Imagine a world where opportunity is just a click away – where education, healthcare, staying in touch with family, and a brighter future are within reach for everyone. For far too many Angelenos, this world remains out of reach due to a lack of affordable, reliable internet access.
In Los Angeles County, a staggering 325,015 households (nearly 10%) lack reliable internet access and 156,060 (nearly 5%) don't have a computer at home, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. This isn't just an inconvenience; it's a critical issue that disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color.
The internet is no longer a luxury; it's a lifeline. It is a gateway to education, allowing students to learn remotely and access a world of knowledge. It is a pathway to healthcare, enabling residents to connect with doctors and manage their health. It is a virtual embrace, keeping families connected despite distance. It is a launchpad for economic opportunity, empowering individuals to find jobs, start businesses, and participate in the digital economy.
L.A. County is committed to bridging the digital divide and empowering residents in our most under-resourced neighborhoods. In August of 2021, the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a motion to assess options for the County to facilitate residential access to reliable broadband service in low-income communities that lack affordable, high-speed internet service. This effort became the County’s Community Broadband Networks initiative.
Supported by major funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, L.A. County’s Internal Services Department and WeLink Communications have partnered to bring affordable and reliable broadband internet to underserved areas in East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles. These first target areas have been greatly impacted by the digital divide, which was heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative represents a giant leap forward in our mission to ensure everyone has a fair shot at success. The Community Broadband Networks initiative goes beyond providing internet access. Through Delete The Divide, a broader initiative led by Internal Services, we partner with various organizations to empower residents with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital world because it's not enough to give access, we must also demonstrate what is possible. Delete The Divide has distributed thousands of free laptops to households without a suitable computer to access the internet and will provide thousands more. WeLink's groundbreaking low-cost internet plan, starting at just $25 per month, will connect 50,000 qualified households. The company will also offer plans starting at $65 per month to households without qualification requirements, no promotional rates, excluding government fees or taxes, and at rates fixed until at least September 2027. The service will feature multilingual support and consumer-friendly terms.
Construction will begin soon, and service will begin rolling out this fall! Interested households in the two initial service planning areas can sign up for updates and be notified by WeLink when service is available at https://WeLink.com/LACounty/. The communities in the East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles areas include:
Supervisorial District 1: East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights and El Sereno
Supervisorial District 2: Adams-Normandie, University Park, Historic South-Central, Exposition Park, Vermont Square, South Park, Central-Alameda, Chesterfield Square, Harvard Park, Vermont-Slauson, Florence, Florence-Firestone, Manchester Square, Vermont Knolls, Gramercy Park, Westmont, Vermont Vista, Broadway-Manchester, Green Meadows, Watts, Athens, Willowbrook and West Rancho Dominguez
Supervisorial District 4: Walnut Park
Let’s not just imagine this, let’s make it a reality. Together, we can close the digital divide and unlock a brighter future for L.A. County!
Michael Owh is the Director of Los Angeles County’s Internal Services Department.
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — A North Carolina mother has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter after she allegedly left her 8-year-old daughter in a hot car while at work and the girl died, police said.
Officers responded Wednesday evening to reports of a child in critical condition inside a vehicle in Charlotte, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
The child was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead early Thursday, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
Her mother, 36-year-old Ashlee Stallings, allegedly left her daughter in the vehicle “in hot weather conditions” and the 8-year-old suffered a medical emergency, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a press release. Temperatures in Charlotte on Wednesday had reached the upper 90s.
Stallings allegedly told police she had left her daughter in her car while she was at work, running with the air on, but “believed the victim turned the car off because she was cold,” the arrest warrant affidavit stated.
When the mother returned to her vehicle about an hour and a half after last hearing from the girl via text, she found her daughter unresponsive on the backseat floorboard, taking shallow breaths and foaming at the mouth, according to the affidavit. Stallings used a hammer to break open the back window and then attempted to drive to a local hospital before stopping at a business for help, according to the affidavit.
“She admitted she knew the temperature was 94 degrees outside and that she should not have left the victim inside the car alone,” the affidavit stated.
Medical staff at the hospital told police the girl suffered brain herniation due to hyperthermia, according to the affidavit.
Stallings was arrested Thursday and charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse by willful act causing serious injury, online court records show.
Stallings was appointed a public defender during an initial court appearance on Thursday. Online court records do not list any attorney information.
She is being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond, online jail records show. Her next court date has been scheduled for July 16.
The investigation remains ongoing, police said.
Amazon confirmed to ABC Charlotte affiliate WSOC that Stallings worked at an Amazon facility and said it is “working closely” with police as they investigate.
“This is an incredibly tragic incident,” Amazon said in a statement to WSOC. “During this difficult time, we’re supporting our employees and have made counseling resources widely available.
