Signal Winter 2023 Newsletter

RELAX AND REBOOT LOCAL NOMINATION CAMPAIGN AWARDS RESIDENTS ARE PASSWORDS BECOMING PASSÉ? LOCAL BROADCASTERS DEMAND MORE AND OFFER LESS TO TV CUSTOMERS ALLIANCE COMMUNICATIONS SIGNAL WINTER 2023 VOLUME 27 NUMBER 122

2 www.alliancecom.net Contents Copyright© 2023 by Alliance Communications and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. 2 w .alliance om.net SIGNAL 3 8 10 4 14 12 General Manager Ross Petrick Editor Amy Ahlers Assistant Editor Marcy Fogarty Signal (USPS #010-984) is published quarterly for $3.17 a year by Alliance Communications, PO Box 349, 612 Third St., Garretson, SD 57030-0349. Subscriptions are sent to all customers. Periodicals postage paid at Garretson, SD, and additional offices. Postmaster send address changes to Alliance Communications, PO Box 349, Garretson, SD 57030-0349. USPS 010-984 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, electronic, photocopying, recording, mechanical, or otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher. TRADEMARKS – All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Signal magazine is an independent magazine and is not affiliated with, nor has it been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation, Google, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. All screen shots are the property of their respective owners. Alliance Communications and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. (the Authors and Publishers) hereby disclaim all warranties relating to Signal magazine or its website, whether expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Although the Authors believe the information provided is accurate, the Authors do not have responsibility for any damage or loss of data to a user’s computer caused by utilizing this information. The Authors will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect, or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason when utilizing information/tutorials from Signal magazine or its websites. In no event shall the Authors be liable for any damages, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the information contained in Signal magazine bears all risk as to the use of the information provided. Alliance Communications and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. are not responsible for the quality, performance, or reliability of third-party tools or software. 3 Local Nomination Campaign Awards Residents Who Give Back 4 Relax and Reboot Prioritize downtime with online resources for journaling, meditation, and more 8 Are Passwords Becoming Passé? New and better options exist for user authentication 10 L ocal Broadcasters Demand More and Offer Less to TV Customers This involves ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC 12 Beware of Fake Delivery-Service Texts Scammers claim to be from USPS, FedEx, or UPS to steal from you 14 8 Reasons for a Post-Retirement LinkedIn Profile Rather than giving up on this powerful platform, start using it in different ways

www.alliancecom.net 3 We launched our “Good Deeds” campaign in July 2023, which asks individuals within Alliance’s service area to share how they give back to their community for a chance to be awarded for their good deeds. Throughout the year, three finalists will receive $500 to donate to a local, school, or nonprofit organization they love. “Our job is to connect to communities,” said Ross Petrick, general manager/CEO at Alliance. “Our customers share our love of giving back, and we saw an opportunity to celebrate and support those efforts.” The first Alliance customers to be selected and awarded from a list of nominations made by their fellow Alliance customers were: • Brandon Lutheran Quilt Group member, Diane Rollag • Hudson Fire & Ambulance volunteers, Gene and Jess Just • Alcester-Hudson superintendent, Tim Rhead Each of them will appear in Alliance’s advertising campaign throughout the year. “There are many people who do great things in our school and communities that go unrecognized. It is very special to know that people are watching and appreciate the things you are doing,” said Rhead, who was nominated for giving back to the school district by mowing and watering the schoolyard, driving the school bus, and making everyone feel welcome. Rhead’s $500 award will support the Hudson Playground Fundraiser. Individuals in Alliance’s service area can submit a “Good Deeds”nomination at alliancecom.net/community, now until December 14, 2023. Local Nomination Campaign Awards Residents Who Give Back Alliance Communications is recognizing and awarding area residents for the ways they give back to their community.

