Latest news with #Collegiate
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Broadband is the bridge to a better future. Why are West Virginians still waiting?
Around 25% of West Virginians live without access to high-speed internet. (Trumzz | Getty Images) In the heart of West Virginia's rural landscape, the promise of new job opportunities through online training is overshadowed by a glaring problem: a lack of reliable broadband access. For residents like Dee and Bobby, this digital divide isn't just an inconvenience; it's a barrier to building better lives and a more prosperous future. Dee, in Wyoming County, is trying to restart her life after battling addiction and losing custody of her children. Last month, she enrolled in an online training program that promised to prepare her for a remote customer service job. Such jobs could be a lifeline in rural counties like hers, where traditional employment is scarce. But Dee immediately hit a roadblock. Her home internet failed to meet the minimum speed requirements for a remote interview, let alone sustained remote work. Her hopes faded because of infrastructure deficiencies outside her control. Despite her resolve, her ability to secure a sustainable livelihood and rebuild her family remains on hold. Bobby, a resident of a remote holler in Putnam County, has a similar story. He enrolled in an Adult Collegiate Education program to become an HVAC technician, aiming to increase his earning potential. But when winter weather made it unsafe to drive out of the holler, he lacked the internet access needed to keep up with coursework. Like many in rural communities without broadband, Bobby isn't being held back by a lack of ambition or ability, but by the absence of a basic prerequisite most Americans take for granted. These stories aren't isolated. They represent the daily struggles of the 25% of West Virginians who live without access to high-speed internet. Nationwide, the digital divide still affects more than 14 million people, mostly in rural and low-income areas. But the gap is particularly stubborn in West Virginia, where rugged terrain and sparse populations make traditional broadband expansion more expensive, and where broadband buildouts have too often stalled due to bureaucratic delays. The situation is worsening. Communities can no longer count on promised funding from federal initiatives like the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to materialize on time or to support the most effective technologies. Meanwhile, deployment delays continue as providers and utilities argue over who will pay to replace aging poles. These fights have little to do with the lives at stake. But this doesn't have to be the end of the story. In McKee, Kentucky, a town tucked into the Appalachian Mountains like many in West Virginia, a nonprofit called the People's Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) has shown what's possible. With support from federal funds, local investment, and a clear community mandate, PRTC has built and maintained a fiber broadband network that now offers above-average speeds. The project connected residents not just to the internet, but to jobs. More than 600 work-from-home positions have been created in partnership with job-training nonprofits, and the region has seen its unemployment rate drop by an astonishing five percentage points. This model works because it is rooted in local ownership and accountability. It treats broadband not as a speculative venture for private profit but as public infrastructure, no less vital than roads or electricity. It also aligns broadband access with workforce development from the start, ensuring people are trained for the very jobs that connectivity unlocks. West Virginia can replicate this success. Local organizations must be empowered and funded to close broadband gaps, while aligning closely with job-training providers to meet community needs. Strategic investment in community-based broadband cooperatives, especially those leveraging fiber, can create jobs in installation, maintenance, and the digital economy. Broadband access is not a luxury. It is the foundation for economic mobility in the 21st century. Without it, education, career advancement, health care and entrepreneurship are out of reach. And without those, rural residents remain locked in cycles of poverty and dependence, no matter how hard they work. If we're serious about creating real economic opportunity in West Virginia, we must stop waiting for ideal conditions and start investing in real solutions. That means prioritizing broadband expansion as a matter of economic justice. Until people like Dee and Bobby have a fair shot at success, none of us should be satisfied. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Otago Daily Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Balm a well-oiled business
They live together, go to school together and now they are in business together — naturally. St Hilda's Collegiate boarders Ellie Templeton, Meg Miller, Greer Egan and Emi Martin, all 17, are taking part in the Young Enterprise Scheme. The business studies students have developed a 100% natural leather restoring balm which they are selling under the brand Nature's Prime. With three from farming backgrounds, the group was passionate about promoting primary industries and finding an alternative use for products. They researched what leather conditioners were on the market and, while some had similar ingredients, none were made with all New Zealand-sourced natural ingredients which was what they wanted to achieve, they said. They also wanted a balm that would appeal to both urban and rural consumers, suitable for all leather goods — from bags, shoes and furniture to saddlery, belts and boots. The balm was made from beeswax, lanolin, avocado oil and sunflower oil and it was manufactured at Beauty NZ in Mosgiel. That followed a lot of testing — including most things leather at their own homes — and also validation from some well-known companies including Hinterland, Honest Wolf, Merchant and McKinlays Footwear. Meanwhile, their felted wool applicators came from Wool Technologies in Christchurch. Made from 100% New Zealand wool, they were recycled offcuts from woollen wine bags. All four had their own positions in the business: Ellie was chief executive and production director, Greer and Emi shared the role of chief financial officer and administration while Meg was tasked with communications and marketing and was really hoping to get Nature's Prime on television. The four were grateful for the opportunity to take part in Young Enterprise, with Ellie saying it had shown them the practical side of what business or commerce could look like. Having to approach businesses and suppliers had given them a confidence boost and they also had to have confidence in their product. They had learned valuable business and practical skills "rather than just constantly learning out of books". The students, who said they were grateful for the support they had received — particularly from their families — hoped Nature's Prime might continue in the background when they went to university.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Arts Calendar: Happenings for the Week of May 11
