About 40 years ago, co-op leaders thought to develop a training program to ensure lineworkers had the skills and knowledge they needed to keep themselves and others safe on the job.  Based on this idea, a formal training program was set into motion in 1974, and the first Hoosier Energy Apprenticeship Training and Safety (HEATS)… Continue reading.

Just out of high school, Scot Price was uncertain about the direction he wanted his life to take. He took a manufacturing job assembling electric meters in West Lafayette, knowing it wasn’t going to be long term. In 1990, he took a job on the other side of the meter — at Tipmont REMC —… Continue reading.

Note to readers: Jack Spaulding has just released his second full-length book. In “Coon Hunter and the Kid,” Jack shares tales of a rural Midwestern boy’s journey to manhood and the lifelong bonds and lessons learned on the hunting trail. For this month’s column, we present an excerpt. As a young boy, I considered myself… Continue reading.

As a service to our readers and to promote electrical safety, here are some recent recall notices provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Visit www.cpsc.gov/en/recalls for full details of these recalls and for notices of many more. Yeti power supply recalled This recall involves all Yeti 25A Fast Charge power supplies with model… Continue reading.

By B. Rosie Lerner Q: I have a lot of these plants  (pictured at right) growing in the field near my home. Can you identify this plant for me?  And is it poisonous? I have horses and am concerned that this could make them sick. A: This is a very common weed called pokeweed. It… Continue reading.

Power outages are never convenient. Sometimes, it’s no mystery why we are left in the dark, like when lightning and thunder rattle windows and walls. Other times, an outage may come out of the blue. The length of time it takes to restore power will vary by the cause. Most electric cooperatives attempt to share… Continue reading.

Valentine’s Day has always meant wining and dining, dancing and romancing. But this year, the continuing cloud of COVID-19 has kept Cupid on the q.t. Leave it to Indiana’s enterprising wineries and vineyards to keep the crafted potables Hoosiers have come to love accessible and a part of this Feb. 14 or any special occasion,… Continue reading.

Jackson County was not named after the President Andrew Jackson — contrary to popular perception. Rather, it was named in honor of Gen. Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans at the end of the War of 1812. Obviously, the same person — but different circumstances. Jackson County was formed in 1816,… Continue reading.

Understanding this process is an essential component of grassroots advocacy and civic engagement. While the process can be quite complex, when boiled down there are seven basic steps that lead to a bill becoming a law. There needs to be an idea. The idea is written down by a member of Congress, either a senator… Continue reading.

By Jeremy Montgomery When several Hendricks Power Cooperative members contacted Energy Advisor Steve Hite for recommendations about contractors outside of that cooperative’s service territory, he didn’t know the answers. But he knew where to go to find them. He asked the energy advisors at nearby electric cooperatives for recommendations in their areas and then shared… Continue reading.

Now’s a good time to go through that ever-growing stack of old bank statements and shred them. The Federal Trade Commission warns that identity theft if the fastest growing crime in the United States, and those old documents — along with the tons of credit card offers that arrive in the mail regularly — could… Continue reading.

Proper maintenance of your car or truck will increase its fuel economy and put dollars back in your pocket in the form of savings. The U.S. Department of Energy offers these tips: Check tires regularly. Underinflated tires not only can run hot, shortening their lives, they also lead to more gasoline use. About 4 million… Continue reading.