While it’s easy to push relaxation and restorative activities to the back burner, these pursuits can help us be more effective at things we tend to consider more important—such as work and parenting. In fact, experts recommend putting relaxation and restorative activities on your calendar to make sure they get the time and attention they deserve. Going for a daily walk, taking a yoga class, or visiting a soothing website can be as valuable as doing household chores or running errands. While the internet is sometimes a source of stress, it also offers many opportunities for relaxation and ways to find a healthy direction for your life. For example, journaling and self-reflection are positive ways to position yourself for new outlooks, habits, and goals. In the following pages, we present popular options for both relaxing and rebooting. They include calming websites and apps plus guidance on getting rid of bad habits and unwanted emails. So, take three deep breaths and stretch your mind to embrace these resources. 4 www.alliancecom.net Meditation can reduce stress and anxiety, enrich memory and concentration, and boost physical health. Plus, it’s just one of many methods people use to relax and improve their lives. QUICK TIP: When you wake up each morning, identify three things you’re looking forward to that day. RELAX AND REBOOT Prioritize downtime with online resources for journaling, meditation, and more

www.alliancecom.net 5 Quieting your mind, even if only for a few moments at a time, is one of the best ways to be calmer overall. But, with so many obligations and distractions, it’s not easy. These sites are designed to help. CalmDown with Relaxing Websites Calm (calm.com) With a variety of guided meditations, this site seeks to help you increase sleep quality, reduce stress, improve focus, and work toward self-improvement. Noisli (noisli.com) You may not realize how much unpleasant sounds contribute to anxiety. This site helps you put together your perfect sound mix to counteract annoying noises. Happify (happify.com) This website offers a variety of tools and programs to help you feel better whether you’re starting out sad, anxious, stressed, or a combination of all three. Daily Good (dailygood.org) If negative news contributes to your stress, try this good-news-only website featuring inspiring and hopeful stories. Silk (weavesilk.com) No special skills are needed to make relaxing art on this unique site. Choose colors and adjust other controls that contribute to your sense of calm. Multiplayer Piano (multiplayerpiano.com) While participating with a bunch of people playing random notes on a keyboard may not sound relaxing, it somehow is. Cat Soundboard (catsoundboard.com) Cat lovers will enjoy the soothing sounds of cats meowing, mewling, purring, and squeaking. Exhaler (xhalr.com) Visit this site and simply follow the instructions for regular breathing. In just a few minutes, you’ll start to relax. Adjust the controls to find a rhythm that works for you. Download Apps for Relaxation on the Go All you need is your mobile device and apps like these to relax no matter where you happen to be. Look for them on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Headspace Access science-based meditation and mindfulness tools to create lifechanging habits that support your mental health. A Soft Murmur This app is incredibly easy to use. Just start playing the audio track and adjust to find your perfect mix of rain, thunder, waves, birds, and other soothing sounds. Rainy Mood Another sound app, Rainy Mood allows you to explore classic, ocean, countryside, and café themes. Thisissand Let your troubles recede as you choose colors and create designs based on layers of sand. AntiStress Anxiety Relief Game From popping bubbles to chopping vegetables to sending off fireworks, these games are challenging enough to keep you engaged and easy enough to play anytime. QUICK TIP: Avoid listening to relaxation audio while you’re driving or performing other attention-heavy tasks.

