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2023 BEK Fall Schedule

  • Friday, August 18, 2023 @ 7:00PM – High School Football
    • Bottineau vs Carrington

  • Thursday, August 24, 2023 @ 7:00PM – College Football
    • University of Jamestown vs Valley City State University

  • Thursday, August 31, 2023 @ 7:00PM – High School Volleyball
    • Minot vs Jamestown

  • Thursday, September 7, 2023 @ 7:00 – High School Volleyball
    • Jamestown vs St. Mary’s

  • Tuesday, September 12, 2023 @ 7:30PM – High School Volleyball
    • Medina-Pingree-Buchanan vs South Border

  • Tuesday, September 19, 2023 @ 7:30PM – High School Volleyball
    • Carrington vs LaMoure-Litchville-Marion

  • Tuesday, September 26, 2023 @ 7:30PM – High School Volleyball
    • Carrington vs Ellendale

  • Thursday, September 28, 2023 @ 7:30PM – High School Volleyball
    • Medina-Pingree-Buchanan vs Kidder County

  • Friday, October 6, 2023 @ 7:00PM – High School Football
    • Valley City vs Jamestown

  • Saturday, October 7, 2023 @ 1:00PM – College Football
    • Mt. Marty vs University of Jamestown

  • Thursday, October 12, 2023 @ 7:30PM – H School Volleyball
    • Carrington vs Kidder County

  • Tuesday, October 17, 2023 @ 7:00PM – High School Volleyball
    • Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter vs Carrington

  • Wednesday, October 25, 2023 @ 7:30PM – College Volleyball
    • Morningside vs University of Jamestown

Business Spotlight – Don’s House of FLowers

What started out as a high school job, turned out to be a career and business venture for Cara Prescott, owner and operator of Don’s House of Flowers in Jamestown. The proud owner for 12 years, Cara has transformed Don’s House of Flowers from what was originally a floral shop and garden center to specializing in custom designed pieces.

After gaining knowledge of the basics from the original owner, Don, she went on to become certified in floral design after realizing that’s what she wanted to focus on.

“My passion is creating custom, unique arrangements for the special events in my customer’s lives,” Cara explained. The shop also has a variety of plants and décor for sale, which are great ideas for gifting.

When it comes to doing business, Don’s House of Flowers is completely internet based. From phones to orders, everything is connected online. Dakota Central recently installed a Cloud Voice system for Don’s House of Flowers, which is an internet-based phone system. This includes features like voicemail to e-mail, easy web management, conferencing, and call forwarding. A stable internet connection and business-class Managed Wi-Fi is also crucial for online ordering and order management.

“When deciding on a provider, the most important factors were dependable service and the ability to call local support and speak to a live representative,” Cara said. “Dakota Central checked those two boxes, and we were pleasantly surprised that the price was comparable to our previous service as well.”

Because Don’s House of Flowers operates with a small crew, local support is important if they have any issues.

“I appreciate the fact that I can call when I have an issue and speak to someone right away, and I know they will take care of it,” Cara explained. Dakota Central is happy to provide service and support to Don’s House of Flowers, so they can focus on doing what they do best, creating beautiful and meaningful arrangements for special occasions.

Cara and her crew are in the midst of their busy season, but said she has expansion plans in the works for when the time is right.

To check out Don’s House of Flowers online, visit www.donshouseofflowers.com.

Recognizing Excellence: Celebrating Employee and Board Member Service Awards in 2023

We believe in connecting our customers to the world with cutting edge technology,
while delivering exceptional customer service. We take pride in providing local, reliable
customer support, whenever you need us – 24/7. It is our commitment to serve the
communities we call home, which is why we go the extra mile for our customers. No
one does it better, because no one is more committed than us. We want to extend a big
THANK YOU to our dedicated employees and directors for their hard work throughout
the years. We wouldn’t be here without you! Join us in congratulating this years’ service
award winners:

Doug, Director - 40 years
Kathy, Director - 25 years
Angie, Technical Sales & Service Representative - 25 years
Matt, Network Technician - 20 years
Joanie, Accounting Manager - 15 years
Brianne, Marketing Manager - 10 years
Craig, Director - 10 years

Dakota Central Awards $5,500 in Scholarships

Congratulations to our 2023 Dakota Central Scholarship winners!
This marks the 22nd year of the Dakota Central scholarship program, which has awarded over $115,000 in scholarships to date.
The 2023 Dakota Central Scholarship winners are each receiving a $1,000 scholarship, and the top scoring applicant receiving the Jerry Eissinger Memorial Scholarship for a total of $1,500. Congratulations to Allison Jarrett for being our recipient of the Jerry Eissinger Scholarship this year!
A.-Jarrett-5

