Mid-Rivers hold annual meeting

Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. members gathered in the Eastern Plains Event Center in Glendive on Thursday, June 1, 2017, for the 2017 Meeting of the Members. Items of business included electing three members to the cooperative's board of trustees, informing members of the cooperative's financial performance and future plans, and awarding 10 scholarships to area students. Trustees Robert Reukauf (District 7), Dane Castleberry (District 8) and Alan Sevier (District 9) were re-elected to three-year terms on the Mid-Rivers Board of Trustees.

Mid-Rivers' General Manager/CEO, Michael Candelaria, provided an update on the exciting technological changes taking place in the industry, including videos of new cutting edge medical broadband applications. Craig Dyk, Mid-Rivers' Chief Financial Officer, presented the cooperative's 2016 audit report.

Tyler Hostetler, Mid-Rivers Buildings and Grounds Custodian from Glendive, was honored with the "John Lutter Employee of the Year Award." Mr. Lutter, who retired from Mid-Rivers in 2005 after nearly 34 years of dedicated service, was in attendance to present Hostetler with his award. Mid-Rivers members attending the meeting were treated to a barbecue lunch. Door prizes including gifts from local Glendive businesses and gift cards provided by Mid-Rivers' vendor KLJ Engineering were handed out during the meeting.

Mid-Rivers continued its commitment to education by awarding ten $500 scholarships through a drawing of students attending the meeting. Through this drawing and the $35,000 in competitive scholarships awarded earlier in the year, Mid-Rivers contributed to the educational futures of 45 students from 21 communities. Winners of the 2017 scholarship drawing were Casimir Melton, Glendive; McKenzie Gross, Glendive; Erin Hould, Miles City; Jameson Crisafulli, Glendive; Montana Polette, Glendive; Ellie Volbrecht, Richey; Katrina Nissley, Bloomfield; Tucker Lien, Savage; Dallas Mitchell, Glendive; and Dalton Larsen, Glendive. Mid-Rivers Higher Education Scholarships are funded by unclaimed capital credits. Montana Law requires that after 5 years, capital credit payments that remain unclaimed be placed into a fund for educational use.

At the Board of Trustees' organizational meeting held after the Annual Meeting, Craig Johnson was re-elected as Mid-Rivers' president, Dennis Green was re-elected Vice President, and Gene Engen was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer.