O Zito, O Zito, wherefore art thou, Zito? In case you didn’t know, the phrase “wherefore art thou” is fancy Shakespeare talk for “why?” Which brings us to the point. Why, Zito. Why? 

The front door of the office for Zito Media in Haywood County has a piece of paper taped to the inside that reads “closed until further notice … hopefully opening later today 11/4 or Monday 11/7.”

Whether you own a business or are simply trying to manage a household budget, phishing scams and cyberattacks are a risk to your security.

Sylva was named the nation’s slowest city for internet in a recent report from internet service comparison website www.highspeedinternet.com, and that struggle continues to be a frequent topic of conversation in town and county meetings. 

With the results of a regional broadband survey now available, leaders have expansive data on the underserved areas in their counties and can seek out public-private partnership opportunities in an effort to expand high-speed internet service. 

Swain County residents recently crowded a room to voice their dissatisfaction with the internet and cell service they are — or aren’t — receiving from Frontier Communications.

Macon County’s concerted efforts to bring better broadband capabilities to residents are moving right along.

It was just a press release, one among the dozens a week that media outlets receive and that may or may not make it into the paper, on TV, on the radio or on a website. When it came across my computer screen, though, it seemed suddenly clear to me that it was symbolic of how our economic development priorities have to change.

“Gov. Cooper recommends eight Western North Carolina projects for ARC funding,” read the headline. Looking at the eight projects revealed that of the $3 million the Appalachian Regional Commission will most likely award, $1,374,714 was for an access road to a new development in Morganton and another $873,509 was to repave a road to an existing industrial site in Rutherford County.

The all-important push to bring high-speed internet to Western North Carolina generated a lot of optimism earlier this summer when the town of Waynesville and the Land of Sky Regional Council entered into an agreement with the goal of expanding high-speed internet service to the area.