6 www.alliancecom.net Rebooting Can Mean Replacing Bad Habits with Good Ones Rebooting your life often includes releasing negative elements to make room for positive changes. While breaking old habits can be challenging, it’s well worth the effort. Here are a few areas to consider. Smoking Quitting smoking can add years to your life and improve your sense of wellbeing. While quitting this addictive habit is tough, there are many resources out there to help. For starters, check out the CDC’s How to Quit Smoking guide at cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quitsmoking/index.html. Unhealthy Eating Eating patterns can be built over years or even decades, so it’s no small feat to change them. But you can do it by taking one small step at a time. For some initial guidance, look to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Eat Healthy site at health.gov/ myhealthfinder/health-conditions/ diabetes/eat-healthy. Lack of Movement Exercise can seem intimidating if you think of it as running five miles per day. Instead of exercise, think in terms of movement, which could be as simple as getting up from your desk a few times per day, or taking a walk around the block. The American Heart Association recommends several other ways to move more at heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/ getting-active/no-time-for-exercise-hereare-7-easy-ways-to-move-more. Toxic Relationships You may not realize how much certain romantic, friend, and work relationships are impacting your health and your ability to be effective in the world. Ending toxic relationships isn’t simple, but it’s possible. PsychCentral offers 10 pointers for doing it at psychcentral.com/blog/ steps-to-end-a-toxic-relationship. Social Media Overuse Let’s face it, social media is a doubleedged sword. It can bring connection and delight but also disappointment and sadness. Changing the way you use social media can help. Find pointers from mental healthcare provider BetterHelp at betterhelp.com/advice/ general/too-much-social-media-10ways-to-find-a-healthy-balance. Unsubscribe from Unwanted Emails Unwelcome emails are annoying at best and stressful at worst. While you do have some control over your inbox, you need to make sure to do it safely. 1. Clicking Unsubscribe on anunwanted email isn’t always the best option because scammers sometimes send emails just to find out if your address is valid. If you click Unsubscribe, you’re letting them know it is, which could lead to more junk. 2. Only use the Unsubscribe option if you’re pretty sure the sender is a valid website but something you don’t want anymore, such as messages from a store you bought something from once but don’t want to hear from again. 3. F or other emails from obviously phony addresses like fnxdlrng@ googledygook.com, the better option is to mark them as Junk in your email application. Finally, you can avoid seeing as much junk email altogether by changing the preferences in your email application to reflect stricter spam filtering. QUICK TIP: Have a habit of overcommitting? Try saying“no” to small things and work your way up.

www.alliancecom.net 7 Your devices are important to your life. ProtectIQ is your 24/7 internet watchman. With multi-layered protection, even your most vulnerable devices like smartTVs, thermostats and Wi-Fi cameras are protected before issues happen. ProtectIQ puts a shield between your devices and bad actors to stop threats before they ever make it to your devices. ProtectIQ is included with Ultimate Whole Home Wi-Fi and managed by the My Alliance Wi-Fi app. ProtectIQ is an extra layer of protection that protects you from known threats while connected to your home network. No security solution can guarantee 100% protection. This service is designed to prevent outsiders from gaining access to your home network and provides an effective method of monitoring and limiting access. However, it may not prevent some instances of dedicated hackers from gaining unauthorized access to your network. Switch to Ultimate Whole Home Wi-Fi and relax with full protection from ProtectIQ. Dial 611 from any phone with Alliance service or (605) 582-6311 to get yours today. alliancecom.net/whole-home-wi-fi

8 www.alliancecom.net Problems with Passwords IT managers and security professionals have searched for years to find better alternatives to password-only authentication, which is one of the biggest security problems on the web. Passwords are prone to being hacked through dictionary attacks, brute-force attacks, and social engineering attacks. The sale of stolen passwords on the dark web proves that passwords are not a foolproof method of authentication and have security vulnerabilities. Managing so many passwords is also cumbersome for users, often leading them to reuse the same passwords across services. This practice can result in costly account takeovers, data breaches, and even stolen identities. While password managers and legacy forms of two-factor authentication offer incremental improvements, there’s been industry-wide collaboration to create more convenient and secure sign-in technology. Options for Replacement What technology is replacing passwords or will do so soon? Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – This method requires more than one factor or element to verify a user’s identity. With MFA, traditional passwords are replaced with PINs (personal identification numbers) or OTPs (one-time passwords). Other approaches can include biometrics, codes on authenticator apps, and codes in emails. Biometric Authentication – Users must provide their biological data—such as touch ID, facial recognition, fingerprints, DNA matching, and retina scanning—as proof of identity to gain access. Biometric authentication is the most reliable method to fight password fatigue and implement passwordless authentication. Are Passwords Becoming Passé? New and better options exist for user authentication It may be hard to imagine a world without passwords, but some companies are already ditching them in favor of alternative ways for you to gain access to your account or device, including multi-factor authentication, biometric authentication, and behavioral recognition.

