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Craigslist, an online collection of location-based classified ads, can be great for finding sofas, apartments, and even jobs. But as with all online activities, there is the potential for misuse. Scammers can be found virtually everywhere, including Craigslist, and they're out to get your money in any way they can.

Some popular tactics include listing items that don't actually exist and getting you to pay for them; getting you to pay for your purchase through a phony escrow account; getting you to pay for items through Western Union or another service that doesn't trace the receiver; getting you to reveal bank account or other financial information; and offering to pay more for an item that you've listed, then getting you to send a refund that reveals your banking information.

Craigslist offers several tips for avoiding these scams, but the #1 piece of advice that will prevent 99 percent of all scams is to deal only with local folks, and meet them in person. Here are a few more rules:

Never send funds via a wire service such as Western Union or Moneygram.
Beware of fake cashier's checks and money orders.
Don't believe any guarantees "from Craigslist," since Craigslist is not actually involved in any transaction.
Never purchase an item or rent a living space you haven't seen.
Refuse to submit to credit or background checks until you know the potential employer or landlord is legitimate.

Source: www.craigslist.org/about/scams

For added protection, trust your instincts. Be wary of ads that look as though they were written by someone who does not use English as their primary language (check for spelling errors and awkward usage). Also make sure you are really on Craigslist; it's easy to make a typo and end up on a site that looks like Craigslist but is really a scammer site.

Channel 9 KCAU-TV, the ABC affiliate in Sioux City Iowa, has announced the debut of the Live Well Network on Monday, January 16th.

The Live Well Network is one of the fastest growing digital networks in the country, and offers a wide range of entertainment-based programs, including home decorating, fashionand beauty, food, health, outdoor adventures, travel and finance. The programs are hosted by a team dedicated to inspiring viewers with easy tips and great ideas.

"We've had a good run with AccuWeather and want to thank those viewers who have been loyal to it," asid KCAU-TV's V.P. and General Manager Mary Ann Johnson, "but our contract with AccuWeather was expriing and we thought it was a perfect opportunity to find a more meaningful and substantive program service for our second channel."

Hartelco TV General Manager Bill Dendinger stated "While we were disappointed in KCAU's decision to replace AccuWeather, we still have The Weather Channel for forecasts and our Channel 13 still has the current weather conditions. We hope our customers enjoy the Live Well Network as it truly has a diverse lineup of entertainment programming. It will be found on the same channel number where AccuWeather had been located."

For more information on The Live Well Network, visit www.livewellnetwork.com.

There's a nationwide epidemic of issues affecting calls that come into Hartington and into other rural towns across the U.S.

You may have heard from callers who report that they tried to call you at an earlier time, but either the call didn't go through, or they could hear the phone ring on their end but it didn't ring on your phone in your home or business. Or they may even complete the call, but the quality was very low. In prior years, we may have attributed issues such as this to the caller using a cellphone in locations where the cell signal may have been weak or spotty. But these issues have been reported in dramatically increasing number all across the U.S. within the past two years.

This nationwide epidemic could negatively affect all of our customers - businesses and residential alike - and it could also affect public safety. The FCC has even created a task force to find the cause of the issues.

The call issue starts with the carrier that is used by the person who makes the call. And the problem can only be resolved by that same carrier.

If you hear reports of someone trying to call you but wasn't able to, here's what you can do:

Remember - the problem can only be resolved by the carrier used by the customer who made the call. Please call us at 402-254-3901 with any questions regarding this issue.

Hartelco TV is still preparing to launch a new TV system in 2012. The system will use Internet Protocol, and is commonly referred to as IPTV or Digital TV.

Just a reminder that Hartel.net is the best Internet value around by having the fastest

speeds for the best price. But that's not all - we also have the most reliable Internet service around with our fiber optic cable delivering the signal. Your Internet connection is safe and secure - underground - where weather conditions are always stable, and the signal to our office can't be intercepted.

Here is a re-run of an article on dialing 911 that we ran last month. So important that we decided to run it again.

Des Moines news station had 911 run a few test calls to see how accurately emergency services can pinpoint your location during an emergency. While this is in a metro area, the results in rural areas could be even worse. Click the picture below to watch this 6-minute video from WHO-TV in Des Moines - it could help save your life!

Many of us will be traveling the highways this winter. Here's the link to the Nebraska Dept of Roads website for road conditions around the state. You can even view webcams showing road conditions from many areas throughout the state.

