In Touch, Fall 2022

THANK YOU for helping our annual School Supply Drive be a success in 2022. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” is true for so many students that headed back to school this fall and YOU made a difference! Twenty-eight schools and agencies benefited from this year’s drive. Supplies were delivered prior to schools starting by staff members of Consolidated and community partners in the communities we serve. A special thank you goes out to Gate City Bank in Dickinson & Hettinger for being a long standing partner for this program. Thank you ONEOK, Inc. for purchasing over 300 backpacks that were distributed throughout southwest North Dakota!

Additional appreciation goes to business partners that helped collect supplies in the surrounding communities: Commercial Bank of Mott, Choice Bank in Belfield, First International Bank & Trust of Killdeer, Country Drug Store in Richardton, Dakota Western Bank in Bowman, Hettinger, Rhame & Scranton, and I Don’t Know Bar in South Heart. Thank you JE Dunn Construction Dickinson team for collecting supplies and monies used to purchase a LOT of supplies, Lions Club in South Heart, Bravera for donating pens, folders and binders. Last, but certainly not least, thank you Harlow’s Bus Service for letting us borrow a bus for our parking lot. The winners of the prizes this year were: Dorothy Becker – iPad winner, and Gwen Roffler – $100 Gift Card.

Photo by Austin Stockert

Calendar Photo Contest

THANK YOU to all the photo enthusiasts who submitted photos for our 2023 calendar. We appreciate your time, talents, and willingness to share with everyone in Southwestern North Dakota ! The quality of photos made it a challenge to narrow it down to 20 photos. The winners this year are:

Thomas Krebs

Ron Crail

Tammy Mackey

Austin Stockert

Dusty Johnston

Shantel Boltz

Joan Murphy

Danae Eckelberg

Amanda Wright Dayna Blauer

Albert Myran

Julie Karey

Cassi Leintz

Kathie Tooz

Carol Lefor

Jacob Witte

EvaRyst Overton

Kadence Reindel

Emanuel Voigt

Kristy Pagel

Pick up your FREE 2023 Consolidated Calendar after Thanksgiving at our Dickinson office at 507 Main Ave S.

Halloween Photo Contest !

Send in your best picture of your kids to enter

Consolidated’s Halloween Photo Contest ! Entries are open to photos of children ages 12 and younger. Submissions must be received by November 1st by 5:00 pm via our website at consolidatednd.com/HalloweenPhoto2022.

The photos will be posted on Consolidated’s Facebook page, and voting for the winners will be from November 2nd – 8th via Facebook. The three photos with the most likes will win prizes. The winners will be announced on November 9 t h.

Important Notes

• Reminder to Snowbirds ! Please give us a call at least one week before you leave for the winter. There’s NO recurring monthly charge to reserve your services while you’re gone, unless you have special services. There is a one-time charge of $24 to hold your services.

• Our office will be closed for these holidays: – November 24th and 25th for Thanksgiving – December 23rd and 26th for Christmas – January 2nd for New Year’s Day

• Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 7th. Remember to turn your clocks back one hour.

• We’re excited to see all the eager “Trick or Treaters” at our annual Halloween Open House on October 31st from 2:30 to 4:30pm. Also remember to enter our Halloween Photo Contest - see ad at left for details.

• Play LIVE Blackout Bingo on Consolidated Channel 18, to win great prizes October through April. Watch every Tuesday at 7:00pm, replay at 8:00pm, or Wednesday replay at 3:00pm and 4:00pm.

Pick up Bingo Cards at these sponsors:

Dickinson: West Dakota Oil, Choice Financial, Eyewear Concepts, Dan Porter Motors, Rosie’s Food & Gas

Belfield: Choice Financial

Bowman: Bowman Drug

Regent: Dakota Western Bank

Mott: Fitterer Oil

Richardton: Cenex C Store

Hettinger: KNDC Radio

Scranton: Scranton Super Valu

Killdeer: Hinrichs Super Valu

New England: The Hub

Halliday: Union Bank

Photo by Kathie Tooz

Photo by Kadence Reindel

Fluffy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin 12 oz. cream cheese; softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy; add sugar and spice, beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time until combined; stir in pumpkin. Pour mixture into crust; bake for 30 - 35 minutes; cool 1 hour and refrigerate 3 hours. Garnish with whipped topping if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs

