You empty the ashes and sweep your fireplace after every use to keep it safe and looking nice. But is it ready for Santa? Your fireplace isn’t really clean until you remove what you can’t see: the creosote, soot, ashes, dust, leaves and even birds that are stuck in the flue and chimney. Unless you… Continue reading.

Wood-burning fireplaces are charming and romantic, but they’re among the most energy-inefficient devices in a home. Keep yours from sucking the heat out of your home and the money out of your wallet. Close the dampers whenever you’re not burning a fire. Fireplaces can exhaust as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air per hour… Continue reading.

Turkey, stuffing, cookies, candy canes, fruitcake — there are so many eating opportunities during the holiday season that it’s easy to imagine becoming a “blimp” by spring. To determine if you’re eating problematically, ask yourself a few questions: Do you know what you’re eating when you’re eating it, or are you just scarfing things down?… Continue reading.

Leftover wine leads to slushy fun: Do you have some leftover white wine in your refrigerator from Thanksgiving? Don’t let it go to waste. Use it to make White Wine Slush. To prepare, place in a blender 2 cups semi-dry to sweet white wine, 1 pint fresh or 10 oz. frozen strawberries, 1 (6 oz.)… Continue reading.

For most people, their electricity provider is just the company that keeps the lights on. But an electric cooperative’s relationship with its consumer-owners is different. Since the 1930s when Indiana’s electric cooperatives were formed, they’ve thrived because of the political engagement between their consumer-owners and local, state and federal governments.  Indiana’s electric cooperatives advocate for… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever On a clear night, Jim Tague can see forever. Through his backyard telescope, he can look out across the eons. What he finds there among the ancient dapples of starlight and emptiness, he’s sometimes not sure of. But that’s what’s kept him stargazing since he was a boy. “What draws me… Continue reading.

Though the first non-Native settlers in Adams County were from New England, encouraged by the new Erie Canal, it was the arrival of the first Amish/Mennonite settlers in 1840 and the German-Swiss immigrants that followed that left a lasting impact on the culture of the county, especially in its southern half.  Berne was settled in… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Thanksgiving will certainly be a bit different this year. Friends and relatives may choose to attend a virtual turkey day celebration instead of an in-person dinner. And those prepping the feast may not only be shielded by aprons, but face masks as well this year. Holiday safety precautions nowadays go far beyond… Continue reading.

Like most everything else in 2020, the annual Cooperative Calendar of Student Art contest was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally held in late March or early April, the art contest judging was delayed to June because of the school closures and the closure of Indiana Connection’s office at Indiana Electric Cooperatives. IEC staff has… Continue reading.

They did their work nearly 90 years ago. But, the legacy of the men and women who petitioned, paid for and built the electric cooperative that serves your community lives on every time you turn on the lights, watch TV or charge your cell phone. This holiday season, give thanks for the pioneers who helped… Continue reading.

Deep-fried turkeys have had a bad reputation for years because most deep fryers were gas-powered and safe only for the outdoors. Enter electric deep fryers designed for use on kitchen countertops.  To fry your holiday bird, choose a high smoke-point oil such as peanut, canola or sunflower. Search the internet or ask friends for their… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever For an unprecedented third time, Evan has won the “Best of Show” in the latest Cooperative Calendar of Student Art contest. Winning the 12th grade division also made Evan a seven-time consecutive grade winner — another unprecedented accomplishment in the calendar contest’s 23 years. The winning works from the contest, which… Continue reading.