receive about $13.2 billion over five years in federal funding for highways and bridges. In Meadville, road resurfacing on one major street is part of more than $12.5 million in state work scheduled this year by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Kinder emphasized Meadville relies on funding from the federal government, noting her town's economic needs are just as great as those in larger cities and suburban areas.

"We are a small community of 13,000," Kinder said. "And just because we are small doesn't mean that our citizens aren't worth as much, right? So, we want to make sure that we're giving the same opportunities to rural places as we are big cities and urban places."

Kinder added the town has also received grants to purchase ambulances and equip the fire station and historic Market House with solar energy. Meadville has also created a climate action plan focusing on its future.

State grants could bring high-speed internet access to nearly 15,000 Washingtonians.

The State Broadband Office is awarding $121 million to 19 projects largely designed to ensure broadband for rural communities.

Director of the Washington State Broadband Office Mark Vasconi said an even greater number of communities will need to be served after this round of grants.

"We received over $300 million worth of requests," said Vasconi. "So, I think that shows the need that's out there and, frankly, we were glad that we were able to award the projects that we did."

The state has a goal of ensuring every Washingtonian has access to 150 megabits per second speed internet by 2028.

According to the latest Federal Communications Commission broadband map, 93% of Washingtonians have access to internet with speeds of at least 100 megabits per second.

Vasconi said internet availability will equalize access to services for the people who live in Washington.

"You have access to services, access to information that you otherwise would not have," said Vasconi. "It's really essential in order to conduct your daily life, whether that be health care information, educational information, banking information."

Funds are going to counties and electric co-ops - as well as the Spokane Tribe, which is receiving about $3.4 million. The state is funding the project with investments from the federal Coronavirus Capital Project Fund.




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Young farmers in the United States face extensive structural barriers affecting their mental health, according to a new survey from the National Young Farmers Coalition.

A lack of affordable health care and housing as well as access to land is taking a toll on farmers just starting their career, as well as farmers of color.

Jac Wypler, farmer mental-health director for the National Young Farmers Coalition, said mental decline can lead to poor decision-making and higher risk of injury.

"Farmer mental health truly can lead to farms being less viable," Wypler pointed out. "Farmers being less capable to do the work of the farm, as well as leaving the farming profession."

Wypler noted low pay for farmworkers and even food insecurity are also leading to farmer burnout. Advocates have created a bilingual mental health hotline for farmers at 1-800-FARM-AID and are cultivating a growing network of young farmer leaders working to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

The 2018 Farm Bill was the first to direct funding toward farmers' mental health and advocates are hoping the 2023 Farm Bill will offer even more.

Wypler acknowledged Americans' appreciation for farmers and the challenges they face grew during the pandemic, but stressed continued support is needed.

"A functioning healthy food system requires healthy farmers and farmworkers, and that includes their mental health," Wypler contended.

Cultivemos, a network for farmer and farmworker well-being in the Northeast, has regranted federal dollars to more than ninety organizations working to improve farmers' mental health through training and peer mentoring.


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