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Members of SADD spearhead water bottle donation to Benton Harbor
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BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
hen members of and Girls Club of Benton Harbor, the SADD (Students where they will be distributed to Against Destructive the families when the children’s Decisions) chapter parents pick them up from or drop at New Buffalo them off at the center. High School hear about a problem “So, we kind of threw this within their community, they want together a little last minute because to do something about it. we wanted to get water out to them So, when the students kept before Thanksgiving,” Arvanitis hearing about the ongoing Benton said. Harbor water crisis, where residents Students were more than happy continue to experience elevated to help with the effort. levels of lead in their municipality “When it was shared, we kind of supplied drinking jumped on right way water, their as quickly as possible growing concern while everyone was spurred them to really wanting to action. help,” Bowen said. “We definitely Arvanitis said that knew it was a big members also engage problem and we in activities that point just kept hearing fellow students in the Students, along with teacher about it and right direction. Nicole Bowen (far left), stand by the water bottles hearing about “We do a lot it - and finally, we of things geared decided, maybe we towards students should actually do something about making good decisions, like talking it,” Georgia Arvanitis, who’s been about things like drunk driving part of the group for a long around dances, and community time, said. works things - anything you can do Members decided to get the to make the community a little bit whole school involved. They better,” she said. jumpstarted a competition between Bowen said that the group plans advisory classes (which are to focus on doing good works within determined by where a group of the school such as decorating the students end up each school day, teachers’ classroom doors for the like a homeroom). The advisory holidays to promote school spirit class that brought in the most water and to get everyone in the mood will get a pizza party sponsored by for the upcoming holiday season. SADD and high school principal SADD will also be sponsoring its Wayne Butler. annual talent show at the high Nicole Bowen, the high school’s school before Christmas break. health teacher who also serves as Bowen said that the group may be advisor of SADD, said for about combining with the student senate two and a half weeks, the entire for some activities, since there’s school – from freshmen to seniors an overlap in student involvement – brought in 24-ounce bottles of with both groups. Currently, there water. The bottles were transported are around 10 to 15 students in in the school’s van to the Boys SADD.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021
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New territory charted for extending adequate broadband
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BY STAN MADDUX
free do it yourself internet speed test is viewed as a major breakthrough in extending adequate broadband quicker to underserved Indiana residents. Close to 20,000 tests have been run on computers and devices since the speed test was made available to the public on the Indiana Farm Bureau website in late May. The LaPorte County Office of Economic and Community Development Executive Director Tony Rodriguez said the game changer is the speed test reveals the provider at each location. Rodriguez said that allows communities wanting to expand access to higher speeds to go directly to providers they know have the capability instead of searching for companies they hope can meet their needs. Another advantage is knowing exactly where an upgrade is needed instead of just a general area. “That’s the nut Indiana Farm Bureau cracked,” he said. According to INFB, the speed test was developed by GEO Partners, LLC. The software company out of Burnsville, Minnesota, is also working on gathering internet speed data in five others states, including Kentucky, INFB said. Marissa Mikel, an Indiana Farm Bureau regional manager for six counties including Lake, Porter and LaPorte, said the results are confirming suspicions that need for higher internet speeds is greatest in the rural areas. “It definitely proves what we’ve been hearing,” she said. The results are shown in color coded dots on a map of the state posted on the Indiana Farm Bureau website. Mikel said a red dot marks an area with less than 10 megabytes of speed, which isn’t enough to run a business
and, in some cases, work or learn from home. She said adequate speed considered 25 megabytes or more are marked on the map with green dots. INFB President Randy Kron said the data will help the state invest where adequate service is actually needed and develop infrastructure that doesn’t overlap. In LaPorte County, the map revealed tests were conducted at 291 locations, with the highest speeds provided at just six locations by Automated Data Systems and DataCamp. Most customers with adequate speed in La Porte County are served by Comcast Cable Communications, Frontier Communications and Surf Air Wireless.
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ikel said testing will be available for an indefinite period, but communities can start using the results now to seek federal and state grants to help offset a provider’s cost of extending adequate service. She said the data should help secure funding by confirming exactly where the greatest needs exist, she said. The data will also be presented by Indiana Farm Bureau to the state legislature to try and leverage more broadband extension dollars when the governing body meets in January for its 2022 session. Mikel said she’s pleased with the response, so far, but hopes more people take the test to further nail down precisely where adequate service is lacking. She said the test will also ensure money for broadband extension projects goes strictly to companies that deliver adequate service, not providers that might not be able to live up to their promises. The test is available at www.infb. org/speedtest.
