Southeastern IN REMC — January 2022 Indiana Connection

Creating connections and expanding possibilities.

Southeastern IN REMC’s

Pearls NATURE’S

Thirty years of successes and challenges working to preserve Indiana’s natural areas

pages 22-26

JANUARY 2022

from the editor

I have my doubts It’s fitting that International Skeptics Day may be celebrated on Jan. 13.

Because some say it takes place on Oct. 13 instead.

Others claim it’s always on the first Friday the 13th of the year.

Or is it really celebrated at all?

The creators of this special day successfully inspired skepticism when setting a date for their holiday … because they didn’t settle on a date at all. Skeptics Day could be any of those days. Talk about appropriate!

Skeptics question everything. That could be a good thing or just plain annoying.

You can’t win an argument with a skeptic because what you believe to be true is always debatable. And a good debate is good fun for a skeptic.

Perhaps it can be fun for the non-skeptic as well. On Jan. 13 (or Oct. 13, or the first Friday the 13th of the year), try suspending your idea of reality for the day.

Instead of believing the Earth is a sphere, insist that it’s flat. Convince yourself and others that up is down and vice versa. Use “there,” “their” and “they’re” incorrectly with no apologies because is a grammarian really always right?

Question everything — even if the answer seems to be clear. Fight for what you believe in — or don’t really believe in — just because you can. When you do, you might even convince others that this new version of reality is real thus proving just how powerful persuasiveness can be.

I think a day of exercising healthy skepticism could be a great thing. It might allow us to think differently and more creatively. By cultivating doubts, we might even reveal new possibilities.

EMILY SCHILLING Editor eschilling@indianaec.org

On the menu: April issue: Recipes using baking powder,

deadline Feb. 1. June issue: Summer salads, deadline April 1. If we publish your recipe on our food pages, we’ll send you a $10 gift card.

Giveaway: Tempt your taste buds by reading about LaGrange County’s Amish

restaurants on page 16. Then, apply for a chance to win a $50 gift card from Blue Gate in Shipshewana. The card, courtesy of the LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, can be used for anything within the Blue Gate umbrella, including dinner for two at its buffet.

For details and to enter, visit indianaconnection.org/talk-to-us/contests.

Three ways to contact us: To send us recipes, photos, event listings, letters

and entries for gift drawings, please use the forms on our website indianaconnection.org; email info@indianaconnection.org; or send to Indiana Connection, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606.

VOLUME 71 • NUMBER 7 ISSN 0745-4651 • USPS 262-340 Published monthly by Indiana Electric Cooperatives Indiana Connection is for and about members of Indiana’s locally-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. It helps consumers use electricity safely and efficiently; understand energy issues; connect with their co-op; and celebrate life in Indiana. Over 304,000 residents and businesses receive the magazine as part of their electric co-op membership.

CONTACT US: 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600 Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606 317-487-2220 info@indianaconnection.org IndianaConnection.org INDIANA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OFFICERS: Walter Hunter President Randy Kleaving Vice President Steve McMichael Secretary/Treasurer John Gasstrom CEO EDITORIAL STAFF: Emily Schilling Editor Richard George Biever Senior Editor Holly Huffman Communication Support Specialist Ellie Schuler Senior Digital and Layout Design Specialist Taylor Maranion Senior Brand and Visual Design Specialist Lauren Carman Communication Coordinator Chuck Snider Director of Communication and Creative Services Mandy Barth Vice President of Communication ADVERTISING: American MainStreet Publications Cheryl Solomon, local ad representative; 512-441-5200; amp.coop Crosshair Media 502-216-8537; crosshairmedia.net Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication.

UNSOLICITED MATERIAL: Indiana Connection does not use unsolicited freelance manuscripts or photographs and assumes no responsibility for the safe‑keeping or return of unsolicited material.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $12 for individuals not subscribing through participating REMCs/RECs. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you receive Indiana Connection through your electric co-op membership, report address changes to your local co-op.

POSTAGE: Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, Ind., and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Indiana Connection, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606.

Include key number.

