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Citizens Telephone First to Complete Fiber Build in Southwest VA

Citizens Telephone Cooperative is proud to announce the completion of its county-wide fiber-to-the-home construction project, marking a significant milestone in Southwest Virginia. In August 2024, Citizens will become the first company in the region to offer a 1 Gbps fiber connection to every home in Floyd County. This achievement underscores Citizens' commitment to providing cutting-edge internet services to its community.

Building
Workers 1

To celebrate this accomplishment, Citizens invites the public to join a community event on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd, Virginia. Festivities will kick off at 5 pm with axe throwing and yard games and food trucks offering a variety of meals, snacks, and drinks for purchase. The evening will culminate with live music by local lead singer Jerry Wimmer and The Worx starting at 6 pm.

Established in 1914, Citizens has grown from its roots to become a leader in telecommunications. The completion of this 10-year fiber project, initially launched in 2017 with over a $40 million investment, reflects Citizens' dedication to enhancing broadband access in underserved areas. By leveraging FCC, ACAM, and VATI funding, Citizens accelerated the project timeline, completing it ahead of schedule in six and a half years.

"We are thrilled to bring Gigabit fiber services to every resident of Floyd County," said Donna Smith, CEO & General Manager of Citizens. "This project is a testament to our ongoing commitment to technological advancement and community service."

Citizens was recognized as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider by NTCA in 2018 and has actively participated in state and federal initiatives such as VATI, CARES, and LECAP funding to expand broadband access. The cooperative's fiber project exceeded $40 million. The extensive network spans 715 miles across Floyd County, passing over 10,000 homes. Nearly 4,500 residents and businesses have connected to the 1 Gbps service.

"Our dedication extends beyond technology; it encompasses supporting education and healthcare initiatives in our community," Smith emphasized. "It is important to us that every home has sufficient broadband for their needs. We aim to provide reliable services that empower our customers and communities."

Citizens Local TV Channel Sponsorships Now Available

Subscribers who have television service through Citizens Telephone Cooperative (d.b.a. Citizens) have exclusive access to a local channel, CCTV Channel 20. Through the IPTV platform, SFN TV Now, CCTV Channel 20 is full of locally recorded and produced programming by the Cooperative’s Video Production team and other locally submitted content.

Customers can watch Floyd County High School home games; many of them live, which is great for residents who can’t make it to the school or no longer drive at night. Aside from the live games, Citizens supports the community by rebroadcasting FCHS football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball games each season. You can enjoy all FCHS sports seasons at 7 pm.

You can also watch FCHS academic matches and special events like FCHS Graduation on the local channel. Viewers can see the Local Origination Program on the on-screen guide or check out the guide on the CCTV page. Citizens also posts programming on the Bulletin Board, Channel 23, and the social media for Citizens Telephone Coop.

Floyd’s 4-H Extension Office has partnered with CCTV to produce “The Ag Show with Jon Vest”. The series covers all things agriculture from tree grafting to soil preparation, seed planting, harvesting, and preserving fruits and vegetables. The first episode of a new series called The Ag Show: Seed to Shelf Series will air on April 23, at 6:30 PM. In this first Seed to Shelf episode, Jon will go over how to prepare your seeds and soil for the ideal conditions to get your seeds germinating and plants growing strong throughout the season.

Another series exclusive to CCTV Channel 20 is “Looking Back” with "Floyd County Millers" and features the interviews of Roy Turpin, Gene Vaughn, and Cephas Dalton. This program will air on April 20, at 6:30 PM. In this series, you will learn how water-powered mills were once a vital part of Floyd's economy. To remember this important part of history, Quentin Horn interviews three former millers who share their stories in an era where purchasing flour and cornmeal at the supermarket was far less common.

Subscribers with television service through Citizens Telephone Cooperative (d.b.a. Citizens) have exclusive access to a local channel, CCTV Channel 20. Through the IPTV platform, SFN TV Now, CCTV Channel 20 is full of locally recorded and produced programming by the Cooperative’s Video Production team and other locally submitted content.

