EVANSVILLE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 16, 2024--
Construction in Wilmington has begun on a $30M fiber-optic network that will bring multi-gigabit internet service to the city’s homes and businesses, Metronet announced today. Named the fastest major ISP in the country for 2024 by PCMag, Metronet will offer customers ultrafast speeds of up to five gigabits per second for residents and up to ten gigabits per second for businesses.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716170306/en/
The first customers can expect to begin receiving service this fall. Upon completion, Wilmington will join the ranks of Certified Gigabit Cities within Metronet’s rapidly expanding network. Metronet’s two year construction plan also includes the neighboring communities of Bay Shore, Myrtle Grove, North Chase, Ogden, Porters Neck, and Silver Lake, North Carolina.
Metronet’s construction crews began installing fiber-optic cable on June 28. As construction advances throughout the city, residents will receive communication by mail about construction activity in their neighborhood 30 days prior to starting. Additional messaging, such as yard signs, will also be provided to notify residents of when construction is beginning in their neighborhood. Metronet crews are identified by ID tags and branded Metronet vehicles. Residents and businesses wanting to learn more about Metronet’s services and receive updates on construction may visit metronet.com/nc/Wilmington.
"Metronet is transforming communities by delivering state-of-the-art fiber-optic internet that guarantees lightning-fast speeds and unparalleled reliability," said Telly Whitfield, Metronet governmental affairs director. "We are profoundly grateful for the city’s unwavering support in our ambitious construction plans and are excited for Wilmington’s residents and businesses to experience our groundbreaking service. Together, we are building the foundation for a more connected, innovative, and prosperous future, positioning Wilmington as a leader in digital advancement."
Metronet plans to hire local market management positions, sales and customer service professionals and service technicians to support the Wilmington area. Those interested in joining the Metronet team can visit metronet.com/careers to search available positions and to submit applications.
In addition to Wilmington, Metronet’s multi-gigabit internet service is already accessible in several North Carolina communities, including Ayden, Brices Creek, Eastover, Fayetteville, Greenville, Half Moon, Havelock, Hickory, Hope Mills, Jacksonville, James City, New Bern, Piney Green, Pumpkin Center, Raeford, River Bend, Rocky Mount, Simpson, Spring Lake, Trent Woods, Vander, and Winterville.
About Metronet:
Metronet is PCMag 's “Fastest Major ISP” for 2023 and 2024, providing multi-gigabit internet service to homes and businesses in cities like Colorado Springs, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Lexington, Norfolk, Tallahassee and more than 300 other communities across 17 states. Expanding its fiber-optic network in more than 90 communities at any one time, Metronet has become the country's largest and fastest growing privately owned fiber-to-the-home company. More information on the Evansville, Ind.-based company can be found at metronet.com.
Metronet Begins Construction on $30M Fiber-Optic Network Serving Wilmington (Photo: Business Wire)
A former Florida sheriff’s deputy charged with killing a Black U.S. Air Force senior airman who answered his apartment door while holding a gun pointed toward the ground was arrested Monday, officials said.
Former Okaloosa County deputy Eddie Duran, 38, was charged with manslaughter with a firearm in the May 3 shooting death of 23-year-old Roger Fortson, Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille announced Friday. The charge is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Duran was booked into the county jail Monday, records show. Marcille confirmed his arrest to The Associated Press.
“He did, in fact, turn himself in,” Marcille said in a telephone interview, adding that Duran's initial court appearance will be via video link Tuesday morning. “He will be held in custody pending his initial appearance.”
An attorney representing Duran did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Authorities say Duran had been directed to Fortson’s Fort Walton Beach apartment in response to a domestic disturbance report that turned out to be false.
After repeated knocking, Fortson opened the door while holding his handgun at his side, pointed down. Authorities say that Duran shot him multiple times; only then did he tell Fortson to drop the gun.
On Friday, the day the charge was announced, candles and framed photos of Fortson in uniform graced the doorway of the apartment where he was killed.
According to the internal affairs report of the shooting, Duran told investigators that when Fortson opened the door, he saw aggression in the airman’s eyes. He said he fired because, “I’m standing there thinking I’m about to get shot, I’m about to die.”
Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden fired Duran on May 31 after an internal investigation concluded his life was not in danger when he opened fire. Outside law enforcement experts have also said that an officer cannot shoot only because a possible suspect is holding a gun if there is no threat.
Duran is a law enforcement veteran, starting as a military police officer in the Army. He joined the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office in July 2019, but resigned two years later, saying his wife, a nurse, had been transferred to a Naval hospital out of the area. He rejoined the sheriff’s office in June 2023.
Okaloosa personnel records show he was reprimanded in 2021 for not completing his assignment to confirm the addresses of three registered sex offenders by visiting their homes, telling a colleague he didn’t care about them. Then assigned to a high school as its on-campus deputy, he was also disciplined that year for leaving the school before the final bell and the students’ departure. Florida law requires that an armed guard be on campus when class is in session.
Records of 911 calls show deputies had never been called to Fortson’s apartment previously but they had been summoned to a nearby unit 10 times in the previous eight months, including once for a domestic disturbance.
Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Florida. Martin reported from Atlanta.
The Okaloosa County Courthouse is seen Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Crestview, Fla. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)
FILE - U.S. Air Force personnel stand near the coffin of slain airman Roger Fortson during his funeral at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Friday, May 17, 2024, near Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
Candles and framed photos of Roger Fortson, a U.S. Air Force senior airman who was fatally shot by a Fla. sheriff's deputy on May 3, 2024, sit on Friday, Aug. 23, in the doorway of the apartment where he was killed in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)
FILE - Chantemekki Fortson, mother of slain Roger Fortson, a U.S. Air Force senior airman, holds a photo of her son during a news conference with attorney Ben Crump on Monday, June 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
