A Monthly Newsletter for the GBT Communities and Patrons

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St. John OfficePO Box 86 • 602 N US Hwy 281

St. John, KS 67576620.377.5555 • 620.377.5556

Hours:11:00am - 5:00pm

Mon-Fri

Rush Center OfficeP.O. Box 229 • 103 Lincoln

Rush Center, KS 67575800.432.7965 • 785.372.4236

Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm | Mon-Fri

Ness City Office114 W. Main

Ness City, KS 67560800.966.5186 785.798.3100

Hours:8:00am - 5:00pm

Mon-Fri

Ellis Office101 W. 9th • Ellis, KS 67637

800.966.5183 • 785.726.3200Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm | Mon-Wed-Fri

Closed for lunch 12:30pm-1:30pm

Larned Office122 W. 5th

Larned, KS 67550800.432.7965 • 620.910.7676

Hours:8:30am - 11:30am &

Noon - 5:00pm Mon-Fri

ConnectionConnectionFebruary 2020 | Vol. 25, No. 2

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Foundation for Rural Service Scholarship ($2500 Scholarship)

The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) offers an annual college scholarship

program to help further higher education among rural youth. FRS awards a one-time

$2,500 scholarship to students from rural America for their first year of college, university

or vocational-technical school. GBT supplies $500 of the scholarship, with FRS funding $2,000 of the scholarship. The FRS College Scholarship Program seeks to encourage students to return to their rural communities upon completing their education.

Foundation for Rural Service Youth Tour (All-expense paid trip to Washington DC)Every summer, the FRS Youth Tour brings together high school students from across rural America to visit our nation’s capital and learn about rural telecommunications. The tour provides a forum for teens to meet and interact with their peers from other rural communities, as well as key legislative, regulatory and government figures. GBT will sponsor two students in 2020.

2020 GBT Junior Board The purpose of this unique group is to involve high school seniors in the scope of services provided by GBT and to obtain ideas, suggestions, and options from student leaders on technology to share with management. Preference is given to students who are interested in pursuing future careers in the Telecommunications Industry. Criteria for the application requires a GPA of at least 2.5 and the student must reside with a parent or guardian who has GBT service for at least six months prior to application deadline. Selected applicants will be required to attend the GBT Annual Meeting; Students must provide their own transportation to and from meetings and will be required to attend at least 5 out of 6 meetings. There will be seven students selected to be a part of our Junior Board to which they are rewarded with a $750.00 scholarship to their select school. The GBT Junior Board will meet every other month beginning in October on a Sunday evening and dinner is provided.

For more information, please visit our website www.gbta.net/About/Scholarships or contact marketing@gbtlive.com.

2020 Scholarships Announced

2019 FRS Youth Tour Recipients Amber Pate and Bailey Baalmann

visiting the FCC and other Washington, DC monuments.

ALBERT (620) Mindy Crider 923-4337

ELLIS (785) Marc & Savannah Downing 726-2595

LACROSSE (785) Randy’s Body Shop 222-3144

LARNED (620) Reed Pharmacy 285-6286

LEWIS (620) Eduardo J Ibarra 324-5109

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MCCRACKEN (785) Dallas DeWitt 394-2213

NESS CITY (785) J Fritzler 798-2092 Little Blessings Daycare 798-2566

RANSOM (785)

Kandi Keathley 731-2333

RUSH CENTER (785) D Oberzan 372-4002

UTICA (785) Black Dog Cafe 391-2311

Directory Updates

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Catch all the Super Bowl ActionFebruary 2, 2020

6:30p.m.on Fox

Channel 104

vs.

And the winners are...Snowflake HuntingJeff Schawe - St John

January’s Newsletter had a total of 23 black Snowflakes! Jeff won a $10 bill credit from

GBT just for playing!

Count this one too!

