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A Ne
wslet
ter fo
r Mid-
Rivers
Mem
bers &
Cust
omers
Mark Robbins, Roy, District 1Donald Kimmel, Roundup District 2Dennis Green, Cohagen District 3 Gene Engen, Circle District 4 & Sec./Tres.Dave Rice, West Glendive District 5
Craig Johnson, W. Sidney District 6 & Vice-PresidentRobert B. Reukauf, Terry District 7 Dane Castleberry, Ekalaka District 8 Alan Sevier, Glendive, District 9 & President
Mid-Rivers Trustees
• General Manager’s Update• Employee of the Quarter: Enrique Hafemann• The End of an Era• Mid-Rivers Launches Online HBO® Offerings• What to Do if You Are Having Troubles With your Phone Service
• Mid-Rivers Supports Local EMS & Fire Departments • How Will Net Neutrality Affect Customers• Tech Tip: Steps to a Safer Internet• Additional Listings • Happy Retirement Barb Roehl!• Mid-Rivers Annual Meeting Invitation
Inside this Issue:
Michael Candelaria
Spring is the time of year for fresh starts, and this spring Mid-Rivers is no exception. As we look forward to the longer days and warmer
weather, Mid-Rivers is proud to say that we have a multitude of projects planned which are aimed at continuing our commitment to bring customers the best possible services at the most affordable rates.
We are moving into construction season and that means we will begin plowing this year’s fiber projects. This year’s biggest construction project is planned for the Pine Grove area northwest of Jordan. This project will connect the Pine Grove School and customers living in that region with broadband and improved phone services. Mid-Rivers also has several fiber projects planned to improve backhaul to many of our cell sites in preparation for phase three of our LTE launch, making mobile 4G data services more prevalent as well as preparing for fixed LTE broadband services.
Efforts have been made this spring to improve our high-speed Internet Services in Miles City in the form of equipment upgrades. These upgrades allow Miles City customers who are on a cable modem connection to receive Internet download speeds up to 50 Mbps. Some customers who wish to upgrade their Internet speed may need a new modem to access the higher speeds. Plans are in place to make similar upgrades to the Baker, Glendive and Lewistown cable modem systems.
In addition to improvements to our broadband equipment and software, Mid-Rivers in making faster Internet more accessible by lowering the price of our most popular Internet plans. Some plans have been lowered by as much as twenty dollars! If you would like to upgrade your Internet plan, please contact us at 1-800-452-2288, or stop by your local Mid-Rivers office.
Requests from customers prompted Mid-Rivers to begin reviewing our cellular plans. We are happy to say that customers can look forward to cellular data plans that offer significantly more data at a LOWER rate. These plans will automatically become effective in the next few months for all Mid-Rivers cellular subscribers on a Shared Mobile Data plan.
Mid-Rivers hopes that you will join us to take part in your cooperative at our Annual Meeting which will be held in Winnett at the Winnett High School Gymnasium on May 27, 2015. Registration for the meeting will begin at 10:00 AM, a Free Lunch will be served at 11:00 AM and the business meeting will commence at 1:00PM. Each member in attendance will receive an attendance gift, as well as be entered to win one of our door prizes including a Roku box and other great tech items. The meeting will feature the election of the District 1 Trustees, voting on proposed bylaw ammendments, reports on the financial condition and status of the cooperative, member comments and a drawing for twelve $500 scholarships. Eligibility for the scholarship drawing requires that students attend the meeting with a parent/legal guardian who has local telephone service from Mid-Rivers and provide proof of enrollment in a higher education institution for the fall of 2015. Students must be present at the meeting at the time of the drawing. Watch for more details in our 2015 Annual Report which will be mailed to all members in early May.
Spring Brings a Fresh Outlook to Mid-Rivers Services
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General Manager’s Update:
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Random Telephone Numbers Prize
Ten telephone numbers of Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative members are listed throughout this issue of 411. If one of these phone numbers is yours, you are eligible for a $10 credit applied to your next Mid-Rivers bill. Call Mid-Rivers at 1-800-452-2288 to get this $10 credit.
