Over 40-million dollars in broadband investment for Washington announced by USDA
Washington Ag Today August 5, 2010 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday the funding of 126 new Recovery Act broadband infrastructure projects in 38 states including Washington. The announcement was part of the second round of USDA broadband funding through the Recovery Act. Secretary Vilsack said to date USDA has been able to provide loans and grants of 2.65 billion dollars nationally to construct 231 broadband projects in 45 states. Vilsack: “And when it is all said and done we expect these investments will positively impact and expand broadband access to an estimated 1.2 million housesholds, 230-thousand businesses and over 78-hundred anchor institutions; colleges, universities, hospitals, libraries, armories and so forth.” Recipients in Washington announced yesterday where Public Utility District 1 of Chelan County getting 25 million dollars; Public Utility District 1 in Okanogan County getting 9.1 million; Hood Canal telephone receiving 3.6 million and Badger Telecom getting four million dollars. ? A reminder that this is Farmers Market Week. Washington has 150 of them located in over 30 counties. The markets are attracting national attention. For example, the Columbia City Farmers Market in Seattle’s Rainier Valley was featured recently in a CNN travel section story on notable markets across the U.S. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.
