One of my most memorable collegiate memories was the day more than 2,500 of my fellow Ball State Cardinals and I gathered on the university’s quadrangle to jump in the air at the same time — all in an effort to make the Guinness Book of World Records and appear in a Toyota commercial. I’m… Continue reading.

Randy Kleaving always heard one proverb when he was young: “No matter how good something is, when you’re done with it, you need to leave it better.” That’s something he says he’s always taken to heart: in his vocation as a farmer, and multiple avocations as volunteer firefighter, county commissioner, and director on his local,… Continue reading.

Don’t insert coins, paper clips or other small items into electric outlets. Stay away from anything that says “High Voltage.” Don’t fly kites anywhere near power lines. Lightning is electricity. Don’t play outside during an electrical storm.

Have time and technology made your wiring inadequate? One potential area for electrical hazards is an outdated wiring system. Is yours able to handle the load you demand of it? Here are some instances when immediate help is needed. Blowing of fuses when certain appliances are used together. If you can’t operate your appliances as… Continue reading.

The smartest, safest way to fix an electrical problem around your house is to call a licensed electrician. Even if you are an expert handyman, it’s just not smart to fool around with electricity. If you must, however, at least: Turn off the power at the breaker box. Don’t just turn the appliance or light… Continue reading.

No one understands the importance of electrical safety more than electric lineworkers. Every day, they literally put their lives on the line to ensure you have power. Lineworkers know than when working with electricity, it is crucial to always follow the rules and never take any safety shortcuts. That’s why during Electrical Safety Month, we… Continue reading.

May is National Electrical Safety Month, and Indiana’s electric cooperatives want to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety. Modern homes run on electricity but if you don’t properly maintain your electrical products, they can create hazards. The good news: Eliminating electrical hazards from your home doesn’t have to… Continue reading.

Cass County might be famous for cats (as in “Felix the” … the Logansport Community High School mascot which was also the state’s first mascot) and beautiful hand-carved horses on its nationally historic carousel, but come June 18 the county will be high on the hog … as in pork. The first “Squeal on the… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart is remembered most for how her life ended. Her tragic disappearance over the Pacific while trying to girdle the globe in 1937 remains a mystery that still evokes a sense of wistful sadness and loss. But her most endearing legacy, especially at Purdue University where she was… Continue reading.

Chris Chastain’s first experience with an electric cooperative was as a “fuzzy” — a nickname the linemen and outdoor crews gave to college kids hired as summer interns. “I suppose that probably derived from the peach fuzz still on our faces,” Chastain says. But, what the Rose-Hulman electrical engineering student saw at his hometown electric… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever On or about April 8, 1952, an 18-year-old baseball player with an unusual swing packed a small travel bag for his first road trip. He hugged his weeping mother; waved goodbye to his dad, siblings, and coach at the train station; and was off to join his first professional team for… Continue reading.

Pike County is named after Zebulon Pike, the Western explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado also was named. But the person from Pike County to scale the loftiest heights was baseball star Gil Hodges. Hodges, the former Brooklyn Dodger and manager of the New York Mets who died suddenly 50 years ago April 2,… Continue reading.