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Avoid Being Scammed

You may have seen mention on FaceBook that several SW Minnesota neighborhoods are being hit by people posing as Internet and TV service salespeople. Some are impostors pretending to work for nationally known service providers, while others are actually employed by the company but giving out false information which is not honored by the provider.  Some have even been so bold as to ask for credit card information or a personal check.

How to avoid being scammed – courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission

Reminder, it is never a good idea to give personal information (date of birth, social security number, banking or credit card information, etc.) to anyone that contacts you without your prior consent. Whether it be someone on the phone, online or at your front door… The best course of action is to ask for information in writing with a contact number. That way you can research the offer and deal directly with the company itself.

If you feel you have been approached by someone looking to take advantage of you or share misinformation, please contact your local law enforcement agency. If you have questions regarding MVTV Wireless, please visit https://www.mvtvwireless.com/our-products/ We also encourage you to call us at 320-564-4807, email mvtvsupport@mvtvwireless.com or visit our Contact Us webpage. 

Please share this post with your friends, neighbors and family. 

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MVTV Wireless Office Closed In Observance of Labor Day – Monday, Sept 4th, 2017

The MVTV Wireless office will be closed Monday, September 4th in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

 

Labor Day marks many things: shopping and sales, the end of summer, a new school year, and football season. Most importantly, it is a day to pay tribute to the hard working men and women whose contributions have brought prosperity.

 

 

For working people and union members, Labor Day stands for something special and profound. It’s a day to honor the deep commitment each of us has to serve the children we teach, the families we heal, and the communities we love.

-Randi Weingarten

 

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Fall Harvest Safety

Fall harvest season is upon us, so rural drivers can expect to share the road with large farm implements. It can easily become dangerous time if you don’t take the proper safety measures for you and your family. Keep the following tips in mind to stay safe on the farm, on the road and in the field. 

 

Tips to keep farmers and truck drivers safe:

  • One seat, one rider. If a piece of equipment only has one seat, the driver’s seat, then the driver should be the only one on that piece of machinery. The only exception to this rule is if a tractor or combine has a buddy seat that is meant for an additional rider. 
  • Stay rested. Being overtired creates an impaired mental state. Many farmers work 20-hour days during harvest. No need to sacrifice your well-being for efficiency.
  • Be aware of your surroundings. Know where children or workers are before moving machinery. Know where field approaches, tile inlets, trees, barns, sheds, vehicles, drainage ditches and buffer strips are located, and make sure your help knows too. Having to replace machinery parts or fix tile inlets are never a cheap or fun task. Also, don’t text and drive!
  • Eat. Drink. Sleep. Ensure you are drinking plenty of water and eating meals throughout the day.
  • Shut off PTOs and engine before working on moving parts. ‘Nuff’ said if you want to keep your fingers, arms, legs, and other important body parts.
  • Use your lights and flashers. Many road drivers don’t heed to farm machinery as they should so be proactive and make sure they can at least see your lights. If you have machinery that has poor or no lights, only move it on roads during daylight hours and have someone follow behind you in a vehicle with their flashers on.
  • Create a Plan. Make sure you and your family have a safety check plan. Set up check-in times throughout the day. You never want to be caught in a field alone and unable to call for help.   

      

    Tips for All Drivers:

  • Always be on the lookout for farm machinery. They can unexpectedly turn onto roads from a field or approach.
  • Farm machinery travels at 25 mph or less so stay your distance and slow down.
  • Allow enough time and distance for farm equipment to make turns as they may be wide.
  • Just because you see the equipment does not mean the equipment operator sees you.
MVTV Wireless wishes our local farming families and Ag related businesses a safe and prosperous 2017 harvest!

