Here is a closer look at four new broadband projects getting underway in New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia:

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Buckeyes are looking for work, but they aren’t finding it.  July’s numbers show Ohio’s unemployment rate tailing behind national numbers.  The economy still struggles and people are still out of work.  That’s a dark outlook, but these tough conditions are teaching lessons.

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As broadband access and adoption projects continue to expand around the country, many of those communities benefitting from broadband are beginning to take notice. Here is a look at editorials from around the country where those broadband projects are getting underway:

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Here is a look at three more states launching major broadband projects, designed to improve rural broadband access, improve emergency medical response systems and improve economic opportunities.

Missouri has been awarded a $64 million grant to expand broadband access to more rural areas of the state. The new project being overseen by Opticom will build a fiber network reaching 18,500 residents and 4,000 businesses. "We checked out that market," said the Rural Utilities Services’ Jonathan Adelstein. "We don't take anybody's word for it. ... We determined that this area could really benefit from having state-of-the-art broadband service." Read more about the project here.

Charlotte, North Carolina has received a $16.7 million grant from the Department of Commerce to build a 4G emergency response system that will be one of the nation’s first such programs. The new network will allow emergency responders to bypass commercial carrier systems. "With that kind of speed, an ambulance could send video of a patient, and their vital signs to the ER, while they are in transit," said Charlotte network manager Dennis Bauco. "That's a huge shift in the potential to save lives." Charlotte Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Dulin said the system will improve firefighting. "If there is a chemical spill, we can push that image out," Dulin said. "The guys (responding) can see what's going on." Read more from the Charlotte Observer here.Read more

Here is a look at four more statewide broadband projects getting underway after the USDA announced $1.2 billion in additional high-speed Internet access and adoption projects:

North Carolina: $83 million has been awarded to four projects that will expand rural broadband access across the state, building up thousands of miles of fiber and creating new jobs. Read about the projects here.

North Dakota: $24 million has been awarded for two projects to bring broadband and high-speed video services to underserved and rural parts of the state. The project is expected to reach more than 5,000 people, 450 businesses and 15 other community institutions, while creating at least 248 new, long-term jobs. North Dakota’s congressional delegation, Rep. Earl Pomeroy and Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan said in a written statement that the funding will “spur job creation and economic development” in the state. “This funding will improve broadband connectivity for thousands of residents and hundreds of businesses in rural North Dakota,” they wrote. Read more here.

Ohio: $14.5 million has been awarded to five companies who will expand broadband access to more than 20,000 homes, 450 businesses and 14 community institutions. "(Broadband) is in our time what electricity was in the 1920s and 1930s and the highway system in the 1950s and 1960s," said Rep. Zack Space said. "The gaps that exists in technology in the health and safety field will widen without this technology. Read more about the projects here.

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Funds from the national broadband stimulus continue to reach all 50 states in public-private partnerships designed to bring high-speed Internet access to every American home and business. Here is a look at projects getting under way in five more states:

Colorado: Hundreds of local schools are set to be connected to high-speed Internet access with growing support for a $100.6 million broadband expansion project. The project is being led by Eagle-Net, whose stated goal is "to enable access for technology-rich, quality education to every student in all 178 Colorado public school districts via broadband network services." Read more about the project here.

Illinois: $16 million has been allocated for two Chicago groups seeking to expand broadband services. The SmartChicago Sustainable Broadband Adoption program will receive $7 million, while the SmartChicago Public Computer Centers will receive nearly $9 million toward upgrading computer systems at more than 150 locations, including libraries, community colleges and senior centers. Read more about the projects here.

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