GO FROM MAILBOX TO INBOX WITH PAPERLESS BILLING MAY 2 0 2 2 Cornerstone Group © 2022 114 East Main Street Panora, IA 50216 (641) 755-2424 Online: www.panoratelco.com Office Hours: M–F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Win a $10 Bill Credit What do phishing scams attempt to steal? Answer: _____________________________ Name: ______________________________ Phone:_ _____________________________ Email: _ _____________________________ Clip and return by May 31, 2022 to Panora Telco, 114 East Main Street, Panora, IA 50216 or Guthrie Center Communications, 403 State Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115. Congratulations to Vicki Moore, the most recent Panora Telco winner; and Jennifer Kesler, the most recent Guthrie Center Communications winner. One winner chosen at random per quarter. Contest open to Panora Telco or Guthrie Center Communications customers age 18 and over. Applicants can win once per 12-month period. Other restrictions may apply. YOUR QUARTERLY DOSE OF TECHNOLOGY INSPIRATION Connections 403 State Street Guthrie Center, IA 50115 (641) 332-2000 Online: www.guthriecentercom.com Office Hours: M–F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. but closed 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. for lunch 1 RECEIVE A $5 BILL CREDIT AND CHANCE TO WIN A $50 GIFT CARD Now’s the time to switch to our paperless billing. You’ll have one less bill in your mailbox each month plus less clutter on your kitchen counter. Paperless billing lets you choose between two alternatives: • EMAIL BILL – We’ll email you a PDF file of your monthly bill, which looks exactly the same as the paper version. • E-BILL – You’ll be notified by email that your monthly bill is ready to be viewed via your Panora Telco or Guthrie Center Communications online account. To begin paperless billing, email us at marketing@panoratelco.com or marketing@guthriecentercom.com, or call or stop by your local office during May 2022. You’ll receive a one-time $5 credit on your next bill and be automatically entered in our June 1, 2022 drawing for a $50 Hometown Foods gift card — one to be given away by each company. If you’re already a paperless billing customer, you’ll also be automatically entered in the drawing.
PANORA TELCO • ( 641 ) 755-2424 | GUTHRIE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS • ( 641 ) 332-2000 Before You Dig, Make a Call to Iowa One Call Spring is here and construction and digging projects will soon be underway. Remember, there are many underground utilities that may present a problem if disturbed, and unmarked services may be dangerous if hit. It’s important to call Iowa One Call at 811 or 800-292-8989 at least 48 business hours in advance of digging, so underground services such as gas, water, telephone, electric, cable TV, and sewer can be located and marked. Locate requests are taken 24 hours a day/7 days a week. When you call, you’ll be given a 9-digit ‘dig ticket number’ which can be used for reference throughout the project. If damages occur as a result of a dig and Iowa One Call has not been notified prior to the excavation, the homeowner or excavator may be liable for repair costs, loss of product/ services or other related charges. Make it a priority to call before you dig this spring and summer. Not only is it the safe way to dig, it’s the law. Phishing is a scam that attempts to steal your money or your identity by getting you to reveal personal information—such as credit card numbers, bank information, or passwords—on fraudulent websites. The best defense is awareness. Here are red flags to help you spot phishing emails: Urgent call to action or threats – Be suspicious of emails saying you must click, call, or open an attachment immediately, perhaps to claim a reward or avoid a penalty. Creating a false sense of urgency is a common phishing trick. Requests to update your information – Emails claiming you need to update your account are classic phishing strategies and should immediately cause suspicion. Most legitimate institutions will never request login credentials, account numbers, financial information, or other personal data via email. Examples of common phishing subject lines include: • Changes to your health benefits • Google Pay: Payment sent • Twitter Security Alert: new or unusual login • Your Amazon Prime account: Action required • Important security update required Spelling and bad grammar – Professional companies or organizations usually have an editorial staff to ensure customers get highquality, professional content. If an email message has obvious spelling or grammatical errors, it might be a scam. These errors are sometimes the result of awkward translation from a foreign language, and sometimes they’re deliberate choices to evade blocking filters. Generic greetings – An organization that works with you should know your name. If the email starts with a generic “Dear sir or madam” or something similar, that’s a warning sign that it’s not really from your bank or other familiar business. Suspicious web address – If you think an email might be a scam, hover your mouse over, but don’t click on, the link within the body of the email. If its web address displays differently when you hover over it, it’s likely an attempt to hack your computer. When you see what you think is a phishing email in your inbox, never click on any links or open any attachments. Simply delete it. Watch for Red Flags to Spot Phishing Emails