Bill Payment Information• Please include your bill stub with your payment.• For your convenience, Mid-Rivers offers Automatic Bank
Deduct. Payments can be taken out of your checking or savings account.
• You can drop off your payment at your LOCAL Mid-Rivers Office or mail it in the pre-addressed envelope included with your billing statement
• Access your Mid-Rivers Account and submit a payment using SmartHub. Simply Log on to www.midrivers.com and click on “SmartHub”
• Call 1-888-817-3862 for 24/7 Secure Payments by phone
One free, easy call gets your utility lines markedAND helps protect you from injury and expense.
Call 811 or visit call811.com for more information.
Featured Photo: The featured photo for the Spring 2015 411 was submitted to Mid-Rivers by Lee Burroughs. “Jack the Jack Rack Russell terrier is fascinated with the chicks, we finally had to get him a stool so he could see over the edge of the tank they were in.”
On March 9, 2015, Mid-Rivers celebrated the hard work and assistance of a collection of ladies fondly known within the co-op as “The Billing Ladies.” These ladies have been aiding the cooperative in the preparation of invoices for mailing for over 35 years.
Each month a group of ladies joined forces with Mid-Rivers at the headquarters building in Circle to prepare the monthly invoices for mailing. In total, 32 women would assist Mid-Rivers with the billing process, though not all 32 were in attendance for each mailing. With approximately 25,000 invoices being mailed each month, the job these ladies tackled was no small task. The mailing process took 6-8 hours each month and over a dozen people worked diligently to complete the stuffing of envelopes. The group began at 7:00 AM twice a month and these dedicated ladies were always on time and ready to work. This group of Circle area residents played an important part in the cooperative’s business growth over the last several decades and their contribution will long be remembered and appreciated.
The chatter coming from the board room as these ladies worked to complete the monthly billing will be missed in the hallways of the Mid-Rivers Headquarters. The completion of the March 9, 2015, billing marks the end of an era, as Mid-Rivers has transitioned its billing to an automated system due to several factors including the increasing number of bills and advances in technology.
While many of the ladies noted that they would miss the monthly get-togethers, and it was a difficult decision for the cooperative to end these arrangements, it was a move that made sense for the membership as Mid-Rivers strives to keep pace with rapid changes in technology.
Pictured are the five ladies who had been involved with the billing process for the longest period of time. Left to Right: Verna Bjoralt, Iris Vejtasa, Myrt Meissiner, Kate Robbins and Cloey Scheer
Employee of the Quarter
Enrique Hafemann Combination Technician
SidneyEnrique has been selected as
the Mid-Rivers Employee of the Quarter because of his attention to customer satisfaction and ready-to-work attitude.
Congratulations Enrique!
The End of an Era: Mid-Rivers Bids Farewell to a Long Tradition
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Mid-Rivers Communications offers two low-income telephone assistance programs known as Lifeline & Link-Up. Lifeline provides Federal Universal Service support to reduce monthly service charges paid by qualifying low-income residential customers. Link-Up provides Federal Universal Service support to reduce service connection and line extension charges paid by qualifying low-income residential customers residing on Tribal lands. Mid-Rivers also offers toll blocking, a service that prevents long distance calling from your telephone. For more information please contact your nearest Mid-Rivers customer service office, call Mid-Rivers at 1-800-452-2288, or visit http://www.midrivers.com/low-income-assistance/.
Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Mid-Rivers Communications recently announced the launch of HBO’s authenticated online video destinations, HBO GO® and MAX GO®. Mid-Rivers customers who subscribe to HBO and/or Cinemax will now have free, unlimited access to the corresponding online services at any time, on any computer in the U.S. with a high-speed Internet connection as well as iPad®, iPhone®, iPod touch® and select Android™ devices. HBO subscribers can enjoy even more ways to watch on Apple TV®, Google Chromecast, Xbox 360®, Samsung® Smart TVs, Roku®, Kindle Fire and PlayStation®3.
