MINOT, N.D. – SRT met with members of Granville’s American Legion Post 155 this week to commemorate the newly installed Veterans Memorial Monument in Granville Cemetery. The Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC) awarded a $750 grant, which SRT matched with an additional $750, toward purchasing the monument that now stands atop a hill in the cemetery.

Jeff Smette, the Post’s adjutant, said the project was “Legion member Karl Wittstruck’s baby, which got us going. Then it became a matter of keeping after it, and the community got behind us once we got started.”

Contributions from local businesses, organizations, and individuals helped bring total donations to nearly $14,000. The result, Smette said, is a “nice, lasting monument for the community and all veterans, where we can gather and honor those who served.”

The monument was installed on a cement pad where four crosses have marked this ground for years, honoring two World War I veterans and two World War II veterans.

Kristi Miller, SRT Board President, said of SRT’s matching grant, “This monument marks the indelible gratitude we all have for those who have made such profound sacrifice to defend our nation and way of life. SRT is humbled to support our military and is proud to be part of this community coming together for veterans.”

SRT is among the North Dakota rural telecommunication and electric cooperatives that are members of RDFC, a nonprofit finance and development corporation that provides funding for economic development and diversification projects in rural North Dakota. Applications are submitted to RDFC and, if approved for funding, are matched 100% by SRT.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs roughly 180 people and serves more than 24,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include high-speed internet, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business. Learn more at www.srt.com.

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association announced SRT as a 2024 Smart Rural Community Showcase Award winner at this year’s NTCA Fall Conference.

NTCA presents Smart Rural Community Showcase Awards annually to rural broadband providers who have led collaborative, innovative projects that advance the communities they serve. SRT earned the award for hosting Rural Prosperity: A Workshop for Enriching Communities.

Last October, SRT welcomed roughly 30 leaders and champions, representing more than a dozen communities across north-central North Dakota, to the collaborative workshop at its headquarters in Minot. The Rural Prosperity event offered the opportunity for attendees to learn about available funding and other resources, connect with their peers, hear real-life success stories from other communities, and begin building plans to help their own communities thrive.

Guest speakers included Erin Oban, State Director, USDA Rural Development; Megan Langley, Founder and Executive Director of Strengthen ND; and Brian Gion of The Rural Electronic and Telcom Development Center. The day’s agenda covered the benefits of incremental growth and building a culture of momentum, how the cooperative model can pool shared services to meet vital needs in rural communities, and available funding resources.

“It made my day to see all of those community leaders in the same room for our Rural Prosperity Workshop,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO and General Manager. “A cornerstone–and responsibility–of SRT’s vision is to be an economic catalyst for the region. Each of these leaders is a catalyst for their own community, which is why we brought them together to share ideas and inspire each other.”

Langley wrapped up the day with an interactive session on putting “Big Dreams” into practice by breaking down the work and building a coalition of partners. Attendees networked with each other throughout the day and left with practical information for their own communities.

Hjelmstad continued, “These Smart Rural Communities have SRT’s broadband infrastructure, as well as our unwavering support, to help them achieve their development goals. SRT is committed to collaborating with local, regional, and state leadership to advance collective prosperity for all, and we are grateful to NTCA for this honor.”

SRT was designated as a Smart Rural Community provider by NTCA. Smart Rural Communities promote innovative economic development, effective education, efficient energy distribution and use, state-of-the-art health care, and other important services for Rural America.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs roughly 180 people and serves more than 24,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include high-speed internet, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business. Learn more at www.srt.com.

 NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing over 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit www.ntca.org.