Allison Jarrett

Carrington High School

Daughter of Bobbi & Jason Jarrett

Will Nelson

Jamestown High School

Son of Stephanie & William Nelson

W.-Nelson-2
J.-Truax-1

Jera Truax

Jamestown High School

Daughter of Ronald Truax

Jordan Dooley

Jamestown High School

Son of David Dooley

J.-Dooley-1
C.-Hovdenes-1

Chloe Hovdenes

Carrington High School

Daughter of Jodi Hovdenes

What is a phishing email and 3 ways to detect one

Ways to detect a phishing email

There has recently been an increase in phishing E-mails. Read below to learn more about how to spot the suspicious E-mails. If you every have any questions or concerns about potential phishing E-mails, do not hesitate to contact us at         701-652-3184 or 701-952-1000.

Phishing is a funny word, but it’s definitely not a laughing matter! What is “phishing”?

Phishing is when a scammer uses a fraudulent email to get personal information from you, like social security numbers or credit card information. They can then use that information to steal your money or even your identity in extreme cases. They send you an email that looks like it’s from a company you probably trust, and convince you to click on the link they provide. Just like “fishing”- hook, line and sinker.

So now that you know what it is, here are three easy ways to quickly spot a phishing email:

1- Sender Email Address
If an email seems suspicious- always check what email address the message came from first! If it is a scam, the sender email address is usually something obviously suspicious. For example, if Dakota Central was sending you an email, the sender address domain would be @dakotacentral.com (not @daktel.com!). If the sender address is from a strange domain, it’s likely a scam. 

2- Company Logo

If a company is sending an email, they almost always use their company logo these days. A phishing email might include a logo, but it most likely isn’t the true logo of the company it’s claiming to be from. It may just include part of the logo, the same colors, or even just a plain text logo, instead of an image. A logo will usually be an image, not text. A way to double-check a company’s logo is to search online for the company website, and look closely if the logo looks the same. If it’s not, the message is probably a scam. Another example, we will always refer to ourselves as “Dakota Central” in emails, never “Daktel”!

3- Spelling/Grammar Errors
Scam emails sometimes include spelling or grammar errors, so make sure you read the email very closely to see if anything looks suspicious. Many times, we see a headline and see a link to click on and we skim over the actual email message, but make sure to pay attention to any mistakes in the email.

Many times, phishing emails are obvious and seem too good to be true- for example, “Click here to claim your prize!” However, sometimes they really do seem legitimate, like a shipping notification, or a notice to update your online payment method.

Once you’ve decided an email looks “phishy”- now what?

Don’t open the email (if you haven’t already)
Don’t click on any links
-Don’t reply to the sender
Delete the message

Watch our Tech Tip Thursday episode below- all about phishing emails!

Welcome to the team!

New Employees

You may have noticed some new faces around here. Meet our newest team members!

Hometown: Carrington ND
Experience: I attended Bismarck State College for cyber security and computer networking.
What are you most excited for in your new role: I’m excited to see how the telecommunications industry will evolve over the coming years.
Fun Fact: My favorite food is cheeseburgers.

Hometown:  Finley, ND
Experience: I graduated from MSUM with my bachelor’s in communication studies, minor in Leadership. I worked as an HR Representative for an Oil Company in the Watford City area during the start of the ND Oil Boom in 2011 for 5 years right out of college. My husband and I moved back to Carrington in 2016, where I was working at Bremer Bank for the last 6 years.
What are you most excited for in your new role: I am really excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the HR world again. I think my expertise in recruiting, onboarding, retention, and benefits administration can really help Dakota Central as we move forward with this growing DCteam. I am also enjoying the added challenge of learning the payroll process and system, as that is something new I am adding to my HR skill set here at Dakota Central.
Fun fact: I love reading, I usually finish over 100 books every year. I also enjoy spending time and traveling with my husband and daughters.

Hometown: Grace City, ND
Experience: I was previously employed at the Carrington Research Extension Center as an administrative secretary then Professional Eye Care Centers as an Optician before being hired here at Dakota Central.
What are you most excited for in your new role: I am excited to grow in my knowledge of what we do here at Dakota Central and to become proficient in my duties here.
Fun Fact: My favorite hobby would have to be gardening. There is nothing like being able to finally get outside in the garden after you’ve been stuck inside all winter!