To access the online content, Mid-Rivers’ HBO and Cinemax subscribers can simply log onto www.watchtveverywhere.com using their Watch TV Everywhere credentials. Subscribers should then click on the HBO GO logo where they will be redirected to the HBO GO web portal. Subscribers should then select WTVE (rather than Mid-Rivers Communications) as their provider and sign in with their primary Watch TV Everywhere user ID and password, set parental controls and make their viewing selection and begin watching. These same steps may be followed to access MAX GO.
HBO GO and MAX GO are only accessible in the US and certain US territories where a high speed broadband connection is available. Minimum 3G connection required for viewing on mobile devices.
Some restrictions may apply. ©2014 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO, HBO GO, Cinemax®, MAX GO, and related channels and services marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. All devices, titles and related trademarks are property of their respective owners. iPad®, iPhone® , iPod touch® and Apple TV® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android™ is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. HBO GO is not compatible with all models of Samsung® Smart TVs. Roku and the Roku logo are trademarks of Roku Inc. in the United States and other countries. Amazon, Kindle, Kindle Fire, and the AmazonKindle logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. “PlayStation” and “PS3” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.
Mid-Rivers Launches Online Offerings HBO GO® and MAX GO® –More Than 2,000 Titles Now Available Online to Mid-Rivers Communications Customers Who Subscribe to
HBO, With Over 550 Additional Titles Available to Cinemax® Subscribers –
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Did You Know....
• Mid-Rivers offers online account management via SmartHub?
• You can receive paperless billing through SmartHub?• You can monitor your Internet and Cellular Data use
through SmartHub?• Your can report a Mid-Rivers service trouble in
SmartHub?• SmartHub has a mobile app which allows you to
manage your Mid-Rivers account even when you’re on the go?
• SmartHub is FREE to all Mid-Rivers Customers?Don’t have a SmartHub
account yet? Sign up online at https://midrivers.smarthub.coop/Login.html#login: or call us at 1-800-452-2288.
Mid-Rivers Continues to Expand Viewing Options on the Watch TV
Everywhere Online Veiwing Platform
www.watchtveverywhere.com
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Arlington, Va. (February 18, 2015)—No matter where you live in the country, you may have experienced problems with your telephone service. Whether you’re on the calling or the receiving end, these instances can be quite frustrating—particularly when the problems are persistent.
If you live in a rural area, you may have had long-distance or wireless callers tell you they had trouble reaching you. Likewise, if you have ever tried to place a long-distance or wireless call to a rural area, you may have experienced “failure to complete” problems, such as dead air, prolonged ringing or a recording such as, “this call cannot be completed as dialed.”
Additionally, some calls placed to rural areas may connect but have “poor call quality” issues like echoes, transmission delays and choppy sound. If you experience these issues, there now are ways to report them with your phone company as well as with government agencies.
These lost calls are often the by-product of how long-distance phone carriers choose to route calls. Unfortunately, calls following the least-costly route can often fall into a loop of routers.
“Throughout rural America, calls are simply failing to connect,” says Shirley Bloomfield, chief executive officer of NTCA– The Rural Broadband Association, which represents nearly 900 independent, community-based telecommunications companies in rural and small-town America. “With personal calls, it’s frustrating. With businesses, hospitals and first responders, call connection becomes a public safety and viability issue.”
Known as “rural call completion,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking a multi-pronged approach to addressing the issue.
Additionally, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is advocating for rules and enforcement to end this practice, as well as uniting local carriers in an attempt to end rural call failures.
In the meantime, consumers can help themselves. The FCC recommends reporting these problems to one’s long distance or wireless telephone service provider when they occur. Be sure to record the date and time of the call, the telephone numbers involved and the service provider of the calling customer. You can also file a complaint with the FCC.
