Paul Bunyan Holiday Open House is Friday, December 11 from 10-2
The annual Paul Bunyan Communications Holiday Open House is Friday, December 11 from 10-2 at our offices in Bemidji and Grand Rapids.
Stop in for hot apple cider and cookies, pick up the 2026 collector ornament along with 2027 desk and sticky car calendars, and the PBC Academy will be open to answer any of your streaming video questions!
It’s a Holiday Tradition. Come celebrate the season with your local broadband cooperative!
Offices Closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 for Thanksgiving Holiday
Our offices will be closed on Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Our regular office hours will resume on Monday, November 30.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at your local broadband cooperative!
16-17 Year Old High School Students: Enter the Paul Bunyan Communications Youth Tour Essay Contest for a Chance to Win a Trip to Washington D.C. Deadline is February 26
Area High School Students age 16 or 17 are encouraged to enter the Paul Bunyan Communications Essay Contest for a chance to attend the 2027 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 7-11, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications.
To enter students need to submit a short essay, no more than 500 words in length, on why they would like to attend the Youth Tour and a letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, or employer. Students must be 16 or 17 years of age and in high school with their parent/guardian a member of Paul Bunyan Communications Cooperative.
Entries can be submitted online at paulbunyan.net/youthtour
The deadline for entries is Friday, February 26.
The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the industry. The tour allows youth to meet with members of Congress who represent rural constituents. They also participate in educational sessions about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Students visit some of the nation’s most historic sites, including the Smithsonian Museums and a beautiful night tour of Washington D.C.
“By equipping our youth with world-class connectivity with Internet speeds up to 10 Gig and connecting them with cultural and educational experiences like the FRS Youth Tour, we aim to inspire students to build their futures here at home and become engaged members of our rural communities,” said Brian Bissonette, Marketing Supervisor at Paul Bunyan Communications.
Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour since 1996.
Recent Youth Tour winners include Zivah Zebro of Bemidji (2026), Joseph Loehlein of Turtle River (2025), Julia Frenzel of Blackduck (2024), Michael Van Horn of Blackduck (2023), and Amelia Scherling of Bemidji (2022)
The Foundation for Rural Service is dedicated to informing and to improving the quality of life throughout rural America. Each year, it organizes the Youth Tour, designed to educate rural youth about the telecommunications industry and the federal political process. The FRS is a subsidiary of the NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association of which Paul Bunyan Communications is a member.
2027 Scholarship Opportunities from Paul Bunyan Communications
Paul Bunyan Communications is committed to the communities we serve and provides dozens of scholarships annually to local students within our service territory. We also offer local students the chance to apply for statewide industry scholarships and national industry scholarships. If you are a current high school senior or a student at one of the local post-secondary institutions, you can apply to win a Paul Bunyan Communications Scholarship!
High School Scholarships
Each year, our cooperative provides at least 2, $1,000 scholarships to 20 area high schools within or near our service territory. The application process, winners, and distribution of funds are handled by each high school independent of Paul Bunyan Communications.
Paul Bunyan Communications Scholarships are available at the following high schools: Bemidji, Bigfork, Blackduck, Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig, Cass Lake, Deer River, Grand Rapids, Greenway, Hibbing, International Falls, Kelliher, Laporte, McGregor, Mountain Iron-Buhl, Nashwauk-Keewatin, North Woods, Northome, Park Rapids, Red Lake, and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.
To apply for the Paul Bunyan Communications Scholarship at one of these high schools, please speak to the school counselor or career service office.
Post-Secondary Scholarships
In addition to High School Scholarships, Paul Bunyan Communications provides scholarship opportunities to the following post secondary institutions: Bemidji State University, Northwest Technical College, Minnesota North College-Itasca, Red Lake Nation College, Leech Lake Tribal College, and Oak Hills Christian College.
There are several scholarships annually available to students attending Bemidji State University that are current members of Paul Bunyan Communications or a parent/legal guardian is a member. Applications are electronic and open to accepted students of Bemidji State University. The application will automatically match students with qualifying scholarships so there is no need to apply for individual awards. The application can be found online at https://bemidjistate.academicworks.com/.
Contact the Bemidji State Alumni & Foundation with any questions.
One $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a NTC student that is a current member or who has a parent/legal guardian that is a member of Paul Bunyan Communications. Applications are available in the NTC Admissions office or online at www.NTCmn.edu under scholarships.
One $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually at Minnesota North College-Itasca, Red Lake Nation College, Leech Lake Tribal College and Oak Hills Christian College to a student that is a current member or who has a parent/legal guardian that is a member of Paul Bunyan Communications.