No portion of Indiana Connection may be reproduced without permission of the editor.

JANUARY 2022

3

contents

JANUARY

10

18

energy

03 FROM THE EDITOR 05 CO-OP NEWS Energy news and information from your electric cooperative.

10 ENERGY Pulling the plug on some EV myths.

12 INSIGHTS

feature

22

cover story

14 FOOD Baking dinner on a sheet pan.

20 COUNTY OF THE MONTH Spotlighting Newton County.

16 INDIANA EATS Authentically Amish.

‘Environment’ license plate marks 30 years of preserving Indiana’s natural areas.

18 FEATURE Youth Power and Hope award winners prove community service knows no age.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Indiana Connection

30

22 COVER STORY

28 SAFETY Don’t add electrical hazards to your home office inbox.

profile

30 PROFILE How one bad day led to a wonderful life for Chuck Tiemann.

32 H OOSIER ENERGY/ WABASH VALLEY NEWS 33 ART CONTEST How to enter student artwork in the calendar contest.

34 RECALLS

On the cover Morning light comes to the water and snowy banks of the Wabash River in Wells County at the Acres Along the Wabash nature preserve. Indiana’s natural areas received a big boost when the state’s environmental license plate program to fund preservation and protection was created 30 years ago.

PHOTO BY THOMAS SPRUNGER, COURTESY OF ACRES LAND TRUST

4

JANUARY 2022

co-op news

www.seiremc.com CONTACT US 812-689-4111 800-737-4111 Fax: 812-689-6987

Great expectations

CREATING CONNECTIONS AND EXPANDING THE POSSIBILITIES

EMAIL contact_us@seiremc.com OFFICE HOURS 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday STREET ADDRESS 712 South Buckeye Street Osgood, IN 47037 MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 196 Osgood, IN 47037 SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS To report a power outage: 800-737-4111 or SmartHub

Many of you are

building in June. Many of the plans

probably familiar

we have put into place over the past

with the classic

couple of years are proving their

novel "Great

effectiveness as we continue to

Expectations" by

see improvements in line loss and

Charles Dickens.

reliability in our electric division.

In this story, the main character, Pip, is continually evaluating himself and his situation as he strives to improve and advance his station in life. The fundamental ideas of ambition and self-improvement are at the center of the story.

As our world becomes increasingly connected, we are diligently working to break down the digital divide in southeast Indiana with our new fiber division. We began building a stateof-the-art fiber optic network and providing high-speed broadband

Southeastern Indiana REMC is also

internet service in 2021. SEI Fiber is

continually evaluating its programs

now available in the Elrod, Versailles

Melissa Menchhofer (District 5), Vice President

and services, ambitiously striving

and Hopewell areas and will soon

Jesse McClure (District 4), Secretary

to improve the quality of life and

expand to include the Jennings,

Vince Moster (District 1), Treasurer

place in southeastern Indiana. As we

Five Points and Pleasant areas. The

Brad Bentle (District 2)

work through the strategic initiatives

expansion of this project is top of mind

defined by the board of directors

for us, knowing that this service opens

and management team, we continue

the door of opportunity for many new

to evolve and explore new ideas to

and emerging technologies as we

create connections and expand the

move into the future.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Thieman (District 6), President

David Smith (District 3) Darrell Smith (District 7) Bonnie Boggs (District 8) Casey Menchhofer (District 9)

possibilities.

A fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) product with speeds from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps.

Residential pricing starts at $64.95 plus tax.

OUR MISSION To safely provide reliable electricity and diversified services to the members and communities we serve.

While the world continues to grapple

As we begin a new year, we remain

with moving beyond COVID-19

committed to our mission to safely

and its effects, global supply-chain

provide reliable electricity and

challenges, and the growing role of

diversified services, while maintaining

artificial intelligence, we will continue

our values of integrity, accountability,

to seek solutions and define programs

innovation and commitment to

and services with our members' best

community. We also continue to focus

interests at heart. 2022 will be a year

on the ongoing strategic initiatives

of great expectations, and we look

and priorities defined in our 2020-23

forward to creating new connections

strategic plan.

with our members and the

We anticipate the completion of our headquarters facilities building project in late spring and look forward to moving into the new administrative

communities we serve as we expand the possibilities together.