www.alliancecom.net 9 Behavioral Recognition – To determine whether to trust a user and give access, behavioral recognition considers multiple data points to create a score. The data collected and analyzed can include keystroke dynamics, gait recognition, voice ID, mouse and touch use characteristics, and location behavior. Benefits of Passwordless Authentication Stronger cybersecurity is the main benefit of passwordless authentication since it prevents password-related cyberattacks. In addition, passwordless authentication methods are often resistant to phishing because users won’t be sending any login credentials via email or text to a hacker. Another benefit is a faster and more convenient login experience for users. They no longer need to spend time creating, entering, and managing strong passwords, thereby eliminating password fatigue. In the workplace, employees can dedicate more time to productive tasks. Role of Leading Tech Companies Apple, Google, and Microsoft announced plans in May 2022 to expand support for a common passwordless sign-in standard created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium. The new capability will allow websites and apps to offer consistent, secure, and easy passwordless sign-ins to consumers across devices and platforms. The expanded standards-based capabilities will provide the ability to offer an end-to-end passwordless option. Users will be able to sign in and access an account through a simple action similar to what they now do daily to unlock their devices, such as the verification of their fingerprint on the edge of an iPad to unlock it. This new approach protects against phishing, and sign-in will be more secure when compared to passwords and legacy multi-factor technologies such as one-time passcodes sent via text. The aforementioned companies have collaborated on passkey technology, which allows authentication with fingerprint ID, facial ID, or a PIN on the phone or device you use for authentication. (See the sidebar for a comparison of password and passkey.) Additional companies are also using passkey technology in their systems, including DocuSign, Kayak, PayPal, and Shopify. What’s the Difference Between a Password and a Passkey? A passkey is a unique login bundle used to identify a user and their account and designed to be easily and safely shared between devices. Passkeys are currently created with the WebAuthn standard and use public-key cryptography. The first time a user logs in with passkey technology, the technology generates a key pair. One key lives on your device privately and isn’t shared with anything else. The other key waits on a service’s servers. When the two keys match, the login information is shared. Users can use their device’s built-in biometrics or other authentication to unlock and share the key. How are passkeys different from passwords? First, you don’t have to remember anything. Passkeys are very long sequences compared to passwords, which gives them robust security, but they aren’t designed to be manually typed in. Instead, your device and the web server keep the passkey pair safe and match them up when necessary with a quick handshake protocol. You’ll then use biometrics or a similar security to log in to your authentication device. Second, passkeys are innately resistant to hacking attempts. Your private key is securely stored on your device, isn’t shared with anything, and can’t be intercepted. FAST FACT: According to a study sponsored by Yubico, a user spends an average of 10.9 hours per year setting, entering, and resetting passwords.

10 www.alliancecom.net Local Broadcasters Demand More and Offer Less to TV Customers This involves ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC “I don’t know where these negotiations will end up,” said General Manager/CEO Ross Petrick. “We’re almost certain that Alliance and our customers will either be paying more for these channels, or we’ll be watching them with an antenna or streaming app. I hope we can come to an agreement on the rates, terms, and conditions so these channels can remain on our line up.” Alliance’s existing Nexstar contract for KELO-CBS expires on Dec. 1, and our Gray Media contract for KSFY-ABC, KDLT-NBC, and Fox expires on Dec. 31. If history repeats itself, these proposals could include large price increases, which will ultimately be passed on to Alliance’s TV customers. And just like in past years, you might have to pay for less viewed channels to receive the main broadcast channels. Even if we come to an agreement, we think any “all-or-nothing” terms go against the ala carte options we want to offer you. “We’re fully prepared to pay a fair price for programming. However, if a TV broadcaster demands all-or-nothing terms and significant rate increases, we think it’s our responsibility to present them with our request for reasonable rates or increased viewing options,” Petrick said. “I can’t recall any ala carte or middle ground options ever offered or accepted in the past. As a result, customers are forced to either pay for all channels or drop cable TV service.” We understand affordability could be a concern for you. Alliance encourages you to explore alternatives to cable TV by visiting gostreamnow.com/alliance. Alliance Communications is in contract renewal discussions with several local broadcasters this year, and the outcome of these negotiations will impact your TV bill and your channel lineup.

