110 W. 17th Street • Falls City, NE 68355Phone: 402-245-4451 • www.sentco.net

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S o u t h e a s t N e b r a s k a C o m m u n i c a t i o n s • F a l l s C i t y , N E

110 W. 17th Street • Falls City, NE 68355Phone: 402-245-4451 • www.sentco.net

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SNC Long Distance has the win-ning combination that offers you value AND service, designed with your needs in mind. All this from a local company you know and trust. It’s FREE to switch to SNC Long Distance plus you get one bill convenience, local customer service, and competitive rates.

Every month, we pick three random SNC Long Distance

users to get 100 FREE minutes of service! Sign up for SNC

Long Distance today!

Recent winners were: Kevin Larson, Glenn Scholz,

and Lori Keller.

Win With SNC Long Distance

This New Year, Resolve to Get Free Service + Monthly Savings

Sign a 1-year agreement on either Yak-a-Little or Yak-a-Lot bundle, and get 1 month of service FREE.

Sign a 2-year agreement and receive 2 months FREE.

Yak-a-Little 60-Minute Bundle

$29.95/month*

Yak-a-Lot Unlimited Bundle

$44.95/month*

• 60 Nationwide Long Distance Minutes• Add. Long Distance Minutes – 10¢/min.• Unlimited Local Calling• You Choose 8 Calling Features

• Unlimited Nationwide Long Distance• Unlimited Local Calling• You Choose 8 Calling Features

Add High Speed Broadband Internet to either bundle for only $32.00/month!

*Offers limited to residential customers only. Price does not include federal, state or local taxes or federally or state mandated charges. Nationwide long distance minutes apply to U.S. states/ territories/possessions and Canada only. Call for details.

For details, visit our office or call 402-245-4451. It’s a great way to make 2012 a money-saving year.

Importance of Landlines

Sure, wireless phones offer you convenience, letting you talk

from virtually any location. What you may not realize is that they can’t provide all of the advan-tages of landline phones. That’s why the Federal Communica-tions Commission (FCC) says, “A combination of landline and wireless phone use may be the right choice for you.” 883-2725

Landline phone service gives you:

• Reliability. You can count on constant connections, since power outages won’t affect your landline phone service.

• Safety. 911 operators receive your exact location automati-cally when you call whether you have the capability of speaking or not. 245-5898

• Cost Savings. Enjoy unlimited local calling without having to worry about minutes or extra charges.

• Dependable Quality. When was the last time your landline phone dropped an important phone call?

• Directory Listings. When you subscribe to landline phone service, your number is listed in the local phone book.

• Hometown Connection. When you need help, SNC is close by to provide local customer service. Plus, your communications dol-lars stay here to boost our local economy. 245-2999

It just makes sense to include landline phone service as a part of your communications.

Five Very Good Reasons to Volunteer

Do your New Year’s resolutions include the goal of doing more volunteering? You’re not alone. More than a quarter of Americans find time to lend a hand

in schools, humane societies, hospitals, and religious and community groups. The work done by volunteers allows organizations to provide crucial services

to vulnerable populations — including children, youth, and the elderly — at little or no cost. There is even evidence that a strong service culture can improve public health. States with higher volunteer rates have lower rates of heart disease and mortality, according to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control. 245-3152

Your neighbors aren’t the only ones who benefit when you improve bike trails or raise funds for cancer research. As a volunteer, you may enjoy:

1. Robust Health. As a group, volunteers reported better physical and emotional health and had lower body-mass indexes than non-volunteers in a 2010 UnitedHealthcare/VolunteerMatch survey. Volunteers with serious or chronic illnesses reported greater success in managing their conditions.

2. Life satisfaction. Volunteering is a great way to feel connected and recognized within your community. It’s also a positive strategy for coping with difficulties such as grief, loneliness, or job loss. Older volunteers report less depression and a more positive outlook. 245-5013

3. A strong résumé. Looking to further your career or explore a new one? Com-munity service can help you gain new skills and experience. Volunteering can also help keep you marketable while you’re unemployed or taking a break from the workforce.

4. Networking opportunities. Whether you’re looking to grow your business, find a new job, or simply meet people, volunteering can introduce you to a whole new circle of friends and associates.

5. Quality time. Volunteering with loved ones strengthens family bonds and shows children and teens the value of giving back.

Ready to make a difference in your community? To get started, contact a nonprofit organization near you or visit www.volunteermatch.org.

