Spring and planting season are well underway, and we remind our members to be careful out in the fields and on the roads as slow machinery is moving around our rural areas. Saving a few minutes of travel isn’t worth risking life and limb for. Especially be mindful of tall machinery and overhead powerlines.
Each year, the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC) coordinates with the cooperatives of Illinois for Youth Day in Springfield. The event happens in May each year, and we send six area juniors up to Springfield to meet their legislators, tour the Capitol building, learn about the cooperative business model and Illinois’ electric and telephone cooperatives, and visit historic sites to take in the history of our state.
This year our group got an extra special treat, as Senator Jason Plummer took extra time out of his day to invite Clay County juniors from Clay Electric Co-operative and Wabash Telecommunications to his offices for an extended conversation about state government and his experience representing his constituents. We deeply appreciate Senator Plummer’s time and commitment to the youth of the state and informing the next generation of leaders.
The opportunities aren’t over for these kids. Two of our Youth Day juniors will be selected to attend Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. in June. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is the organization that coordinates with statewide associations and cooperatives across the nation to put together a weeklong experience for lucky juniors to travel to the nation’s capital, view historic monuments, and visit important cultural sites including Gettysburg, Arlington National Cemetery, the Supreme Court, and multiple other memorials and museums. They learn what makes cooperatives so different from for-profit institutions and network with young leaders from across the nation and make connections that will benefit them for a lifetime. For many, Youth Tour is a life-altering experience. We are so excited and proud to be able to provide this opportunity to young members of our community.
In service to our members, this month our forestry crew will still be working on the Iola substation’s south feeder. They’ll be clearing rights-of-way of dangerous trees to improve reliability. We expect them to be working on lines connected to the Iola substation. This is the northwest corner of our system north of Hickory Hill Lane and west of U.S. Route 45. Their work area will be highlighted on the map included in this section.
Don’t forget to search for your member number in the center section of this magazine. Three lucky numbers are hidden each month in Clay Electric News — if yours is there and you call us; you’ll earn a $5 credit on your next bill!