3 1/3 cup flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/3 cup water

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

1 small box vanilla pudding

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, eggs, and oil together; add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and water slowly; mix well. Fold in pumpkin and pudding mix until combined. Pour batter in two large greased loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove loaves from pan; cool. Pumpkin Angel Food Cake

1 Angel Food Cake Mix 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1/8 tsp. ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare Angel Food cake to directions on package, set aside. Combine next 6 ingredients until well blended. Add 1/4 of pumpkin mixture to cake batter and stir. Then slowly stir in rest. Bake at 350 degrees for 38 - 40 minutes on the lowest rack in oven.

Pumpkin Crunch

29 oz. pumpkin 12 oz. evaporated milk 1 cup sugar

3 eggs slightly beaten 2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1 yellow cake mix 1 cup chopped nuts 3/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs, add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle cake mix and nuts over mixture and press into batter; pour butter over cake mix. Bake for 60 minutes. Serve with whipped topping or ice cream.

Network Security!

As viruses and malware become more sophisticated, your network requires an equally innovative solution. With the Consolidated MyNetwork app, the Network Security feature will help you lock your network, and alert you to unwanted visitors trying to enter.

®

M y Net work

My life, made easy

701.483.4000 consolidatednd.com

Protect Prevent Block

TV News

We are excited to announce that TWO NEW CHANNELS are now in our TV line-up!

Pursuit Channel, channel 124, is a lifestyle network dedicated to hunting, fishing, shooting, and other outdoor-related content. Some of the most-watched shows include Man vs Elk, The Ultimate Oath, Apex Hunter, Shoot Straight TV and CRCS Outdoors.

Circle Network, channel 150, brings fans to the center of everything country music and lifestyle. From live performances on country’s most iconic stages like the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium to original country lifestyle shows about travel, food and music, you won’t want to miss out. Kick off your boots and stay a while because at Circle, country is king!

Promotions at

Rhonda Fitterer was promoted to Director of Business Operations on September 1st. She has worked for Consolidated for 25 years, starting in the customer service department, and since 2014 as Marketing & Public Relations Manager. Rhonda oversees Customer Service, Service Center, Business Services, Marketing, and Video Production. Rhonda, and her husband Chris, have two children, Addison and Mark, and live in New England.

Robbin Schwindt was promoted to Marketing & Public Relations Manager on September 1st. She has worked for Consolidated for 13 years in the Service Center and for most of her time in the Business Services Department. Robbin oversees Marketing & Public Relations. Robbin, and her husband Scott live in Dickinson, and have 3 children, Dustin, Brittani, Erik and 10 grandchildren.

Laura Biel was promoted to Manager of Business Operations on September 1st. She has worked for Consolidated for 25 years, starting in the Service Center, and since 2015 as Customer Service Manager. Laura supervises Customer Service, Service Center and is responsible for TV contract negotiations. Laura, and her husband Matt, have two children, Mattilyn and Drew, and live in Dickinson.

Kayla Gabel was promoted to Customer Service Supervisor on September 1st. She has worked for Consolidated for eight years in the customer service department. Kayla oversees the Customer Service Representatives. Kayla, and her husband Chad, have three children, Drew, Grant, and Hadley, and live in Dickinson.

Landon Filkowski was promoted to Mapping & Safety Supervisor on August 1st. Landon has worked at Consolidated for 11 years in accounting and mapping. He oversees Mapping and Safety. Landon, and his wife Wendy, have three children, Jacob, Madelyn and Logan, and live in Dickinson.

Tony Praus was promoted to Engineering Services Supervisor on August 1st. Tony has worked in construction, and the engineering services department. He oversees the Engineering Department and Locating. Tony, and his wife Stephanie, have three children, Treysen, Tysen, and Ariana, and live in Dickinson.

Kayla Gabel Customer Service Supervisor

Landon Filkowski Mapping & Safety Supervisor

Laura Biel Manager of Business Operations

Tony Paus Engineering Supervisor

Rhonda Fitterer Director of Business Operations

Robbin Schwindt Marketing/Public Relations Mgr.

You have locks on every door and window, but not on your network?

