Mid-Rivers Communications

FIBER OPTICS COMING TO CUSTER

Mid-Rivers Communications is nearing completion of a fiber optic construction project that includes all residents in the town of Custer and surrounding rural customers in the 856 telephone prefix area.  

The Cooperative enlisted contractor MP Nexlevel to plow more than 100 miles of fiber to approximately 220 subscribers.  The contractor has been working since May and has completed in-town construction and fiber splicing to each customer location.  Rural construction is nearly completed, pending approval of some remaining river-crossing permits.

Mid-Rivers will begin moving customers over to the new fiber optic lines, which will provide “Gigabit” Internet speed capability and improved voice quality and reliability, in mid-September.  Customers in the town of Custer will be converted first, with rural customer transitions to begin mid-October.

“We are excited to be able to bring fiber to small rural communities like Custer, and to the farmers and ranchers and other home-based rural businesses and residents outside of town,” stated Michael Candelaria, the Cooperative’s General Manager/CEO.  “The Custer area will have better communications facilities than a lot of large towns and cities.  This is the best broadband technology available today.”

The 2018 Mid-Rivers Photo Contest is open! We know a lot of you have some awesome photos, and we love seeing all the great stuff you share!  We wanted to make sure you noticed that this year, Mid-Rivers wants to focus more on YOU - our members and customers – rather than just the beautiful landscapes in the area we serve.  If you are planning to enter the Mid-Rivers Photo Contest, here are a few tips to increase your chances of winning, and having one of your photos featured on the 2019 Calendar or Phone Book:

1.    Make it Montana. Make sure your photo is easily recognizable as being in Eastern or Central Montana, rather than something that could be "anywhere" in Montana or other states.  Key in on the easily-recognizable landmarks, institutions, pastimes, and people that are unmistakably Eastern & Central MT.

2.    Show Us Your Face. A huge part of what makes our part of the world so great is the people in it. This year, Mid-Rivers is asking for photos that highlight the people of Eastern & Central Montana. We want to see how you live, what you do, and what’s fun in your communities.

3.    Make It Big (enough). Often, photos that are submitted to the photo contest are disqualified simply because the photo is too low resolution to use. Please ensure that photos you submit are at least 1600 x 1200 pixels. If you took the photo with your smartphone and are emailing it from there, check to make sure that the photo is not getting reduced in size when you email it. Most photos taken today will be much larger than the minimum requirements for the contest, as long as they don’t get reduced in size when you email them.

4.    Send 5.  Each Mid-Rivers customer can submit up to five photos, so be sure to increase your chances by using every opportunity available and submitting five pictures to the contest.

5.    Who Did This & What Is It? Be sure to include the photographer’s name and a caption for the photo in your email when submit your photos. Photos should be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line "Photo Contest."

6.    Get It In. Submit your photos to [email protected] by 5:00PM on August 24, 2018.

Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. members gathered at the Community Center in Roundup on Thursday, May 31, 2018, for the 66th Meeting of the Members. Items of business included electing three members to the Cooperative’s board of trustees, informing members of the cooperative’s financial performance and future plans, and awarding 12 scholarships to area students. Trustees Nick Schultz (District 1) and Dennis Green (District 3) were re-elected to three-year terms to the Mid-Rivers Board of Trustees. Barb Wacker (District 2) was elected to serve a three-year term to the Mid-Rivers Board of Trustees.

Mid-Rivers’ General Manager/CEO Michael Candelaria and Chief Financial Officer Craig Dyk provided an update on the financial condition of the cooperative and announced the cooperative had a record year in 2017. Candelaria and Dyk also gave an update on the status of the Cooperative’s long-term fiber build-out plan.

Door prizes including Amazon Echo Devices, iPads and cash prizes were handed out during the meeting.