Traveling out-of-state this winter? No problem. You can access the travel conditions for all surrounding states from this same webpage. Here's wishing you safe travels!

Some people are choosing to rely solely on cellphone service and no longer maintain a landline phone. Be aware that this decision could have serious consequences in the event of an at-home emergency, power outage, or natural disaster. Cellphones are simply not as reliable and effective in certain emergency situations and can hamper your ability to quickly get the help you need.

For example, when 911 is called from a landline phone in your home, the emergency dispatch center automatically receives your precise location and will be able to dispatch a fast and accurate response. This is particularly critical if you're home alone and unable to speak to 911 due to choking, a stroke, or a heart attack. A landline phone can also be a lifesaver if a young child calls 911 and can't provide the home's address.

In a power outage, you can no longer charge your cellphone so eventually it becomes useless. In addition, many factors can affect the operation of a cellphone tower, especially natural disasters such as tornadoes and ice storms. Cellphone networks can also become overwhelmed by the sheer number of individuals trying to make calls simultaneously during a disaster.

To maximize your ability to communicate both at home and away, the best solution is to maintain both landline and cellphone services. Together, they add up to peace of mind.

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Hartelco hopes that you watch this video about Ashley Umscheid, which highlights the critical issue of distracted driving. We believe this video could save lives, and we hope you share this link with others to help our community become a safer place to live.

If the weather doesn't cooperate when you try to attend a home basketball game in Hartington, you can still listen to the game on Hartelco TV Channel 13 or at www.hartel.net and just click the "Listen Live" icon in the top, right-hand corner. These webcasts of the game audio is brought to you by Hartington area businesses - please show them your appreciation by supporting these businesses.

Hartington Public Schools only has three home nights of basketball remaining during this season which includes January 17th, 24th, and 26th. Cedar Catholic, because of their scheduling, has six remaining nights of basketball coverage including January 20, 21, 27, February 7, 9, and 17th. You can see the complete schedule here.

One final note - we need you! If you are interested in helping to announce any of the Cedar Catholic games, just call Hartelco at 402-254-3901. An additional announcer to assist the main play-by-play announcer would be welcomed, as well as someone who may like to be the main play-by-play announcer. If several announcers are available, it's so much easier when a conflict prevents the main announcer from being there. Again just call Hartelco at 402-254-3901.

Good luck to all area teams as they now play the heart of their schedules before districts begin in February!

There's been much discussion about SOPA - Stop Online Piracy Act that is before Congress right now.

Proponents such as the motion picture industry, the music recording industry, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, believe it to be the best way to stop piracy of movies and music.

Opponents advise that SOPA could signal the end of the "free" Internet as we know it, and warn that sites like YouTube, Wikipedia, and other favorite sites could be blacklisted.

Discussions between the two camps have become quite heated at times. Click this link for a FAQ on SOPA from CNET dated December 21, 1011, and also feel free to search other resources on SOPA.

Disclaimer: The CNET article's site contains nearly 200 comments. Hartelco is not responsible for the language contained on CNET's site, nor does Hartelco condone any comments or position.

Healthy Snacks
realsimple.com – Love to nibble between meals but worried your snacking habit will ruin your New Year's resolution to lose weight or eat healthier? This site serves up over 40 snack recipes that are low in calories and fat, yet high in fiber and protein. And good news—you'll be pleased to see some of your favorites here including cookies, popcorn, and even a latte.

Practical Travel Search
hipmunk.com – Sure, you can sort flight options by the usual categories of price, duration, and arrival and departure times. But in addition, this travel search site lets you sort by "agony." A visual timeline makes it easy to see your choices from least to most agonizing, and to sort by other criteria as well. Use the hotel function to find details on hotels and their surroundings.

Discover New Entertainment
tastekid.com – Here's an easy way to discover new music (as well as books, movies, and TV shows). Just enter one of your favorites and get back a list of others you might like. You can even do "cross-searches" such as getting music suggestions by entering your favorite movie. Click the links to learn more about each suggestion, then comment, search for additional recommendations, and share on social media.

Creative Project Funding
kickstarter.com – On Time magazine's list of the 50 Best Websites of 2011, Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects. Browse the site to learn about ventures that just might be the next big thing in art, fashion, film, or music. Check out the featured projects, or search by category or city. If you see an interesting project, you can contribute as little as $1 to its development.