www.alliancecom.net 11 Skyrocketing Retransmission Fees A gallon of milk cost approximately $3.25 in 2010. Today, it costs around $3.80, an average annual increase of 1.4% from 2010 to 2022. During that same period, local TV station fees increased EVERY year by an average of 24%.* If a gallon of milk increased at that same rate, it would cost $42.38 today. *American Television Alliance 2022 Frequently Asked Questions Could customers potentially lose KSFY-ABC, KELO-CBS, KDLTNBC, and Fox? Every three years, we’re required to check in with broadcasters to see if we must carry their network for free or if they’ll demand payment for the retransmission of their signal on our network. Just like during the DirecTV and KELO dispute this past year, sometimes operators and broadcast owners don’t agree on terms and conditions. Station owners or cable TV providers often pull their signal from the channel lineup rather than continuing with current terms. If this happens, you may see a temporary or permanent loss of a channel(s). If one of these channels is no longer available, is there another way that I can access its programming? Signals for the local broadcast TV stations are available for free with an antenna within a certain distance from their towers. Most broadcast TV stations also make their local newscasts and other local programming available on their websites and apps. The major broadcast TV stations (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) typically make most series available for free online often with little delay. YouTube TV, Paramount+, and other streaming options have local channels, and many NFL games are moving to streaming services, too. To check out alternatives to cable TV, visit gostreamnow.com/alliance. Why won’t you just pay what they’re asking? We’ll work toward an agreement that doesn’t burden you with excessive price increases or limited viewing options. Also, some viewers don’t watch local broadcast channels. However, in most negotiations, we must charge all customers for the channels, or we won’t receive access to them. Ultimately, we’re trying to keep rates low for those who watch the local channels and those who don’t—but still must pay for them. I pay a lot for my TV service. Can’t you use that money to pay for this increase? Rising programming and retransmission costs impact ALL video providers and increase customers’ TV bills every year. At Alliance, we strive to keep future price increases to a minimum by negotiating directly or with large consortiums to get a better bulk rate. Currently, 100 percent of the retransmission fee is remitted to the local broadcasters, so we have applied any rate increase directly to this fee. Should I switch to a streaming TV service? It seems strange to promote a service that isn’t ours, but you may find lower rates and more viewing flexibility online. We encourage you to explore alternatives to cable TV by visiting gostreamnow.com/alliance. Alliance’s 100 percent fiber-optic network and Ultimate Whole Home Wi-Fi will give you a wonderful viewing experience if traditional cable TV is no longer the best option for your household. For more details on Alliance’s retransmission consent negotiations, visit TVOnMySide.com. Contact us with questions by dialing 611 from any phone with Alliance service or (605) 582-6311 from your cell phone. We also encourage you to contact your local broadcast channels and your congressional representative to learn more about why these rates keep increasing. A GALLON OF MILK WOULD COST $42.38 TODAY IF IT INCREASED AT THE SAME RATE TV FEES HAVE INCREASED 24% PER YEAR SINCE 2010

12 www.alliancecom.net According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans reported $330 million in losses to text scams in 2022, more than double the reported losses from 2021. And fake delivery-service texts—with most messages purportedly from USPS (U.S. Postal Service), FedEx, or UPS—were the third most reported type, behind fake bank texts and promises of free gifts or prizes. Examples of These Scams Most delivery-service texts start with an urgent message about delivering a package to your address and often include a “tracking link” that you’re urged to click in order to “update your delivery or payment preferences.”While these messages may look or sound legitimate, you should never click a link or call back the number from an unexpected delivery notice. Instead, contact the delivery service or seller directly using a verified number or website. A link may open a website that prompts you to enter personal information, or it may install malware on your device that can secretly steal personal information. The number you call back may be answered by a scam “operator” asking to verify your account information or the credit card number you used for a purchase. Other scam calls and texts may claim you need to pay money before the delivery can be made. Watch for theWarning Signs While there may be some variations between the fake delivery-service texts, depending on which delivery carrier they claim to represent, look for these common “red flags.” Beware of Fake Delivery-Service Texts Scammers claim to be from USPS, FedEx, or UPS to steal from you A growing number of Americans have received fake delivery-service texts that appear to be from a major delivery carrier, but are instead from scammers who are smishing—the term for scam attempts made via text, or SMS—for personal information and money.

