CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. -- Gov. Roy Cooper and his cabinet addressed issues facing eastern North Carolina at New Bern's Tryon Palace.

• The governor suggested rural counties take part in an initiative called "Hometown Strong"
• The idea is that state departments would sit down face-to-face with smaller local governments, targeting problems rural communities face.
• The Hometown Strong initiative also pushes for funding for libraries to support programs that would allow residents to check out Wi-Fi hotspots.

The governor suggested rural counties take part in an initiative called "Hometown Strong".

The idea is that state departments would sit down face-to-face with smaller local governments, targeting problems rural communities face.

Cooper's cabinet members said one way to do that is through libraries.

“There’s a local person there, it’s the hub of the community," said Mary Penny Kelly with the Hometown Strong initiative. "It’s where people gather. And looking at that and partnering with another department of information technology, we can think about how can we start getting broadband access out into these areas that don’t have it.”

The Hometown Strong initiative also pushes for funding for libraries to support programs that would allow residents to check out Wi-Fi hotspots.