Putnam County Commission approves broadband fiber-optic internet project

PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – The Putnam County Commission on Thursday allocated $1.2 million in CARES funding toward a project that will provide fiber-optic internet to the whole county.

The project will be done in phases that will start toward Culloden and flow through Hurricane, Winfield, and Buffalo -- eventually getting broadband internet to the entire county.

The Commission hopes to get the project under construction by this summer.

“This is not only going to be great for Putnam County, but it’s going to be great for the state as a whole, and we’re taking a lead role in being one of the first to do this rollout,” said Commissioner Ronald Foster. “As long as we get the services to our county, we’ll be able to set a model for other counties and other municipalities to follow us.”

Commissioners also allocated funds toward new police cruisers, a new ambulance, and renovations to the sheriff’s department building.