Beacon July 2023

Page 8A THE BEACON July 2023
Digital Equity In Southeast Indiana- You Can Make It Happen
By Cheryl Damon-Greiner
Reliable, affordable utilities
such as electricity, water,
and access to transportation
are essential infrastructure
services that we traditionally
expect in the places where we
live and work. These utilities
are considered basic to a
modern lifestyle. But another
service connection that has
also become essential- reliable
internet access. Property
values and community investments
reflect the importance
that homebuyers and businesses
place on having a highspeed
connection available.
Unfortunately, many Americans
do not have access to
reliable internet service. It is
either too expensive, too slow
to be workable, or completely
unavailable in their area. Rural
communities are impacted
significantly more than urban
areas because the high cost of
laying fiber-optic cables and
setting up service for fewer
locations in less dense areas is
not as profitable for providers.
This internet gap has created
what is being called a
Digital Divide where rural
citizens enjoy fewer educational,
health-related, social,
and economic opportunities.
Locally, residents are affected
if they are overpaying or
tolerating less than high-speed
C
HVL: Nice 3 bed tri level home on
beautiful dbl lot, newer kitchen, and
updated bath. $134,900
BRIGHT: 1400 sq ft ranch on 5
acres, 2 bath, 1 car garage plus
outbuilding, 2 WBFP, front and rear
covered porches. $124,900
functionality while working
from home offices, communicating
with health care
providers, helping children
complete online assignments,
shopping for groceries to be
delivered, or connecting socially
with friends and family.
Two projects are currently
underway to help address the
Digital Divide. Each requires
participation from residents
in the nine-county area. The
Southern Indiana Regional
Planning Commission (SIR-
PC), located in Versailles, is
working on a Regional Digital
Inclusion Plan with Purdue
University Center for Regional
Development. The four
main initiatives are:
1. Build and upgrade broadband
throughout the area
2. Ensure that all citizens
have access to reliable devices
and trusted technical support
3. Provide ongoing training
for people of all ages and
abilities
4. Include the first three
goals in local and regional
community and economic
development strategies.
Accomplishing the first
goal of improving broadband
connectivity requires resident
participation. To identify gaps
in broadband connectivity, Indiana
residents can do internet
Speed Tests to measure how
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MILAN: Huge manufactured home on almost 7 ac,
additional 2 story cabin, each level has kitchen, living
room, bed, &bath; 28x40 barn with loft, concrete flr &
electric; large lake; and green houses. $164,900
30x36x12 heated insulated pole
building $369,900
YORKVILLE: Affordable living in
a country setting. Beautiful views!
3 bed, 2 bath, home with 2 car
attached garage on 2.5 acres.
$114,900
BRIGHT: 2 story home with 4 LOGAN: Clean older 2 story home
bd,3.5 baths, 1st flr laundry and with large wrap around covered
master suite, open Thinking floor plan, full of porch, moving? city utilities, 28x44 3 car
finished LL with wet bar and gas concrete block garage with loft, on
FP, great Maybe for entertaining, settling large 1.25 acres. an estate?
$159,900
rear deck $244,900
LAND
How about both?
BRIGHT: Nice 3 bed, 3 bath ranch LOGAN: 8.6 acre lot fairly secluded
with eat-in kitchen, gas fireplace, on Sawdon Ridge, utilities at street
LL family room, oversized garage
with concrete driveway
One
and
call
add’t
does $99,900 it all with
concrete Cornerstone parking pad. $154,900 Realty and
HARRISON:
Lutz Auction
Beautiful
Service
rolling 3.9
acre lot available on private drive
ST. LEON:
now
Older
conveniently
2 story home
located
all off Edgewood under Rd. one $75,000 roof
city utilities, newer high efficiency
furnace. Great location near to hwy Dover, and SUNMAN: Indiana. .87 building lot available
in Whitetail Run subdivision.
schools, summer kitchen, enclosed
back
Realtors
porch, other
and
room
Auctioneers
upstairs $22,000 Dale & Randy Lutz have
could been 3rd bed. serving $69,900 the community HARRISON: for over Beautiful 30 years. 2.093 acre
BRIGHT: 3 bed, 2.5 bath home
lot on private drive off Edgewood
Their profession is turning your
on nearly 38 acres with exceptional
views nerstone of Tanner Realty Valley, and 1st Lutz LOGAN: Auction 2.89 acre Service wooded coun-
Rd. $60,000 assets into cash. Cor-
flr MRB, 1st flr ldry, pond, covered try lot with all utilities available.
rear deck, wrap around
where
front
we’re
porch,
in $59,900 your corner.
