Part of the excitement of the holidays is getting together with family and friends around a dinner table laden with a traditional holiday feast. Unfortunately, ill prepared foods can ruin more than holiday spirit — they can cause serious illness and even death. Here are some tips from the Center for Science in the Public… Continue reading.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics indicate that 30% of all home fires and 38% of home fire deaths occur during the months of December, January, and February. These winter fires result from a variety of sources. The United States Fire Administration reports fires caused by cooking, heating and open flame all increase during the… Continue reading.

Heading “over the river and through the woods” this holiday season to visit Grandma and other relatives? It’s always a good idea when traveling in winter to “winterize” your car for unexpected problems. Make sure you have: A properly inflated spare tire, lug wrench and jack. A flat tire at any time and place is… Continue reading.

As your family puts up a tree or hangs the stockings this holiday season, start a new tradition. Put safety at the top of your list. Too often, the twinkling lights people see are on the top of a fire truck or ambulance — the result of holiday accidents that could have been prevented. According… Continue reading.

Diana Martinez used to be a “face” of Carroll White REMC as the member services representative working closely with consumers who had billing issues and questions. Now, she’s made a 180-degree shift. As operations coordinator, she literally and figuratively has gone from front to back: from the front offices to the back operations; from helping… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever If sampling a wide variety of chili from cooks all around the Midwest stokes a fire in your belly, then you’ll want to hop aboard the Wabash Cannonball Chili for Charity Cook Off, Oct. 16. Billed as “the largest annual chili cook off east of the Mississippi,” the event has attracted… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Spending a night or weekend in jail probably isn’t high on most people’s bucket lists … unless the stay’s at the Old Jail Inn in Rockville. The inn is literally the old Parke County pokey … hoosegow … the slammer … the calaboose … or “the Rock,” as TV’s Deputy Barney… Continue reading.

Most towns have a mural or two depicting aspects of the town’s history or famous residents. But Jasper County has turned itself into a giant art gallery for murals — painted on buildings throughout the county seat of Rensselaer.  Beginning with just one mural a half dozen years ago, Rensselaer now hosts an annual mural… Continue reading.

Operation at cost is part of the cooperative difference. Electric cooperatives aren’t like other utilities. You, as a consumer and a member, own a portion of the business. And one benefit of that membership involves the allocation of excess revenue, called margins, in the form of capital credits. Electric cooperatives operate at cost, collecting enough… Continue reading.

When the economy is uncertain, it’s good to know that your neighbors have your back. One of those good neighbors is your electric cooperative. Your electric co-op exists to provide you safe, reliable and affordable energy. Equally important is our mission to enrich your lives. Your electric utility is locally owned. In fact, you and… Continue reading.

The first successful U.S. cooperative was organized in 1752 when Benjamin Franklin formed the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire — the nation’s oldest continuing cooperative. Electric cooperatives began because it was not cost-effective for investor-owned utllities to string power lines into rural areas in the 1930s.  Indiana Electric Cooperatives,… Continue reading.