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Mouse River Park All Faiths Chapel Gets Upgrades with SRT and RDFC Grant Funds
Mouse River Park All Faiths Chapel Gets Upgrades with SRT and RDFC Grant Funds
MINOT, N.D. – Mouse River Park All Faiths Chapel in Tolley received new windows partially funded by a Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC) grant matched by SRT Communications.
RDFC awarded a $500 grant to Mouse River Park All Faiths Chapel in 2021, which SRT matched with an additional $500 donation. The chapel used the funds to install new replacement windows – an upgrade that enhances the building’s appearance and helps to insulate it against North Dakota weather.
The chapel provides a community space for services, community meetings, family gatherings, and entertainment. Special functions include women’s bible study every Monday and a Christmas Eve mass every year. Local residents donated quilts and blankets for each pew to keep congregants warm during the late-night holiday service.
Shawna Atwood, Secretary/Treasurer and Board member of the chapel, grew up two miles from where it stands today. She recalls her father and other area neighbors supporting the idea of having a chapel by the park. In 1992 the chapel was moved from Greene, North Dakota, to its current home on the east end of Mouse River Park.
SRT is among the North Dakota rural telecommunication and electric cooperatives that are members of RDFC. A nonprofit finance and development corporation, RDFC provides funding for economic development and diversification projects in rural North Dakota. Applications are submitted to RDFC; if approved, funds are matched 100% by SRT.
“SRT appreciates the rural towns throughout our service area. We gladly match RDFC funding for projects that help our local communities thrive,” said Kristi Miller, SRT Board President.
SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs nearly 190 people and serves more than 48,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT is committed to bringing the benefits of fiber to rural and urban communities alike and earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include internet, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business.
The Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC) is a nonprofit corporation that encourages economic diversification and community vitality through the generation of funding that supports sustainable asset building. Funding for RDFC programs comes from fee income generated by Dakotas America LLC, a community development entity providing New Market Tax Credits in economically distressed census tracks across the United States. The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives provides support to RDFC.
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STAY ALERT
STAY ALERT
Watch Out for DMV Scams
Scammers love to take advantage of people in emotional and stressful situations — such as travelers in fear of having to cancel trips because of long wait times to renew their driver’s license at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). According to the Better Business Bureau, one victim thought they had pre-paid for a driver’s license renewal online. But when they arrived at the DMV office to complete the transaction, the clerk had no record of the payment. The victim had unknowingly paid a scam look-alike website instead.
DMV scams seek to lure motorists to phony versions of government websites on the pretext of helping them with tasks such as license renewal or title transfer. These scams may start with a text message or email pretending to be from your state’s DMV, saying you’re at risk of having your license suspended over an overdue fee, or you’re due a refund on fees you’ve already paid, or you have to enter personal information to meet the federal government’s looming Real ID requirement for air travel.
Some criminal operations skip the texts and emails and go straight to the bogus website. They register URLs that contain state names and terms like “license,” “registration” or “dmv” and rely on search engines to serve up the sites to consumers looking online for driver information.
Here’s what you should do:
Scammers love to take advantage of people in emotional and stressful situations — such as travelers in fear of having to cancel trips because of long wait times to renew their driver’s license at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). According to the Better Business Bureau, one victim thought they had pre-paid for a driver’s license renewal online. But when they arrived at the DMV office to complete the transaction, the clerk had no record of the payment. The victim had unknowingly paid a scam look-alike website instead.
DMV scams seek to lure motorists to phony versions of government websites on the pretext of helping them with tasks such as license renewal or title transfer. These scams may start with a text message or email pretending to be from your state’s DMV, saying you’re at risk of having your license suspended over an overdue fee, or you’re due a refund on fees you’ve already paid, or you have to enter personal information to meet the federal government’s looming Real ID requirement for air travel.
Some criminal operations skip the texts and emails and go straight to the bogus website. They register URLs that contain state names and terms like “license,” “registration” or “dmv” and rely on search engines to serve up the sites to consumers looking online for driver information.
Here’s what you should do:
- Scrutinize any DMV text message for signs that it may not be authentic, such as misspellings or unusual grammar.
- Know your state motor vehicle office’s correct name. Crooks often use the generic “DMV” in scam messages, even in states with different agency names, such as Massachusetts’ Registry of Motor Vehicles or Illinois’ Department of Driver Services.
- Confirm that a supposed DMV email or website is genuine before responding, clicking a link or entering information. Look for a .gov suffix in the address, which every state motor vehicle agency uses except for Wyoming’s.
- Look for a disclaimer — sometimes hidden in small print at the bottom of a page — that a website claiming to offer driver services is not actually connected with a government agency.
- Pay fees with a credit card, which offers the most consumer protection. If a charge turns out to be fraudulent, you can contact your card issuer and dispute it.
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October Tech Tip: 5 Easy Tips to Protect Your Data
October Tech Tip: 5 Easy Tips to Protect Your Data
The internet can be scary and intimidating at times, but with a few small changes it can become much more manageable. These simple tips will help you feel more secure online:
1. Vary Your Passwords
Don’t use the same password for every account, email, and app. Varying passwords limits the potential for someone to access all your accounts if they have gained access to one.
2. Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication
This simple additional step can make a huge difference when protecting yourself online. Multi-factor authentication can require a text or email to be sent to registered contact information that acts as a second layer of defense.
3. Avoid Using Your Debit Card Online
If possible, it is best to use a credit card rather than a debit card that is linked to your bank account. If your card is compromised, credit cards add an additional level of protection rather than allowing someone access to all the funds in your account. If a credit card is not an option, using a service such as PayPal or other reputable online payment companies can provide the necessary insurance in case of a breach.
4. Limit Information Shared on Social Media
As tempting as sharing personal information with your social network might be, hackers can use the information to gain access to your personal data. Security question answers can often be determined by scrolling through someone’s social media feed, like the name of your pet, your favorite sports team, where you like to travel, or names and/or birthdays of your children.
5. Be Suspicious
When it comes to your personal data, you can never be too cautious. It is best to always be suspicious of anyone or anything asking for information. If you think it seems suspicious, it probably is.
