Some heroes wear hard hats

Indiana linemen aid Mississippi co-op after winter storm

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Posted on May 01 2026 in A Co-op Perspective, Bartholomew County REMC, Clark County REMC, Daviess-Martin County REMC, Decatur County REMC, Dubois REC, Harrison REMC, Henry County REMC, Jackson County REMC, Orange County REMC, Southern Indiana Power, WIN Energy REMC
Bo Simpson of Clark County REMC helps clear damage in Mississippi after Winter Storm Fern.
Bo Simpson of Clark County REMC helps clear damage in Mississippi after Winter Storm Fern.

Back in January, Winter Storm Fern blanketed the southern United States with damaging ice, unusually cold temperatures, and widespread power outages.

As a result, electric cooperatives did what cooperatives always do — they put the principle of Cooperation Among Cooperatives into action.

After the storm, linemen from five Hoosier Energy member cooperatives headed to Mississippi to help the Tishomingo County Electric Power Association repair its decimated electric infrastructure and restore power to over 12,000 members. In all, Mississippi saw over 150,000 outages statewide.

The linemen who represented Hoosier Energy, the state of Indiana, and their electric cooperatives were Chris Woods, Wyatt Binkley, and Bo Simpson of Clark County REMC; Grant Horton, Jarrett Arvin, Dwain Jolliff, and Jordan Kaiser of Daviess-Martin County REMC; Tyler Allen and Andrew Weidenbenner of Dubois REC; Max Rickelman, Jarrett Hawhee, Jim Applegate, and Eric Faulkenberg of Southern Indiana Power; and Mike Rich, Alex Schnepper, Chance Kelley, and Mike Harmon of WIN Energy REMC.

A horse looks on as a Southern Indiana Power lineman works in Mississippi.
A horse looks on as a Southern Indiana Power lineman works in Mississippi.

In addition to clearing rights-of-way and replacing poles, these linemen also made friends with the four-legged creatures they encountered along the way. From cats and dogs to pigs and sheep, as well as a cow — which the crew from Southern Indiana Power dubbed as pasture supervisor Bessie Watts — these men made a difference.

For one family, having the Daviess-Martin crew come from Indiana to Mississippi created a full-circle moment.

“Not all heroes wear capes, some wear hard hats,” the family wrote. “We have never been so happy to see anyone in all of our lives. After 13 days with no power, these guys came in and saved the day! We moved to Mississippi from Tell City, Indiana, four years ago. It was kind of cool that linemen from Indiana restored our power.”

Another cooperative principle in action — Concern for Community — even if it is hundreds of miles from home. That’s what electric cooperatives do.