The Charleston Gazette - Wired for Waste

Broadband audit to probe communication towers

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Legislative Auditors Office has widened its review of the states use of $126.3 million in federal stimulus funds to expand high-speed Internet. After revealing in February that the state wasted millions of doll...

Broadband council forbidden to talk about project

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia Broadband Deployment Council members want to talk about the biggest broadband development project in state history, but the governors office wont allow it. Last week, council member Lee Fisher asked whether the gove...

Tomblin to overhaul purchasing rules, despite death of reform bill

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- House of Delegates members have killed Gov. Earl Ray Tomblins purchasing-reform bill that would have outlawed a controversial bidding practice that was used to buy high-capacity Internet routers for $24 million. Tomblin aides sai...

Consultant says state broadband project created monopoly for Frontier

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:24:48 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia government officials used tens of millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds to help Frontier Communications build a fragmented high-speed Internet network across the state that solely benefits Frontier, according to a...

W.Va. broadband summit postponed amid router review

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Earl Ray Tomblins administration has abruptly cancelled a statewide "broadband summit," citing ongoing scrutiny of West Virginias use of a $126.3 million federal stimulus grant to expand high-speed Internet. In late Fe...

Broadband consultants report a secret

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:55:26 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A state agency paid a Virginia-based company an estimated $118,000 to review West Virginias use of $126.3 million in federal stimulus funds to expand high-speed Internet, but Gov. Earl Ray Tomblins administration wont release t...

W.Va.s $24M router buy slammed on Capitol Hill

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:18:27 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A giant-sized photograph of Kanawha Countys Marmet Branch Library made its way to the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. During a congressional hearing, House Republican lawmakers held up the photo and railed against West Virginias d...

Tomblins office to examine Internet router sites

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:26:38 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin directed state officials Thursday to reconsider where theyve installed hundreds of high-capacity Internet routers paid for with $24 million in federal stimulus funds. The directive follows a series of Gaze...

Legislative auditors slam $24M router deal; millions could have been used to expand network, report says

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 15:30:44 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state of West Virginia improperly purchased hundreds of oversized routers, wasting at least $7.9 million in federal stimulus funds that could have been spent to expand high-speed Internet, accord...

State revamps purchasing rules

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:45:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State agencies across West Virginia must now get written approval before they use statewide contracts to buy goods and services that cost more than $250,000. The policy change follows federal and state reviews of West Virgini...

Audit: W.Va. router buy not cost-effective use of stimulus funds

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:44:04 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state of West Virginia wasted federal stimulus funds and didnt properly track Internet routers that cost $24 million, according to a federal audit released Friday. The U.S. Commerce Departments Inspector General found that the st...

$126M broadband project a train wreck, delegate says

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:13:34 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia Homeland Security Director Jimmy Gianato told state lawmakers Monday that a former U.S. Commerce secretary called the states $126.3 million plan to expand high-speed Internet "one of the best written proposals in the...

$126M broadband project a train wreck, delegate says

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:12:08 -0500

Libraries cant use stimulus-funded fiber network

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 15:55:59 -0500

CLAY, W.Va. -- Librarian Sheila Thorne wishes the 10 computers at the Clay County Public Library wouldnt bog down during busy afternoons, but its not like the slow Internet speeds can be blamed on a shortage of new technology. Theres a new $7,800 ...

Superstorm Sandy damage may push back statewide broadband project deadline

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:24:57 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Superstorm Sandy caused "significant damage" to a new fiber-optic Internet network being built in West Virginia with $126.3 million in federal stimulus funds, according to a letter released by the state Office of Technology o...

W.Va. technology chief: We fell a little bit short

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:35:10 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia officials "fell a little bit short" notifying public agencies across the state about the use and capabilities of Internet routers purchased for $24 million with federal stimulus funds, Chief Technology O...

Broadband consultant earns $732K

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 23:45:46 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia spent $512,000 in federal stimulus funds last year to pay a consultant whos helping to manage the states high-speed Internet expansion project while living in Colorado. The state is on pace to spend another $329,000 for ...