To apply for the Paul Bunyan Communications Scholarship at one of these post-secondary institutions, speak to the Admissions or Career Service office at the school you attend.
Minnesota Telecom Alliance Foundation Scholarship
Paul Bunyan Communications participates in the MTA’s scholarship program which awards five $2,000 scholarships to Minnesota high school seniors each year.
The application can be downloaded at https://www.mnta.org/page/Scholarship and must be turned in to Paul Bunyan Communications no later than February 15, 2027.
Past winners of MTA scholarships through Paul Bunyan Communications include:
2025- Gunther Erbstoesser of Hines and Juel Luettinger of Bemidji
2022- Dylan Haynes of Grand Rapids
2014- Kathryn Gray of Bemidji
2012- Elisa Muller of Bemidji
2009- Kadie Kern of Bemidji
A telecom alliance panel reviews each application and selects the finalists based on applicants’ grades, academic achievements and extra-curricular activities. Preference to receive the scholarships is given to students who have an interest in telecommunications technology and rural communities.
The Foundation is part of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance, a trade organization representing 86 telephone companies and cooperatives in the state.
Foundation for Rural Service Scholarship
Paul Bunyan Communications participates in the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) scholarship program which awards 30 $2,500 scholarships to high school seniors throughout the country each year.
Applications can be done online through the FRS web site at https://www.frs.org/programs/youth-programs/scholarships
Application must be submitted online no later than February 15, 2027. Applications submitted after that date will NOT be accepted.
Please note the applicant or their parent/legal guardian must be a member of Paul Bunyan Communications (PBC) Cooperative.
Past winners of FRS scholarships through Paul Bunyan Communications include:
2024- Emily Timm of Cohasset
2017- Ashley Benes of Grand Rapids
2014- Nicholas Engen of Grand Rapids
2013- Megan Wiens of Grand Rapids
2007- Brynn Stember of Bemidji
Established in 1994, FRS, in cooperation with the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life throughout Rural America by advancing an understanding of rural telecommunications issues. In keeping with its mission, furthering the education of rural youth is one of the foundation’s primary focuses. Our cooperative, Paul Bunyan Communications, is a member of NTCA and is proud to support FRS in this worthy endeavor.
Holiday Office Closures; Closed Dec. 24, 25, and Jan. 1; Closing Early at 2 p.m. Dec. 31
Upcoming Holiday Office Closures
Thursday, December 24 & Friday, December 25
Offices will be closed in observation of the Christmas holiday. Our regular office hours will resume on Monday, December 28.
Thursday, December 31
Offices will close early at 2 p.m. for New Year’s Eve.
Friday, January 1
Offices will be closed in observation of New Year’s holiday. Our regular office hours will resume on Monday, January 4.
Emergency 24 hour repair will remain available.
Happy Holidays from all of us at Paul Bunyan Communications!
PBC Offices Closed Monday, October 12
Our offices will be closed all day on Monday, October 12. Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday, October 13 at 8 a.m.
As always, emergency repair service will be available
PBC Donates Vests for Great Tails Animal Rescue Dog Walkers
We’re proud to support Great Tails Animal Rescue and the volunteers who give their time to care for animals in our community including some of our PBC staff!
We hope these new dog walker vests make their walks a little brighter – and their amazing volunteers a little easier to spot! Thanks for all you do, Great Tails! We’re always happy to lend a helping paw.
Pictured: Chuck Hildebrandt, Dawn Drotts and Great Tails Board President Myranda Erickson.
PBC at 2026 Bemidji United Way Trap Tournament
A fun afternoon at the United Way of Bemidji Area Trap Shoot!
Thanks to everyone who helped put together another great event. We enjoyed getting out on the range, spending time with others from the community, and supporting a great local cause!
PBC WAD Squad: Randy Garrigan, Brian Mustonen, Chris Anderson, Brett Carlson & Wendy Bittmann
Greenway Oktoberfest 2026
We serve much of the Bovey and Coleraine area and are proud to support Greenway’s Oktoberfest!
The fun was October 3 at Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Coleraine and featured food, music, raffles and more – all supporting the Greenway Area Community Fund and the local community.
Side Lake Pickleball
Here’s to a great summer of friendly competition and fun at the Side Lake pickleball courts!
We’re proud to serve the Side Lake area and to support a place where friends, neighbors, and families can get together, stay active, and enjoy everything a Northern Minnesota summer has to offer.