Mid-Rivers continued its commitment to education by awarding twelve $500 scholarships through a drawing of students attending the meeting. These twelve scholarships are offered to any student attending a higher education institution in the fall of 2018, whose parent or guardian is a member of the Cooperative. Through this drawing and the $40,000 in competitive scholarships awarded earlier in the year, Mid-Rivers was able to contribute to the educational futures of 40 students from 15 communities. Winners of the 2018 scholarship drawing were Abby Gremaux, McKenna Sealey, Taylor Stahl, Jake Kunda, Cormac Weichel, Derrick Reimann, Courtney Brand, Ashley Donnelly, Selina Angel, Lanning Tyrrel, Connor Shaw and Glenna Finkbeiner. Mid-Rivers Higher Education Scholarships are funded by unclaimed capital credits. Montana Law requires that after 5 years, capital credit payments that remain unclaimed be placed into a fund for educational use. Mid-Rivers has chosen to use these funds for scholarships and educational grants to members.

Mid-Rivers Communications is proud to announce the recipients of 27 Scholarships to students from the Cooperative’s service area. Six $1,500 scholarships were awarded to students planning to attend either Dawson Community College or Miles Community College, and 20 $1,000 scholarships were awarded to students planning to attend a four-year college or university, community college or tech school in the fall of 2018. One $10,000 Excellence in Education scholarship was also awarded to a local student.

A $1,500 Dawson Community College/Miles Community College Scholarship has been awarded to the following recipients:

·        Adalie Reinhart, Glendive - DCC

·          Attending DCC in the fall to complete an Associate’s Degree before moving on to a dental hygienist program.  Plans to return and provide great service to her local community.

·        Elizabeth Determan, Glendive - MCC

·          Long-term goal is a Master’s in Nursing after completing the nursing program at MCC.  Hopes to return to Glendive as a full-time nurse at GMC.

·        McKayla Kurtz, Miles City - MCC

·          Working toward acceptance into the MCC Nursing Program and becoming a CNA this summer to pursue her career goal of becoming a nurse.

·        McKinna Fleming, Circle - MCC

·          Current MCC student who hopes to complete her MCC studies in the Small Business field with honors, and then apply what she has learned to local jobs in her hometown of Circle.

·        Vanesa Van Vleet, Wibaux - DCC

·          Enrolled in the Early Start program at DCC with the long-term goal of becoming a Medical Doctor and returning to Montana to practice medicine.

·        Wyatt Smith, Miles City - MCC

·          Plans to attain an Associate’s Degree in Science (Pre-Engineering Technology emphasis), and then go out and further his experience in the real world.

 A $1,000 Mid-Rivers Higher Education Scholarship has been awarded to the following recipients:

·         Jace Johnson, Sidney

·          Has been accepted to Dickinson State University where he plans to double major in Finance/Accounting, with a minor in coaching.

·         Jesse Roberts, Kinsey

·          Will work towards a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Montana Tech. Plans to use this degree to design equipment to aid in the advancement of the agriculture industry. 

·         Kale Gierke, Terry

·          Has been accepted to Black Hills State University, in Spearfish, SD where he will work towards a degree in business administration and management.

·         Kristy Cullinan, Glendive

·          Currently working towards degrees in both Music and Biology at Northwest College in Powell. Plans to transfer to South Dakota State University to complete her Bachelor’s Degree.

·         Kyle Haughian, Miles City

·          Plans to attend Montana State University to earn a degree and work toward becoming an Ag Loan Officer.

·         Lauryn Barnhart, Sidney

·          Has a long-term goal to graduate from Montana State University-Bozeman with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience while on a Pre-Med course, before attending Pharmacy School at the University of Montana in Missoula.

·         Lindsay Brence, Miles City

·          Plans to earn a degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience and return to the area to practice health care in rural Montana.

·         Lucas Shefelbine, Wolf Point

·          Plans to attend either Carrol College or Concordia College to pursue a Bachelor’s degree.

·         Mamie Hertel, Lewistown

·          Will work toward a degree in Business Finance in Pre-Law Program before pursuing a Law Degree at Duke University.

·         McKenzie Taylor, Angela

·          Plans to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing before obtaining her CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) license.

·         Adam Elletson, Fairview

·          Will work toward a Bachelor’s Degree in business management or accounting at Minot State University.

·         Alec Christensen, Glendive

·          Long-term education goal is to attend Montana State University-Bozeman and graduate with honors with a degree in Biological Sciences - Fish & Wildlife Ecology & Management.

