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Virginia
Major broadband funding to benefit rural Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) – July has been a big month for the effort to deliver universal broadband in Virginia.
Recent announcements from the state and federal governments promise major funding to complete the job.
Last week, the state awarded more than $40 million from the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative for 10 different projects serving 20 localities.
And the Biden administration approved Virginia’s initial proposal for more than $1.4 billion under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program.
“We are getting very close,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin told WDBJ7 in an interview Monday morning.
With the latest BEAD funding, Youngkin said the goal of bringing reliable high-speed internet to all Virginians is within reach.
“This is part of ‘the Virginia way,’ which is to make sure that everybody has full access to educational opportunities, to job opportunities and of course to life,” Youngkin said. “And the internet is incredibly important.”
Several localities in western Virginia applied for the latest VATI grants. And at least three in our area, Botetourt, Franklin and Rockbridge counties, received awards.
“We’ve got a lot of hand-climb poles, a lot of rock, a lot of terrain challenges, so yes we were very, very happy,” said Rockbridge County Administrator Spencer Suter Monday afternoon.
Suter said the VATI awards were especially sweet after unsuccessful applications in 2022 and 2023.
And he said the county hopes to benefit from the BEAD funding in the future.
“I would like for folks to know that we have never quit, and we won’t quit and we’re going to keep pushing until everybody has access to quality broadband,” Suter said.
The latest round of federal funding flows from the Biden administration’s infrastructure law that passed with bipartisan support almost three years ago.
The next step is to identify all of the remaining locations that lack access and are not part of any other broadband project.
The state hopes to begin accepting applications from service providers later this year.
Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – First responders never stop training, and this week almost 500 from across Virginia are honing their skills in Blacksburg.
The Virginia Association of First Responders now includes EMTs, firefighters, police officers and many others who answer the call in an emergency.
Thursday, a farm accident and a collision involving a car and school bus were just two of the scenarios they encountered.
“It’s a week-long opportunity, not only for technical stuff like this, but for medical classes,” said Covington Volunteer Rescue Squad member Greg Burton. “People call 911 every day for something. And we’re just here to help ease the problem a little bit.”
The annual conference also includes a Rescue Camp for young people with an interest in emergency services.
43 campers are taking part in a variety of activities, including a session on scuba diving Thursday afternoon.
Copyright 2026 WDBJ. All rights reserved.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A brush fire in a wooded area on Criollo Drive Wednesday afternoon was set by children playing with fire, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
Units with Virginia Beach Fire and Virginia Beach Police were dispatched to the 3700 block of Criollo Drive in reference to a report of a possible fire in a wooded area at approximately 5 p.m.
Upon arrival, crews saw light smoke coming from a wooded area. They quickly had the brush fire under control at 6:05 p.m. and marked out at 6:37 p.m.
There were no injuries reported to civilians, firefighters or pets.
A VBFD Fire Investigator determined that the fire was set by kids playing with fire.
There are no charges being filed currently.
For Navy Vice-Admiral Douglas Perry, you could say all roads, or waterways, lead to Hampton Roads.
“It is more than full circle,” said Perry, who noted he went to the first Harborfest downtown in 1976.
And when he saw those tall ships led by Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle, “I was sold. I wanted to go to sea. I wanted to be a naval officer.”
Link: https://www.wavy.com/living-local/50th-harborfest-weekend-more-than-full-circle-for-navy-vice-admiral/
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