Share Memories
proust.com – This site is like a virtual, ongoing holiday dinner where friends and family can share memories, thoughts, and aspirations. Learn more about your loved ones by asking questions like, "What is the most valuable piece of advice you ever received?" Or respond to questions yourself, then share your answers. View your stories and those of others as a book, list, map, or timeline.

Your browser history is a handy tool when you want to quickly return to a recently visited webpage. But it can also become a privacy issue, which is why browsers provide the option of clearing your history. It's also a good thing to do regularly to help prevent the slowdown of your Internet and computer speeds due to the accumulation of cookies and offline webpages. To clear your browser history, simply follow the steps below for your browser and operating system.

Manually Clearing Your Browser History Using ...
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 8
Computer Operating System: Windows XP

With Internet Explorer open, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and select "Internet Options" from the resulting drop-down menu.
The Internet Options window will open and the "General" tab should be selected. In the "Browsing history" section, click on the "Delete..." button.
The Delete Browsing History window will open. By default, some of the selections will be checked. Once you are satisfied that the appropriate selections have been made, click on the "Delete" button.
The "Delete Browsing History" progress box will appear to show you the deletion status.
Click the red X in the upper right corner to close the Internet Options window.

Internet Explorer 8 also gives you the option of automatically deleting your browsing history upon exiting from the program. To do this, simply follow these steps:

With Internet Explorer open, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and select "Internet Options" from the resulting drop-down menu.
The Internet Options window will open. While on the "General" tab and in the "Browsing history" section, check the box next to "Delete browsing history on exit."
Next, click on the "Apply" button to save your changes and then click on the "OK" button to close the Internet Options window.

Manually Clearing Your Browser History Using ...
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 9
Computer Operating System: Windows Vista and Windows 7

With Internet Explorer open, click your cursor arrow on the button resembling a gear or cog on the right side of the tool bar, drop down to the "Safety" menu, and select "Delete Browsing History..." from the resulting drop-down menu.
The Delete Browsing History window will open. The box next to "History" should be checked. Uncheck any other items you do not want to delete, like Cookies.
Click on the "Delete" button. The "Delete Browsing History" pop-up box will appear showing you the progress of deleting your history and will close automatically when the process is complete.

Internet Explorer 9 also gives you the option of automatically deleting your browsing history upon exiting from the program. To do this, simply follow these steps:

With Internet Explorer open, click your cursor arrow on the button resembling a gear or cog on the right side of the tool bar and select "Internet Options" from the resulting drop-down menu.
The Internet Options window will open. While on the "General" tab and in the "Browsing history" section, check the box next to "Delete browsing history on exit."
Next, click on the "Apply" button to save your changes and then click on the "OK" button to close the Internet Options window.

Manually Clearing Your Browser History Using ...
Internet Browser: Mozilla Firefox 8.0.1
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X

With Firefox open, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and select "Clear Recent History..." from the resulting drop-down menu.
The Clear Recent History window will open. Click the down arrow next to "Details" and verify that the box next to "Browsing & Download History" is checked.
From the drop-down menu next to the "Time range to clear:" field, choose from the five items listed: "Last Hour," "Last Two Hours," "Last Four Hours," "Today," or "Everything."
Click on the "Clear Now" button.

Manually Clearing Your Browser History Using ...
Internet Browser: Safari 5.0.5
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X

With Safari open, click your cursor arrow on the "History" menu and select "Clear History" from the resulting drop-down menu.
A pop-up box will appear asking, "Are you sure you want to clear history? You can't undo this action." There is also an empty check box next to "Also reset Top Sites." Check the check box and then click on the "Clear" button.

Manually Clearing Your Browser History Using ...
Internet Browser: Google Chrome 16
Computer Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6

With Chrome open, click your cursor arrow on the "History" menu and select "Show Full History" from the resulting drop-down menu.
When the "History" window opens, click on the "Edit items..." link to the upper right.
Click the "Clear all browsing data..." button at the top of the list of links in Chrome's history.
Close the window when you're finished.

Manually Clearing Your Browser History Using ...
Internet Browser: Google Chrome 16
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7

With Chrome open, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" icon that is shaped like a wrench on the right of the menu bar and select "History" from the resulting drop-down menu.
When the "History" tab opens, click on the "Edit items..." link to the upper right.
Click the "Clear all browsing data..." button at the top of the list of links in Chrome's history.
Close the tab when you're finished.