EPB hopes to complete restoration of its internet, video and phone services this weekend after the Easter night tornadoes and storms demolished much of the utility's power and fiber optic network nearly three weeks ago.
EPB spokesman J.Ed. Marston said the city-owned utility engaged hundreds of extra fiber optic technicians "who have worked 16-hour days straight through to return service as quickly as possible."
"The good news is we have now repaired the catastrophic damage sustained by seven of the fiber shelters and painstakingly spliced 4,320 hair-width fibers to rejoin the major fiber feeders and transport cable," Marston said. "This completes the re-construction of the primary fiber infrastructure."
But about 1% of the more than 105,000 EPB Fiber Optic customers did not have service on Friday. EPB completed restoration of all homes that it could still serve with electricity a week ago. But the fiber optic service, in most instances, had to wait until power poles, lines and electric connections were rebuilt. Marston said EPB has hung more than 160 miles of fiber optic cable and lashing strand to restore the telecom services.
"Tornado damage to the fiber optic infrastructure was extensive, and the network repairs could not fully begin until the re-construction of the power system was complete," Marton said Friday. "By continuing to work at full force, we think we'll be able to restore service to most of the remaining customers by tomorrow-though restoration efforts to the most damaged parts of the network may continue through the weekend."
Anheuser-Busch wins ad dispute with Molson
A federal appeals court has struck down a lower court's ruling in favor of brewing giant Molson Coors, determining that Anheuser-Busch can advertise and use packaging implying that its rival beers contain corn syrup.
The order Friday from a three-judge panel on the 7th U.S. Court of Appeals overturns a federal judge's ruling from September in Wisconsin.
The appeals court says, "If Molson Coors does not like the sneering tone of Anheuser-Busch's ads, it can mock Bud Light in return."
Manufacturing falls more from COVID-19
U.S. manufacturing retreated again in April, a victim of economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, reported Friday that its manufacturing index dropped to 41.5 last month from 49.1 in March. Anything below 50 signals contraction.
The news was bad across the board: Production, new orders, hiring and export orders all fell faster in April than they did in March.