Citizens recently announced that Pulaski River Turtle Baseball would be shown on CCTV Channel 20. The Pulaski River Turtles will enter their fourth year of competition in the Appalachian League with new leadership as respected baseball veteran Bill Kinneberg joins the organization as manager for the 2024 season. The appointment marks Kinneberg’s second season in the Appalachian League.

Customers with access to SFN TV Now can watch recorded home games of Pulaski River Turtle Baseball on CCTV, Channel 20. Watch Citizens Facebook and Bulletin Board, Channel 23, for schedule.

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Time to polish up your classic and muscle cars and trucks for the first Cruise-In of the season at Citizens Telephone Cooperative. The event will be held on Saturday, June 8th from 4 pm to 6 pm at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. There is no entry fee and there will be food available for purchase.

The public is invited to join car enthusiasts from all over the New River Valley. Last year there were over 100 different makes and models. “Citizens is happy to offer our parking lot to the public to hold this event. We are all about connections and we enjoy connecting with the community at local events like this,” stated Tina Osborne, Events Coordinator for Citizens.

Citizens plans to open their parking lot for several more this year. The dates set are:

Saturday, June 8th

4 pm to 6 pm

Friday, July 26th

6 pm to 8 pm

Saturday, September 28th

4 pm to 6 pm

For more information, visit www.citizens.coop or call 540.745.2111. Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 110 years. Citizens also offers symmetrical Ethernet and hosted phone service for businesses. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Lobby hours are 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday; and 9 am - 12 pm on Saturday.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CUSTOMERS WITH VOICE SERVICE SERVED BY FIBER OR CABLE MODEM

For many years, your landline telephone would allow you to stay connected to emergency voice services during a power outage. However, if your residential voice telephone service is provided using fiber optics, fixed wireless, or coaxial cable, rather than the traditional twisted pair copper-based line, the residential voice telephone service requires backup battery power to continue functioning during a power outage. To avoid a disruption of home voice service during a power outage, and to maintain the ability to connect to 911 emergency services, Citizens offers an 8-hour power battery backup for purchase for your residential fiber optic or cable modem (VoIP) VOICE service. Citizens will install a backup battery at no additional cost if purchased at the time of service installation. Standard install fees apply if the battery backup unit is purchased after the initial install date. Additional stackable backup batteries can be purchased ($49.95) at any time for self-installation. To place your order to pick up an additional backup battery unit at our office located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd, call 540.745.2111 or 276.637.6485.

You can find more information about the battery backup unit here.

Important Notice Regarding Your
ACP Discount On Your Citizens Internet Service

The FCC recently announced that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) could run out of funds. The projected time is April 2024 (this date is an estimate and may change). As a result, the FCC has started taking steps to wind down the ACP. What this means for you:

  • ACP applications and enrollments/renewals will not be processed after 5:00 pm on February 6, 2024.
  • Households who have applied, been approved, and are receiving the monthly internet discount before February 8, 2024, will continue to receive their ACP monthly benefit until ACP funds run out, as long as the household remains enrolled in the program.
  • After the ACP funds run out (projected April 2024), households participating in the ACP will no longer receive the ACP discounts. This means the discount of up to $30 will be removed from your Citizens Internet bill.

While the projected end date is April 2024, this date could change. There is still a possibility that Congress could decide to increase their funding, or the funds they do have could last longer than expected. NO ACTION IS REQUIRED FROM YOU AT THIS TIME.

As we learn more information from the FCC, we will communicate the changes to you and allow you to change your Internet plan to best suit your budget.

If you have questions, please contact our Discounted Services team by calling 540.745.9583.

Sincerely,
Discounted Services Team

The 2023 Annual Meeting of Citizens Telephone Cooperative was held on Saturday, October 21st, at the Citizens’ office on Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. This was the first meeting led by new General Manager, Donna Smith, following former CEO Greg Sapp’s retirement in 2022.

