CONTACT US Colo Telephone Company and Central Iowa Broadband 303 Main Street / PO Box 315 Colo, IA 50056 Colo Telephone Phone: 641-377-2202 Central Iowa Broadband Phone: 888-377-0067 Call Before You Dig: Iowa One Call 811 Office Hours: M–F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Office Closure: Monday, September 5 - Labor Day Email: support@colotel.org Visit Us Online: www.colotel.org Find Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ColoTelCo JOIN US OUT IN THE COMMUNITY Colo Crossroads Festival Saturday, July 9 & Sunday, July 10 Bring the family and join the fun! This year’s theme is “Dog Days of Summer,” and you can find details at facebook.com/colocrossroadsfestival. Cornerstone Group © 2022 2022 UPDATES FROM COLO TELEPHONE COMPANY Colo Telephone Company has already had a busy year, and there are exciting plans for the fall as well. The Annual Shareholders meeting was held March 24, 2022 at the United Methodist Church and included these highlights: • Danny Wilson Catering served a meal before the business meeting. • Jeff Naig from BKD CPA & Advisors reviewed the financials. • President Amy Lennie and General Manager Larry Springer gave updates on Colo Telephone Company’s past and future projects. • Incumbent Directors Pete Hientz and Rich Mack were elected to three-year terms. • DeAnne Lee was recognized for her 25 years of service with Colo Telephone Company as she officially retired March 31, 2022. • New employees Avery King (Customer Service Representative) and Lisa Vaughn (Bookkeeper) helped with the meeting. In May, Colo Telephone Company started a fiber project funded by the Empower Rural Iowa NOFA6 Grant in rural Nevada, Iowa, which will provide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology to 11 new unserved locations. In June, we’ll start a fiber overbuild of the City of Collins, Iowa, and this project will provide FTTH to up to 240 locations there. Upon completion of these projects, customers in these areas will have access to high-speed broadband and voice services via fiber. This fall, we’ll start a fiber road move project on 580th Ave and Hwy 30 due to the new Department of Transportation Hwy Interchange Project planned for 2023. In other fall news, the Board of Directors decided to let subscribers use our fantastic high-speed fiber network to obtain the video services of their choice. Therefore, starting October 1, 2022, Colo Telephone Company and Central Iowa Broadband will no longer offer TV/Video (Skitter TV) service. We’re here to help during this transition! We’ve tested many streaming services and can guide you to the ones that best fit your needs. We can also help determine if you have the correct internet bandwidth for the number of streaming services you plan to use. As you transition to the service of your choice, please contact our office to coordinate disconnecting Skitter and returning your current Skitter equipment. CONNECTIONS SUMMER 2022 NEWS FROM COLO TELEPHONE AND CENTRAL IOWA BROADBAND
TAKE THESE BUDGET-FRIENDLY (AND EARTH-FRIENDLY) STEPS 4 GOOD REASONS TO SWITCH TO ONLINE BILL PAYMENT Are you paying your Colo Telephone or Central Iowa Broadband Bill by writing a check and mailing it to us? If so, please consider switching to Online Bill Payment and paying electronically instead. You’ll enjoy benefits including: 1. More Security – Paper bills leave you vulnerable to sensitive information being stolen and used for identity theft. Your mail could be taken from the mailbox or from a garbage can. With Online Bill Payment, you communicate securely with Colo Telephone or Central Iowa Broadband through a password-protected online portal. 2. Saves You Money – You won’t have to buy as many postage stamps or checks when you use Online Bill Payment. 3. Faster Than Traditional Bill Paying – Why waste time finding a bill, writing a check, looking for a stamp, and walking to the mailbox? With Online Bill Payment, you can pay online in seconds or have your bill paid automatically with Automatic Payment. 4. Better for the Environment – Mother Earth loves Online Bill Payment! It reduces paper use and saves trees. To sign up for Online Bill Payment, visit www.colotel.org. It’s a win-win situation when you make choices to reduce your use of energy, water, and paper—you save money and the earth preserves resources. Consider doing the following if you aren’t already: • Be smart about electricity. Many electronics in your home use standby power— even when turned off. To stop this seeping energy, use smart power strips, which automatically cut power altogether when electronics aren’t in use. You should also install CFL bulbs instead of incandescent ones and look for the ENERGY STAR® label when buying appliances and electronics. • Do an eco-home makeover. Weatherize your home by sealing ducts, caulking windows, and fixing weather stripping. Also install a low-flow showerhead and a programmable or smart thermostat. • Tap the tap. You pay a price for drinking bottled water. According to the Center for a New American Dream, drinking one 16-ounce bottle of water a day for a year means you’re spending about $500 more than you would by drinking the same amount of water from the water faucets in your home. Plus, all those plastics bottles have a negative effect on the environment. • Receive and pay your bills electronically. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American uses the equivalent of about one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper each year. An easy and effective way to help the environment is to convert your billing statements from postal delivery to electronic delivery. This results in less demand for paper and less air pollution from paper production. To do even more for the environment, pay your bills electronically instead of mailing a check. Not only does this save trees by cutting down on paper use, you’ll also save money on postage. Colo Telephone and Central Iowa Broadband offer Online Bill Payment. With this system, you may view your bill online and then pay it using electronic check or your choice of a VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card. For details, visit www.colotel.org.
