Join the Livestream

You can watch our 2023 annual meeting live by visiting Facebook.com/PiedmontEMC at the date and time listed below. After the meeting, the video will remain on our Facebook page and will be posted on our website at pemc.coop/annual-meeting for you to watch at your convenience. You can also find the minutes and video of the 2022 annual meeting posted on our website. Our goal is to make your experiences with our cooperative as easy and convenient as possible. That’s why we look for ways for you to interact with Piedmont Electric, whether it’s paying your bill online or reporting an outage from your phone.

Over the past few years, we’ve started using more technology to make things easier for you as a member. That includes online and mail-in voting as well as hosting a livestream of our annual meeting on Facebook which is also posted on our website so you can watch based on your schedule.

We hope this makes it easier for you to let your voice be heard by voting in our board of directors election and for you to stay updated on the latest news from your co-op. We look forward to seeing you on the livestream at the date and time listed.

As always, we thank you for being a member of Piedmont Electric!

Stephen B. Hamlin President and General Manager

The Jitterbug® Smart3 is our simplest smartphone ever, with a list-based menu, large screen and new Health & Safety Packages available.

EASY Everything you want to do, from calling and video chatting with family, to sharing photos and getting directions, is organized in a single list on one screen with large, legible letters. Plus, voice typing makes writing emails and texts effortless.

SMART In emergencies big or small, tap the Lively Urgent Response button to be connected to a certified Agent who will get you the help you need 24/7, schedule a ride or connect you with a nurse or doctor when you add a Health & Safety Package.

AFFORDABLE Lively® has flexible and affordable plans, like our Unlimited Talk & Text Plan for only $19 99 /mo., plus the required data plan. 2 Add a Health & Safety Package and save over $55/yr.

Save over $55/yr. with a Health &

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1Discount of $499 applied monthly. Discount not available when you activate on lively.com. 2Monthly fees do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges and are subject to change. For details on current pricing, visit lively.com. A data plan is required for the Jitterbug Smart3. Plans and services may require purchase of a Lively device and a one-time setup fee of $35. Urgent Response, Lively Link, and Nurse On-Call are only available with the purchase of a Lively Health & Safety Package. See terms for details. Urgent Response and 911 calls can be made only when cellular service is available. Coverage is not available everywhere. Urgent Response tracks an approx. location of device when device is turned on and connected to the network. Lively does not guarantee an exact location. Lively is not a healthcare provider. Seek the advice of your physician if you have any questions about medical treatment. Lively Rides provides a service through which you can request a ride to be arranged through the Lyft Platform. Ride fares are applied to your monthly phone bill. Consistently rated the most reliable network and best overall network performance in the country by IHS Markit’s RootScore Reports. LIVELY and JITTERBUG are trademarks of Best Buy and its affiliated companies. ©2023 Best Buy. All rights reserved.

3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616-2950

Scott Gates, CCC Editor

Warren Kessler

Creative Director

Renee C. Gannon, CCC

Senior Associate Editor

Rue Reynold Editorial Assistant

Jessica Armstrong Graphic Designer

Tara Verna

Creative Services Associate

Keith Alexander Advertising Keith@carolinacountry.com

Joseph P. Brannan

Executive Vice President & CEO

Nelle Hotchkiss

Senior Vice President & COO

Kristie Aldridge, CCC Vice President

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives provide reliable, safe and affordable electric service to 1 million homes and businesses. The 26 electric cooperatives are each member-owned, notfor-profit and overseen by a board of directors elected by the membership.

Why Do We Send You Carolina Country Magazine?

Your cooperative sends you Carolina Country as a convenient, economical way to share with its members information about services, director elections, meetings and management decisions. The magazine also carries legal notices that otherwise would be published in other media at greater cost.

Your co-op’s board of directors authorizes a subscription to Carolina Country on behalf of the membership at a cost of less than $5 per year.

Subscriptions: Individual subscriptions, $12 per year. Schools, libraries, $6.

Carolina Country is available on digital cartridge as a courtesy of volunteer services at the NC Department of Cultural Resources, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Raleigh, NC 888-388-2460. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, NC, and additional mailing offices. Editorial offices: 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616-2950. Carolina Country® is a registered trademark of the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc.

POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to Carolina Country, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616-2950.

All content © Carolina Country unless otherwise indicated.

Contact us

Phone: 919-875-3091

Mail: 3400 Sumner Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27616-2950

Web: carolinacountry.com

Email: editor@carolinacountry.com

Change of address: Please contact your electric co-op or go online to carolinacountry.com/address

Experiencing a power outage?

Please contact your electric co-op directly to ensure prompt service. Visit carolinacountry.com/co-ops to find yours online.

A Path for Everyone

All

On the Cover

Wake Electric members Laura Alden and daughter Sarah enjoy a day out on the Capital Area Greenway in Raleigh, one of our state’s many accessible trail systems. Learn more about these trails and find one near you on page 12. Photo by Randy Berger Photography.

We need your help finding the best of the best across 10 categories! Nominate your favorites for a chance to win one of three $100 gift

See page 2.