The incident marked at least the fifth hot car death so far this year, according to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety.
It takes very little time for a car to get too hot for children. A car can heat to 124 degrees in only 30 minutes when it’s 90 degrees outside, according to the National Weather Service.
Will Smith may have been in a Bad Boy in his latest movie, but in his new song, he’s a man of hope. “You Can Make It” sees him team with Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir to provide inspiration to those trying to overcome hardships.
“Through some of my darkest moments, music has always been there for me – to lift me and help me grow,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s my humble wish that it can do the same for you and bring you all the joy and light you deserve.”
Available on digital platforms, “You Can Make It” marks Will’s first independent release. He’s set to debut the song on the BET Awards 2024 Sunday.
Megan Thee Stallion is not the only one with new releases this season. Here’s some of the latest and greatest to hit the culture:
JT told us she was “Okay,” but Jeezy apparently is too. He appears on the “Okay Remix,” on which the now divorced rapper raps he’s “single as a dollar bill.” The two dress in all black in the video directed by Gerald Victor.
“Higher” is where Burna Boy wishes for his hometown of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, to be. In the video, he pays a visit to childhood home and hands out essential supplies with volunteers from The R.E.A.C.H. and his initiative Project PROTECT.
Offset teams with Gunna for “Style Rare” and directed the video alongside Joshua “Mid Jordan” Farias. “I got that s*** on now,” Set says of the song.
Lucky Daye may just dominate your Algorithm with his new album, released alongside the video for “Think Different.” “‘Algorithm’ is the continued exploration of my sound, leaning into more futuristic and alternative sounds,” he says.
Tinashe‘s following up her first Hot 100 hit with “Getting No Sleep,” which will appear on her upcoming album, Quantum Baby, arriving August 16.
Marsha Ambrosius is back with Casablanco, executive produced by Dr. Dre. She says, “Dr. Dre dared me to dream bigger and aim higher” with the project.
Latto gushes about her man in “Big Mama.” The video finds her and sister Brooklyn turning up in a Miami club, on a yacht and driving the streets in luxury cars.
Doechii‘s “Rocket,” released as part of Sprite’s Limelight series, is about a past situationship with no future. A video for the track is out now.
Tamar Braxton and Eric Benét‘s “Something in the Making” was “a long time in the making.” Both tell People the experience was a “fun” one.
T-Pain is years into his music career, but it seems he’s still not used to fans’ reaction to his fame and stardom. In an interview with GQ, he says he began experiencing fanfare “a little bit before that, kind of the ‘I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper)’ era” but that it made him ask questions like, “What’s the big deal?” and “Why do you think I’m important?”
His reaction has remained the same over the years. “Even still to this day. I’m a person like you. If we’re both in the same airport, on the same flight, there’s nothing special about what I’m doing. It’s not a big deal that you get to see me,” he says.
“It’s become a thing that people know about me. They know how I feel about pictures and videos and stuff like that. I installed in everybody like, Chill the f*** out,” T-Pain continues. “We’re all doing this together. I’m only as important as you make me. I get it, and I appreciate it, but we’re all supposed to be chilling together. I just get to be on the other side of the camera more than most people.”
While he notices “the appreciation is there and the love is there,” T-Pain says that “trying to make me more important than anyone else that’s also waiting on their flight…just doesn’t make sense to me.”
Blxst has new music on the way, and this time, it’s not an EP. He announced Thursday that he’s readying for the release of his debut album, which will be titled I’ll Always Come Find You.
The announcement came via an Instagram post featuring a teaser that sees him in a Buick Grand National with a “Birdie” license plate, taking a late-night drive through the city and eventually stopping at a chauffeur car service garage called Evgle & Son. He ends the video saying, “If you’re ever lost, I’ll always come find you,” and revealing the release date: July 19.
“This is the most confident I’ve ever felt in my music. What I had to overcome while making this album changed my entire creative process, and the fans deserve to see the growth from that,” Blxst said in a press release. “I would be doing a disservice to not reach the heights I dreamed of reaching when I first started as an artist. No better time than now.”
To kick off the album, Blxst has released the Anderson .Paak-featuring single, “Dance with the Devil,” and its video.
“I’ve been a fan of Anderson .Paak since his Malibu album. His approach as an artist and tone of voice inspired me while coming into my own artistry,” Blxst said. “Full circle moment, he organically reached out to me summer 2023 to collaborate with him and the group Free Nationals. I took it as an opportunity to shoot for the stars and asked for him to be a part of my debut album as well.”
“This song is a perfect blend of two artists from California and is sonically undeniable from first listen,” he added. He said the song’s about “the tug-of-war with temptation in love and relationships.”