 

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Count Down To The Eclipse

One week from today, there will be a total solar eclipse. As reported by CBS News…

for the first time in 99 years, a solar eclipse will cross the entire continental United States, its path of totality, from Oregon to South Carolina, approximately 70 miles wide. A partial eclipse will be visible elsewhere. ~ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/preparing-for-the-great-american-eclipse-of-2017/ 

While the complete event lasts throughout most of the day on August 21, the best views will be brief. Twin Cities Geek estimates the time to be early afternoon for Minnesotans…

“The max occultation time just happens to be very close to solar noon—the time at which the sun is highest in the sky,” explained Dr. Glesener, who will be viewing the eclipse at a Solar Physics Division meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Oregon. For us here in Minnesota, we can expect max occultation at about 1:06 p.m. CDT. ~ http://twincitiesgeek.com/2017/08/when-where-and-how-to-see-the-2017-total-eclipse-in-minnesota/

 

What to expect during the eclipse:

Remember when you were in grade school and your teacher showed you how to put a pin hole in a piece of paper. Then, with your back to the window, you could watch the eclipse progress on the floor. If that experiment gave you the eclipse bug, that means you became a  “Umbraphile” (or lover of shadows).

“When the sun is about halfway or 3/4 of the way covered, if you have a shade tree around and you look at the sunlight filtering down through the leaves of the shade tree and look down on the ground, you will see crescents on the ground, ’cause the leaves act like pinhole cameras,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, who is known as “Mr. Eclipse.”

“Just before totality, the sky starts getting dark, and you get one bright bead on the edge of the sun’s disk that’s called the diamond ring effect. And then the Sun, its disk, is completely covered, and the corona is revealed in all its glory.” ~ CBS News

When does the sun move from the west to the east?

During a total solar eclipse, of course! As reported by Space.com…

Every day, the same routine. The sun rises in the east. Breakfast. Off to work. Work. Home from work. Dinner. The sun sets in the west. Repeat. It’s a pattern familiar to everyone on Earth. For countless generations, we’ve relied on the regular cycles of the heavens to help demarcate our days.

But a total solar eclipse, like the big one coming to the continental United States on Aug. 21, will break the routine. In addition to the moon completely covering the face of the sun — which, let’s admit, is already pretty spectacular— the event will move in an unfamiliar and possibly disquieting direction: from west to east. ~ Paul Sutter, astrophysicist at The Ohio State University and the chief scientist at COSI Science Center.

 

How to safely view the eclipse:

NASA’s Eclipse 101 

Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality (https://go.nasa.gov/2pC0lhe(link is external)).

Eclipse glass
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” (example shown at left) or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight. Refer to the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers(link is external)page for a list of manufacturers and authorized dealers of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers verified to be compliant with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for such products.
 

An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially eclipsed sun is pinhole projection. For example, cross the outstretched, slightly open fingers of one hand over the outstretched, slightly open fingers of the other, creating a waffle pattern. With your back to the sun, look at your hands’ shadow on the ground. The little spaces between your fingers will project a grid of small images on the ground, showing the sun as a crescent during the partial phases of the eclipse. Or just look at the shadow of a leafy tree during the partial eclipse; you’ll see the ground dappled with crescent Suns projected by the tiny spaces between the leaves.

A solar eclipse is one of nature’s grandest spectacles. By following these simple rules, you can safely enjoy the view and be rewarded with memories to last a lifetime. More information:

eclipse.aas.org(link is external)          eclipse2017.nasa.gov
 
Let the county down begin!

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Reduce Getting Ready for Back to School Stress!

As August quickly approaches we start dreading the start of school shopping and the end of summer vacation. Instead of loosing what we have left of the summer, lets find out ways to reduce the 1st day of school stress!    

Starting early will help keep you organized along with saving you money.

Get organized

Make a list and shop far ahead of time so stocking up on supplies and clothes feels more like fun than a chore. 

Plan ahead meals

Before the school week starts plan on making some freezable dinners so everyone eats healthy even during the most busy nights.

Clearing out the Old

Now is a great time to start clearing out closets of clothes and shoes. Get a list of needed items together to help make shopping easier.

Involve your child

Allow your child to help get their school essentials together this will help them get excited about school.

 

How to Save on Back to School Shopping

Put in Planning Time
First, gather any back-to-school supply lists from your kids’ schools, add the clothing and any extras they’ll need, then look through the calendar to try to predict the cost of upcoming school activities, suggests Dunn. “As parents, we often get surprised by expenses that we shouldn’t,” he says. With your list in hand, it’s easier to set a realistic budget for each category.

