You might plant shrubs and bushes to make your yard look nicer. They might also lower your energy bill.  Careful landscape planning can help protect a house from summer’s hot sun and winter’s cold winds.  Here’s a quick guide to saving energy through smart planting: Determine the climate in your community and even in your… Continue reading.

If just the thought of easing up on the air conditioning in the middle of a summer heat wave makes you sweat, consider this trick to save electricity: Go outside. Spend weekend days outdoors. Before you leave the house for the day, turn the a/c up a few degrees. No need to keep your house… Continue reading.

If it’s too hot to fire up the grill this July 4, then it’s too warm indoors to heat up the oven. The solution: Host an energy-free potluck for the holiday and ask each guest to bring a cold dish that does not require any cooking before the party or heating during the event. Some… Continue reading.

If the fireworks show is in your yard this July 4, steer clear of power lines. Most people celebrate by watching a local, professional show — supervised by firefighters. But if you’re starting the performance early with consumer fireworks, here are some tips:  Your fireworks might be legal, but that doesn’t mean they are safe…. Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Self-isolation and quarantining — which are now part of everyone’s lexicon — have changed our habits, our lives, our physical health and our mental health. Here are some of my random thoughts about staying put at home after a long career of “going to work.” Not having to set the alarm clock… Continue reading.

The sweetest thing about Halloween may not be the preponderance of candy, but the inspired décor and “couture” associated with the holiday. Our October cover story will focus on what readers like you do to make your Halloween spook-tacular. What are some of your favorite DIY costumes and how did you make them? How do… Continue reading.

Top 3 responsibilities in a day: Update geographic information system (GIS) maps based on work and service orders and reports by field teams.  Dispatch outages. Help create GIS maps, both static and online, for internal and external use. What kind of education do you have?  I have a master’s degree in GIS and also attend specialized… Continue reading.

If you’ve found added comfort in the company of furry family members while sheltering in place, maybe you’re considering adding another set of paws upon your floor. Perhaps you’ve heard of a pet orphaned by COVID-19; or you think your pets would welcome the added company after life returns to normal and they are once… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Marcy Dodson was working at home — alone — as most everyone has the past couple of months. She was putting together the first installment of a new virtual feature for the Indiana State Museum designed to keep patrons engaged remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic closure. The topic was a goosebumper… Continue reading.

When settlers began filling in the new state of Indiana in the first half of the 1800s, they proudly adopted names relating to their heritage. One county’s Polish ancestry stands out in its name — Kosciusko — and its seat — Warsaw. The northern Indiana county, founded in 1836, is named after the Polish general… Continue reading.

Electricity is a safe and reliable form of energy, but it must be respected and used correctly. With summertime bringing people outside to play and work, keep the following in mind: Never climb on or play near anything that says “High Voltage.” Never go near a power line that has fallen down. Call 911 as… Continue reading.

Unplugging from the rat race for a week or so during the summer helps recharge your batteries. Unplugging your appliances when nobody’s using them helps conserve energy. Most people leave at least 40 appliances plugged in all the time — even though they use trace amounts of electricity when they’re turned off. That trickle of… Continue reading.