STEMC

Last year, the U.S. Senate―building off similar action by the United Nations General Assembly―designated 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives. As a result, cooperatives everywhere are celebrating our unique not-for-profit, member-owned and -controlled business model.

If you’ve read The Tennessee Magazine, then you know Southwest Tennessee Electric is an electric cooperative—as a result, you and everyone else who receives electric service from us is a member, not a customer. Because you and your fellow members govern how STEMC operates, our top priority remains providing safe and reliable service and keeping your electric bills affordable. Local control also means we’re in the business of improving the quality of life in the communities we serve, from offering college scholarships to advice on how you can make your home or business more energy efficient.

Electric co-ops are just one type of cooperative operating in America. Dairy cooperatives produce nearly 90 percent of our nations’ milk. Credit unions? They’re cooperatives, too, with more than 8,000 across the country serving 91 million consumers. You can also find housing, hardware, and even funeral co-ops throughout the U.S.

Some agricultural marketing cooperatives have become household names: Sunkist, Ocean Spray, and Blue Diamond Almonds for example. But we have other cooperatives right here in our town. The local farmer’s co-op is also a cooperative that many of our members rely on for their farming supplies.

Together, all of us are a key part of our local economy. We provide good jobs to folks who live right here―your neighbors and friends. We deliver goods and services that keep our communities humming. We’re happy to lend a hand when we’re able, and we enjoy being involved with schools and community organizations.

In this month’s issue of The Tennessee Magazine, you can read about a number of ways that STEMC works to improve the communities in our service area. Our FLEXPAY program provides options and information to help our members control their energy costs. You can also read about the Washington Youth Tour and our other school programs that are designed to prepare students to be tomorrow’s leaders.

While not a new concept― Benjamin Franklin started the first cooperative, the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire, in 1752 (it still operates today!)―the cooperative form of business continues as an integral part of our lives each day.

The annual Washington Youth Tour creative writing contest is underway in high schools throughout the Southwest Tennessee Electric service area. The contest gives high school Juniors an opportunity to win an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., cash prizes and scholarships.

Students are asked to write a short story titled “iPower the Future.” Ten students from high schools in Tipton, Haywood, Madison and Chester counties will win a trip to Washington, D.C., in June. An overall winner is named for the service area, and this story is entered in a state-wide competition for scholarships.

Winners of this year’s contest will be named in the June issue of The Tennessee Magazine.

In addition to the Washington Youth Tour, STEMC provides a number of programs to help students develop as leaders and learn to be safe around electricity. The Louie the Lightening Bug program teaches kindergarten through second grade students about electric safety. Danger High Voltage is available for grades 4 through high school and Electrojuice for grades six through high school.

STEMC participates in the 4-H Electric Camp, a program that teaches 6th grade students about electricity and safety. The co-op also sends students to participate in the Youth Leadership Summit that provides high school Juniors leadership training.

We also maintain a speakers bureau with experts on a number of topics. For additional information on the Washington Youth Tour or any other education program, please contact Marilyn Maxwell at 1-800-772-0472.

City dedicates a new fire station that serves all of southern Tipton County

On Dec. 15 the City of Munford dedicated a new 14,694 square foot fire station. Munford mayor Dwyane Cole introduced dignitaries and guests.

“We are so thankful to have such a state-of-the-art facility here in Munford that will not only service our town but the entire community,” said Allen Barkelew, fire chief for the City of Munford.

Former fire chief Jay Bonson pursued a grant from the American Recovery Reinvestment Act and FEMA to build the fire station. The city was awarded a $1.8 million dollar grant to build the new fire station. It was one of only 2 grants awarded in the state of Tennessee.

The station, located in the center of Munford, will house eight full time firefighters and 31 reserve firefighters. The facility has lockers for everyone and a new fitness room.

“We have a large room which will be used to train firefighters from other communities as well as keep our own equipped with training materials,” stated Barkelew. “The old station had no training room at all.”

The station will house four fully equipped fire engines, one reserve fire engine, one tanker, one ladder truck, one rescue/mini truck, two wild land brush trucks, one Hazmat certification trailer, one CERT trailer, a command vehicle and one battalion car.

Also included in the new house will be a fireman museum. The museum will be open to the public at no charge from 8-5 Monday through Friday. “An original 1956 Ford fire engine will be housed here,” said Barkelew. “We are looking for anyone who has fire memorabilia and is willing to donate or loan it.”

The Munford Fire Department was started in 1957 with one fireman. Today the department serves both Munford and Atoka and a population of more than 15,000 residents.  Combined with the county residents living outside the corporate limits, the station serves a total population of 30,000 residents and approximately 60 square miles. The department provides mutual aid to other county departments such as Quito, Brighton, Three Star and Gilt Edge.

“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to help prepare our community and keep our citizens safe,” said Barkelew. “Our mission is clear: life safety, emergency incident stabilization and property conservation.”

Nation-wide, seventy-one percent of all fire fighters are volunteers.  Southwest Tennessee Electric commends those who work so hard to serve our community.

Southwest Tennessee Electric’s FLEXPAY program allows participants to how much and how often they pay for the energy they use. Many STEMC members have found the program to be a convenient option.

