Press Release
USDA Invests $9.75 Million in Rural Broadband for South Carolina Families
(Orangeburg, SC, Oct. 22, 2019) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $9,750,000 in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 3,911 rural households in South Carolina. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.
“Our core mission at USDA is to increase rural prosperity through boosting economic opportunity in rural America,” Secretary Perdue said. “We know that rural communities need robust, modern infrastructure to thrive, and that includes having access to broadband e-Connectivity. Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is proud to partner with rural communities to deploy this critical infrastructure, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster added, “We are grateful for the leadership President Trump and Secretary Perdue have shown in focusing on increasing broadband connectivity in rural areas. From enhanced health care access to modernizing our educational and workforce resources, these funds will be instrumental in ensuring that Orangeburg County, and all of South Carolina, will remain competitive in the global economy.”
Orangeburg, County, S.C., will use ReConnect Program grant funding to deploy a fiber to the home (FTTH) broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or greater. The funded service areas include 3,911 households, 21 farms, 17 rural businesses, 13 educational facilities, nine critical community facilities and a health care center. The project will facilitate more access to services and information for local residents, and it will improve the overall quality of life for people in the community.
Background:
In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.
These grants, loans and combination funds enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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USDA Launches Economic Development Hubs to Support Communities
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2019 — Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the launch of the Centers of Community Prosperity (CCP), designed to increase the capacity of rural and underserved communities across the country. The program is administered by the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public
Engagement (OPPE).
The Centers of Community Prosperity will convene stakeholders including local, state, federal and tribal partners, land-grant universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, historically black colleges and universities, national development organizations, non-profit organizations, faith leaders, veterans, and youth organizations. Local Centers around the country include Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, North Dakota, Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Salisbury, Maryland.
“USDA is committed to customer-focused outreach,” said OPPE Director Mike Beatty. “That means developing quality mechanisms for rural and underserved communities to address and offer solutions to their communal challenges, while USDA connects them to resources and tools.”
The Centers will host Community Prosperity Training Summits and capacity-building workshops to assist communities engage in a bottom up, locally driven process to address challenges in their region, and foster hope, opportunity, wealth creation, and asset building. To date, USDA has worked with local partners to bring together more than 1,000 institutional and community partners with USDA agencies and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and other federal agencies. These trainings have resulted in grants and leadership endowments to address community challenges such as veteran outreach, improving regional food systems, and combating substance abuse.
These efforts stem from the White House Rural Prosperity Taskforce, chaired by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and the White House Executive Order on Establishing Communities of Faith and Opportunity.
Upcoming USDA Community Prosperity Training Summits:
To learn more about or to attend a training summit, email Alex Cordova at alex.cordova@usda.gov.
About the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement
USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement develops and maintains partnerships focused on solutions to challenges facing rural and underserved communities in the United States, and connects those communities to the education, tools, and resources available to them through U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and initiatives.
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SALT LAKE CITY—Sutherland Institute is pleased to host Governor Jeb Bush to discuss his work as founder and chairman of ExcelinEd and talk about policies that have the potential to provide innovation in the Utah education system. This event is presented by Zions Bank.
“Sutherland values its ongoing relationship with ExcelinEd,” said Rick Larsen, president and CEO of Sutherland Institute. “We are honored to host Governor Bush to discuss education. We can learn from his valuable insight.”
THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2 - 3 p.m. MDT
WHERE: Sutherland Institute
15 W. South Temple
9th floor
Salt Lake City
Sutherland Institute’s events are designed to facilitate civil dialogue and convene stakeholders, elected officials and community leaders to discuss important issues. These are private events. As such, Sutherland reserves the right to deny access to or remove any individual who interrupts a speaker or panelist, is disruptive or combative in tone, and/or refuses to allow open and civil dialogue. By attending any event, you agree to these terms and conditions.
ABOUT GOV. BUSH:
Jeb Bush is founder and chairman of ExcelinEd. He was elected the 43rd governor of Florida on November 3, 1998, and was re-elected by a wide margin in 2002. His second term as governor ended in January 2007. Bush earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin and moved to Florida in 1981.
After his election, Governor Bush focused on reforming education. Florida students have made the greatest gains in achievement and Florida is one of a handful of states that have narrowed the achievement gap. In addition, Bush cut taxes every year during his tenure as governor and Florida led the nation in job growth seven out of eight years. Bush put Florida on the forefront of consumer healthcare advances by signing Medicaid reform legislation, “Empowered Care,” in June 2006.
Before launching a run for the Republican presidential nomination in June 2015, Bush led his own successful consulting business, Jeb Bush and Associates, whose clients ranged from small technology start-ups to well-known Fortune 500 companies. He also served as co-chairman of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and chair of the National Constitution Center.
He is the co-author of Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution (March 2013) and author of Reply All (October 2015).