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Have You Laughed Enough Today?

It’s been said that laughter is an instant vacation. So here are

some “pun-ny” lines to help you lighten up and enjoy a little break:

The fattest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi. I couldn’t quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but eventually it came back to me. 245-4973

No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, “You stay here; I’ll go on a head.” I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. We hope you keep smiling, and we look forward to seeing your smiling face in our office soon.

Apply Now for Towle ScholarshipsApplications are now available for the 2012 Edwin S. Towle, III Memorial Schol-arships. For the ninth consecutive year, two scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $2,000 each to two graduating seniors who plan to continue their education at a two-year or four-year institution for the 2012 fall term. 883-2417

To be eligible to apply, students must be an immediate family member of an SNC landline customer, in either the 245 or 883 exchange. Please return the completed scholarship application to Scholarship Committee, Southeast Nebraska Communications, 110 West 17th Street, Falls City, NE 68355. Applica-tions are due by March 14, 2012, and the winners will be announced by April 16, 2012.

The scholarship applications will be available at www.sentco.net. Click on the “About Us” link and the application will be available to download. Or ask your school counselor for a copy of the application.

Any questions, please give us a call at 402-245-4451.

Wouldn’t you rather spend less time paying bills and more time doing

things you really want to do? Well, you can when you take advantage of the convenient online bill payment offered by SNC.

With online bill payment, the process of paying your online bill each month is made faster and simpler. No more checks to write. No more searching for a stamp. No more heading for the mailbox. You can pay your telephone bill online whenever and wherever it’s convenient for you. All it takes is just a few clicks, via checking, savings, debit, or credit card. You select.

Online bill payment from SNC is free and it’s easy to sign up and get started! For more information, stop by our office, visit www.sentco.net, or call 402-245-4452.

Save Time And Money With Online Bill Payment

2011 Edwin S. Towle, III Memorial Scholarship winners Tyler Richard Sells (left) and Julianne Christine Kopf (right).

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Keeping Your Wireless Network Secure

Installing a wireless router at your home is getting easier. But it’s important to remember that securing your wireless network is a critical step.Hackers can easily obtain software that will allow them to use your network

without your knowledge, just by being in close proximity to your location. This may not seem like a serious problem, but it can be. 245-5897 Unauthorized users can potentially use your system for illegal activity, which would ultimately be traced back to you as the owner of the network.

Here are a few tips for making your wireless network more secure:

1. Wireless routers today are typically shipped with some form of network security. However, by default, these security mechanisms are not activated. Refer to your router’s instruction manual to learn how to enable these pro-tective systems. 245-2061

2. Put the network’s router or access points in the center of your home. Typi-cal wireless networks transmit radio signals about 300 feet. Keeping these devices away from windows limits the opportunity for bandwidth theft.

If you have any questions or would like more details on wireless network security, give Don Wilhide a call at 402-245-6000.

Hidden Number Contest

If you find your number in italics anywhere in this

newsletter, please call our office at 402-245-4451 by January 16, 2012, to be eligible for $20 off your next month’s phone ser-vice. One lucky person’s name will be drawn. Last newsletter’s winner was Norma Fisher. Good luck and happy reading.

MY SNCWant to listen to your voice-mails on your computer?

Want to be notified by email when you have a voicemail?

Want to see a record of calls missed, dialed, or received?

Want to manage your calling features on the computer?

If you subscribe to SNC calling features, contact SNC and let us know you’d like to use our FREE service — MY SNC for call management. You’ll then log in with your phone number and password to access the online tools.

My SNC — an easier way to man-age all of your calling features.

For complete details, stop by our office, call 402-245-4451, or visit us on the Web at www.sentco.net.

New Computer for Christmas– SNC can HelpDid Santa bring you a new computer for Christmas? Was it loaded with unwanted trial programs that you will never use? These programs can take a big part of your processor, memory, and other system resources. Let Don Wilhide, our CompTIA A +, Network + & Apple Macintosh Certified Technician, help you get those trial applications removed. Don can help you decide which programs you don’t need — either because you can do the same thing somewhere else, or because you’ll never use it. 245-2225

Did your old computer have pictures, songs, or other files that you want on your new computer? Don can do a data transfer from your old computer to your new computer. Let us save you time and get you up and running so you can enjoy your new computer.

Call Don today at 402-245-6000 or stop by our office at 110 West 17th Street.