President Wesley Goff opened the meeting, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and gave the President’s Report. Secretary, Shelby Quesenberry, read the minutes from the last meeting, and Director, Kevin Hubbard, presented the re-election of Board members Joseph Italiano (Alum Ridge exchange), Jonathan Vest (Locust Grove exchange), and Shelby Quesenberry (Willis exchange). President Goff expressed the importance of goals and applauded newly elected General Manager Smith and the staff of the Cooperative for their commitment to reaching goals and remaining a leader in technology.

Joe-Italiano

Joe Italiano

President of the Board

Over 100 members were in attendance for the meeting highlighting the Cooperative’s progressive year and milestones achieved for the company. “The finish line of the Fiber project is in close sight as we currently are working on Ballard, the one remaining area left to complete. I could not be more pleased with our employees and their accomplishments,” stated Smith, referring to the six-year, county-wide fiber optic Internet to the home project.

Other achievements mentioned include the Cooperative has constructed over 150 miles of fiber (over 650 total miles within the county) and installed 1,500 Gigabit Fiber customers since last year’s meeting. To date, 40% of homes (over 4,000 fiber customers) in Floyd County enjoy the increased Internet speeds available with fiber service.

In addition, over 1,600 customers have migrated to the SFN TV Now platform, with only a few remaining homes left to switch once fiber is available to them. “I’m happy to say that customers of all ages tell us that they are enjoying the experience. Just a short time ago, streaming and apps were unknown terms to many of our customers who now have mastered this technology.” continued Smith.

She also noted that the company has added value with Citizens Advanced WiFi which includes the HomePass® app powered by Plume. The adaptive technology allows for seamless connectivity throughout the home and the HomePass® app also allows personal management of your WiFi network at your fingertips to set parental controls, guest networks, and monitoring usage of devices in the home.

Citizens’ Fiber to the Home project recognized Floyd as a Smart Rural Community by the NTCA Broadband Association and Citizens as a Smart Rural Community Provider. Public WiFi access is now available in more places including the Citizens parking lot, at the Floyd Parks & Recreation fields, in and around the vicinity of the Lineberry Park, and the Floyd County High School community use areas including football, track, gymnasiums, and more. “We are happy to provide Free Public WiFi to these locations within our community and to serve Floyd County with 1 Gig Internet,” Smith stated.

Traditions of the annual meeting continued with door prize drawings for members. Prizes awarded were: a 50” Roku TV, Blackstone Tabletop Griddle, 10” Fire Tablet, and two Roku 4K+ Express with voice remote controls. A catered meal by Blue Ridge Diner of Floyd followed the meeting.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be on the third Saturday of October 2024. In an executive session following the meeting, Joe Italiano was elected as Board President. He will be conducting the 2024 Annual Meeting.

The Foundation for Rural Service is excited to announce that applications for 2024 FRS Scholarships and the James L. Bass Legal Scholarship are now open! Go to frs.org/scholarship for the application link and additional instructions.

In 2024, FRS will award over $100,000 in scholarships to students sponsored by our NTCA members. 

FRS 2024 Scholarship Application Flyer

Applications must be submitted by the end of the day on February 16, 2024, eastern time.

Don't forget about the
James L. Bass Legal Scholarship

For the fourth year, FRS is offering the James L. Bass Legal Scholarship. This scholarship honors James Bass, who was pivotal in the creation of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, where he served as one of the organization’s earliest Presidents and for numerous other telecommunication milestones. This scholarship is for students entering their first year of law school and does not require an NTCA member sponsorship. Please share this scholarship opportunity in your communities for future law students and anywhere else you might see fit. Information on the scholarship and a link to the application can be found on our webpage.

In 2024, FRS will award at least one James L. Bass Scholarship in the amount of $5,000.

Applications must be submitted by the end of the day on February 16, 2024, eastern time.