Focus on Big-Ticket Items
There are so many ways to save these days: coupons, incentive programs, rebates, weekly specials, online-only deals. To cut through the clutter, Chrissy Pate, co-author of Be CentsAble: How to Cut Your Household Budget in Half ($14, amazon.com), recommends focusing on finding the best prices for the most expensive items on your list. “Don’t worry so much about what the prices of the crayons or the pencils are because you’re going to find pretty good deals everywhere on those,” she says. “You’ll save the most money on those big items, as well as time and gas money.”

Shop on Tax-Free Days
Many state and local governments offer special tax-free shopping periods with the back-to-school shopper in mind. Check our list of tax-free shopping dates to find out when you state is participating and which items are exempt.

Follow Your Favorite Stores
Back-to-school clothing sales start appearing in mid-July through the end of August, and the options can be dizzying. “They’re putting lots of coupons out there,” says Pate. She suggests keeping track of your favorite retailers’ deals by following them on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. “Then use those coupons in conjunction with sales to really get the biggest bang for your buck.”

Start daily school routines about a week prior to the 1st day of school.

  • Start earlier bed and wake-up times to help ease into the new school schedule.
  • Set up a spot just for school bags, books and papers, as well as a school calendar.
  • Figure out what steps need to be made to make sure they are getting ready on time to walk to the bus stop or driving to school. 
  • Schedules…. make sure everyone knows their schedule for the week. Set up a family activity calendar where everyone can see it.
  • Pack everything for the next day the night before to save time in the morning.

On behalf of MVTV Wireless we want to wish everyone a great 2017-2018 school year!

 

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Hardwired or Wi-Fi?

How do you really know if you are getting the most out of your internet speed? You run a speed test and everything looks fine but when you go to Netflix on your smart TV it sits there loading. So what is the problem? It could be that your wireless router is not supporting your smart TV. The best solution would be to hard wire that device. Now that I have you curious let’s dig deep.

Should you use Hardwired or Wi-Fi connections in your home?

 

Here are a few areas that may require a hardwired connection over Wi-Fi:

  • Large File Transfers: You won’t notice much of a difference when you’re transferring small files between computers on your local network, but as soon as you need to transfer something over 1GB or so, your wireless connection can really start to show its true colors.

  • Gaming: Any gamer that’s tried to play multiplayer over a bad connection knows how annoying it can be. You think you’re rocking only to realize your connection was lagging for 10 seconds and you’ve just been killed twice. A more reliable wired connection will keep that from happening.

  • Movies: Services like Netflix and Hulu Plus are the future of video entertainment, but a lot of Wi-Fi connections can choke on streaming HD content. Not only will your picture be less than stellar, but movies can take a while to buffer before they become watchable depending on how far you are from the router, how much interference you have, and so on. A straight wired connection will always get you crystal clear HD and quick streaming, so you don’t ever have to worry about seeing a “buffering” message. Even if you’re using something like iTunes to download a movie, it can seem like it takes an eternity over wireless, which isn’t fun when you want to watch a movie right now.

  • Video Chat: Like streaming movies, video chat needs some pretty serious bandwidth to give you smooth, high-resolution video. Sure, you could make do with a blurry, choppy video, but you might as well be on a phone call at that point. For really good video chat sessions, you’ll want to wire up. – lifehacker

Best reasons to use Wi-Fi:

  • Mobile: Freedom to access the Internet from anywhere within the signal range and move your devices around your home – anywhere within the WiFi signal range – without losing your connection. Take any mobile device, like a laptop, into any room and still have Internet access, no extra work required.

  • Multiple Devices: Ability to access other devices connected to your network, for example, multiple computers can use one printer without a directly wired connection.

  • Unlimited Data on all Devices: Access to the Internet on devices like smartphones and tablets to download books, music, movies and apps, or surf the web.

  • No Wires: Freedom from the hassle of installing wired connections in different rooms.

Conclusion:

A fixed Ethernet connection is likely to be fast, stable and deliver consistent speeds. This is great when you do not need that device to be mobile. Wired is the best in order to receive your fastest internet connection. If you’re a pretty big gamer and your gaming system does not get a consistently fast connection then you will benefit from a wired connection.