BRYAN K. MATHEWS General Manager JANUARY 2022

5

co-op news

ARE YOU AN INDIANA STUDENT ENTERING SEVENTH GRADE IN 20 22?

Learn about electricity, try cool activities, and make new friends this summer at Camp Kilowatt!

HORSEBACK RIDING • CANOEING • ROCK CLIMBING • ZIP LINING • ARCHERY • SWIMMING

JUNE 8-11, 2022

Visit CampKilowatt.org to apply.

6

JANUARY 2022

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE MARCH 1, 2022!

You must be a junior to apply!

co-op news

June 16-23 2022

What are you doing this summer?

Yo ur electric co-op wants to send you on a weeklong, all-inclusive trip to Washington, D.C.

gs?

Ready to pack your ba

eiremc.com, Email B.J. Myers, bjm@s c.c visit www.seirem om to apply. or call 812-689-4111

MONUMENTS. MUSEUMS. LEGISLATORS. FRIE

NDS. HISTORY.

MONUMENTS. MUSEUMS. LEGISLATOR S. FRIENDS. HISTORY. TRIP OF A LIFE TIME.

S P O N S O R E D BY S O U T H E A S T E R N I N D I A N A R E M C JANUARY 2022

7

co-op news

PaperLESS billing=

MORE

CONVENIENCE FOR YOU

Paperless billing is exactly what it sounds like:

a paper-free way to receive your electric cooperative bill each month.

Five reasons to receive your bills electronically: RE ASON 1 Immediate access.

As soon as your bill is ready, you’ll be notified via email or text. Getting the bill earlier means you’ll have more time to pay it.

RE ASON 2 Curb the clutter. Ensure your bill will never be lost and forgotten under that growing paper pile on your kitchen counter.

REASON 3 Protect your identity.

The security of knowing your bill won’t accidentally end up in an identity thief’s hands is worth making the switch to paperless billing.

REASON 4 Environmentally speaking.

By cutting back on paper use, you’re helping preserve our natural resources.

Contact your electric cooperative today to say “yes” to “paperless!”

8

JANUARY 2022

REASON 5 Around the clock.

Everyday.

Not only are you able to pay your bill 24/7 — you can access past bills whenever you need to.

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energy

Pulling the plug on some EV myths

A

s the push for cleaner

all pollution, there is a

EV owners also save

majority Level 2 — are

energy continues to

significant advantage over

money in maintenance

installed nationwide,

pick up the pace, so

the life of an EV. According

costs. Consumer Reports

according to the U.S.

too does the interest in

to the Environmental

estimates the total cost of

Department of Energy.

electric vehicles.

Protection Agency (EPA),

ownership for an electric

In Indiana, funds from

electric motors convert

vehicle is 50% less than

the Volkswagen Diesel

EVs, as they are known,

75% of the chemical energy

that of an ICE because the

Emissions Environmental

are being manufactured

from batteries to power

drivetrain components

Mitigation Trust are being

in an increasing number

the vehicle. On the other

have fewer moving parts

used to install 61 Level

of shapes, sizes and

hand, ICEs convert a mere

and don’t require fluid

3 chargers at strategic

capabilities.

20% of the energy stored

changes.

locations statewide. The

Unfortunately, misleading information continues to surround electric vehicles.

Let’s take the opportunity to bust a few of those myths.

1. ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE NO BETTER FOR THE CLIMATE THAN GASOLINE CARS. For many people, the switch from an internal combustion engine (ICE) to an electric vehicle merely represents a switch from oil to coal in the power plants that produce electricity.

While it’s true that there isn’t yet a way to eliminate

10

JANUARY 2022

in gasoline. Add in the fact that EVs emit no direct tailpipe pollutants, and the climate myth is busted.

3. THERE IS NOWHERE FOR EVS TO CHARGE THEIR BATTERY.

2. ELECTRIC VEHICLES LACK THE RANGE FOR DAILY TRAVEL.

Because many utilities

According to the

residential Level 2 (240-volt)

latest study by the

chargers, EV owners can

U.S. Department of

have their own “gas pump”

Transportation, the average

in the garage and start the

American drives 40-50

day with a full “tank.” EVs

miles per day and nearly

can also be charged with

85% of households travel

the standard Level 1 (120-

less than 100 miles a day.

volt) charger that comes

Most newer EV models can

with the vehicle.

travel more than 200 miles on a fully charged battery.

Level 3 chargers provide about 50-75 miles of range for every 10-15 minutes of charging, depending upon car and charger variables.

are offering incentives for consumers to either purchase or receive

To accommodate longer trips, more than 43,000 charging stations — the

by Linda

B. Margison

Technical Advisor, Emerging Energy Resources Hoosier Energy

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Since then, it has become a popular diet pill in France and Germany. Sales continue to climb as new people discover how well the product works.

Michael Kenneth, President of the Applied Scientific Research Center, is not surprised by the popularity. He says, “The pill is safe. It’s effective. It works fast. Plus, it costs less than a cup of coffee per day.”

“And now, we’re making it available in America under the new brand name OxiTrim.

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was reviewed and analyzed by scientists from the University of California, Davis.

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How It Works

The active ingredients in OxiTrim trigger weight loss in a way scientists have not seen before. Research shows they activate a protein in the body that breaks down fatty acids found in abdominal fat.

“You can think of OxiTrim as a match that lights the fuse in belly fat,” said Kenneth. “This fuse affects metabolic rate which results in enhanced fat loss around the mid section and other parts of the body, too.”

Kenneth also said, “Dieters should know OxiTrim is made from natural plant extracts.

It is not a drug. It does not contain any stimulants or dangerous chemicals either.”

“Plus, unlike a lot of other diet pills, OxiTrim won’t increase your heart rate or make you anxious. In fact, you won’t even know you’re taking it until you begin to see a slimmer waistline,” he added.

Sales Frenzy: The newly released OxiTrim pill from France is set to break sales records nationwide this week. In clinical studies, users taking the pill’s active ingredients lost up to 5 inches from their waistline in 8 weeks without strict dieting.

can burn fat fast for those with a few extra pounds to lose.” — Dr. Ana Jovanovic.

“OxiTrim is the most exciting breakthrough in natural weight loss to date. It’s a proven pill for men and women who want to cut pounds of belly fat.” — Dr. M. Usman, M.D. “I have reviewed the research and have decided to recommend OxiTrim to overweight people. That’s because OxiTrim doesn’t just reduce weight, it helps maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, too.” — Dr. Ahmad Alsayes.

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The company’s president, Michael Kenneth, says, “We’ve seen how well it works. Now we want to remove any risk for those who might think OxiTrim sounds too good to be true.”

Simply take the pill exactly as directed. You must enjoy fast and impressive weight loss.

Otherwise, return the product as directed and you’ll receive 100% of your money back plus an extra 10%.

How To Get OxiTrim

Today marks the official nationwide release of OxiTrim in America. And so, the company is offering a special discount supply to every person who calls before inventory runs out.

A Regional Order Hotline has been setup for local readers to call. This gives everyone an equal chance to try OxiTrim.

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Then provide the operator with the special discount approval code: OTN22. The company will do the rest.

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insights

ORDER YOUR 2022 STUDENT ART CALENDAR TODAY Support the artistic efforts of Indiana students by purchasing the latest Cooperative Calendar of Student Art. Students in grades K-12 illustrate the cover and each month of this wall calendar. Thirteen honorable mention-winning pieces round out the 24th edition of this student art showcase.

Please send ______ copy (copies) of the Cooperative Calendar of Student Art 2022 at $7 each to: NAME: ADDRESS: C I T Y, S TAT E A N D Z I P :

Price includes shipping and Indiana sales tax. Make check payable to “Indiana Electric Cooperatives.”