To learn more about these problems and how to report them, visit www.NTCA.org/callcompletion.
What to Do If You Are Having Troubles With Your Phone Service
Mid-Rivers Communications (Circle, MT) recently made donations totaling $11,000 to Emergency Medical Service (EMS)/ambulance service providers and fire departments in the Mid-Rivers Service Area. Donations are made to these providers annually in recognition of the vital services these entities provide to Mid-Rivers’ members, employees, and facilities. This year, twenty-one EMS service providers and thirty-four fire departments have received a donation. See the complete list online at www.midrivers.com.
Mid-Rivers Supports Local EMS and Fire Departments through Annual Donation
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Tech Tip: Steps to a Safer InternetSearch engines, social media, and information databases are all very powerful internet tools. We are increasingly using the Internet to go about our daily lives, pay bills, research information, shop, and connect with people. But what happens when a new contact is not being truthful about their identity?
Internet crimes, particularly those aimed at children and teens, are prevalent. The good news is that by teaching children and teens how to use the Internet safely, these crimes can be prevented. The next generation may continue to do research for their homework, or connect with friends and family using their favorite outlet, the Internet.
Continue reading for some common Internet safety tips for children and teens:
• Never accept friend request from people they don’t know in person.
• Change security settings on social media sites so that only friends can see their page.
• Create strong passwords, and do not share them.
• Teach that if it is on the Internet, it is public.
• Never post something they would be uncomfortable sharing with their grandparents.
• Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet online.
• Never upload (post) pictures of themselves onto the Internet or send photos to people they do not know. Once a photo is posted or sent, they lose all control of that photo.
• Never give out identifying information such as name, home address, school name or telephone number.
• Never download from an unknown source.
Practicing safe Internet use can help you and your family make the most of this powerful tool. If you feel that you have fallen victim to an Internet crime report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
There has been a lot of discussion recently in the major media outlets about “Net Neutrality” and the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s) February 26, 2015, adoption of Open Internet rules. You may be wondering, “What is Net Neutrality, and how could it affect me?”
The February Order gives the Federal government regulatory control over Internet services – the same regulatory powers they have today over telephone services – with the idea that they will use those powers to insure an Open Internet.
Net Neutrality, also referred to as Open Internet, is the thought that all internet traffic, from fledgling start-ups to major corporations, should have the same access to the Internet, and that consumers can access whichever legal websites they desire without worry of access being blocked or delayed. From an Internet Service Provider perspective, this means that providers like Mid-Rivers cannot block or prioritize Internet traffic on a content-specific basis. For instance, we cannot prevent our users from being able to access certain websites or applications (as long as they are legal), or charge certain content providers for the ability to deliver their content (webpages, videos, etc.) to our subscribers.
Mid-Rivers is already a very highly regulated service provider, both in terms of government regulation and in oversight by our members as a Cooperative provider. We already comply with the prohibitions on blocking content and always strive to be very transparent with all our customers about the services we provide.
Our Internet customers should not see any immediate impacts from the Net Neutrality ruling.
Net Neutrality is mainly a battle between the nation’s largest Internet Service Providers and content providers. As a small company serving some of the most rural areas of the nation, we are more concerned with the FCC’s changes to programs that help us bring comparable telecommunications services to our customers at reasonable rates, and about doing whatever we can to expand bro adb and in Eastern M o n t a n a . The FCC can help speed those expansions by reducing some of the uncertainties surrounding the Universal Service program and its goals for rural areas, and by lightening regulatory burdens so companies like ours can focus on delivering services.
“Our Internet customers should not see any immediate impacts from the Net Neutrality ruling.”
How Will Net Neutrality Affect Mid-Rivers’ Customers?
