BLOOMFIELD, Iowa, Feb. 11, 2015 — Ahead of the curve. That has always been Citizens Mutual’s goal – and reality – when it comes to providing Internet to residents and businesses in Davis County. In a community where sometimes fashion, food, and other world trends tend to be a few years behind, technology has never been among them.

The community of Bloomfield gathered alongside state officials and local leaders to celebrate economic development and technology achievements in Bloomfield. Bloomfield was named one of Iowa’s “Connected Communities”, and Governor Terry Branstad was there to present the award.

“I am proud to be here and have this opportunity to be the first to say congratulations to Citizens Mutual and Joe Snyder,” stated Governor Branstad. “This is pretty significant to become a Gigabit community. This shows you that [Bloomfield] is really on the move and you recognize the kind of infrastructure you need to grow and create jobs and to have that connectivity that’s so critical to be competitive in this 21st century. Communities like Bloomfield are leading the way.”

The demand for faster, more efficient Internet is ever-growing with consumers owning more and more “smart” products, downloading larger files, and simply spending more time being “connected”. The competition for bandwidth is fierce, and Citizens Mutual has once again taken the position as leaders in rural Iowa to offer ground-breaking service city-wide.

How fast is Gig Internet? With yesterday’s top Internet speed of 20 Mbps, it took more than 30 minutes to download an HD movie. With today’s Gig Internet from Citizens Mutual, that same movie can be downloaded in less than 30 seconds.

“Looking at the statistics, only about 3% of the nation has Gig Internet, and most of those are major cities – beyond that, you’ll typically find it only offered within certain areas or limited to hand-selected business districts. The fact that we can offer this to the entire community is astounding. We’re proud to be in the position to do just that,” says Citizens Mutual General Manager Joe Snyder.

In place since 2007, Citizens Mutual’s existing fiber network has been the envy of other communities – not only on a local level, but nationally. “We believe this will be a game-changer for members of our community. Business and leisure both will be more accessible, and we’re automatically placed in a competitive position for entrepreneurs and young families looking to relocate. Our ability to offer this encourages our customers to know that we have the products, services and bandwidth they need today, tomorrow, next year, and beyond,” added Snyder.

CONTACT: Joe Snyder
General Manager
Citizen Mutual
641-664-2074
jsnyder@cmtel.com

January 14, 2015

DRAKESVILLE, Iowa. – Lori and Joe King, along with their band Junction 63, bring home awards. On January 10, 2015 the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) held the 41st Annual Awards Show in Jefferson City, Missouri. The Kings were nominated in 7 of the 20 categories: Promoter of the Year with the Bluegrass Music Association of Iowa, Joe for Traditional Male Vocalist and Guitar Player of the Year, Lori for Traditional Female Vocalist and Bass Fiddle Player of the Year, and their band Lori King & Junction 63 for Traditional Band of the Year and Contemporary Band of the Year. The couple came home with 4 trophies, winning in the following categories: Promoter of the Year, Lori for Bass Fiddle and Traditional Female Vocalist, Traditional Band of the Year for Lori King & Junction 63.

This is an outstanding achievement to be nominated and both were excited to bring home the awards. “I never imagined 6 years ago when we formed the organization that we would be standing here accepting this award!” Said Lori. The Bluegrass Music Association of Iowa (BMAI) is a 501c3 non-profit organization co-founded by Lori King and Billy Dunbar. Lori is the Executive Director and manages the day-to-day operations. The organization is managed by an eight person volunteer board. In 2015, BMAI will sponsor events in Des Moines, Bloomfield, Iowa City, Hampton, Winterset, Drakesville, Central City, Honey Creek Resort, Johnston, and Marshalltown. You can find out more about BMAI by visiting their website at www.iowabluegrassmusic.com and find them on Facebook.

Joe and Lori were ecstatic about their personal nominations and awards as well. “I have played guitar in a band for over 20 years and never been on the ballot,” said Joe. The band is currently in the studio and a new CD is set to be released in March. They will be performing at the Iowa Theater in Bloomfield on March 28, 2015. To find out more about the group, you can visit their website at www.junction63.com or find them on their Facebook page.

Enroll in 4H at the ISU Extension & Outreach Office by calling 641-664-2730 or dropping by Monday-Thursdays from 8am-4:30pm at 402 E. North Street in Bloomfield.