Send a note and check to Indiana Connection Calendar; 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600; Indianapolis, IN 46240. Some electric co-ops have free calendars available for pickup in their offices.

Contact them directly for more information.

MARKETPLACE Our Marketplace offers maximum exposure for your business or organization at a minimal cost.

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JANUARY 2022

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Finally . . . a better mobility solution than Scooters or Power Chairs.

The Zoomer’s versatile design and 1-touch joystick operation brings mobility and independence to those who need it most.

If you have mobility issues, or know someone who does, then you’ve experienced the difficulties faced by millions of Americans. Simple tasks like getting from the bedroom to the kitchen can become a time-consuming and potentially dangerous ordeal. You may have tried to solve the problem with a power chair or a scooter but neither is ideal. Power chairs are bulky and look like a medical device. Scooters are either unstable or hard to maneuver. Now, there’s a better alternative . . . the Zoomer.

My Zoomer is a delight to ride! It has increased my mobility in my apartment, my opportunities to enjoy the-out-of-doors, and enabled me to visit the homes of my children for longer periods of time. The various speeds of it match my need for safety, it is easy to turn, and I am most pleased with the freedom of movement it gives me.

Sincerely, A. Macon, Williamsburg, VA After just one trip around your home in the Zoomer, you’ll marvel at how easy it is to navigate. It is designed to maneuver in tight spaces like doorways, between furniture, and around corners. It can go over thresholds and works great on any kind of floor or carpet. It’s not bulky or cumbersome, so it can roll right up to a table or desk – Zoomer conveniently rolls beneath table or desk

Easy to use joystick control

Sturdy & Lightweight Frame

Joystick Control (adaptable left or right)

Comfortable Seating

Swivel Away Footrest

Powerful Battery/ Dual Motors 12”

there’s no need to transfer Folds to 12” in seconds to a chair. Its sturdy yet lightweight aluminum frame makes it durable and comfortable. Its dual motors power it at up to 3.7 miles per hour and its automatic electromagnetic brakes stop on a dime. The rechargeable battery powers it for up to 8 miles on a single charge. Plus, its exclusive foldable design enables you to transport it easily and even store it in a closet or under a bed when it’s not in use.

Why spend another day letting mobility issues hamper your lifestyle? Call now and find out how you can have your very own Zoomer.

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food

Panning out MEAL PREP IS EASY WHEN YOU BAKE DINNER ON A SHEET PAN

SHEET PAN SHRIMP SCAMPI

1½ lbs. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds 5 T. olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb.), trimmed 1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp 1 t. dried oregano 1 T. chopped garlic (from 2 to 3 cloves) 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, plus wedges for serving Preheat oven to 475 F. Place 11½-by-17¼-inch rimmed baking sheet on center rack. Move other oven rack in top position. Toss potatoes with 3 T. olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread in

BEEF AND VEGETABLE BAKE

14

JANUARY 2022

Remove sheet pan from oven. Flip potatoes and push to one side then add asparagus to other side. Roast until potatoes are just tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Switch oven to broil; add shrimp and lemon rounds on top of asparagus and potatoes.

Broil on top rack of oven until shrimp are opaque and browned in places, and asparagus and potatoes are cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (1.9 oz) pkg. onion soup mix

1 (30 oz.) pkg. frozen hash browns

1 cup grated cheddar cheese P HO TOS BY R IC H AR D G. B IEV E R A ND TAYL OR MA R A N ION

Meanwhile, toss asparagus with 1 T. olive oil. Toss shrimp with remaining 1 T. oil, oregano, and garlic. Season both with salt and pepper.

1 lb. ground beef

Patricia Piekarski 1 (12 oz.) pkg. frozen vegetables Harvey, Illinois 1 cup sour cream F O O D P R E PA R E D B Y IN D IAN A C ON N E C TION S TA FF

a single layer on sheet pan and roast on center rack, flipping once, until beginning to brown (about 15 minutes).

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup 2 T. melted butter

Mix ground beef with soup mix and place in bottom of a 9-by-13-inch sheet pan.