·         Alex Wickens, Lewistown

·          Plans to earn a degree in Chiropractic care and return to Lewistown to offer chiropractic services to the area.

·         Bailee Murnion, Miles City

·          Plans to attend Montana State University to work toward a degree in Business.

·         Brian Regan, Miles City

·          Will attend Montana State University and major in electrical engineering.

·         Brynn Salsbury, Savage

·          Has been accepted into Montana State University’s Pre-Nursing program for the fall of 2018.

·         Caden Colombik, Miles City

·          Plans to attend Montana State University and complete the pre-veterinary program before enrolling in Veterinary school at Washington State University.

·         Cash Cota, Roundup

·          Attending Montana State University-Bozeman to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Business.

·         Daniel Rost, Baker

·          Currently attending Bismarck State College to earn an Associates in Applied Science in Power Plant Technology.

·         Ellie Smith, Richey

·          Currently works as a CNA at McCone County Healthy Center and plans to continue in the medical field by pursuing a BSN.

A $10,000 Mid-Rivers Excellence in Education Scholarship has been awarded to the following recipient:

·         Dakota Brown, Circle

·          Plans to attend Montana Tech to pursue a doctorate in Computer Science.  Dakota will also continue his internship at Mid-Rivers in the Information Technology department.

Mid-Rivers will also award twelve (12) $500 scholarships to area students through a drawing at the Cooperative’s Annual Meeting on May 31, 2018, at the Community Center in Roundup, MT.  To qualify for the scholarship drawing, the student MUST:

·         attend the Annual Meeting with a parent or guardian who is a Cooperative Member with active local telephone or Internet service from Mid-Rivers,

·         be enrolled to attend a higher education institution in the fall of 2018,

·         provide PROOF of full-time enrollment at the Annual Meeting,

·         sign up at the Scholarship Registration table at the Annual Meeting, and

·         be present during the Business Meeting when the drawing takes place.

Registration will begin at 10:00 a.m. and close at the start of the Business Meeting at 11:00 a.m.  Previous Mid-Rivers scholarship winners are not eligible for the scholarship drawing. Interested students may contact Mid-Rivers at 1-800-452-2288 for more information.  Students unsure of their parent/guardian’s membership status with the Cooperative should call Mid-Rivers prior to the Annual Meeting for verification.

In addition, a $1,000 scholarship opportunity for area residents of any age interested in completing a CiscoTM technical certification is also still available.  The successful applicant for this scholarship will also earn a paid internship opportunity with Mid-Rivers.  Please visit www.midrivers.com for details.

Think about the feeling you have when you are away from home and your phone is almost ready to die. You rush around in a panicked search for the nearest charger. When you finally find a compatible charger, you insert the cable and breathe a sigh of relief without a second thought as to what you are using to charge your phone. 

If you are an iPhone user, you may have already discovered that Apple has a convenient iTunes/Wi-Fi sync feature that lets users sync their iPhones to a computer wirelessly. This gets enabled when a user plugs their iPhone/iPad into a computer with a USB cable. A popup happens that says “Trust this Computer?”. If they click yes, the sync is allowed to happen. The problem comes from the fact that the text leads the user to believe that this is only while the device is physically connected to the computer.  But in reality, if you clicked “trust” that computer can now sync with your iPhone over wifi and there is no indication on the iPhone that this has occurred.

Trust Jacking can be used to attack your iPhone in many different scenarios. For example, if you use those free charging stations at airports and other public places, and approve the pop-up permission you may be at risk. 

Now your trusty iPhone can be used maliciously in many different ways:

Remotely install malware apps on your iPhone, as well as download a backup and steal all your photos, SMS/iMessage chat history, and application data.

Replace existing apps with modified versions that look exactly like the original but are able to spy on the user while using the app.

Use your device’s screen in real-time by repeatedly taking remote screenshots.

Mid-Rivers Information Security Manager Philip Grieser shared a few tips for protecting your phone against these types of attacks:

“Apple has introduced another security layer to combat the problem (users are asked to enter the iPhone's passcode when pairing), so if you have an update make sure to do it right away. But the vulnerability still exists because the real problem is there is no mandatory re-authentication between the user’s device and the “trusted” computer after a certain amount of time.