Josh Marshall is new to our IT department assisting businesses with IT related services such as setting up servers and computers. He is a native of Williston, ND and received a Bachelor’s degree in History and an AAS in Cybersecurity and Computer Networks. Josh and his wife, Ashley, live in Dickinson along with their two children, Brogan and Bryson. Josh enjoys reading, movies and playing Dungeons and Dragons. “I came to Consolidated because of its reputation for quality work and friendly atmosphere. What I find interesting about my job is the variety of issues and services I work with on a daily basis.”

Kathy Crisp started in our locating department in July and works with customers, contactors, mappings, and 811, in addition to various other locating duties. She is a native to southwest North Dakota and has an Associate’s degree in Office Administration from DSU. Kathy lives in Dickinson with her daughter, Kaylynn. Kathy enjoys working out, fishing, camping and horseback riding. “I chose to work at Consolidated because the employees are treated well and everyone works as a team to accomplish the goals, helping each other out when needed. It is awesome to be a part of that.”

Lynn Kubas started as a Customer Service Representative in September and works with customers assisting them with all residential products and services. She is a native of Dickinson and has an Associate’s degree from Dickinson State University. Lynn and her husband Terry have two children, Carly and Christopher. She enjoys gardening, baking, cooking and reading. “I enjoy working with customers and helping them with any of their questions or concerns to the best of my ability.”

Shannon Moe started as a Customer Service Representative in September and assists customers with residential products and services. She is a native of Belfield, ND and comes to Consolidated with many years of customer service experience. Shannon, and her husband Kyle, have 3 children, Shayden, Kameron and Addison. She enjoys camping, kayaking, fishing in summer and winter, and spending time with family.

Rolan Honeyman started his career at Consolidated in 1997 as a product manager. In 2015, he was promoted to Director of Business Operations. Throughout Rolan’s career, he was an instrumental part of the management team that helped bring fiber optic facilities to the communities we serve, helped with new product development, and was responsible for TV contracts and negotiations.

Denise Barth started her career at Consolidated in 1991. In Denise’s 31 years at Consolidated, she worked in the billing department and customer service, most recently as a customer service supervisor for over 10 years. Denise’s attention to detail, organizational skills and commitment to Consolidated was second to none.

Paul Mikkelsen began his career with Consolidated in 1992. He was responsible for maintaining our mapping database, transitioning from paper maps to digital maps that we use today to manage our fiber optic plant. Paul was promoted to Engineering & Safety Supervisor in 2015.

Troy Anderson began his career at Consolidated in 2000 in the construction department. He moved into a combination technician position after just a few years. Troy converted a lot of homes from old facilities to fiber optics and helped other departments when the need arose.

Lynn Kubas Customer Service Rep

Josh Marshall IT Systems Technician

Kathy Crisp Locator

Shannon Moe Customer Service Rep

Denise Barth

Paul Mikkelsen

Troy Anderson

Rolan Honeyman

Funding Sponsor Projects

Consolidated is the proud sponsor of the Movie Screen at Dickinson Town Square. Construction is in progress and a grand opening is expected in spring of 2023. Kristi Schwartz, Board President of the Downtown Improvement District, stated the movie screen will be digital so movies and events can be shown at any time of the day. The Dickinson Town Square project is a positive attraction for Dickinson, it will not only attract families and individuals to our area with quality of life enhancements, it will serve all of southwest North Dakota with the attractions that will be brought in.

THANK YOU for joining us this summer at the Movie Night in the Park Se r ie s !

We hope you had as great a time as we did, and want to express an extra thank you to Scranton Public School, Scranton Lions Club, Killdeer Saddle Club, First International Bank of Killdeer, and Playhouse Theatre of Mott. Check our Facebook page, newsletter or website next spring to see which communities we will host movie nights in next summer!

Consolidated is also excited about a new project in Bowman, The Edge – Bowman County Activity Complex. We were able to assist with cash and in-kind construction services of $25,000 for the project. As a Gold sponsor, we chose two rooms to have our name on, the E-Sports Lounge and Ninja Course. Chanell Walby, with Bowman Parks & Recreation, is hopeful for a soft opening in December, and being fully operational in 2023. The complex will not only serve residents of Bowman County, it will reach families throughout southwest North Dakota.

