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.
Besides heating and cooling your home, heating your water uses more energy than anything else in the house. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the typical family spends up to 18 percent of its utility bills on water heating. Good news: It’s simple to lower that cost. Here are eight tips: Get… Continue reading.
If you feel a draft while you’re curled up on the sofa with a good book or your favorite TV show, don’t crank up the thermostat. Move the sofa. The chilliest places in your home during the winter are right next to the windows. So, move your furniture away from the windows. Here are six… Continue reading.
Everyone should know these electrical control safety panel tips. The panel is where electricity enters a building. It contains circuit breakers and has a main switch for shutting off all power in an emergency. Be prepared for when a breaker trips: Always keep a flashlight with fresh batteries stationed by your circuit breaker panel. Keep… Continue reading.
As we slog our way through the last half of winter, the safety messages we heard back when the weather started getting cold may long be forgotten. But now’s not the time to get lax, especially if your family uses an electric space heater to take the chill out of a bedroom or family room…. Continue reading.