One of the best ways to protect yourself is to make sure that no unwanted computers are being trusted by your iPhone/iPad. Unfortunately, there is no list you can just check. But if you’re not sure if you have any unwanted computers in your trust list, you can always reset it by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy.

Mid-Rivers Annual Holiday Donation

Mid-Rivers Communications is proud to announce its annual holiday donation to Action for Eastern Montana. The funds are distributed to needy families in the Mid-Rivers and Action for Eastern Montana service areas. This year’s $2,500 donation from Mid-Rivers was again matched by CoBank, a nationwide cooperative bank, through their Sharing Success Grant Program. Action for Eastern Montana will distribute these funds to disadvantaged families as a gift certificate so that they may shop their local grocery stores to purchase the ingredients needed for a Holiday meal.

Mid-Rivers made the decision several years ago to forego sending Holiday greeting cards and use the money instead to assist families in need. Mid-Rivers applied for the matching grant from CoBank on behalf of Action for Eastern Montana. CoBank began the Sharing Success Grant program in 2012 as a way of partnering with their customers to strengthen rural communities.

“Mid-Rivers believes in our role as a community partner and in giving back to the communities we serve. We are glad to be able to provide families in this area with the ability to enjoy a holiday meal,” stated Michael Candelaria, Mid-Rivers’ General Manager.

Action for Eastern Montana is a non-profit community action agency dedicated to assisting individuals and families toward self-sufficiency in 17 counties in Eastern Montana.

Mid-Rivers is a broadband provider serving a 30,000-square-mile area in 21 counties of Eastern Montana and three counties in North Dakota.

Now you can access all of your account information right from your smartphone or device! You can pay your bill, view your usage, make account changes, check service status and even manage your router right from the FREE My Mid-Rivers app!  It's easy to get started! 1. Simply open the App store on your Apple device or the Google Play Store on your Android. 2. Enter "My Mid-Rivers" in the search bar.  3. Click on the result with the big blue Mid-Rivers ball. 

4. Click on the install button and wait for the app to be installed. 

5. Once the app has finished installing, open the app and enter your account information to log in. You will need the email address and password associated with your Mid-Rivers account.

Did you know you can comment with a GIF on Facebook? It’s pretty mind-blowing (see GIF below) and really simple to do! 

Just click on the comment box, then click on the GIF button on the right-hand side of the screen. Search for the perfect GIF and click on it to post your comment!

If you need more info, here is a great article on GIF Facebook Comments-  Facebook has a brand-new feature, and here's how to use it.

Mid-Rivers Communications is proud to announce the recipients of the 2017 Educational Technology Grants. Grant applications from 27 applicants requesting $116,980 were received, with a total of $35,000 being award to a wide variety of inspirational projects in Bloomfield; Circle; Custer, Ekalaka, Glendive, Lindsay, Miles City, Plevna, a regional project; Roundup; Savage; Sidney & Terry. Grant applicants were asked for innovative broadband projects with preference given to projects that:

Utilize broadband in innovative ways to address educational and community issues.

Seek to educate adults and senior citizens on broadband applications, including how to use technology and the quality of life benefits technology can offer to seniors.

Promote student leadership and workforce development skills, and generate student interest in technology and telecommunications as a career path.  

Of the 27 applicants, 18 presentations met one or more of the stated priorities, scored well on their projects, and will be offered grant funding in partial or nearly full award.      

Richland County Boys & Girls Club-$3,500      

Terry Public Schools-$3,500

Richland County Library-$3,000         

Circle HS Business Class-$2,500         

Savage Public School-$2,250         

DCC Foundation-$3,500    

Plevna Schools-$1,500        

Miles City Public Library-$2,000         

Washington Middle School Glendive-$2,500         

Rural Health Development-$2,000

Glendive Schools 6th & 8th Grade-$2,000        

Kircher School-$1,000

Washington Middle School Miles City-$1,000         

Lindsay School District-$1,000         

Custer Schools-$1,000

Roundup Schools-$1,000         

Ekalaka Schools-$750       

Bloomfield Elementary-$1,000         

Custer Co HS-Video Production Equipment