The second of three consecutive weekends of GigaZone Gaming Championship 5 was held Saturday, April 17 with the Madden 21 Tournament.

Dain Walters of Grand Rapids won 1st Place and $500.

Adam Scott of Brainerd got 2nd Place and $400. Adam had finished in 3rd place in 2017 Madden Tournament.

Nick Miller of Brainerd finished in 3rd place for $300.  Nick won the 2019 Madden Tournament.

Drew Holden of Bemidji finished in 4th place for $200.

In addition to the Madden 21 Tournament, there were door prize drawings throughout the day and the CosPlay Contest accepting entries.  Super Smash Bros is the featured tournament on the final day of GigaZone Gaming Championship 5 this Saturday, April 24. The tournament is free to play and open to anyone who lives within the 218 area code but registration is required at www.gigazonegaming.com  Anyone interested should register now before they are full.

Paul Bunyan Communications is excited to announce the winners of the 5^th Annual Pick-it March Mania Challenge.  476 participants entered the free online contest to pick the winners of the college basketball tournament games for a chance to win a credit on a Paul Bunyan Communications account.

 The top 10 finishers all won a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account.

1^st Place-         Craig Peterson, Bemidji                    $500 credit

2^nd Place-        Cindy Leach, Park Rapids                $250 credit

3^rd Place-         William Molash, Laporte                 $100 credit

4^th Place-         Keith Bartholomaus, Laporte          $50 credit

5^th Place-         Alan Afton                                            $50 credit

6^th Place-         Dennis Weimann, Bemidji               $50 credit

7^th Place-         Tyler Steinke, Grand Rapids            $50 credit

8^th Place-         Chad Bessler, Laporte                       $50 credit

9^th Place-         Chad Bowman                                     $50 credit

10^th Place-       Dan Rickert, Bemidji                         $50 credit

Random Prize Drawing:

Susan Steingraber                                                       $100 Credit

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all who participated!

Congratulations to the Deer River and Nevis Boys Basketball Teams on making it to the state tournament!

Deer River Boys Basketball

The Warriors first game will be against Badger/GB-MR at 6 p.m. this Wednesday, March 31 in Pequot Lakes. This game is not scheduled to be televised but can be seen online at http://www.prepspotlight.tv/MSHSL for a fee.

Should the Warriors win their first game, the semifinal game will be on Wednesday, April 7 at Noon at Target Center. The semifinals and finals are scheduled to be broadcast on KSTC Channel 45 or in 545 in HD (west side) and Me-TV Channel 20 (east side) and streamed at www.prep45.com  The championship game is on Saturday, April 10 at 1 p.m. at Target Center. All the Warriors state tournament games can be heard on KMFY 96.9 FM & online at http://www.kozyradio.com/

Nevis Boys Basketball

The Tigers first game will be against Hancock at 5 p.m. this Wednesday in Perham. This game is not scheduled to be televised but can be seen online at http://www.prepspotlight.tv/MSHSL for a fee.

Should the Tigers win their first game, the semifinal game will be on Wednesday, April 7 at 10 a.m. at Target Center. The semifinals and finals are scheduled to be broadcast on KSTC Channel 45 or in 545 in HD (west side) and Me-TV Channel 20 (east side) and streamed at www.prep45.com  The championship game is on Saturday, April 10 at 1 p.m. at Target Center.

Good luck from all of us at Paul Bunyan Communications!

Congratulations to the Bemidji State Men’s hockey team!  They will play for the NCAA East Regional Championship at 4 p.m. Saturday and the game will be on ESPN-U which is a part of PBTV Extra.  ESPN-U is PBTV Extra channel 54 or PBTV Extra HD channel 554.  The winner will advance to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 8.

PBTV Extra is $12 per month and includes over 40 additional cable networks including ESPN-U. Customers who wish to get the game will need to subscribe to PBTV Extra before 2 p.m. Saturday.   You can add it by calling 444-1234 or 999-1234. One month minimum subscription is required.

You can also listen to the game on the Beaver Radio Network, WMIS 92. FM, PBTV channel 964 or PBTV Fusion channel 1064, or online at www.beaverradionetwork.com Go Beavers!