It’s time to count... throughout this issue of the Connection there are many Black Hearts. Can you count them? When you find them all, e-mail us by the 10th of the month at marketing@gbtlive.com with the total number of Black Hearts, and you will be entered into a drawing to win a $10 bill credit on your next GBT bill!

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Last fall, GBT nominated 7 applications for the Foundation for Rural Service Grant Program. FRS recently awarded $100,000 via 26 grants to advance quality of life and enable economic development in rural America. Out of 90 nation-wide applications, 3 nominees from GBT were selected! “The Foundation for Rural Service is so humbled by the work of our grant awardees,” said FRS Executive Director Pam Becker. “It is an honor to hear their stories of collaboration with and dedication to the communities they serve. We are grateful for their hard work, the amazing telcos that endorsed them, and our generous donors that contribute to the grant program.”

Kara Jecha, GBT Economic Development Specialist, stated “I was blessed to work with each applicant to fine-tune the applications prior to submission. GBT is invested in the economic development of our area, not only by directing that focus in my job, but also by providing financial support to help fund this wonderful grant program!

Stay tuned for future updates on GBT’s role as a partner for our rural communities!

City of Larned EMS (Larned, KS)Award $4,823 to purchase a video laryngoscope for the city’s EMS professionals, providing improved emergency services and enhancing the quality of life in their rural area. Pictured are EMS Paramedic and Assistant Director Kara Lawrence, with Tim Lewis and Kara Jecha of GBT.

Jordaan Memorial Library (Larned, KS) Award $5,000 to purchase 5 all-in-one computers for public use. Pictured are Director Debby Gore with Tim Lewis of GBT.

Heartland Farm(rural Albert, KS)Award $1,000 to purchase one permanent and one portable Whiteboard/projection screens with interactive capabilities and accessories to utilize their broadband capability in their meeting facilities for educational projects. Pictured are Sister Jane Belanger, OP, with Kara Jecha of GBT.

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French Dip Slider

If you have questions or comments about this newsletter or any of our services,

please email us at marketing@gbtlive.comKelly Baalmann, Editor

Kyle Bahr, Editor

Ingredients:5 tbsp. butter, divided1 large onion, thinly sliced2 sprigs, plus 1/4 teaspoon fresh thymeKosher saltFreshly ground black pepper12 slider buns, halved1 lb. thinly sliced deli roast beef12 slices provolone cheese1/4 tsp. garlic powder1 tbsp. clove garlic, minced1 1/2 c. low-sodium beef broth1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

If you have a favorite r e c i p e y o u w o u l d like to s h a r e to be featured in an upcoming newsletter, send it to marketing@gbtlive.com.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Discard thyme.Place bottom halves of slider buns on a large baking sheet and top with roast beef, provolone cheese, caramelized onions, and slider bun tops. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and brush on top of buns. Sprinkle with garlic powder, coarse salt, and parsley and bake until cheese is melty and sliders are warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make au jus: Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to same skillet and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then add beef broth, Worcestershire, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly reduced, 10 minutes. Serve sliders with au jus for dipping.

*Certain restrictions apply. See store for details.Questions? Contact

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Did you know the average person uses google to search for information 3 to 4 times every day, and often it is to look up phone numbers and store hours for your business? Have you ever googled your own business to see what pops up or what reviews customers have left you? Often business owners think that since they’ve never set anything up with Google or have hung up on them when they receive their automated calls, no information is out there regarding their business. Likely, Google still has a business listing for you, but if you haven’t claimed your business, information like your location, hours, or phone number might be incorrect, costing you potential customers. As a tip, we suggest you google your business and see what pops up. Suggest an edit - Own this business?If you see the message above, you will need to click on Own this business, and follow the steps to claim your business and edit the information, or add sales promotions etc. so it is accurate and useful to your current and potential customers. If you see the below message, it means you already own the page and you can make changes as you see the need. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us at marketing@gbtlive.com, as we want your business to be successful and grow in 2020!Edit your business information

Help Your Business Grow in 2020