Hits and Misses
The last two pandemic-dominated years have shown that having a reliable and speedy internet connection in today’s economy is a necessity and not merely a luxury. Yet many communities in Pennsylvania and elsewhere have been sidelined because they don’t have high-speed internet access. Weeks before the pandemic descended in 2020, one report estimated that up to 40 million Americans, most of them in rural areas, lacked broadband access. There is some hope, however, that this digital divide will be less yawning with the infusion of money from the infrastructure bill that is coming to states to assist in expanding broadband. In anticipation, both houses of the General Assembly unanimously approved a plan this week to establish a broadband authority that would devise a statewide plan and distribute grant money. State Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, who co-sponsored the bill in the House, put it well: “For too long, businesses and residents in rural areas have been struggling to access fast internet speeds. In today’s world where so much can be done online, including learning, ‘visiting’ your doctor, paying bills and accessing news and entertainment, equal access to broadband is more important than ever.”
In an essay published by The Atlantic this week, writer Matthew Walther wrote that in the corner of Michigan where he lives, “no one cares” anymore about COVID-19. They probably should, though, given the state’s skyrocketing number of cases. But for anyone who remains unconvinced about the pathogen’s continuing threat, they should read a lengthy article The Washington Post published last week. It heartbreakingly details how once-thriving lives and careers have been completely derailed due to cases of “long COVID.” Jobs and homes have been lost, savings accounts have been drained and health insurance has been lost at a juncture when it is most needed. One “long hauler” described how she couldn’t get out of bed the next day after doing simple tasks like raking leaves and making dinner for her family. Another said, “Whatever life I have right now, it’s more like surviving. I’m not living my dream. I’m living a nightmare.” These cases demonstrate that, no, COVID-19 is most definitely not “just like the flu.”
Next fall, Little Lake Theatre in North Strabane will be doing something a little different – the community theater company will be teaming up with the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf to perform the musical “Captain Louie Jr.” It will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English. It is receiving funding assistance from the PNC Foundation and the Pennsylvania Neighborhood Assistance Program, and state officials dropped in at Little Lake last week to announce the production. Along with students from the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, cast members who can hear will learn ASL over a 10-week period. According to Jena Oberg, Little Lake’s artistic director, “It will be a phenomenal learning experience.”
The tornadoes that swept through Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas and other states last week would have been stunning in their ferocity at any time of year, but particularly so in December, a time of the year more associated with late fall chill and gently falling snowflakes. Along with a horrific cost in human lives, the price tag to repair the damage is going to be enormous – Accuweather estimates it will be $18 billion. And while it’s too soon to say that climate change is the primary culprit for how menacing the storms were, scientists say that more and more fearsome weather events of that variety will be part of the landscape as the atmosphere heats up. Before last week’s tornadoes, there were 18 other weather events in the United States this year with losses going beyond $1 billion. By the century’s end, it’s expected the American economy will lose $2 trillion in economic growth if climate change proceeds unabated. This should make clear the reality that climate change means more than our weather being just a bit warmer, and demands serious action.