A horrifying trip to a new 'Final Destination,' collegiate self-reinvention in 'Overcompensating,' a new 'Faust,' and more.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Washington Heights rallies to save 115-year-old church, community center
Washington Heights community members and elected officials rallied Thursday to save the financially strapped 115-year-old Fort Washington Collegiate Church after leadership announced its closure at the end of June. The closure — first reported by Crain's — was announced in April following a vote by the consistory of the larger Collegiate Church it belongs to that deemed the branch at 181st St. and Fort Washington Ave. 'no longer sustainable.' 'This community will be changed forever if this place does not exist,' said Annette Padilla, whose family has been part of the congregation for three generations. 'We will not give it up easily.' Rev. William Critzman, president of the Collegiate Church of New York, told the Daily News the pandemic underscored 'the need for financial sustainability' and that the decision came after three years of searching for viable alternatives. All worship and programming will end on June 30. 'We know how deeply painful and disappointing this news is,' the Fort Washington Church board said in a statement at the time. 'This church has been a place of love, healing, faith, and belonging for so many, and we understand the heartache this brings to our Fort Washington family and neighborhood.' The future of the land is unclear, though Critzman said the church 'has no intention of selling the property' and hopes to find a nonprofit tenant to take over. The lot is currently listed as available for lease. But speakers at Thursday's rain-soaked rally disputed Collegiate leadership's claims. 'We're here not because of self-inflicted financial mismanagement, but we're here because … Collegiate is acting a little bit more like a corporation,' said Johanna Garcia, a congregant and board member. Local councilmember Carmen De La Rosa said Collegiate 'is not interested in seeing us bring solutions.' 'Asking a working-class community to magically come up with a million dollars, that's inequity,' she said. The original church was constructed in 1909 and added a new wing as part of a $10 million renovation over a decade ago — but is not landmarked. That leaves the door open for a potentially lucrative redevelopment of the more than half-acre of land, which sits at a bustling subway intersection. It comes as many other houses of worship across the city — and country — are at a crossroads, faced with dwindling congregations and the lure of real estate opportunities to offset mounting costs. The inter-denominational Fort Washington congregation is celebrated for its inclusiveness and extensive community programming. Over the years the LGBTQ-friendly space has served as a polling site, hosted choirs, Cub Scouts and Christmas parties, substance abuse support meetings, drag performances and a local synagogue. It is perhaps best known locally for its public garden and free community fridge, which neighbors regularly lined up for. It's been removed as of Thursday. Emely Santiago is a 34-year-old social worker and regular congregant who started a petition opposing the closure that has over 1,300 signatures. She is also a member of the new 'Save Fort Washington Collegiate Church' coalition, which attributes the impending closure to mismanagement. 'A lot of these decisions, we feel, were done behind closed doors with little transparency and almost no regard for the people who could really be affected,' she said. 'We should have a say in what happens in our community, in our backyard, especially when these decisions are being made by individuals who don't live in the neighborhood.' The larger Collegiate Church claims to be the oldest continuing church in the city, with a footprint dating back to the 17th century. But its four Manhattan branches have struggled in the years since the pandemic. Perhaps the biggest blow came in 2021, when a multimillion-dollar deal to build an office tower by the Marble Collegiate Church in NoMad fell through after its development partner went bankrupt — a debacle many congregants blamed for the institution's current financial issues. 'If Collegiate truly cares about justice, then its board must start acting like it: by communicating honestly, exercising care in decision-making, and engaging the voices of the community it claims to serve,' Santiago said. 'Let's call it what it is, three rich churches downtown extracting wealth and resources from the lower-income church uptown.' A second rally is planned for May 20.
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Whanganui Collegiate rower Eva van der Zouwe heading to US to represent New Zealand
'Nothing would have taken that smile off my face,' Eva said. 'It's perfect with my age and what I'm trying to do because the World Championship team next year will be what I am aiming to get into. 'The experience that I'll get from racing on an international stage and in the programme will be so invaluable for me next season - it's very exciting.' Eva was born and raised in the Wellington suburb of Wadestown and attended Wadestown School before moving to Whanganui Collegiate School in Year 9. She got immediately involved with the learn to row programme and has stuck at it ever since. This season, she won bronze at the 2025 Maadi Cup Regatta and silver at the North Island Secondary School Championships in the girls U17 coxless pair with Ottalie Morrah. Eva had enjoyed her time at Collegiate and credited the environment as a reason for her success. 'I love the whole programme and environment, the culture is well-established and that is something that I thrive on,' she said. 'It's something really cool to be a part of and something I'll take away with me forever because I've made some of my best memories with the girls.' The 2025 International Rowing Challenge will feature some of the top schools in the US, as well as crews from other nations. Eva said the experience could be a taste test for her potential future. 'I'd definitely want to go over to the USA after school and row for a college over there, then come back and do the under-23s pathway. 'You never know, the Olympics is obviously a very big goal but is something that I'd aim to do.' Whanganui Collegiate master in charge/manager of rowing Gus Scott said Eva's selection was well deserved. 'Whanganui Collegiate School and the rowing programme are very proud of Eva's selection in the New Zealand four to compete in the USA.' Elizabeth Adrole (Collegiate) and Jake Newton (Whanganui High School) were invited to trial for the under-19s, while Collegiate's Ottalie Morrah and Nicky Maxim (High School) were invited to the under-18 North v South Trial.