Bush is the son of former President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush. He lives in Miami with his wife, Columba, and they have three children and four grandchildren.
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Join Drs. Ned Hallowell and John Ratey for a free webinar on 11/21 to learn how to tap into Recognition Responsive Euphoria, positive ADHD energy >
Webinar on 11/21: The Flip Side of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
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ADHD EXPERT WEBINAR
The Flip Side of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria:
How to Tap Into ADHD Energy and Motivation
EXPERTS: Edward Hallowell, M.D., & John J. Ratey, M.D.
Thursday, November 21 @ 1pm Eastern Time - Register now!
Can't attend the live webinar? Register now and we'll email you the replay link
. . . . .
The ADHD brain is turned up to 11. On an emotional level, this means we feel the stabbing pain of rejection more acutely than do others. On the flip side, we also experience a meaningful zing of energy and esteem with every word of approval. The smallest gesture can power "Recognition Responsive Euphoria" (RRE) — and great accomplishments — for us.
In this webinar, you will learn:
The expert Q&A webinar The Flip Side of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: How to Tap Into ADHD Energy and Motivation will take place Thursday, November 21, 2019, from 1pm-2pm Eastern Time (12pm-1pm CT; 11am-12pm MT; 10am-11am PT).
NOTE: Qualify for a certificate of attendance when you attend an ADDitude webinar live or listen to the replay.
MEET THE SPEAKERS:
Edward (Ned) Hallowell, M.D.
Edward (Ned) Hallowell, M.D., is a child and adult psychiatrist, leading authority in the field of ADHD, the host of Distraction – a weekly podcast for thriving in this CrazyBusy world, NY Times best-selling author, world-renowned speaker and the founder of The Hallowell Centers in Boston MetroWest, NYC, San Francisco and Seattle. Learn more at www.drhallowell.com.
John J. Ratey, M.D.
John J. Ratey, M.D., an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is an internationally recognized expert in neuropsychiatry and one of the world's foremost authorities on the brain-fitness connection. Dr. Ratey has published extensively, including the groundbreaking Driven to Distraction series with Dr. Hallowell.
The sponsor of this webinar is...
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======================
Jump$tart and AFCU Awarding Students for Financial Literacy Proficiency
Riverdale, UT – Oct 21, 2019 – The Utah Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy (UJ$C) and America First Credit Union (AFCU) are now accepting applications for Fall 2019 Scholarships. The first round of the Utah Jump$tart Scholarship Competition will be open thru November 30. Utah high school seniors who have completed a financial literacy course can enter to win one of three $1,250 college scholarships provided by AFCU.
“When it comes to finances, education is one of the most powerful tools which is why we encourage all students to take a financial literacy course,” said AFCU president and CEO, John Lund. “We want to set our high school seniors up for success as they prepare for post-secondary education and teach them important financial principles that will help keep their college debt to a minimum and set them up for financial success in the future.”
Student debt and financial independence are a concern for many millennials and young adults with 54% of millennials expressing worry that they would not be able to pay back student loans, and only 16% of Americans between ages 18 to 26 being very optimistic about their financial future.
The scholarship program is designed to recognize students who have taken a financial literacy course and can demonstrate a solid understanding of financial literacy concepts and are pursuing a post-secondary education either at a university, college, trade school or similar institution of higher learning. To be eligible for the scholarship, students can submit a 90-second YouTube video addressing the question: “How can students prepare to pay for college?”
To learn more about the scholarship, or to apply, students can visit utahjumpstart.org/scholarship.
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ABOUT AMERICA FIRST CREDIT UNION
Proudly celebrating 80 years of servicing members and a long-standing history, America First has become one of the largest, most stable and most progressive credit unions in the country, and has remained a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative financial institution. Today, America First has 128 locations, and is the 9th largest credit union in assets in the United States with over $11.5 billion, and the sixth largest credit union in membership in America with more than 1,062,000 members.
ABOUT UTAH JUMP$TART COALITION
The Utah Jump$tart Coalition is a statewide, 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the financial literacy of Utah’s youth by promoting the teaching of personal finance from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Visit them at www.utahjumpstart.org.
=================
Jump$tart and AFCU Awarding Students for Financial Literacy Proficiency
Riverdale, UT – Oct 21, 2019 – The Utah Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy (UJ$C) and America First Credit Union (AFCU) are now accepting applications for Fall 2019 Scholarships. The first round of the Utah Jump$tart Scholarship Competition will be open thru November 30. Utah high school seniors who have completed a financial literacy course can enter to win one of three $1,250 college scholarships provided by AFCU.
“When it comes to finances, education is one of the most powerful tools which is why we encourage all students to take a financial literacy course,” said AFCU president and CEO, John Lund. “We want to set our high school seniors up for success as they prepare for post-secondary education and teach them important financial principles that will help keep their college debt to a minimum and set them up for financial success in the future.”