Cornerstone Group © 2022 The Annual Shareholders Meeting of Panora Communications Cooperative and Panora Cooperative Cablevision Association, Inc.— which do business as Panora Telco—was held on March 21, 2022, in the auditorium of the Panorama High School in Panora, Iowa. Andrew Randol, GM/CEO, presented the 2021 financial report and discussed 2021 highlights including these: • Wagon Road fiber project and interduct to Redfield was installed. • Annual patronage paid out was $350,000, along with $180,000 in estate cleanup. • Data usage grew 9% in 2021. • Phone service was down 22%, but internet service grew by 19%. • Its revolving loan fund loaned out $100,000, and an anchor business was added to the Panora Telco Business Park. • Work continues on the Clay Street extension, which will add lots for housing development. • Plant and software updates continued internally. • At the end of 2021, $4.5 million was awarded to extend fiber to the underserved rural areas outside Bagley, South of Linden and Redfield area and Redfield to Adel. • Video programming rates from networks continue to rise each year. This requires Panora Telco to pass these increases on to customers, since 80% of costs are for programming. Also during the meeting, Chris Arganbright and Kelvin Hafner were re-elected to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors. Winners of the prize drawing were as follows: Grand prize of 43” Samsung 4K Smart TV, Rod Robson; 15” Digital Picture Frame, Kirby Klinge; Wireless Headphones for TV Viewing, Pam Robson; Kasa Smart Lightbulb, Paul Mueller; Roku Streaming Stick 4K, Nancy Moore; Amazon Firestick 4K, Mike Ketelsen; Anker Soundcore Bluetooth Speaker, Brian Johnson; and two copies of the book Lake Panorama, the First 50 Years, Tom Jeschke and Gary Winters. Annual Meeting Held March 21 Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications Lifeline is a federal program to help low-income subscribers stay connected by providing a monthly discount of up to $9.25 on their wireline phone, wireless phone, or broadband internet service. FCC rules prohibit more than one Lifeline service per household. Lifeline is available to eligible low-income subscribers in every state, territory, commonwealth, and on Tribal lands. To qualify for Lifeline, subscribers must either have an income that is at or below 135% of the federal Poverty Guidelines or participate in at least one of the assistance programs listed below: • Medicaid • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps or SNAP) • Supplemental Security Income • Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8) • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance • Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations • Head Start (if income eligibility criteria are met) You can check your Lifeline eligibility at www.lifelinesupport.org/ do-i-qualify/. Or contact Panora Telco or Guthrie Center Communications with questions.
Cornerstone Group © 2022 PANORA TELCO • ( 641 ) 755-2424 | GUTHRIE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS • ( 641 ) 332-2000 Do your desk and TV center each have a rat’s nest of cords and cables around them? Not only can this look unsightly, but it can also make it difficult to figure out which one goes where. Now’s the time to finally get everything under control. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to do. There are several key steps to the decluttering process: • Hide the power strips and plugs. While power strips are functional, they’re not particularly attractive. To hide your power strips and organize the cords plugged into them, you can buy cable organizer boxes off the shelf or make your own following the instructions available on YouTube. • Collect and tie cords together. Before you do this, go through the tangled mess of cords one by one to make sure each cord is still in use. You’d be surprised how many times people find cords that aren’t plugged in and just collecting dust. Now you’re ready to gather cords together for better management. An inexpensive solution is to use zip ties at multiple points, so the cords stay neat from the power strip up to the device. Another option is to get zippered or hook-and-loop cable sleeves that conceal your cords. • Identify the cords and cables. To stay organized and better manage all your cords and cables, you’ll want to clearly identify each one. You can do this for free by using something that’s probably in your kitchen right now—bread bag clips. Simply write a brief description on a bread bag clip and loop it around the cord or cable. Alternatively, you can wrap colored duct tape around with an inch or two jutting out. On that space, use a marker to write the description. Don’t forget about the unused cords and cables that are now stuffed in your junk drawer or closet, waiting for the day you’ll need them again. They’ll fit nicely into the pouches of a hanging shoe organizer, along with other small tech items such as computer mouses. To keep cords and cables tidy and prevent tangling, try sliding them inside the cardboard roll from toilet paper or paper towels before storage. How to Declutter Your Cords and Cables Follow Us on Facebook to Learn, Save, and Connect Are you following Panora Telco and Guthrie Center Communications on Facebook? If you are, thanks so much for your interest and support. If you haven’t yet clicked on the “Follow” button, consider doing so today. It only takes a minute. This action tells Facebook you want to see our posts in your News Feed and keeps you aware of the wide variety of valuable content we share. This content may include: • Updates on fiber network builds • Technology tips and tricks • Customer alerts on service disruptions • Changes to product offerings or hours • Money-saving offers • Employment opportunities and employee news • Upcoming community programs and events • Holiday greetings and seasonal ideas • Fun industry-related trivia Of course, our Facebook pages aren’t just about us talking to you. It’s also about us talking with you. You’re encouraged to post questions, comments, and suggestions, and we’ll respond as soon as possible. That’s how we get to know our customers better and make our companies better. Please “Follow” along at facebook.com/panoratelco or facebook.com/guthriecentercom. Congratulations to All the Graduates Graduations are cause for celebration, whether a student is graduating from high school, college, or another type of educational program. Panora Telco and Guthrie Center Communications recognize the hard work required to reach these important milestones, and we wish all the graduates in our community good luck as they begin the next chapter of their lives.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTMzNDE=