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The Biden administration is capping the cost of internet for low-income Americans
By: Ayana Archie | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — The Biden administration says it will partner with internet providers to lower the cost of high-speed internet plans for low-income Americans, the White House announced Monday. The Affordable Connectivity Program will provide plans of at least 100 Megabits per second of speed for no more than $30. An estimated 48 million… Read More

A cooperative effort to bridge the digital divide with low-cost WiFi
By: PBS Newshour
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NewsHour) — A new community-owned internet cooperative is helping to bridge the digital divide for underserved New Yorkers by providing low cost wifi systems. The People’s Choice cooperative has five hubs in the Bronx and may expand to more New York housing complexes soon. NewsHour’s Laura Fong reports as part of their ongoing… Read More

The Senate Approves The $1 Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill In A Historic Vote
By: Kelsey Snell | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — The Senate voted 69-30 Tuesday to approve a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, a historic piece of legislation that could reshape American lives for decades. The measure fulfills a call from President Biden for the two major parties to work together to deliver one of his top priorities, but it faces an… Read More

Portman Says Infrastructure Bill Is Needed And Thinks It Is On Track For Passage
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Statehouse News Bureau) — After lots of back and forth, Ohio’s Republican U.S. Senator says he thinks the bipartisan infrastructure deal he’s been working on with President Biden’s administration will happen. U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) says he and fellow lawmakers in the bipartisan working group realize the need for money for roads and… Read More

Senate Republicans Release $928 Billion Infrastructure Counteroffer
By: Kelsey Snell | NPR
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The move comes days after President Biden offered to lop off $550 billion from his original proposal, moving the two sides closer than they have ever been, though significant challenges remain.

Biden Lowers The Price Of The Infrastructure Plan, But Differences With The GOP Remain
By: Scott Detrow | Tamara Keith | NPR
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Biden has offered to slash his initial proposal by $550 billion. But the lead Senate Republican negotiator says it’s still “well above the range of what can pass Congress with bipartisan support.”

With Infrastructure Funding On Horizon, Beleaguered Martin County Looks To Raise Water Rates Again
By: Katie Meyers | Ohio Valley ReSource
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In December, Kathy Fletcher, a lifelong Martin County, Kentucky, resident and mother, found her water was shut off. When it came back on, something was wrong with it. Fletcher remembers that after she showered, her skin and nails felt completely dried out. The water smelled acrid, like chemicals. For years, Fletcher has been frustrated by… Read More

West Virginia Unions Pressure Manchin To Back Biden On Infrastructure Plan
By: Don Gonyea | NPR
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In an evenly divided Senate, the moderate Democrat is key to passing President Biden’s massive infrastructure and jobs proposal. Now he’s facing pressure from unions back home to support the measure.

Here’s What’s In President Biden’s $2 Trillion Infrastructure Proposal
By: Scott Detrow | Tamara Keith | NPR
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The proposal would overhaul roads, transit, utilities, Internet access and more in the name of creating jobs. It’s also intended to combat climate change, racial inequality and competition from China.

Building A Big Infrastructure Plan, Biden Starts With A Bridge To Republicans
By: Mara Liasson | NPR
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The president promised to “build back better” after dealing with the pandemic. He also said he could work with Republicans, and his next legislative push will test that.

As Lawmakers Prioritize Broadband, Rural Communities Wonder When It Will Reach Them
By: Liam Niemeyer | Ohio Valley ReSource
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TOLU, Ky. (OVR) — As Barkley Hughes and I rumbled around in his red utility vehicle last month, memories slowly unwound about his western Kentucky hometown. Tolu, a historic Ohio River-bound community of less than a hundred, only makes up a few blocks before opening up into rolling farmland. Hughes openly admits it’s not near… Read More

Potholes, Grid Failures, Aging Tunnels And Bridges: U.S. Infrastructure Gets A C-Minus
By: David Schaper | NPR
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The quadrennial Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers is an improvement from the D-plus four years ago but shows federal investment is still lacking.