www.alliancecom.net 13 You receive notice about a problem with the delivery of your package when you haven’t made a tracking request. For example, unless you explicitly sign up for status alerts on a package, you won’t receive a text from USPS. So, if you receive a text message citing one, it’s certainly a fake. The message contains misspellings, awkward grammar, or excessive use of capitalization and exclamation points. These are classic signs of a scam attempt. Keep in mind, however, that with artificial intelligence and other advanced technology, scammers are becoming more sophisticated in their replication of legitimate business communications. The text—and/or the website it leads you to—requests payment and/or seemingly unnecessary information. You may be asked for a redelivery fee or a fee to release your shipment. The scammers may also request personal information such as your address, Social Security number, or credit card number. The website address is slightly altered compared to the real one. Instead of “fedex.com,” the scammers may use “fedx.com.” There is no tracking number when there should be. UPS says on its site, “If UPS contacts you regarding a package, the UPS representative will always be able to provide a tracking number, which you can verify on our website.” How to Protect Yourself To avoid becoming the victim of a fake delivery-service text, take these precautions: • Don’t click on any link unless you can verify that it’s legitimate. Scammers are skilled at making their links look legitimate at first glance. • If you’re suspicious of a tracking number, check it out. If the text cites a tracking number, copy and paste it into the search engine on the delivery service’s actual website. You’re likely to find it’s a fake. • Go to the source. If you’re concerned that there might be a problem with a package you’re receiving or have sent, contact the delivery carrier directly, not through the link in the text. In general, you should always be suspicious if you receive a message out of the blue asking for personal or financial information. 4 Steps to Protect Your Packages Not all delivery problems are the result of scammers sending you fake texts. Sometimes the issue is related to how you send or receive packages. Keep these steps in mind: 1. T ake precautions to ensure a safe delivery. If you’re having a valuable or fragile item sent somewhere, purchase shipping insurance. 2. R equest a signature. This feature can be well worth the extra fee, since it means the delivery service won’t be able to drop a package on your doorstep unless someone is around to sign for it. 3. Don’t leave packages sitting on your doorstep. Packages left sitting outside are vulnerable to theft. To ensure safe delivery, have your package delivered to your workplace or to a trusted friend or neighbor who will be home to accept delivery. Some delivery companies now have lockers where your packages can securely wait for you to pick them up using a one-time code. 4. Open your delivery upon receipt to check for damage or signs of tampering. Contact the seller immediately if you believe something is wrong with the shipment or it’s not what you ordered.

14 www.alliancecom.net Given those goals, what could LinkedIn possibly have to offer those who are no longer in the job market? Plenty. Today’s retirees are more like “retired-ish,” and many want to remain engaged with their industry and even work part-time or provide consulting services. LinkedIn is a great resource for enabling all that and more. Here are eight great reasons to maintain a LinkedIn profile at this stage of your career. 1. Industry News Even if you’re no longer working in your industry, you may still have a strong interest in it. LinkedIn is a great source of information for industry news. You’ll find it from the colleagues and companies you follow, as well as from the groups within the platform in which you might be involved. 2. Consulting Jobs Rather than being fully retired, many adults in the later stages of their career are working part-time, consulting, or otherwise staying connected to their profession. If you’re interested in consulting, you need a LinkedIn profile now more than ever, so those looking for your skills can easily find you. For the best results, use plenty of keywords in your profile descriptions. 3. Board Opportunities Like the reasons for keeping an active LinkedIn profile if you’re looking for consulting gigs, you should maintain one if you’re open to board opportunities. Serving on a board of directors is a great way to help companies or organizations by sharing the wealth of knowledge and experience you’ve gained over the years. 4. Collaboration You may be open to other opportunities as well. For example, if you’re an expert in your field, you might want to write a book about your expertise to help other people learn and succeed. LinkedIn is a great place to find a coauthor or be there for someone else to find. 5. Mentoring If you’re retired, your decades of work are 8 Reasons for a Post-Retirement LinkedIn Profile Rather than giving up on this powerful platform, start using it in different ways LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional online network. You can use it to find jobs, discover and strengthen professional relationships, stay informed, and enable those looking for your skills to find you.

