Porter County sits in the middle of the three Hoosier counties touching Lake Michigan. This unique geographical location gives the county its amazing “otherworldly” landscape and ecosystem that is the Indiana Dunes. The lakeshore offers some of the most unspoiled natural areas in the state and is home to Indiana’s only “National Park.” Indiana Dunes… Continue reading.

What college student hasn’t relied on a 25 cent package of ramen for sustenance? Not only is it a cheap and filling meal, its as easy to make as boiling water. But the iconic block of noodles and foil packet of bouillon powder can easily be made over into an impressive — and healthier —… Continue reading.

“I touch the future. I teach.” is a quote attributed to Christa McAuliffe, the star-crossed classroom teacher who was to be the first teacher in space aboard the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger. In their own ways, Indiana’s electric cooperatives have been touching the future, too … for decades. Fulfilling the cooperative commitment to community and… Continue reading.

Your dog loves riding in the car with you and playing in the grass on warm, sunny days. But when it gets really hot, keep Fido indoors where the air conditioning can keep your best friend cool. Like people, pets can suffer from all kinds of heat-related problems, like heat stroke, dehydration and respiratory distress…. Continue reading.

Drinking lots of water, wearing light-colored clothing and staying out of the sun will protect you from dehydration and heat stroke this summer. So can your air conditioner. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks air-conditioning as the number one protection against heat-related illness and death. So, take good care of yours. If you… Continue reading.

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

Cool air could escape from your home this summer through two spaces you probably don’t pay much attention to: the attic and the crawl space under the home. If your attic doesn’t have enough insulation it could let cool air out and hot, summer air in. Even though your home was probably built with plenty… Continue reading.

The quickest way to lower your energy costs is to conserve. Here are some simple things you can do that will help you save energy this summer: Give your stove a rest. A microwave oven uses two-thirds less energy than your stove to cook and heat food. Other energy-savers: grilling outdoors or enjoying cold, healthy… Continue reading.

If your house is too warm and your energy bills are too high, don’t guess why. Have a pro figure it out before you invest a lot of money in updating your air conditioning unit or replacing your drafty windows.  Those big-ticket items could be contributing to the problem, but they’re probably not the core… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling I can’t even tell you how many emails I send in a day. Nor can I tell you exactly what I’ve written in each correspondence. I probably spend just a few seconds composing most of them, clicking on “Send” quickly before tackling the next of many messages in my inbox. In most… Continue reading.

Electric linemen are a tough breed. They climb 30-foot wooden poles in all kinds of weather with only metal spikes strapped to their legs and a leather belt around the pole and themselves. They work within reach of live power lines protected physically by only rubber gloves and sleeves. But Brent Buckles, a former lineman… Continue reading.

Recreation and the celebration of history and culture make Franklin County in southeastern Indiana come alive. County seat Brookville sits at the southern edge of Brookville Lake. Brookville’s earthen dam was constructed in 1974 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and impounds the East Fork of the Whitewater River for flood control and… Continue reading.