Regional News at a Glance

MARYLAND

In February, Gov. Larry Hogan and the Office of Rural Broadband launched SpeedSurvey, a website for residents to test internet speed or report service issues such as an inability to access internet from local providers. While Maryland ranks third in the nation for broadband access, some residents, particularly in low-income and rural areas, still face slow internet speeds, no internet, or access to only one provider. (See "Closing the Digital Divide," Econ Focus, Second/Third Quarter 2020.) The website will also allow the state to collect data and generate federal funding for future projects.

VIRGINIA

In June, the Virginia Department of Education, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Virginia, will embark on a three-year project called "Equity in Virginia's Public Education System: A Longitudinal Examination Spanning the COVID-19 Shutdown." The project, which received nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, will focus on equitable access and will measure how the pandemic has affected students and teachers, including pre- and post-pandemic trends related to attendance, retention, and mobility through the 2022-2023 school year. When the project concludes in May 2024, researchers hope to identify future policies that could help schools recover from COVID-19 disruptions at state and local levels.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

To increase minority representation in leadership and executive roles in the hospitality industry, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation donated $20 million to Howard University in February to establish the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership. The center will provide students with career development and mentorship opportunities through the $1 million Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund, newly created by Marriott International. Separately, the foundation funded $500,000 in scholarships awarded to hospitality students nationwide by the American Hotel and Lodging Foundation.

WEST VIRGINIA

In early March, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration had awarded the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIFund) a $1.5 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grant. The federal grant will allow the Charles Town-based NCIFund to establish an Emergency Response Loan Fund to support businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCIFund will also use the grant for existing programs and additional services for businesses.