STEMC members Brian and Angela York have been on FLEXPAY since DATE. “We have been very happy with the FLEXPAY program,” said Brian. “It is convenient and simple to use.”

“Participants can pay what they want when they want so long as the balance in their account is positive,” said Donna Winchester, member services manager. Because program participants pay for energy before it is used they do not pose a credit risk to the co-op. Because of this, they are not required to pay a deposit.

The FLEXPAY portal allows members to track their daily energy usage. Many participants find that this helps them to better manage their energy costs.

“We pay every 2 weeks and we don’t have to worry about a monthly electric bill,” says York. “It helps us budget more accurately, and the information we get from the website helps us make smarter decisions about how we use energy.”

Participants in the program can receive daily usage updates online, by phone or text message, and research shows that this awareness can save participants 8 to 10 percent in energy costs.

FLEXPAY participants pay a monthly program fee of $8. Contact your local STEMC office or visit stemc.com to learn more about the FLEXPAY program.

If your name is listed below and you have been a member of Southwest Tennessee Electric, you are due for a refund for an inactive deposit. If these refunds are not claimed by April 1, 2012, they must be paid to the state of Tennessee as unclaimed property. Please notify your local STEMC office if your name is listed below.

• Daniel Morrison
• Mary Richardson
• Cindy Lou Ballard
• Chris Ashley Honey
• Michael Belew
• Robert Charles Skinner
• Ronald D. Rowland
• Ricky L Webb
• Brittany Boland
• Ify Ekelem
• Pam Moore
• Kelly Nicole Borham
• Jimmie Oden
• Kandy Lynn Widner
• Nora Parimore
• Stephen Bradley
• Debra Lynn Harris
• Leon Dudley
• Stephen Blackwell
• David Carson Harris
• Renee Carsley
• Dennis J Watson
• Brandy Borgognoni
• Charles H Kline
• Bruce Edwards
• Jonica Marie Sanders
• Heather Miller
• Adam Lindsey
• Brandon J Hutcherson
• Jeanne P Carpenter
• Linda Fay Walker
• Mary Lee Lovvorn
• Chad & Bonnie Landman
• Annette Jenkins
• Amanda Jo Ramsey
• Kenneth Perkins, Jr.
• Freddy Woodward
• Marcella C. Skipper
• Stephanie Dawn Dodd
• Heather Thomas
• Yasushi Shimokage
• Salena Marie Starkey
• Courtney D Buss
• Gary Lee
• Jason E Strain
• Matthew Blake Frazier
• Arthur Lee Thomas

As most of us know, squirrels are rodents and they wreck havoc on our power system causing numerous outages. As a matter of fact, on our record keeping they have their own “Outage Cause” category. Depicted are a couple of squirrels that caused recent outages. (Pictures submitted by some our linemen)

These are some aerial photos taken by Lineman Thomas Carlton. Not everyone is cut out to do this type work. These are the men who keep your lights on in all kinds of weather.

To better serve our members in the Burlison area, a new 161,000 volt substation is under construction on Hwy. 59. Southwest and TVA are combining forces to spend approx. 7.6 million dollars on the project. The new substation is scheduled to go in service in June 2012.

STEMC director Robert Kendrick of Haywood County received his Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate during the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association annual meeting in Nashville in November.

The Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) curriculum consists of five courses designed to provide basic knowledge and skills required of cooperative directors. Directors have several opportunities to attend courses throughout the year.

“An electric co-op is a highly complex business,” says STEMC president Kevin Murphy. “The credentialed cooperative director program helps our board members to be prepared to make the best decisions for our cooperative.”

Mr. Kendrick is the 4th of STEMC’s ten board members to receive the Credentialed Cooperative Director designation.

Snow and ice storms are an inevitable part of the winter season. However, they can lead to downed power lines and outages. Remember the following tips to stay safe and warm should you find yourself in the dark after a severe winter event:

• Never touch a fallen power line, and assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged. Call Southwest Tennessee Electric at 888-440-1990 to report it immediately. Avoid contact with overhead lines during cleanup and other activities.
• In the event of an outage, an alternate heating source—such as a fireplace, propane space heater, or wood stove—may be used. Extreme caution should be taken.
• Plan to stay in an area of the home where the alternate heat source is located.
• Fuel- and wood-burning heating sources should be vented. Be sure to follow  manufacturer’s directions.
• Make sure carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors are working properly.
• Do not use a gas-powered oven for heating. A gas oven may go out or burn inefficiently, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Do not use a gas or charcoal grill inside the home. Do not use charcoal briquettes in the fireplace.
• If you use a portable generator to power a heating source, be sure the generator is located outside your house for proper ventilation. Do not use a generator in an attached garage. Follow manufacturer’s directions for operating the generator.
• Never connect generators to power lines. The reverse flow of electricity can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.­

Ideally, your family will stay warm until the power comes back on. But keep an eye on family members for signs of hypothermia, which include shivering, drowsiness, and mental and physical slowness. The elderly and young children are particularly vulnerable to hypothermia. Call 911 immediately if you notice these symptoms. At least one telephone in the house that does not depend on electricity should be available in the case of a power outage.