Congratulations to the Bemidji State University Men’s Hockey team on making it to the 2021 NCAA Division 1 Tournament!  The Beavers play Wisconsin this Friday at Noon.

You can catch all the action on ESPN2, Paul Bunyan Television channel 51 or PBTV HD channel 551.  You can also listen to the game on the Beaver Radio Network, WMIS-The River 92.1 FM, PBTV channel 964 or PBTV Fusion channel 1064, or online at www.beaverradionetwork.com

Go Beavers!

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted 988 as a new three-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline.

In order for 988 to work in the 218 area code, 10-digit local dialing must first be implemented. As a result, you will need to change the way you dial local calls on/before October 24, 2021.

WHAT WILL BE THE NEW DIALING PROCEDURE?
To complete all local calls, you will now need to dial area code + telephone number. This applies to all calls within the 218 area code that are currently dialed with seven digits.

WHO WILL BE AFFECTED?
Anyone with a telephone number from the 218 area code will need to make this change from 7-digit local dialing to 10-digit local dialing.

WHEN WILL THE CHANGE BEGIN?
Beginning April 24, 2021, you should begin dialing 10 digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls. If you forget and dial just 7 digits, your call will still be completed.

Beginning October 24, 2021, you must dial 10-digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls. On and after this date, local calls dialed with only 7-digits may not be completed, and a recording will inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. You must hang up and dial again using the area code and the 7-digit number.

Beginning July 16, 2022, dialing “988” will route your call to National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline.

WHAT WILL YOU NEED TO DO?
In addition to changing the way you dial local calls, all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment that are programmed to complete calls to 7-digit local numbers will need to be reprogrammed to complete calls to 10-digit numbers.

Some examples are life safety systems or medical monitoring devices, PBXs, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, fire or burglar alarm and security systems or gates, speed dialers, mobile or other wireless phone contact lists, call forwarding settings,
voicemail services and other similar functions.

Be sure to check your website, personal and business stationery, advertising materials, personal and business checks, contact information, and other such items to ensure the 218 area code is included.

WHAT WILL REMAIN THE SAME?
• Your telephone number, including the current 218 area code, will not change.
• The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the dialing change.
• What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.
• You will continue to dial 1+ area code + telephone number for all long distance calls.
• You can still dial just three digits to reach 711 (relay services) and 911 (emergency services).
• Any 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, or 811 services available in your community can still be reached by dialing their three-digit codes.
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can still be reached by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

WHO MAY YOU CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions regarding information provided in this notice, please call us at 888-586-3100. You can also visit the FCC website at https://www.fcc.gov/suicide-prevention-hotline

GigaZone™ Gaming Championship 5 wraps up this Saturday, April 24 with the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament.  It’s FREE to play but registration is required in advance and before the tournament is full at https://gigazonegaming.com/tournament/gzgc21-super-smash-bros-ultimate/ Prizes include $500 for 1st Place, $400 for 2nd, $300 for 3rd, and $200 for 4th.

GigaZone Gaming Championship 5 feature a different gaming tournament each weekend, Cosplay contest, and door prizes with over $5,000 in cash and prizes to be given away.  It is free to play or watch.

This one of a kind regional gaming event showcases Paul Bunyan Communications’ IT and web development team which custom built and integrated much of the online technology and leverages the speed of the GigaZone™ one of the largest rural all-fiber optic Gigabit networks in the country. The entire event is run off a single residential GigaZone™ Internet connection.

This year’s main tournaments are Overwatch April 10-11, Madden 21 April 17, and Super Smash Brothers April 24.   Registration for all tournaments can be done online at www.gigazonegaming.com  It is free to enter and main tournaments are open to anyone living within the 218 area code, but space is limited.  The gaming will start each Saturday at 10 a.m. It’s free to watch and will be live streamed on www.gigazonegaming.com.

“There is a large gaming community in our area and it’s been so cool to see the GigaZone™ Gaming Championship take off.  While we can’t get all together in person this time around, it will be a fun three weekends of fun online! said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager.