www.alliancecom.net 15 now a valuable resource from which others can benefit. You can use this know-how to help those in the early or middle stages of their career—especially within your former company—achieve important goals, connect with other resources, or move on to their next opportunity. 6. Writing Recommendations Recommendations are one of the strongest ways LinkedIn can help professionals showcase what they have to offer. Anyone on the platform can write recommendations for anyone else, and they help to promote people in ways simple job descriptions can’t. You can benefit your former colleagues greatly by writing recommendations for them on LinkedIn. 7. Connections With Colleagues A long career usually results in forming close relationships with colleagues over the years, and keeping your LinkedIn profile will help you maintain these relationships. Consider the joy you’ll get from watching younger professionals you worked with achieve professional goals, and the joy you’ll bring to them by offering your hearty congratulations. 8. Reconnect With Friends While LinkedIn isn’t a social networking site, it can be used to find people. If you’re inactive on social media sites such as Facebook but still want to be found by long-lost friends and classmates, LinkedIn is a good place to be. Your profile will come up in search engines, and anyone who wants to get in touch with you that way can. We’re thrilled to unveil an incredible opportunity – Total TV. ICAN is introducing a comprehensive Total TV solution. Local businesses will have the chance to purchase Streaming TV Advertising at ICAN’s cost when they invest in 6 months of Cable TV advertising comprising 150 spots or more each month. What is Total TV? Total TV is a seamless blend of Cable TV and Streaming TV Advertising that offers local businesses a complete marketing edge. By combining the power of traditional television viewership with the rising trend of online streaming, businesses can tap into a wider audience spectrum. This comprehensive approach guarantees widespread exposure, driving brand recognition and drawing in diverse customer bases for unparalleled growth For more information, call (605) 359-9114 or visit icanadvertising.com. NewOpportunity for Local Businesses icanadvertising.com (605) 359-9114 2500 W 49th, Suite 101 Sioux Falls, SD

Call 611 from any phone with Alliance service or (605) 582-6311 from your cell phone. www.alliancecom.net Baltic Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Brandon Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Garretson Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 612 Third Street / PO Box 349 Garretson, SD 57030-0349 WE CONGRATULATE TheseWinners from Fall 2023: $30 – Casey Scholten $30 – Debra Schulte $30 – Nick or Rachel Kreger WIN CREDIT on Your Alliance Bill Just return this coupon by January 31, 2024. Automatic Bank Payment customers are automatically entered into the drawing. To sign up for Automatic Bank Payment, just fill out the form on the back of your next bill. Name ____________________________________________ Email ____________________________________________ Telephone # _______________________________________ Receive a one-time $20 credit by choosing to receive your bill only online. After you sign up to receive your bill online, you’ll receive an email from Alliance on or before the first of the month that lets you know your bill is ready to view on Alliance’s website. Then just login to estatement.alliancecom.net/ebill to view your bill. Then the one-time $20 credit will appear on your bill within two months. Call us for assistance at (605) 582-6311. This is a limited time offer and is only valid one time per account. HERE’S HOW YOU SIGN UP TO RECEIVE YOUR BILL ONLINE: 1. Go to estatement.alliancecom.net/ebill and register for an account or sign in. 2. Then click on the Settings tab. 3. Next click on the General tab. 4. Under Invoice Preferences, select Web Bill Only. 5. Click on the Change Preferences button. FAST CONVENIENT PRIVACY ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY GET A ONE-TIME $20 CREDIT BY GOING PAPERLESS Statement of ownership, management and circulation as of October 1, 2023 | Title of publication: The Signal | Publication number: 010-984 | Frequency of issue: Quarterly | 4 issues annually: Subscription price $3.58 | Location of known office of publication: Cornerstone Publishing, 4815 Caravelle Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80526 | Location of general business offices: Alliance Communications, 612 Third Street, PO Box 349, Garretson, SD 57030-0349 | Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages or other securities: none | Average number of copies published each issue during the preceding 12 months, 13,377; Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date, 13,485; Sales through dealers and counters sales, none; Mail subscriptions: Average during preceding 12 months, 13,277; Nearest filing date, 13,385; Free distribution: Average during preceding 12 months, none; Nearest filing date, none; Copies not distributed, office use, leftovers, etc.: Average during preceding 12 months, 100; Nearest filing date, 100; Returned from news agents: none. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Amy Ahlers

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