State Police routers unusable

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- More than two years after state officials used $1.7 million in federal stimulus funds to purchase 77 high-priced Internet routers for the West Virginia State Police, all but one of the devices remain unused because they dont ha...

Report: Despite storm and feds, $126M broadband project still on track

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 18:51:56 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The June 29 derecho storm and a U.S. Department of Commerce inspector generals audit have slowed West Virginias $126.3 million high-speed Internet expansion project, but the state still expects to complete construction by February, acc...

Ethics agency gave green light to hiring of son

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state Ethics Commission privately gave the go-ahead for West Virginia Homeland Security Director Jimmy Gianatos son to be paid through a $126.3 million federal stimulus grant that Gianato administers, according to emails released ...

Legislative auditor starts inquiry into $24M router purchase

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Legislative Auditors office is examining the states $24 million purchase of more than 1,000 "enterprise-class" Internet routers. In a recent letter, state Legislative Auditor Aaron Allre...

Router bidding procedures questioned

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Office of Technology followed "normal procedures" when it solicited bids and purchased more than 1,000 "enterprise-class" Internet routers, state Homeland Security Director Jimmy Gianato told s...

W.Va. router purchases done via routine procedure

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia bought more than 1,000 Internet routers for $24 million under a contract that state agencies typically use for routine and repetitive purchases.

The council...

Obama administration official defends $24M state router purchase

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:54:27 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Obama administrations telecommunications chief has praised West Virginia officials for their decision to spend $24 million in federal stimulus money to buy oversized Internet routers. The state is installing t...

Ex-CEO of failed start-up advising Tomblin on broadband

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The former CEO of a failed start-up company that solicited funding from cities and counties across West Virginia is now advising the governors office on the states use of $126.3 million in federal stimulus funds to expand high...

U.S. House committee wants inquiry into routers

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives asked the inspector general to investigate West Virginias use of $24 million in federal stimulus funds to purchase oversized Internet routers. U.S. Reps. Greg Walden of Oregon an...

Planning agencies refuse to use expensive Internet routers

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Lea Wolfe didnt know what to make of the huge Internet router that arrived unexpectedly at the Region 6 Planning and Development Councils office in Marion County last September. The economic development agency hadnt order...

Stimulus pays for fiber optic to empty building

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:45:00 -0400

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia used federal stimulus funds to run 425 feet of fiber-optic cable to a building in downtown Huntington thats now empty. The state spent $22,600 for a high-end Internet router and $14,800 to bring a high-speed ...

Fiasco: Millions for routers

( ) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Perhaps a few West Virginia public institutions are large enough to use huge wireless Internet routers costing $22,600 each -- but many small facilities that got the monster devices need only $200 units. Thus a huge amount of...

W.Va. to disclose unspent funds from stimulus broadband project

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:09:28 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In the next week or two, West Virginia officials will determine how much money will be left over from a $126.3 million federal stimulus grant to expand high-speed Internet across the state, Broadband Deployment Council members ...

W.Va. official defends router purchases

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia "taxpayers were best served" by the states decision to use $24 million in federal stimulus funds to purchase more than 1,000 high-end Internet routers for public facilities, a state official overseeing ...

Sites picked for routers

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia officials have selected a private college, nonprofit environmental group and a federal jobs program center in Charleston as possible sites scheduled to receive $22,600 Internet routers paid for by President Barack Ob...

Bulk of courthouse routers never used

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 23:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When two technicians from Morgantown showed up at the Morgan County Courthouse with a new Internet router in late May, Dave McDonald was taken by surprise, but he wasnt about to loo...

W.Va. ready to weigh broadband projects

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:31:44 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After a four-year wait, the state Broadband Deployment Council will start taking applications next week for $3.3 million in state grant funding set aside for projects that expand high-speed Internet service in rural areas...

Feds begin probe into stimulus spending

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The U.S. Department of Commerce inspector general has started an investigation into West Virginias use of $126.3 million in federal stimulus funds to expand high-speed Internet. The Office of Inspector General plans to determine wh...