Nevada’s Broadband Taskforce and the Connect Nevada initiative have released a new report assessing the state of high-speed Internet deployment and adoption in the state.

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The USDA announced a series of broadband grants yesterday as part of the larger broadband stimulus aimed to expand high-speed Internet access to every American home and business. Here is a closer look at the new projects being announced.

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The Department of Agriculture has announced an additional $1.2 billion in funding toward 126 broadband projects across the country. The funds are part of the national broadband stimulus aimed at promoting high-speed Internet access and adoption. This most-recent round of funding will target 38 states and Native American tribal areas. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack said the projects, "will give rural Americans access to the tools they need to attract new businesses, jobs, health care and educational opportunities. Bringing broadband to rural America provides a gateway for businesses and key anchor institutions--such as libraries, schools, public safety and community centers." Read more from the National Journal here.

Here is a look at five additional projects being announced:

Georgia: $13 million has been awarded to several state projects designed to expand broadband access to rural areas, community institutions and local businesses. The expansion projects are expected to reach more than 44,000 residents and 2,000 businesses. Read more here.

Missouri: More than $81 million will go toward rural broadband expansion projects."It's clear how important increasing broadband access is to Missouri's rural communities. Broadband Internet means jobs and economic development, as well as great improvements in healthcare, public safety, and education. This investment from the stimulus funds will help boost businesses and communities in rural Missouri," Sen. Claire McCaskill said. Read more about the projects here.

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Connected Nation announced a multi-state launch of a new interactive broadband mapping application in Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and South Carolina. The maps, which are now accessible through the Connect Michigan www.connectmi.org; Connect Minnesota www.connectmn.org; Connect Nevada www.connectnv; and Connect South Carolina www.connectsc.org websites give local residents a place to find providers at their address, check their current Internet speeds, request broadband service in their area and provide feedback on the initiatives.

A public demonstration of the program’s mapping feature, BroadbandStat, was recently held via a series of webinars to encourage citizen feedback and to demonstrate the broadband expansion scenario building that can be achieved by using the tool.

The maps, which depict broadband services currently available down to the street level, will be updated on a routine basis to reflect “real-time” broadband availability so that policy makers, Internet providers, and the general public can use the maps to make informed decisions about broadband investment and expansion.

Connected Nation will continuously refine the maps as more data is gathered—relying upon citizen feedback as part of the validation process. Residents, businesses, and any interested parties with knowledge of the state broadband landscape are asked to go to their respective initiative state website to provide input that will be used to verify and ensure the highest level of accuracy for the broadband maps.

Connected Nation is a Washington DC based firm specializing in public-private broadband partnerships. Read more about their work here.

Here is a look at some of the broadband stories in the news across the country:

In Nevada, Gov. Jim Gibbons announced his state’s broadband availability map, which is designed to promote broadband access and adoption throughout the state. “The map and the technology which will follow will create jobs to construct these critical networks, establish employment opportunities where they never existed before, bring a new level of economic competitiveness, allow e-government to be more fully deployed, will lower taxes by lowering the cost of government,  allow healthcare providers and caregivers to deliver world class services in every corner of the state, and most importantly, bring educational opportunities through distance-learning models for our children where such opportunities did not exist,” Gibbons said. Read the full story here.

In West Virginia, the state’s Broadband Council is working to expand high-speed Internet access to underserved and rural parts of the state. "We need to look at how we can stimulate them to go to those communities," said Mike Filoux, a council member and vice president of business development at Citynet. "Are there enough paying customers to make that community a viable community?" About 20 percent of West Virginia’s businesses and homes do not have access to broadband, according to state officials.  Read the full story here.

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Here is a closer look at three more statewide broadband projects getting underway. They include an unprecedented access project to bring high-speed Internet to tribal areas and plans to upgrade several statewide community centers which provide job training and educational opportunities:

In Arizona: An ambitious 27,000 mile fiber deployment project in the Navajo Nation is getting underway. “The Navajo Nation has traditionally suffered from a lack of connectivity,” said Monroe Keedo, IT manager for NTUA. “The Navajo Nation will benefit from this project in four big ways: economic development, education, public safety and health care.” Read the full story here.

In Nevada: A $4.7 million investment will go toward upgrading broadband access at eight Las Vegas community centers. 29 sites and 100 computer work stations are expected to be equipped with previously unavailable high-speed Internet access. Read the Las Vegas Sun story here.

In North Dakota: The town of Hillsboro will receive nearly half a million dollars in grants and loans to upgrade nearly 800 broadband sites in the Traill County town. You can read the full breakdown here.