House OKs Bill To Direct $210M For Ohio Broadband Expansion
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Legislation to help expand high-speed internet access in underserved and rural areas of Ohio is getting bipartisan support and fast-tracked consideration at the Statehouse as the coronavirus pandemic increases pressure to address that digital divide. A measure to direct $210 million toward increasing broadband access passed the House on Thursday with… Read More

Biden Has An Ambitious Agenda. What Will It Mean For The Ohio Valley?
By: Jeff Young | Liam Niemeyer | Alana Watson | Ohio Valley ReSource
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (OVR) — After an extraordinary inauguration ceremony marked by heightened security and coronavirus safety measures, President Joe Biden started his first day in office signing executive actions on climate change, immigration, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before taking the oath of office, Biden was already addressing the nation about his ambitious plans to… Read More

Ohio Valley Mayors Aim For A Green Recovery Amid Coronavirus And Climate Change
By: Sydney Boles | Ohio Valley ReSource
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. (OVR) — When newly elected President Donald Trump announced in 2017 that he would pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, he said, “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.” The goal of the landmark Paris Agreement, which was signed in 2015 by 189 parties,… Read More

WATCH: This Super Strong Concrete Could Repair Aging Bridges. Here’s What’s Standing in the Way
By: PBS Newshour
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There’s a dire need to repair aging infrastructure in the U.S., and an innovative building material could be a game changer. Embedded with steel fibers, ultra-high performance concrete is about five to 10 times stronger than standard concrete — and unaffordable for most government-funded projects. PBS NewsHour special correspondent Cat Wise reports from Iowa on… Read More

Lake Hope to Receive $118K from ODNR for Water System Upgrades
By: WOUB News Team
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local state park is set to upgrade its water system thanks to an investment from the state. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) received approval from the State Controlling Board for $118,800 for the water and wastewater systems at Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County. Located at the base of… Read More

Rising Waters: Aging Levees, Climate Change And The Challenge To Hold Back The Ohio River
By: Liam Niemeyer | Ohio Valley ReSource
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When 78-year-old Jim Casto looks at the towering floodwalls that line downtown Huntington, West Virginia, he sees a dark history of generations past. The longtime journalist and local historian is short in stature, yet tall in neighborhood tales. On Casto’s hand shines a solid gold ring, signifying his more than 40 years of reporting at… Read More

Community Feedback Sought on Proposed Ohio River Bridge
By: Associated Press
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Officials are asking for community feedback on a proposed Ohio River bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio. News outlets report the bridge would be the final step in the long-anticipated Tri-State Outer Belt linking the two states and parts of Interstate 64. The KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission is asking for feedback… Read More

Report: Water Unaffordable for Nearly Half of Martin Co., Kentucky
By: Sydney Boles | Ohio Valley ReSource
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A new report finds nearly half the residents of Martin County, Kentucky, cannot afford water service. Local activists with the Martin County Concerned Citizens are ringing alarm bells about water affordability as the beleaguered county faces another likely water rate increase in the coming months. Since the ReSource first reported on its water crisis two years ago,… Read More

Ohio Weighs Opening Highway Corridors to Broadband Projects
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — About 1 million Ohioans, mostly in Appalachia, lack high-speed internet service and the state’s highway corridors may hold the key to addressing the stubborn problem, a report released Wednesday concluded. A fact-finding effort by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration identified a number of causes for the lack of broadband availability to… Read More

West Virginia Suspension Bridge Reopens
By: Associated Press
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WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) – A West Virginia suspension bridge has reopened more than a month after it was closed when a charter bus weighing well over the weight limit crossed the span. The state Division of Highways says in a news release the Wheeling Suspension Bridge was opened to traffic Tuesday. A charter bus weighing… Read More

Trump And Democrats Agree On $2 Trillion For Infrastructure, But Not On How To Pay
By: Brian Naylor | NPR
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Democratic congressional leaders called the White House meeting “very constructive,” but the big question remains unanswered. The parties will reconvene in a few weeks to discuss funding options.

Coming To A City Near You, 5G. Fastest Wireless Yet Will Bring New Services
By: Laura Sydell | NPR
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Sacramento, Calif., is one of the first U.S. cities to have 5G wireless service and its mayor sees it giving the city an edge in attracting businesses and autonomous-vehicle technology.

Help On Tap For Troubled Water System In Coal Country
By: Benny Becker | Ohio Valley ReSource
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A water system in eastern Kentucky that was on the verge of collapse could soon get much needed improvements. Many Martin County, Kentucky, residents were without water for long periods this winter. The crisis drew attention amid a national discussion about infrastructure priorities, and put a spotlight on the sort of water woes that are… Read More