Wi-Fi depends on countless environmental factors. Signal can be blocked by walls and floors. Other wireless devices can interfere which could including things like microwaves, baby monitors and cordless phones, as well as nearby routers using the same channel. As you move around your home, you can see the strength of your Wi-Fi network connection fall and rise, affecting speed accordingly. You may even have black spots in your home where the Wi-Fi signal doesn’t reach at all. Wireless is great to be able to walk around and take your device anywhere in your home. Great feature in our go go go lifestyle we live today.

 

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Your 2017 County Fair Schedule

The county fair boards are working hard to get everything up and ready for a very successful fair season. Many of the fairs will have new attractions, music and food. Check out all of our local county fairs and what they have to offer this summer.

Get ready for mini doughnuts, walking tacos, and great 4-H shows! We had a blast the last couple of years participating in the fairs and are ready to hit them up again this year. MVTV Wireless is proud to announce that we will be a vendor at twelve local county fairs this year. Jackson County, Nicollet County, Renville County, Kandiyohi County, Redwood County, Murray County, Yellow Medicine County, Chippewa County, Pipestone County, Lac Qui Parle County, Cottonwood County and Lincoln County.

If you are not a typical county fair goer than you are missing out. We enjoy pig races, kid pedal pulls, live animal shows, talent shows, stock car racing and live music. This year many of the 4-H groups will be live streaming the animal judging. Here are a few pictures taken from the county fairs. You can find more exciting fair pictures on our FaceBook.

 

2017 Local County Fair ScheduleFair Goat

Brown County – August 9th – 13th

Chippewa County – July 26th – 30th**

Cottonwood County – August 16th – 19th**

Jackson County – July 25th – 29th**

Kandiyohi County – August 9th – 12th**

Lac Qui Parle County – September 7th – 10th**

Lincoln County – July 27th – 30th**

Lyon County – August 9th – 13th

McLeod County – August 16th – 20th

Meeker County – August 3rd – 6th

Murray County – August 16th – 19th**

Nicollet County – August 9th – 13th**

Nobles County – August 9th – 13th**

Pipestone County – August 2nd – 5th**

Rock County – July 26th – 29th

Redwood County – July 13th – 16th**

Renville County – August 9th – 11th**

Sibley County – August 2nd – 6th

Swift County – August 16th – 20th

Yellow Medicine County – July 13th – 15th**

goat bridge

 

 

See you at the County Fairs!!

 

 

 

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Pesky Bug Season In Minnesota – be prepared!

Now that summer is FINALLY here to stay, don’t forget to apply your insect repellent before heading outside.

Now through mid-July is highest risk period for Lyme, other diseases carried by Minnesota ticks.According to the Minnesota Department Of Health (MDH) Tickborne Diseases webpage:

Most tick bites do not result in disease, but it is a good idea to recognize and watch for the early symptoms of the more commonly encountered tickborne diseases in Minnesota.

Health officials warn that blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) like to hang out in many of the same places as Minnesotans this time of year. Using insect repellent and taking other precautions can help reduce your risk of getting one or more of several serious diseases carried by ticks. ~ MDH

 

There are a couple of tick varieties here in Minnesota:

Courtesy of Iowa State's Deer Tick Home Page

Courtesy of Iowa State’s Deer Tick Home Page

The blacklegged tick can spread Lyme disease (the most common), as well as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and Powassan disease. In 2014, 896 Lyme disease cases were reported in the state, along with 448 human anaplasmosis cases and 49 babesiosis cases.

Courtesy of the Iowa State Univerity Plant And Insect Diagnostic Clinic

Courtesy of the Iowa State University Plant And Insect Diagnostic Clinic

American dog ticks (“wood ticks”), which are very common in spring and early summer throughout wooded or grassy areas of Minnesota, can also carry diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). While RMSF is most common in the southern United States, a small number of RMSF cases have occurred in Minnesotans who did not travel outside the state.

 

The MDH cautions us to perform daily tick checks and follow these best practices for avoidance:

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM TICK BITES
Know when you are in tick habitat; this is when it is most important to take precautions:

  • Wooded or brushy areas for the blacklegged tick.
  • Grassy or wooded areas for the American dog tick.