The County of Floyd and Citizens Telephone Cooperative (Citizens) were recently nominated by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference (VAGHC) Innovation in Housing Award. Floyd County and Citizens were recognized for their collaboration on a Countywide Broadband Expansion project.

Each year, one of the conference's highlights is the VAGHC Housing Awards Luncheon, which recognizes innovative, effective efforts that address housing needs. The VAGHC Innovation in Housing Award recognizes innovation in housing that promotes affordable housing options through unique collaboration, advocacy, new technology, and utilization of innovative materials or deployment of a housing type not commonly utilized across Virginia. This collaboration between Citizens and the County of Floyd utilized federal and state-funded grants as well as LECAP (Line Extension Customer Assistance Program) to help offset construction costs of bringing broadband to rural areas of Floyd, Virginia. Accepting on behalf of the County of Floyd were Community and Economic Director, Lydeana Martin, and Chris Bond, CEO for Citizens, at the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference held in Hampton Roads, VA.

Several weeks prior, a film crew visited the Floyd area to learn more from Lydeana Martin, Floyd County Administrator, Donna Smith, CEO & General Manager of Citizens, and residents in the area regarding the beneficial effects of fiber Internet. You can see the full segment on YouTube below:

“This three-phased project will provide broadband access to 1,570 previously unserved homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions through state-funded areas alone, achieving universal broadband access in Floyd. These efforts were complemented by Floyd County and Citizens Telephone Cooperative utilizing the Line Extension Customer Assistance Program (LECAP) to ensure affordability for low- and moderate-income residents. Because of this work, Floyd County will be the first of a handful of rural counties to achieve universal broadband in the Commonwealth.”

“The award is to all of you that have put in many many hours on our fiber project....it is truly a team effort!” stated Donna Smith as she presented the award to the company for their 6-year project.

Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 100 years. Citizens also offers symmetrical Ethernet and hosted phone service for businesses. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Lobby hours are 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday;
9 am - 1 pm on Saturday and 24/7 when calling 540.745.2111.

Sun Outages on Citizens TV Service October 4 – 12 2023

What are Sun Outages?
Twice a year, you may experience some degree of television interference due to “sun outages.” A phenomenon called “solar satellite interference” causes sun outages. These brief outages occur when the sun passes directly behind satellites transmitting cable signals. When the sun aligns with a satellite, solar radiation, energy the sun is emitting, interferes with the satellite’s signal and thus causes a brief signal outage.
This is a very similar effect to the blinding sun you might experience at certain times when driving home in the late afternoons or early mornings.

Even if you don't receive your television services over satellite, SFN TV Now and Citizens IPTV receive much of their channel source signals via satellite. Even the local off-air broadcast stations receive some of their content over satellite.

When do sun outages happen, and how long do they last?
Sun outages occur every year, in Fall and Spring, and last approximately a week each time. The approximate times for signal loss will be between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm and last only a brief time – from seconds up to 15 minutes.

What kind of outage/interference can I expect?
During the sun outage, you may experience a pixelated picture, picture freezes, or audio distortions for a brief period.

How can I tell if it’s caused by a sun outage or something’s wrong with my service?
The sun outage happens only during the day between 11 am and 6 pm (no sun, no interference) and is brief, lasting for a few minutes—from 5 minutes up to 30 minutes.

What should I do during a sun outage?
Citizens Cablevision apologizes for any inconvenience a sun outage may cause. However, solar satellite interference is out of our control. Please be patient, and everything will get back to normal.

If you have questions about sun outages, please call us at 540.745.2111 or 276.637.6485 and press 1 for 24/7 support

Citizens, a Smart Rural Community℠ Provider,
Expands Free Community WiFi within Floyd

Citizens Telephone Cooperative, (aka Citizens) was recently recognized as a Smart Rural Community Provider by the NTCA - Broadband Association. To expand connectivity throughout Floyd, Citizens recently completed the installation of two additional Free Public WiFi locations.

