By Richard G. Biever A wintry wind blustered around the big red-sided barn at WonderTree Farm, just north of Zionsville. Inside, Hunter Smith pulled another wedge from a neatly stacked cord of firewood and deposited it into a pot-bellied stove. The 105-year-old restored relic is the newest addition to the farm’s store. Set in a… Continue reading.

After high school and college, Pete Byrum worked a couple of jobs, but no job felt like a permanent “home” until he took a position just beyond his high school’s front doors at his hometown electric cooperative. It was a place his dad had encouraged him to look into since high school. At age 28,… Continue reading.

Wabash County is named after Indiana’s famed “official” river, the Wabash. The river flows through the heart of the county and the city of Wabash, the county’s seat.  While the Wabash River has its place in Indiana culture and history, the county and city have had their share of the limelight. One instance came on… Continue reading.

Valentine’s Day falls perfectly between the year-end holidays and spring break, which is usually still a month or so away. In the deadest of winter, Valentine’s Day is a shining moment that gives everyone from harried parents to budding couples a chance for some rest and romantic relaxation. Whether you live in the northern or… Continue reading.

Cluttered countertops and overflowing cabinet drawers can put a damper on your home, so it’s worth taking the time to find organizational solutions that work. You can help streamline your space and keep everything you need in easy reach with these simple tips. Plus, think of all the time you’ll save once you no longer… Continue reading.

Thinking of starting a new DIY or home remodeling project? Before you begin, here are some quick tips and tricks to keep in mind to make your work go as smoothly and successfully as possible. Keep it simple It’s a good idea to set realistic targets for what you’d like to accomplish. If you’re a… Continue reading.

Small steps can add up to significant reductions in electricity use — which will also help you save on your electric bill. These five ideas are simple to implement but will lead to energy conservation and cost reduction down the line. Switch to LED lighting Traditional incandescent bulbs consume a good deal of electricity and… Continue reading.

I am thrilled and humbled to be stepping into the editor role at Indiana Connection, succeeding the inimitable Emily Schilling. I am grateful to everyone at Indiana Electric Cooperatives for this opportunity, and I’m also extremely nervous. Have you ever felt that way when you started a new role or job? Emily Schilling is someone… Continue reading.

In four short years, Stefanie Lifford has gone from taking calls from individual consumers to now working on the electric distribution side monitoring power flow, troubleshooting outages, and helping keep the lights on for large numbers of consumers at a time. “That was really the big picture for me,” she said. “As a customer contact… Continue reading.

Montgomery County’s seat of Crawfordsville features two historic sites that are now public museums. One fits into its self-proclaimed nickname as the “Athens of Indiana” because of the number of authors who were born or have worked there, and the other revolves around a novel form of incarceration. The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum,… Continue reading.

Every true blue-blooded, gold-torch-carrying Hoosier probably knows the official state bird is the native Northern cardinal. And most Hoosiers could likely recite at least part of the refrain of the state song, “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away,” whether they live along the Ohio River, the southern tip of Lake Michigan, or in… Continue reading.

Even if you love the crackle and warmth of a natural-burning wood fire in the hearth, you probably could live without the added cost to your energy bill.  Sure, the flickering flames make you feel warm while you’re sitting nearby, but wood-burning fires actually have negative efficiency. They emit little or no warmth to a… Continue reading.