More than 600 members and their families enjoyed a great night at the 80th annual meeting of the cooperative. Kirby Staley brought live music in the auditorium, directors were reseated, and briefings from Orange County REMC board members and me were heard. There were over 40 door prizes given away as well. Mary Lea Brown… Continue reading.

Electric cooperatives are the foundation of the rural electric network. Miles of distribution lines link member-consumers to low-cost, cooperative power. Unlike traditional utilities that serve dense population centers, rural electric cooperatives serve fewer members per mile of line, which could potentially increase the cost of service per member consumer. Despite that disparity, your REMC provides… Continue reading.

Amos Murphy and Amos Wegner were hired by Orange County REMC in April and began work as groundmen. They will transition into lineman apprentices as they complete their training. Murphy was previously employed at Indiana Limestone Company where he was a crew supervisor cutting and/or extracting stone. He worked for Indiana Limestone for 12 years…. Continue reading.

Orange County REMC awards scholarships and sends students to Touchstone Energy Camp and the Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. annually. College scholarships Each year, students from schools in the Orange County REMC service territory apply to receive a $750 scholarship. Congratulations to the 2017 scholarship winners. Krista Kirk is the daughter of Jamie and Kelley… Continue reading.

      Other local organizations that recently received Operation Round Up grants include the Dogwood Century Bicycle Tour, $1,000; Hoosier Hills PACT, $2,000; and the Orange County Center for Women’s Ministries, $1,000. Thanks to our members who participate in the program, a total of $429,294.41 has been given back to the community.

The Orange County REMC board of directors has declared that the capital credits that were allocated to members for the year of 1959 are eligible for retirement, with payments scheduled to begin this month. Members and heirs of members who had service in 1959 are eligible to file claims. The REMC board of directors hopes… Continue reading.

You might have heard the saying, “If you don’t like the weather in Indiana, just wait five minutes!” Unfortunately, during that five minutes, severe weather can strike leading to flooding. According to weather.gov, in September 2003, a record-setting 7.2 inches of rain fell during a 24-hour period. With an average of 42 inches of precipitation… Continue reading.

No petitions were received for a member to run as a director against the current incumbents in the election. Directors Roberts and Lindsey will be officially seated at the annual meeting to represent Districts 1 and 5 because no petitions were filed for those districts.  Eugene Roberts District 1, incumbent director Director Eugene Roberts represents… Continue reading.

I recently came across an article on the website of our national organization, NRECA. It discussed the purpose of the cooperative, what it means and why it’s important today.  I would like to share some of that article, with plans to use this as the basis of my discussion coming up at our 80th annual… Continue reading.

To protect emergency and highway personnel, Indiana law requires motorists to approach cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped on two- or four-lane roadways with emergency lights flashing. Change lanes away from the emergency vehicle if you can do so safely. If not, reduce your speed 10 mph under the posted speed limit and proceed… Continue reading.

A flash of bright light followed by a boom that can shake the walls of your home is a clear sign of severe weather. Lightning strikes can lead to fluctuations of energy to your home. That is why you should protect your electronic devices from power surges using proper safety equipment. A simple way to suppress… Continue reading.

Where electricity comes from is as important as how it gets to homes and businesses. Renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, are alternative generation sources that complement existing resources, such as coal and natural gas. With the price of solar power continuing to come down, interest has risen around the United States and… Continue reading.