Cornerstone Group © 2022 BEFORE YOU LEAVE ON VACATION, REVIEW THIS SECURITY CHECKLIST MOLLY SEYLLER GETS SCHOLARSHIP Colo Telephone Company congratulates Molly Seyller, the recipient of our 2022 Don McIntosh Memorial Scholarship of $1,000. Molly graduated from Colo-NESCO High School and plans to attend Mount Mercy University and major in nursing. DEANNE LEE RETIRES AFTER 25 YEARS DeAnne Lee retired from Colo Telephone Company on December 31, 2021, but kindly continued to work part time as she trained her replacement, Lisa Vaughn. DeAnne was hired by Don McIntosh in August 1997. During her 25 years of employment, she served as the office’s Customer Service Representative, Bookkeeper, and Office Manager. Colo Telephone Company thanks DeAnne for her dedicated service to our company, and we wish her all the best in this next chapter of life. ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE NEWS After 18 years with Colo Telephone Company, Julie Willis retired as Customer Service Representative. Thanks for all your hard work, Julie! Avery King took over as Customer Service Representative and is a valuable member of our team. You see your vacation as an opportunity for fun and relaxation. Unfortunately, burglars see it as an opportunity to more easily get inside your home and take off with your valuables. You can do a lot, however, to reduce your chances of being a property crime victim by taking simple precautions before you leave town. Secure the inside of your home: • Put valuables in a safety deposit box. • Double check that you’ve locked all doors and windows, including all doors in the garage. You may want to unplug the cord to the garage door opener so it can’t be opened with a code. • Put a timer on some of your lights, setting them to go on at different times. Secure the outside of your home: • Stop delivery of your mail and newspapers. • Don’t leave a key hidden outside. Leave it with a friend or family member instead. • Put your car inside the garage. • Move ladders and other supplies a burglar could use to get to the second story. • Depending on the season, make arrangements for someone to mow your lawn or shovel snow while you’re away. Involve your neighbors: • Inform trusted neighbors that you will be gone and for how long. Ask them to keep an eye on your home. (Offer to do the same when they’re away.) • Have these neighbors pick up any flyers that people may place inside your door. By taking these precautions before heading to your next vacation destination, you can really rest easy when you get there. DeAnne Lee enjoyed a sweet retirement party. Pictured left to right: Colo Telephone Company Board President, Amy Lennie; Molly Seyller; and Molly’s parents Kelly and Jeff.
303 Main Street / PO Box 315 Colo, IA 50056 Colo: 641-377-2202 CIB: 888-377-0067 www.colotel.org CRAZY AbOUTGARdeNING? We know you’re itching to plant your garden and maybe add a shrub or two. But don’t get ahead of yourself. First, you need to call 811 to have utility lines marked. Tell the operator where you’re planning to dig and what type of work you’ll be doing. The affected local utilities will send a locator to your property, free of charge. Then you’ll know what’s below and be able to dig safely without causing damage. COLO TELEPHONe AND CENTRAL IOWA BROADBAND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION! C A L L 8 1 1 B E F O R E Y O U D I G ! HOW TO SAVE A WET SMARTPHONE You’re enjoying time at the pool or beach and drop your phone into the water. Don’t panic! Here are the steps you need to take: 1. Dry it thoroughly with a clean, lint-free microfiber cloth. 2. If the phone is on, switch it off. If it’s switched off, leave it off. 3. Gently shake your phone to remove any water in the headphone port, charging socket, and other ports. 4. Leave your phone in a dry inside area with good airflow (such as a fan) to reduce the moisture. This may take a week or so. Do not put your phone in a bowl of rice, which is an internet myth, since rice can cause further damage. 5. Once dry, switch on your phone. If it works, back up your data immediately, in case it stops working again. If it still doesn’t function properly, consult a professional for repairs. Cornerstone Group © 2022 CONNECTIONS NEWS FROM COLO TELEPHONE AND CENTRAL IOWA BROADBAND
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