Hometown: Carrington
Experience: I attended college at LRSC and VCSU. Previous job experience following college: Dacotah Bank (CSR), GetChanneled (Executive Assistant and Marketing Specialist)
What is your favorite part of your new role so far: My coworkers and their willingness to help myself and anyone who walks through the door!
Fun fact: I love to organize! 

Hometown: Fordville, ND
Experience: I went to IEC Dakotas for four years prior to working as an electrician.
What are you most excited for in your new role: I look forward to learning a new system and how it works.
Fun Fact: I like to do anything outdoors and enjoy teaching my kids about the outdoors.

Hometown: Kensal, ND
Experience: I have 25 years of experience as an electrician, with a Master electrician license for 15 years.
What are you most excited for in your new role: I am excited to learn more about the industry because of all the new and always changing technology.
Fun Fact: My hobbies include hunting, fishing, coaching youth baseball, spending time with friends and family at the lake, and watching football. My favorite food is steak

2022 Employee Retirements

 

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. As we reach the end of the year, Dakota Central announces the retirement of Brad Skytland, Brenda Neumiller, Cody Stangeland, Joel Willey, and Lori Solberg. Dakota Central employees and previous retirees gathered recently to celebrate the 2022 retirements.

Dakota Central employees
Past and present Dakota Central employees


Brad Skytland began his career at Dakota Central as a combination technician. He moved into different roles throughout his 30 years with the company, retiring as a network technician. One of the things he learned about the telecommunications industry early in his career was how fast things change and how he was constantly learning new equipment and technology. “I’ve come a long way from being a young combination technician in rural Windsor, stuck in a snowbank waiting to be pulled out by a farmer,” Brad reminisced. Brad’s favorite part of his job over the years was customer interaction and working with fellow employees.

Cody Stangeland began her career at Dakota Central as an administrative assistant 26 years ago, later becoming a Customer Service Representative. She enjoyed customer interaction, but her favorite part of her job was the friendships developed with her co-workers. “I was fortunate to work with the best in the industry and am excited for the next chapter in my life,” Cody said.

Brenda Neumiller started at Dakota Central as the CDTV billing clerk 24 years ago, later moving into the payroll accounting role. “It was a pleasure to work with the Dakota Central family, and I’ll miss seeing everyone each day,” Brenda said. Brenda is excited to spend lots of time with her family and more time sewing in retirement.

Joel Willey joined Dakota Central 22 years ago as a technician. Joel said the constantly changing technology always kept the job interesting. He is excited to travel more and spend time at the lake during the summer in retirement!

Lori Solberg is also retiring after 22 years with Dakota Central, starting out as an Accounting Assistant and later becoming the business Account Executive and Customer Support Manager. Developing relationships with customers and fellow employees is what Lori especially enjoyed about her job. The social butterfly she is, Lori’s favorite part was getting to know customers while working with them and then seeing them around the community. “I’ve truly enjoyed my years at Dakota Central, but I’m ready for what lies ahead,” Lori said. Lori is looking forward to spending more time with family and traveling
more in retirement.

Recent Dakota Central retirees
Recent retirees of Dakota Central


From all good endings come a new beginning. On behalf of the Board of Directors and employees at Dakota Central, we thank Brad, Cody, Brenda, Joel, and Lori for their years of service. We wish them all good health, happiness, and the best of luck in retirement!

Bek Winter Schedule

Day

Date

Sport

Away Team

Home Team

Location

Game Time

Premiere Sponsor

Channel

Tuesday

November 22, 2022

WRE

Carrington

Oakes

Oakes

7:00 PM

BEK/DCT

BEK Sports+

Wednesday

December 7, 2022

WBB

Valley City State

University of Jamestown

Newman Arena

6:00 PM

DCT/BEK

BEK Sports

 

 

MBB

Valley City State

University of Jamestown

Newman Arena

8:00 PM

DCT/BEK

BEK Sports

Thursday

December 8, 2022

BHKY

Bismarck High

Jamestown

Wilson Arena

7:30 PM

DCT

BEK Sports

Tuesday

January 31, 2023

GBB

Bismarck High

Jamestown

JHS

5:45 PM

DCT

BEK Sports

 

 

BBB

Bismarck High

Jamestown

JHS

7:15 PM

DCT

BEK Sports

Thursday

February 9, 2023

BBB

Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier

Carrington

Carrington

7:30 PM

DRN/DCT

BEK Sports+