Media

The coronavirus has laid bare a number of critical needs, but those needs are not limited to public health alone.

Internet access — the great digital divide between "haves" and "have nots" — has risen to the forefront these past six months. For all the talk about connectivity — everyone's bragging these days about 5G — it can be pretty hard for some communities to get reasonable, reliable speeds sufficient enough to see a doctor over the computer or have a kid log in to his classroom remotely.

On top of the health impact the COVID-19 pandemic felt across the nation, rural areas have experienced another type of crisis: internet connectivity.

With work and school increasingly shifting to a virtual world, those who live out in the country are finding urgent challenges to the access for high-speed digital connections.

A $3 million project that will provide broadband to 1,300 homes in rural Moore County was announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Randolph Communications and U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson.

A recent Fayetteville Observer column called the U.S. Postal Service a treasure. I couldn't agree more.

Millions of Americans rely on the USPS to maintain their businesses, receive their medications on time or send letters to a loved one. And now more than ever, we are counting on the USPS to deliver election ballots. As the USPS has described itself: "We provide a vital public service that is a part of this nation's critical infrastructure. We must ensure the USPS continues in this critical role."