Great Plains Communications Blog

It’s that time of year again!  The time when we share the winners of our annual grant program, which provides up to $20,000 dollars worth of aid to programs from schools in the communities we serve.

Our first grant spotlight this year is Cody-Kilgore High School, which received a grant worth over $4,500 dollars from out “Commitment to the Schools” program!

The school will purchase two Mobi Mobile Interactive Whiteboards, which turns any whiteboard into an interactive learning center. The system is easily portable meaning that several classrooms will be able to take advantage of the technology. The grant will also be used to purchase 32 CPS response systems, which allows students to tailor the learning environment to their level of need.

The new system will be used by multiple departments including mathematics and English.  The new technology joins several other cutting-edge initiatives at Cody-Kilgore High School. The school is a 1:1 school for 7-12 grade students. This means that each student receives a laptop for educational purposes. The school also has an entrepreneurship program that is launching a student-run grocery store.

Does your school have a great idea?  It’s never too early to think about a grant submission for next year!

Sometimes the days on the calendar simply pass by much faster than expected.   When this happens, it’s common for important dates to simply sneak up on us; no matter how important those dates are.  So if you find yourself with the need to pick up a last minute Mother’s Day gift, we understand.

Here are a few helpful websites:

Proflowers.com: You can order Mother’s Day flowers up until the Friday before Mother’s Day and select from dozens of options.  It’s practically guaranteed that you will find the right bouquet to make the mom in your life smile!

Shutterfly.com: Don’t have time to print out and arrange (and possibly ship) a photo album of mom’s best moments?  Well, Shutterfly allows you to create an online photo album that can easily be shared and personalized.  So if mom lives far away, you can still make sure she gets this sentimental gift on time!

Giftcards.com: Yes, an online gift card might seem a bit obvious, but Giftcards.com takes the online experience to the next level.  The email your gift card is delivered in includes flash animation and a personalized message.

Do you have a great last-minute idea for moms?  Let us know in the comments section below.

Summer break is, undoubtedly, one of the best parts of being a kid.  However, many parents worry about what those three months of no-school can do to kids’ academic success due to “learning loss,” which is the loss of knowledge that often occurs when days at the pool replace days inside the classroom.

Fortunately, the Internet (brought to you by Great Plains Communications) has some fantastic tools to help kids stay mentally in shape this summer season.

Bookswim.com – If your kid has already torn through the collection at the local library, this is a great resource.  For one price, you can get unlimited book rentals from hundreds of thousands of titles and it even comes with free shipping! If you have an e-reader, you can even instantly download most options.

FunBrain.com – The name of this website pretty much says it all.  You don’t want to take the fun out of summer and you don’t have to with this site.  Best for smaller children, the site contains games for reading, writing, math, and more.

Thinkfinity.org – This site is geared towards the student who wants to make sure they keep their edge during the summer.  It’s broken up into categories ranging from pre-K all the way through 12^th grade.  There are nearly a dozen subjects covered and many great resources to help parents and kids learn together.

Do you have a favorite learning activity to do with kids during the summer months?  Let us know in the comments section below.

We are big supporters of education in our communities.  As part of that commitment, we give away $20,000 worth of scholarships each year to outstanding students who excel in academics, athletics and charity.

If you know one of our fantastic winners, tell them “congratulations”! We’re very proud of them all.

2012 Great Plains Communications Scholarship Recipients:

Seth Badle of Hay Springs

Michael Bishop of Hayes Center

Seth Burge of Grant

Savannah Reynolds of Niobrara

Spencer Smith of Neligh

Austin Widhelm of Dodge

Adam Dickey of Imperial

Jenna Rifer of Verdigre

Amanda Gibson of Herman

Teale Beguin of Rushville

Jesse Reztlaff of Gordon

Josh Huggenberger of Blair

Chelsie King of Blair

Christine Morris of Blair

Seth Thiemann of Blair

The scholarships are part of a larger philanthropic program from Great Plains Communications that also includes $20,000 in annual grants provided to schools in the communities we serve.  For more information about both programs, visit http://gpcom.com/about/scholarships.

The sun is officially setting on SOAPnet, the network dedicated to soap operas.  The channel has been phasing out of markets all over the nation and will officially be shuttered by the end of summer 2012.  Most Great Plains Communications communities have already seen SOAPnet replaced with Disney Jr., which is also owned by Disney.  The remaining communities can expect to see the switch by June.

Fortunately for those who will miss the network, there is another option!  SOAPnet.com will still continue to live on and will continue to be a go-to source for insider information about popular soaps and nighttime dramas.  Video interviews will continue to be available online, as well.

We know that many customers will miss this unique channel and we understand your frustration. However, we would like to point out that the cable companies, including Great Plains Communications, were not involved in the decision to pull SOAPnet off the air.  The decision was made by Disney and reflects their perception of viewer preferences.

For more information about our brand new channel, Disney Jr., please visit their website at http://disney.go.com/disneyjunior.  It’s sure to become a family favorite!

It seems like every day there is some new virus that comes along and threatens the security of your computers.  These viruses can destroy your data, steal sensitive information and even damage your computer beyond repair.

Great Plains Communications takes computer protection very seriously.  As an Internet provider, we want to make sure that the Internet stays a fun and safe place.  To that end, we spent a lot of time searching for a company that we believe can really protect our customers.  That company is SecureIT.

SecureIT protects computers by:

• Providing guaranteed installation by a professional installer
• Automatically updating virus protection to safeguard against the latest threats
• Blocking pop-ups
• Allowing users to set parental controls
• Much, much more.

You can read more about our partnership with SecureIT in our upcoming newsletter.  Sign-up, today!

We’ve discussed the importance of calling before you dig many times through this blog, on our Facebook page, and in bill inserts.

Some may say that we’ve sounded the drum a few too many times when it comes to this issue, however we believe that’s not possible.  As the main digging season comes up, we’re reviewing what you need to know before you dig.

This is the official “Call Before You Dig” month in Nebraska:

Governor Heineman officially announced April as “Call Before You Dig” month.  You might see utility and Cable trucks driving by with new awareness signs to help you remember to make the call.  Nationally, it’s Safe Digging Month.

Even shallow digs can cut wires:

While many companies, including Great Plains Communications, traditionally bury cables at least 6 feet underground, some cables are buried mere inches below the soil.  Simple yard updates, such as putting in posts or anchoring a swing-set, may not seem like big enough projects to warrant a call, but they can cause major damage.

There is an answer for every question:

The Digger’s Hotline of Nebraska has a lot of great tools for prospective diggers.  The best of which may be the Digger’s Handbook.  This handbook has answers to just about every question you may have and is a must read before you start any digging project.

This week, we’re celebrating the upcoming return of Husker football (if only for a week, sigh) While you’re waiting to see if Rex Burkhead is still as awesome as he was last year,  we’ve rounded up some great online ways to show your Husker Pride!

Pets on Parade

You know that BTN.com is a great place to get exclusive videos and up-to-date info about the nation’s best conference, but it’s also a fantastic community of Big Ten believers.  Right now they are featuring the best of Big Ten pets!  Show off your puppy’s best Big Red style and chat with other Big Ten Fans!

Huskers Nside

This site supports Husker athletics while also providing unheard of access for fans.  From in-depth interviews to full-game replays from past football seasons, this site can stream hours of premiere Big Red video.

Relive one of Helu’s Greatest Games

On Thursday, the Big Ten Network will replay the 2010 Missouri-Nebraska match-up where Roy Helu Jr. rushed for 307 yards in a wonderful win during our final Big XII season.

The game will air at 4:00 pm CT.