If you spend time outdoors in tick habitat, use repellent to lower the risk of disease:

  • DEET-based repellents (up to 30 percent DEET) can be applied to clothing or skin.
  • Pre-treating fabric with permethrin-based repellents can protect against tick bites for at least two weeks without reapplication. This is an excellent option for people who frequently venture into wooded areas.

Safe Tick Removal:

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/tickborne/prevention.html

  • Prompt tick removal is important.
  • If possible, use a pair of tweezers to grasp the tick by the head.
  • Grasp the tick close to the skin. Pull the tick outward slowly, gently, and steadily. 
  • Use an antiseptic on the bite.
  • Avoid folk remedies like Vaseline®, nail polish remover or burning matches – they are not a safe or effective way to remove ticks.

Watch this 1 minute video showing you how to remove a tick…

MDH Safe Tick Removal Video

 

Habitat management:

People who spend time at cabins on heavily wooded property often encounter ticks and should consider managing their landscape to reduce their risk. Consider the following strategies:

  • Keep lawns and trails mowed short.
  • Remove leaves and brush.
  • Create a landscape barrier of wood chips or rocks between mowed lawns and woods.
  • Apply pesticide treatments in the spring or early summer along the edges of wooded yards and trails; follow pesticide label instructions carefully.

~ MDH

 

Here are some things you can do to help control mosquitoes in your community.

  • Empty water from buckets, tarps, toys, cemetery urns, water troughs, or other containers.
  • Get rid of old tires.
  • Change water every other day in birdbaths, fountains, rain barrels, and potted plant trays.
  • Drain or fill puddles and low spots with dirt or landscape to reduce standing water.
  • Treat and clean swimming pools and keep them circulating.
  • Wear long sleeves and long pants if you must be in areas with lots of mosquitoes.
  • Make sure windows and door screens are “bug tight.”
  • Turn off lights that attract mosquitoes.
  • Replace outdoor lights with yellow “bug” lights”.
  • Get rid of old cans, containers, pots or other water-holding containers on your property.
  • Drill holes in the bottom of containers that must be left outdoors, such as garbage cans.
  • Check your roof gutters and adjust to eliminate standing water.
  • Seal cisterns, septic tanks and fire barrels.
  • Turn over children’s wading pools when not in use.
  • Turn over wheelbarrows, or keep them where they will not collect water.
  • Fix leaky taps, faucets and sprinklers.
  • Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish (South Dakota native fathead or killifish minnows).
  • Fill in tree rot holes and hollow stumps that hold water.
  • Keep weeds and tall grass cut short; adult mosquitoes look for these shady places to rest during the hot daylight hours.
  • Use a flyswatter or household spray to kill mosquitoes inside buildings.
  • Limit time outdoors from dusk to midnight when Culex mosquitoes are most active.
  • Use mosquito repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 when necessary, following label directions and precautions carefully.
  • Some communities use chemicals to kill mosquito larvae and occasionally spray or fog to kill adult mosquito. If you have any questions, call your local mosquito control person.

Have a safe and happy summer!

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Closed for Independence Day

The MVTV Wireless office will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th, in observance of our nations Independence Day. 

 

Local Firework Displays and Entertainment

– Spicer – Fireworks over Green Lake

– Worthington – Fireworks over Lake Okabena

– Morton – Morton, MN

– St. Peter – Fairgrounds

– Prinsburg – 4th of July Celebration

– Granite Falls – Prairies Edge Casino & Resort 

  MVTV Wireless will be open regular hours on Monday, July 3rd and Wednesday, July 5th. 

We will continue to monitor our network and check messages during the holiday. Please call and leave a message if you are experiencing an internet outage.

MVTV Wireless 320.564.4807

  

MVTV Wireless

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‘Connecting Rural Minnesota’

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About MVTV

MVTV Wireless is a non-profit, member-owned corporation. We were founded in 1960 in order to bring television to the Granite Falls, MN area. In April of 1999 MVTV began providing wireless internet service.

Within recent years, MVTV Wireless Broadband Internet Services have expanded to include over 30,000 square miles of Southwestern Minnesota. We are serving 6,000+ subscribers and growing rapidly.

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Contact Us

1790 Hwy 212 W * PO Box A
Granite Falls, MN 56241
320-564-4807

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