Student debt and financial independence are a concern for many millennials and young adults with 54% of millennials expressing worry that they would not be able to pay back student loans, and only 16% of Americans between ages 18 to 26 being very optimistic about their financial future.
The scholarship program is designed to recognize students who have taken a financial literacy course and can demonstrate a solid understanding of financial literacy concepts and are pursuing a post-secondary education either at a university, college, trade school or similar institution of higher learning. To be eligible for the scholarship, students can submit a 90-second YouTube video addressing the question: “How can students prepare to pay for college?”
To learn more about the scholarship, or to apply, students can visit utahjumpstart.org/scholarship.
###
ABOUT AMERICA FIRST CREDIT UNION
Proudly celebrating 80 years of servicing members and a long-standing history, America First has become one of the largest, most stable and most progressive credit unions in the country, and has remained a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative financial institution. Today, America First has 128 locations, and is the 9th largest credit union in assets in the United States with over $11.5 billion, and the sixth largest credit union in membership in America with more than 1,062,000 members.
ABOUT UTAH JUMP$TART COALITION
The Utah Jump$tart Coalition is a statewide, 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the financial literacy of Utah’s youth by promoting the teaching of personal finance from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Visit them at www.utahjumpstart.org.
ADDitude thanks our sponsors for supporting our webinars. Sponsorship has no influence on speaker selection or webinar content.
Here you go, everyone. Thanks so much for all your support!
David N. Taylor Director of Print Syndication
1011 Reams Fleming Blvd. Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 614 4468
Dave Says – without links
(Mini emergency fund?)
Word count: 278
Dear Dave,
I’m 26 and single, and I have about $35,000 in credit card and student loan debt. I’m only making $20,000 a year right now, but I expect to be making almost $30,000 soon. Under the circumstances, can I get by with $500 in my emergency fund, or do I need to have $1,000 set aside like you recommend in Baby Step 1? I’m worried about keeping up with bills while saving money for my starter emergency fund.
Thomas
Dear Thomas,
I know it will be tough, but a $1,000 emergency fund should be your first big goal. Also, if you’re not already doing a monthly budget—and spending every dollar on paper before the next month begins—start doing it now! Living on a budget will help you control your money instead of allowing a lack of money to control you. That’s how you can keep up with the bills while you save that first $1,000.
Let’s say you know you’ll be getting two $750 paychecks each month. You go ahead and plan out how to spend that money before you ever get it. Take care of necessities first. I’m talking about food, clothing, shelter, transportation and utilities. After that, make sure you’re current on your debts. Once those things are out of the way, pump every spare dollar you can into your emergency fund. And remember, limit your spending to necessities only!
Start working on that now, Thomas. It’s very important. Remember the old saying about Murphy’s Law, and how anything that can go wrong will go wrong? If you keep living without a plan and no emergency fund, Murphy will hunt you down!
—Dave
(They’re just trying to help, but…)
Word count: 318
Dear Dave,
My husband and I are in our twenties, and we work for the same company. We’ve been thinking about going back to school and finishing our degrees, because our employer is willing to pay for up to 10 credit hours, plus books, per semester with no strings attached. My parents think we should get student loans instead, so we can finish faster. We both have less than two years to go to complete our degrees, so what do you think?
Janet
Dear Janet,
Wow, this is a fantastic opportunity! How many times does someone offer to pay for a college degree with no financial strings attached?
I’m sure your folks want what’s best for you, but the truth is you probably couldn’t take more than nine or 10 hours per semester, work full-time jobs, and keep your relationship and marriage healthy. If you’ve both got less than two years of school left, it’s not going to take that long, anyway. You’re still young and have plenty of time to make this happen.
I don’t think your parents mean any harm, but they’re wrong on this one. I’ve got a feeling they’re like most people in America today. They’ve spent most of their lives swimming in debt, and they’ve reached a point where they’ve just accepted it and think there’s no other way. To me, that’s sad.
If you and your husband really want to finish your degrees, I’d say the two of you need to march into work tomorrow morning, and take advantage of that wonderful offer. Stay away from debt!
—Dave
* Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 16 million listeners each week on 600 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.
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EXPERT: William W. Dodson, M.D.
Wednesday, November 13 @ 1pm Eastern Time - Register now!
Can't attend the live webinar? Register now and we'll email you the replay link
. . . . .
ADHD stimulant medications are effective, well tolerated, and safe, but the vast majority of people diagnosed with ADHD are not getting the treatment they need and deserve. Why? Because few clinicians receive adequate training in how to use ADHD meds and it is often difficult for patients and doctors to determine when they have derived the maximum benefits from medication.
In this webinar, you will learn:
The expert Q&A webinar How to Optimize ADHD Medication: Strategies for Achieving Better Symptom Management will take place Wednesday, November 13, 2019, from 1pm-2pm Eastern Time (12pm-1pm CT; 11am-12pm MT; 10am-11am PT).