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St. John
The Baptist
Parish Festival
June 23, 24, 25
Live Music, Beer, Food,
Jaguar Jungle Kids Zone, Instants
Local Craft Beer, Traditional Beer and Wine
Available w/ ID & Wristband
Scan this QR Code to participate
in the Speed Test.
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offered for free upon
request to residents
of Dearborn, Franklin,
Ohio, and Ripley Counties
and Harrison Ohio.
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A survey for public comment can be accessed with this
QR Code.
fast data can be downloaded
and uploaded with the internet
connections available to
them. As stated on the SIRPC
website, “The more speed
tests that are conducted in our
region, the easier it makes it
to get more money for broadband
investment in our region
later on. This means taking internet
speed tests today could
make the difference in how
long your community remains
unserved or underserved
for internet connections!” If
residents do not have internet
access at home, they can go
to another location like the
library, enter their addresses,
and record that they do not
have connectivity. The link
for the Speed Test is https://
www.infarmbureau.org/resources/broadband-speed-test
or by scanning the Speed Test
QR code and following the
simple steps.
The second way that residents
can participate in the
drive for internet equality is
to take a six-question survey
designed by Reneisha Rudder,
Digital Inclusion Coordinator
at SIRPC, to gather
feedback on internet service.
Surveys should be entered
by the end of June. She will
then present the compiled
comments to the Indiana
Broadband office. Determinations
will then be made
concerning the distribution
of up to $1 billion of federal
funding to communities for
broadband improvements.
The funding is through the
Keep Up With These Events at
www.stjb.net
The BEACON - Great News for Great People.
federal Broadband Equity
Access and Deployment
(BEAD) program that is
part of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act.
To access the survey, please
go to https://forms.gle/oZ-
8kR6ByGV39Au1g9 or use
the Survey QR code.
The irony of responding
online about the lack of
internet service is not lost on
the SIRPC staff. But it sorely
demonstrates the importance
of the internet as a necessary
communication tool for all of
us in today’s world and the
future.
Recycle Your Cups
By Stefanie Hoffmeier
The cup is out of the bag.
Or at least it can now be out
of your trash bag and into
your recycling bin. Whether
you use the Dearborn County
Recycling Center drop-off
trailers, or your municipality
has curbside pick-up, you can
now recycle plastic and paper
cups. Yes, even those plastic
beverage cups from fast food
restaurants can now be placed
in your recycling bin.
Examples of acceptable
cups include plastic beverage
cups from fast-food restaurants,
plastic souvenir cups,
and clear plastic disposable
cups. Like other materials, the
cups should be clean, empty,
and not stacked together
when placing them in the recycling
bin. All straws should
be removed, and the plastic
lid reattached to plastic cups.
Paper cups, including small
bathroom cups, as well as aluminum
cups are also accepted;
however, the plastic lids
must be removed from the
paper cups before recycling.
FESTIVAL LIVE MUSIC
Friday
The Renegades
Saturday
Michelle Robinson Band
Dat Band
Sunday
Mike Davis
Josh & Patrick
(90 Proof Twang Acoustic)
Festival sponsorship and product donation
opportunities exist - please call Parish Office.
Additional guidelines
include:
• No straws, plastic stirrers, or
stoppers
• No colorful party cups (Solo
and other brands -
#6 plastics)
• No ceramic or glass cups
• No coffee K-cups
• No Styrofoam cups
What new products will
the cups become? Aluminum
cups will be made into
new aluminum cans. Paper
cups will be made into
paperboard and cardboard
boxes. Plastic cups will be
recycled into new plastic
containers. New technology
at Rumpke’s recycling plant
allows the cups to be sorted
into the stream.
If you are not sure whether
an item is recyclable, feel free
to call the Dearborn County
Recycling Center at 812-926-
9963. A list of acceptable
materials to recycle can also
be found on their website at
DearbornCountyRecycles.
com.
509 Harrison Ave., Harrison, OH • Parish Office 513-367-9086, ext 214