“Our cooperative continues to expand one of the largest rural fiber gigabit networks in the country and that brings many advantages to our members.  The GigaZone™ provides extreme speed and low latency which are critical for the best online gaming experience and the GigaZone™ Gaming Championship showcases just that,” added Leo Anderson, Paul Bunyan Communications Technology Experience Manager.

“There is no other gaming event like it anywhere I’ve seen. I’m very proud of our team for embracing the challenges in going to an all virtual platform.  We invite everyone to hop online to watch or play!” added Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

For more information on the GigaZone™ Gaming Championship visit www.gigazonegaming.com.

Register now for the Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-it March Mania Challenge, a free online contest for participants to pick the winners for the big 2021 college basketball tournament for a chance to win a credit on a Paul Bunyan Communications account.

The top 10 finishers will win a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account. First place winner will receive a $500 credit, second place is a $250 credit.  There is also a random bonus prize of $100 credit from among all who register.

Participants can register for the contest at http://paulbunyan.pickitchallenge.com/   Register anytime but remember to come back to make your picks after the tournament teams are determined on Sunday, March 14.

The first official game of the Pick It March Mania Challenge is Friday, March 19 so be sure to make your picks before the first game!

The Pick-it March Mania Challenge is a fun and free way to interact with others in northern Minnesota and enjoy a little friendly competition.  Must be 18 years of age or older. Limit one entry per person. Prizes not redeemable for cash. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. See Pick It March Mania Challenge website for complete contest rules.

PC Magazine™ has ranked Bemidji the 8^th Best Work-From-Home City in the country.

“It is fantastic for Bemidji to be recognized as one of the best work from home cities in the nation! The all-fiber optic network we’ve built throughout the region with gigabit upload and download speeds makes it possible to effectively and efficiently work from home. Combined with our vibrant community’s many amenities, and our wonderful businesses, organizations, and people, it’s no wonder Bemidji caught the eye of PC Magazine™!” said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager.

According to their article https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-best-work-from-home-cities-for-2021, the list contains the top 50 U.S. and 10 Canadian cities with the best combination of gigabit fiber broadband (cost and performance), affordable housing, and “remote-work-friendly” lifestyles.

“It is rewarding to see our region be recognized nationally. The investments we have made in building out an all-fiber optic communications network will serve this region for decades to come. In turn, this supports successful economic development and growth. Our team continues to do phenomenal work in keeping our members connected with the latest in technology” added Steve Howard, Paul Bunyan Communications Information Technology and Development Manager.

“It’s great timing for this recognition!  Greater Bemidji has just launched the innovative 218 Relocate program to recruit telecommuters to the Bemidji area.  We are a supporter of the program and are pleased our fiber network helps in creating economic development opportunities for our region” said Johnson.

For more information the 218Relocate program, visit https://www.218relocate.com/

Paul Bunyan Communications is excited to announce the winners of the Pick It Pro Football Challenge, a free online contest for participants to pick the winners of the 2021 Pro Football Playoff games for a chance to win a credit on a Paul Bunyan Communications account.

 Winners of the Paul Bunyan Communications Pick It Pro Football Challenge:

1^st Place- $500 credit              Brad Kuzel, Guthrie

2^nd Place- $250 credit             Jack Lundgren, Osseo

3^rd Place- $100 credit             Derek Benson, Bemidji

4^th Place- $50 credit              Michael Skipton, Puposky

5^th Place- $50 credit               Maggie Skelton, Grand Rapids

6^th Place- $50 credit               Kyle Kingbird Sr., Bemidji

7^th Place- $50 credit               Bryan Delaney, Laporte

8^th Place- $50 credit               Charles McCray, Bemidji

9^th Place- $50 credit               Duane Reichel, Park Rapids

10^th Place- $50 credit             Brett Bahr, Bemidji

100th Place Bonus Prize         Bruce Nelson, Cohasset- $100 credit

There were 425 participants registered for the Challenge.

The next Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-It Challenge is March Mania for the College Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament coming up in March.