|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||||||||
|
Local |
|||||||||
|
Grant to survey Internet needs By COURTNEY MARTIN, LTN Staff Writer Jan. 7, 2002 - E-NC, an initiative to connect all North Carolinians to the Internet, has awarded Lincoln County a $10,000 grant. The initiative is led by the Rural Internet Access Authority, a group designated by the North Carolina General Assembly to help bring better and less expensive Internet connections to the state. “There has been a lot of job loss in rural counties,” said Ashlie Lefko, regional director of e-NC, “our purpose is to lessen the digital divide already present, which was made worse by the unemployment.” A Lincoln County committee will use the $10,000 grant to survey the county in order to determine its needs. The effort includes surveys to determine needs, awareness and training projects, support services and grants to assist with planning and implementation of the findings. Each of the 85 rural counties in North Carolina were given the grant money and a resident of each was named to be a representative for the county. In June of 2002, rural counties, Lincoln among them, will be eligible for additional grants. Audrey Setzer was named Lincoln County’s ‘e-Champion’ and put in charge of its steering committee. “Local technology champions are critical to getting rural communities online,” said Dr. James Leutze, chairman of the Rural Internet Access Authority. No one “can better understand a county’s needs and work for change than someone from that community?” “Ultimatel e-champions will help connect their communities to the Internet and a better future,” Leutze said. If you would like more information about the project, you can go online to www.e-nc.org or call 1-866-NCRURAL.
|
|||||||||
|
© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
|||||||||
|
||||||
|