How to Detect Email Phishing Scams:

The prevalence of phishing scams is at an all-time high. It is important to question the legitimacy of every email you receive. Below is a list of questions to ask yourself about the content and body of the email that may help you realize that you are being phished.

Review the content of the email.

• Is the sender asking me to click on a link or open an attachment to avoid a negative consequence, or to gain something of value?

• Is the email out of the ordinary, or does it have bad grammar or spelling errors?

• Is the sender asking me to click a link or open up an attachment that seems odd or illogical?

• Do I have an uncomfortable gut feeling about the sender’s request to open an attachment or click a link?

• Is the email asking me to look at a compromising or embarrassing picture of myself or someone I know?

If you notice anything about the email that alarms you, do not click links, open attachments, or reply. You are the last line of defense to prevent cyber criminals from succeeding and making you susceptible to phishing attacks.

Employee’s of Consolidated present a check to Kristi Schwartz and June Haller from the Downtown Improvement District in Dickinson.

Consolidated technicians, Shawn Burns and Skyler Kinkade, present a check to members of the Bowman Parks & Recreation Board for The Edge Complex.

October 24th – 28th in Dickinson

Consolidated will be hiding the Great Pumpkin somewhere in Dickinson. From Monday, October 24th – Friday, Oct. 28th, receive the daily location clue by listening to KDIX radio at 9:15am and 3:15pm, visiting our Facebook page, or our website at consolidatednd.com/pumpkin2022.

If you find the Great Pumpkin, bring it to Consolidated to claim the GRAND PRIZE valued at more than $2,600 including:

$300 Gift Certificate – Consolidated

Gift Basket with 12-Month Subscription – Dickinson Press – $225 Value

DSU Gift Basket – $200 Value

$175 Gift Certificate – Bump N Jump Bounce House Party Promo Pack

$150 Gift Certificate – Mainstream Boutique

$150 Gift Certificate – Subway Sandwiches & Salads

3-Month Membership West River Community Center – up to $125 Value

Two Oil Changes – Dan Porter Motors – up to $120 Value

Godfather’s Pizza Party – up to $110 Value

$100 Gift Certificate – Newby’s Ace Hardware

$100 Gift Certificate – Family Fare

$100 Gift Certificate – Country Rose Café

$100 Gift Basket – Urban Unwind

Oil Change Charbonneau Car Center – up to $89.95 Value

$50 Thanksgiving Centerpiece – Ga ney’s Floral

$50 Gift Certificate – Quality Quick Print

$50 Visa Card – Western Cooperative Credit Union

$50 Gift Certificate – Dakota Diner

Gift Basket – Badlands Big Sticks – $50 Value

Grilling Basket – Consolidated – $50 Value

$50 Gift Certificate – Los Cobos Family Mexican Restaurant

Gift Basket – Brenarsky’s – up to $50 Value

Gift Basket – Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce – up to $50 Value

Four Adult Bu ets – Pizza Ranch – $40 Value

$25 Gift Card – Country Kitchen

$25 Gift Card – Out of Town

$20 Gift Card – Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar

Two $15 Gift Certificates – The Brew Co ee House

Two $10 Gift Certificates – Yum

The Great Pumpkin Hunt is sponsored by Consolidated with the help of these generous community Par tners:

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar Badlands Big Sticks

Brenarsky's

The Brew Co ee House Facebook.com/BumpNJump4u

Charbonneau Car Center

Core Nutrition Country Kitchen

Country Rose Café Dakota Diner

Dan Porter Motors

Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce

Dickinson Press

Dickinson State University Family Fare

Ga ney's Floral

Godfather's Pizza KDIX Radio

Los Cobos Family Mexican Restaurant

Mainstream Boutique

Newby's Ace Hardware

Out of Town

Pizza Ranch

Quality Quick Print

Subway Sandwiches & Salads

West River Community Center

Western Cooperative Credit Union

Urban Unwind Yum

The Great Pumpkin will be hidden on unposted land or in a public building. Please do not look for it on any private property. For o cial rules, stop by Consolidated at 507 Main S. Dickinson during regular business hours, Monday - Friday 8AM – 5PM, our Facebook page, or our website consolidatednd.com. Employees of Consolidated are not eligible to participate.