Free Public WiFi is now available at the Floyd Parks & Recreation just off Route 8 as well as the football field, tennis courts, track, and in the old and new gyms of Floyd County High School. In all areas, coverage is very good; giving more access to visitors to these locations. With WiFi accessible in and around the vicinity of Lineberry Park, it is only fitting to expand online access into other heavily populated areas.

Citizens installed a free WiFi access point at the Floyd Parks & Recreation to enable online access to visitors while they enjoy games on the baseball and softball fields. “We have regularly scheduled practices and sporting events. Having public WiFi enables Internet access when needed and will help when tournaments are taking place. The Free Public WiFi gives everyone access when they need it.” stated Jacob Agee, Director of Floyd County Parks & Recreation.

Fans and visitors to Floyd County High School can enjoy WiFi via a free connection at the football, baseball, and softball fields, and parking areas any day after school starting after 3 p.m. The community can also enjoy access at any time on weekends. “As a Smart Rural Community Provider, we (Citizens) wanted to make connecting simple. Users can enjoy a high-speed connection in several places throughout Floyd. Whether you
are enjoying the Town’s music venues, sporting events at the Parks & Recreation fields, or events at Floyd County High School, Citizens has a connection available. You can also stop by Citizens’ office parking lot for a quick upload/download” stated Donna Smith, Citizens’ CEO & General Manager. Signage is posted for easy accessibility at all of the WiFi locations.

“Floyd is full of events and the High School is used for a variety of them, both inside and outside. One example is the upcoming Arts & Craft Festival sponsored by the Greater Floyd Women’s Club on Saturday, October 7. WiFi access is important for the vendors and the visitors. The public WiFi ensures safety and does not infringe on the school’s network.” stated Barry Hollandsworth, FCHS Principal.

All WiFi access points work on a 1Gbps fiber connection -- the same connection that Citizens deploys to residential homes throughout the county as a part of their ACAM Fiber project. The project is slated for completion in 2024. To date, the Cooperative reports the project at 90%. To learn more, members are encouraged to attend Citizens Telephone Cooperative’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at Citizens Multi-Purpose Shelter located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd.

Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 100 years. Citizens’ Business Solutions provides symmetrical Ethernet, data transport, hosted phone services, and more. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Lobby hours are 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday; and 9 am - 1 pm on Saturday.

Floyd County Celebrates Citizens Telephone Cooperative for Being Named a Smart Rural Community℠ Provider in Virginia

The community of Floyd announced today that Citizens Telephone Cooperative (Citizens) was recently named a
Smart Rural Community℠ (SRC) provider by NTCA--The Rural Broadband Association. SRC is a national
network of communities powered by innovative rural broadband providers that are building a brighter future for
small-town America. The program promotes rural broadband and its role in supporting innovative economic
development, effective education, efficient energy distribution and use, state-of-the-art health care, and other
important issues for rural America.

In order to receive recognition as an SRC provider, Citizens was required to affirm that it offers 25/3 Mbps
broadband to at least 50% of its service area; that it has broadband subscription rates of at least 50%; and that
it is committed to program principles of collaboration and innovation. As a result of Citizens’ national recognition,
Floyd will now be celebrated as a Smart Rural Community in program materials and online at
www.smartruralcommunity.com, joining a national network of similarly innovative communities.

“The county of Floyd salutes Citizens for its hard work to meet and exceed these standards by offering up to 1
Gbps with their current fiber-to-the-home deployment, which enables our residents to fully participate in today’s
connected society,” said Floyd County Administrator, Dr. Linda Millsaps. “Because of access to high-speed
internet, Floyd provides its residents with educational and economic opportunities on par with those in the most
connected regions of America.”

NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield also recognized Citizens Telephone Cooperative for this
achievement, noting, “We are so excited to welcome another Smart Rural Community provider into this growing
network of innovative broadband providers delivering the Internet’s fastest speeds in some of the most remote
and rural communities of our country. I applaud Citizens and the Floyd community for their commitment to
enabling cutting-edge technologies that drive innovation and promote economic development in their region and
nationwide.”

About NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association is the premier
association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are
leading innovation in rural and small-town America. NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for
rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks that make rural
communities vibrant places in which to live and do business.

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For more information about Citizens, visit www.citizens.coop or call 540.745.2111. Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 100 years. Citizens’ Business Solutions provide symmetrical Ethernet, hosted phone services and more.

Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd.
Lobby hours are 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday; 9 am - 1 pm on Saturday.

Citizens Cablevision offers Floyd County High School Graduation Keepsake

As Floyd County High School Graduates take the stage on Saturday, May 20th, Citizens Cablevision will also broadcast the ceremony LIVE on Citizens TV Channel 20 for anyone unable to attend beginning at 10 am. The ceremony will also be streamed on citizens.coop.

Commemorative recordings of the Senior Awards, Baccalaureate, and Graduation will be available from https://shop.citizens.coop/product/fchs-2023-graduation/. Anyone desiring a graduation keepsake will have the option to download it onto their device a few days after graduation for $7, order a USB Flash Drive for $10, or order a DVD for $19.95 (allow 6-8 weeks).

Graduation will be re-broadcast on CCTV the following week(s) for those who missed it. Viewers can see the programming schedule online at https://citizens.coop/cctv/.

“We are happy to provide this service for our community,” stated CEO & General Manager, Donna Smith. “It’s just another way we keep our community connected.”

The mission of CCTV is to capture what matters to you. If you have an interest in showcasing your business, civic group, or community project, contact Josh Stokes, Video Production Editor by calling 540.745.9552 or email cablevision@citizens.coop. Sponsorship opportunities are available to advertise your business during local programming. For more information, contact Citizens at 540-745-2111 or 276-637-6485. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Lobby hours are 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday; 9 am - 1 pm on Saturday.

Businesses And Organizations Join Floyd Parks & Rec To Host A Community Easter Egg Hunt At Floyd Rec Park On April 1, 2023

Floyd, VA --  Floyd County Parks and Recreation has partnered with Citizens Telephone Cooperative, the Floyd Moose Lodge, and other vendors to provide the first Buffalo Eggstravaganza! The Easter Egg Hunt will be held on Saturday, April 1 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Floyd Recreation Park. The Park is located at 114 Park Dr. NE, Floyd

Floyd is a giving community where many businesses and organizations often hold individual events for various celebrations. This year, the Floyd Parks and Recreation Department will join forces with Citizens and the Floyd Moose Lodge which have a history of holding Easter Egg Hunts to host the first Buffalo Eggstravaganza. There will be lots of filled eggs, crafts, snacks, photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny, and more.  Everyone is invited!  Jacob Agee, Director of the Floyd County Parks & Rec Department commented “The Floyd Parks & Rec is excited to hold the first Buffalo Eggstravaganza in partnership with Citizens and the Floyd Moose lodge who have hosted such events before. Our combined experience and resources will make this the best egg hunt for our community,” continued Agee.

Tina Osborne, Citizens’ Community Events Coordinator commented, “We are happy to move our Easter event to the Parks & Rec field where there is plenty of room for children of all ages and plenty of parking for adults.” On behalf of the Floyd Moose Lodge, Staci Thompson stated  “Working together with other businesses and organizations, we can provide an event to accommodate more children and families. That’s what it is all about.”

In case of rain or inclement weather, the event will be moved just up the road to Citizens’ multi-purpose shelter located at 220 Webbs Mill Road. All plans as of now are to hold the event in the Park. Any updates will be posted on the Park & Rec website https://www.floydcova.org/recreation and social media https://www.facebook.com/FloydVaRec for any immediate changes.

It’s college basketball season and Citizens is hosting a Pick-It March Mania contest! All customers are invited to participate in this fun, a free online contest that follows the 64-team college basketball tournament.