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Baker Judge S A ........................(406)778-6200Pratt Harold ...................(406)778-2184
CarlyleWeaver James ................(406)588-3020
CircleArnston Lathe ...............(406)485-2090Idland Reece ..................(406)485-2291Keller Isaiah & Alicia ...(406)485-3905Kleppelid Jean ...............(406)485-2638Loberg Bill .....................(406)485-3027Mitchell Wayde & Lisa .(406)485-3218
CusterS Ranch Feedlot ............(406)856-4040
East FairviewNorthstar Transloading Ip LLC ...........(701)844-2962
EkalakaHanson Kristopher & Meghann ..........(406)775-6582Jardee Hali .....................(406)775-6442
FallonFowler Garth .................(406)486-5420Schriver Klint & Tiffany .......................(406)486-5711
GlendiveA & P Builders LLP ......(406)377-2400Bain Lynn ......................(406)377-8213Baisch Miles & Katelyn (406)377-1144Goodwin-Mitchell Matthew ................(406)377-8548Holden Electric LLC ....(406)377-3869Holy Spirit Harvest Ministry ...............(406)377-1288Kutzler Jay ......................(406)377-2619Lucido Greg ...................(406)377-9214Monte Carlo Pizza ........(406)377-1200R & W Auto Services ...(406)377-2886Rathbun G .....................(406)377-4725Shoe Shack .....................(406)377-7463Wagner Arnell ...............(406)377-3636Woodward Scott & Kristi .....................(406)377-7089
Grass RangeKnodel Wade .................(406)428-2026Pierce Justin & Maggie .(406)428-2490
JordanCountry Kids Daycare .(406)557-6010The Mane Escape ..........(406)557-6263Sammons Tal & Jennifer .......................(406)557-2717Southall Chuck..............(406)557-2380Thompson Brett ............(406)557-2174Whiteside Bob & Kylee (406)557-6527
LambertTurnbull Matt & Katie ..(406)774-3887Veebaray Ranch ............(406)774-7030
LavinaDavenport Les & Holly (406)636-4220
LewistownArthur Jim .....................(406)535-6498Ayers Ora .......................(406)535-7875Baker Ken ......................(406)535-6449Chalmers James & Jennifer ..................(406)535-4767Conkling Chevy ............(406)535-3022Fitness Central, LLC.....(406)535-2348Gilbert Lisa ....................(406)535-6426Hubbard Jaron ..............(406)535-8008Huffine & Mcmillan .....(406)535-6409Jackson William & Twyla .....................(406)535-5544Lamaster Kenneth ........(406)535-6837Lamphiear Kathy D ......(406)535-2459Mullins Dorothea .........(406)535-5220Santavy Paul & Rebecca ........................(406)535-5944Ted Jb .............................(406)535-2821Zindt C ...........................(406)535-8051
LindsayBraaton Jeramia & Sherri .....................(406)584-7286
MelstoneLawson Rhonda ............(406)358-2442Timmerman Bridger ....(406)358-2354
Miles CityBarlow Mark ..................(406)234-0055Bott Chase .....................(406)234-1003Dolatta Dean .................(406)234-5466Elegance Salon & Tanning ....................(406)234-8676Gregory & Nikki Erlenbusch ...............(406)234-6745Gibbs Collin & Kim .....(406)234-0645Giddis Duane & Melissa .......................(406)234-6810Jackson Brenda .............(406)234-0583La Casa Diamonds .......(406)234-1224
Liberty Antique and Second Hand .....(406)234-8946Lindvold Royce & Jennifer ...................(406)234-0624Lynn Jonathan & Jackie (406)234-7707Mt DCI Region 5 ..........(406)234-3461Smith K ..........................(406)234-3435Stevenson Marlene .......(406)234-5967Venn Jason & Danielle .(406)234-4902Wildish Esther ..............(406)234-8888Wise Winona .................(406)234-4104
MusselshellKnutson Larry & Linda (406)947-2188
PlevnaTutas John & Kelley ......(406)772-5030
Rock SpringsV X Camp ......................(406)354-6012
RoundupGrassland Machine .......(406)323-4872Graves D ........................(406)323-8786Perrella Michelle ...........(406)323-8513Simmons Terri ..............(406)323-8308Simms Sandford ............(406)323-2901Valdez Brandy ...............(406)323-1905
RoyFields Chuck ..................(406)464-2245
RyegateFrazier Jim & Cathy ......(406)568-2975Schellenger C.................(406)568-2002
