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.

Q: I occasionally come across vines that I try to identify to avoid poison ivy. On a recent encounter in Paoli, Indiana, in early October, I thought I was prepared knowing that poison ivy has three leaves and Virginia creeper has five leaves, according to numerous sources. When I inspected the vine in question, to… 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.

If your let’s-go-out-to-lunch bunch can’t agree on a cuisine du jour, Crooked Ewe Brewery and Ale House can come to the culinary rescue. The gastro-brewery’s eclectic menu choices will satisfy everyone’s cravings. Appetizers, sandwiches, salads, smoked meats, a full brunch menu and Asian selections like ramen, poke and Pad Thai tempt hungry diners at the… Continue reading.

Planting season is here for many of the state’s roughly 94,000 farmers. While you prepare to plant the crops that help feed the world, Indiana’s electric cooperatives remind you to keep safety in mind — especially when working around electricity. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 62 farm workers… 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.

By Matt Strahl From cabinets to countertops, those building new homes have plenty of decisions to make. Some of those decisions go beyond the surface, affecting how comfortable you’ll be in your new home – and could lower your long-term energy use, saving money on utility bills. If you plan to build a new home,… Continue reading.

Location, location, location is the mantra in real estate, but is also applies to your yard this time of year when you want to lower energy bills and create curb appeal. Positioning the right combination of plants and trees can yield shade, beautify, and unearth energy savings. Such smart or energy-efficient landscaping, claims the U.S…. Continue reading.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the typical family spends up to 18 percent of its utility dollars on water heating. Good news: It’s simple to lower that cost. Here are six tips: Get rid of your old showerheads and bathroom faucets.  They pump out way more water than you need to… Continue reading.

Saving energy isn’t difficult, but it’s not automatic. You need to plan to buy energy-efficient appliances and to develop energy-wise lifestyle habits.  Here are 15 easy things to do around the house to save electricity and pare down your energy bill: Adjust your thermostat. Even one or two degrees can add up to great savings. … Continue reading.

I’m a sucker for household hints, those tried-and-true tips designed to help you clean up, tidy up and make your home a better place to be. Anytime I can save time or money, or cleverly repurpose something I never thought I could, is a great time as far as I’m concerned. So, just in time… Continue reading.

As we reflect on the accomplishments of the cooperative over the past year, we are grateful for our board’s leadership and confidence in our team. We are also grateful for the faith and trust of our members, which gives our work purpose and meaning every day.   Looking ahead, we’re more committed than ever to… Continue reading.