Simply visit https://citizenscoop.pickitchallenge.com/ to sign up, make your picks, and watch your name climb the Leaderboard as games progress. Super fan or not, it’s easy to play and a great time for everyone!

Game matchups will be announced Sunday, March 12 and the first game starts on March 16. Sign up soon for your chance to play and win.

We hope to catch you on the Leaderboard: https://citizenscoop.pickitchallenge.com/. Good luck and get ready for some March Mania!

Sapp Announces Retirement at Citizens’ Annual Meeting

The 2022 Annual Meeting of Citizens Telephone Cooperative was held on Saturday, October 15th, at the Citizens’ office on Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Over 160 members were in attendance for the meeting announcing new milestones for the company.

Members were greeted by Citizens employees and received member gifts. Attendees had the opportunity to see first-hand and learn about the company’s new IPTV product, SFN TV Now. Central Office Technician Jay Conner conducted an educational demonstration of the new TV platform for the attendees prior to the meeting. “We are here for our customers each step of the way as we transition from and close down our digital TV headend to the new SFN TV Now IPTV platform,” stated Conner.

Citizens CEO and General Manager, Greg Sapp began the meeting with a welcome to members for the second Annual Meeting held in Citizens’ multipurpose shelter which comfortably accommodated those in attendance. President Wesley Goff opened the meeting, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and gave the President’s Report. Secretary Shelby Quesenberry read the minutes from the last meeting and Director Jonathan Vest presented the re-election of Board members Kevin Hubbard (Ballard exchange), Daniel Grim (Floyd exchange), and Rhonda Turpin (Willis exchange).

Mr. Sapp returned to the podium to report on the Cooperative’s progress of the ACAM Fiber to the Home project. To date, only 27% of the project construction remains. When complete in 2023, Floyd County will be 100% covered with fiber optic Internet technology for current and future technology needs. Sapp also shared that through partial funding from the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative
(VATI) Citizens can now serve residents in Copper Hill with Gigabit (1Gbps) Internet. In conjunction with DSL to Fiber Internet conversions, Sapp reported that in just the last few months Citizens has connected over 600 customers with the new SFN TV Now IPTV platform. The new TV technology reportedly saves customers from paying additional on their monthly TV package for HD, PVR services, and set-top boxes.

Lastly in Sapp’s report, he announced that he would be retiring from Citizens Telephone Cooperative in November of 2022 after 29 years and that the Cooperative will be in good hands with newly selected Donna Hylton Smith as Citizens’ new General Manager. He thanked everyone for the opportunities over the years and for allowing him to serve them.

Smith is a Virginia Tech graduate and Floyd county resident whose family has generational roots in the company. Smith’s grandfather, Maynard Hylton, was Plant Manager at the time of his retirement in 1979. Smith’s father, Donald Hylton, was a contractor for the company prior to his retirement. Donna has been at Citizens for 21 years. In Smith’s statement, she commented “It is an honor to be selected for this position and continue the work started generations ago. I am excited to continue to serve the community where I was raised and now have my own family. Greg leaves big shoes to fill but with our team of dedicated employees, we will strive to make him proud and continue to bring our customers the best service around. Thank you, Greg, for your leadership. Thank you, Directors, for your support and confidence in me.” Donna resides in Floyd with her husband, Danny Smith, and children Jacob and Emma.

Traditions of the annual meeting continued with door prize drawings for members. Prizes awarded were: a Dewalt tool set, a Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum, a 13-piece cookware set, a smart clock, Armor All Car Kit, a 10” Fire HD tablet, a portable air compressor, and a 50” Roku TV. The meeting was followed by a catered meal by Blue Ridge Diner of Floyd.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be on the third Saturday of October 2023.

Floyd 540-745-2111 Ft. Chiswell 276-637-6485 Toll Free 1-800-941-0426 Support 1-800-741-9525