SavageReynolds Patrick ...........(406)776-2476
SidneyBuchanan L ....................(406)488-1214Corland Construction ..(406)433-8158Eastern Aviation ...........(406)488-5130Jenson Harold ...............(406)488-1066McLaughlin Damon .....(406)488-1080Mucho Si II ....................(406)433-2212Ooh La La Day Spa .......(406)433-5252Rodiron Grill .................(406)433-3300Sonnenberg Matthew ...(406)433-2306Sidney Soccer Association ....................(406)433-3060Truax Sam & Karen Arnold .................(406)488-6404
South Wolf PointMcGarr Jacob & Natasha ......................(406)525-3777
Additional Listings December 3, 2014 - March 19, 2015
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West SidneyArnold James .................(406)798-3434Chaznline Inc ................(406)798-7700Moon Jesse .....................(406)798-3571Roberts Jamison ............(406)798-3865Smelser Antoinette .......(406)798-5555
WibauxBarthel Mary .................(406)796-2004Braden Vicki ..................(406)796-2205Metcalf Larry & Sandra (406)796-2967Wilcox Mary Ann .........(406)796-2615
WinnettDavenport G C ..............(406)429-5068EMcH Michael S ...........(406)429-5618Meckel Travis ................(406)429-2056Schweers Dixie L ...........(406)429-6543
Barb Roehl, Mid-Rivers’ Human Resource Administrator, retired from the cooperative on April 3, 2015 after 31 years.
Barb began working for the cooperative in April of 1984 as a telephone operator. During her time at Mid-Rivers, Barb held a variety of positions including Operator,
Member Community Relations Assistant, Administration Assistant, Personnel Clerk/Customer Service Representative, Personnel/Secretary and Human Resource Administrator. When asked what her fondest memory is from her time at Mid-Rivers Barb responded, “I don’t know if I have just one fondest memory – there are so many! I’ve seen so many changes in this industry – from initially starting out as a Telephone Operator working at the cord board (yes, the cord board at Mountain Bell – this is where I was introduced to telecommunications) up to where we are with today’s technologies – all I can say – what a fast ride it has been - I’ve seen so much in these 31 years!”
Upon her retirement Barb plans to work part-time leaving plenty of time to play and enjoy life to its fullest while living in Billings, MT.
Mid-Rivers wishes Barb all the best in her retirement!
Additional Listings December 3, 2014 - March 19, 2015
Happy Retirement Barb!
The Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. 63nd Annual Meeting will be held on May 27, 2015 at the Winnett High School Gymnasium in Winnett, Montana. Registration for the meeting will begin at 10:00 AM. A FREE Barbeque Lunch will begin at 11:00 AM followed by the Business Meeting at 1:00 PM. All attendees will receive an attendance gift at the time of registration. Throughout the meeting, drawings will be held for door prizes and cash prizes.
Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. will hold a drawing for twelve (12) $500 scholarships to be awarded to students planning to attend a higher education institution in the fall of 2015. To be eligible for this scholarship drawing, students must attend the meeting with a parent/legal guardian who has local telephone service from Mid-Rivers, provide proof of enrollment in a higher education institution for the Fall of 2015, and be present at the meeting at the time of the drawing.
Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. is a telecommunications cooperative providing communications services to a 30,000 square mile area in 21 counties of Eastern Montana and three counties in North Dakota.
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P.O. Box 280Circle, MT 59215-0280
PRESORTED STDAUTO
U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDLewistown, MT
PERMIT NO. 181
COMMUNICATIONS
Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc., d.b.a.The 411 Newsletter is published for the benefit of members and customers of
Mid-Rivers Communications
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