Put uncooked vegetables over meat. Mix sour cream, cheese, soup, butter and salt and pepper together. Add hash browns.

Spread mixture over vegetables. Bake at 350 F for 2 hours until done.

food

PROTECTING YOUR ENDLESS ADVENTURES Savings for a Limited Time

EASY PORK CHOP SHEET PAN DINNER Marilles Mauer Greensburg, Indiana SPICE PASTE

2 t. parsley

2 T. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 T. smoked paprika

Parsley to garnish

2 t. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 F. Rub the spice paste on both sides of pork chops and set aside. Add the potatoes, carrots and green beans to a large baking sheet. Pour olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, 2 t. parsley, and salt and pepper over the top. Toss to coat. Arrange the vegetables to lay as flat as possible on the baking sheet. Put pork chops on top. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until temperature of pork chops is 145 F. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

1 t. garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste Mix ingredients together in a small bowl, forming a paste.

4 pork chops 4-6 medium potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks 1 cup baby carrots 1 cup green beans 2 T. olive oil 2 t. lemon juice 1 t. garlic powder

Editor’s note: We halved the recipe for the photo above.

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Indiana eats

Authentically Amish Down home cooking at home

Comfort food is like a hug that nourishes you. It brings families together and inspires memories of cherished time spent around the dinner table.

The Carriage House

For many hungry Hoosiers, the best places to savor classic comfort food are the state’s Amish restaurants. Homestyle cooking reigns supreme here — nothing pretentious, just delicious.

roll-making demonstrations,

To enjoy an authentic Amish experience, consider visiting an Amish home for a traditional meal served family style. Learn about the Amish lifestyle while filling your plate with stick-to-your ribs choices like fried chicken, meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, noodles and dressing, and biscuits and apple butter. (Plan for second helpings; you know you won’t be able to resist! And, of course, leave room for homemade desserts like fruit pies and cobblers.)

These families in LaGrange County’s Amish community are among those who invite you to visit, experience their heritage, and enjoy a home-cooked meal. (Keep in mind that Amish businesses typically only accept cash. They do not have phones at their businesses so you will need to leave a message so they can call you back. It’s best to make reservations.)

16

JANUARY 2022

5280 S. 500 W. Topeka Contact: Elaine Jones Voicemail: 260-768-8199, ext. 2128 Also offers quilting bees, cinnamon Amish wedding feasts.

Hoosier Banquets 6335 W. 200 N. Shipshewana Contact: Linda Miller Voicemail: 260-336-8533 Also offers home tours, buggy rides and demonstrations.

A Taste of Shipshewana 7720 W. 200 N. Shipshewana Contact: Brenda Slabaugh Voicemail: 260-350-2017 Open to smaller parties on Wednesday evenings.

Reservations required but you can make a reservation up to 2 p.m. for that night.

Yoder’s Homestyle Cooking

Eden Meadows Banquets

10667 W. 325 N. Shipshewana

10740 W. 200 S. Shipshewana Contact: Vera Miller Voicemail: 260-499-0150 Big and small groups alike welcome.

Contact: Henry and Carolyn Yoder Voicemail: 260-768-3078 Also offers buggy rides and cooking classes.

PHO TO S PRO VI DED BY LAG RANG E CO UNTY CO NVENTI O N AND VI SI TO RS BUREAU

The 2021 Youth Power and Hope Awards winners are, from left, Niles Knox, Nathaniel Origer and Josephine Laub.

youth power and hope

Helping others Youth Power and Hope winners prove community service knows no age Since 2009, Indiana Connection magazine and electric co-ops like yours, have teamed up to honor middle school students in grades 5-8 who are making a difference in their communities through the Youth Power and Hope Awards program.

The latest group of winners was honored on Dec. 7 at the Indiana Electric Cooperatives Annual Meeting held in Indianapolis. Each winner received $500.

Continue reading to meet these selfless young people who are focused on making the world a better place.

Josephine Laub

Lowell, Lowell Middle School Seventh grader

Josephine Laub has learned there’s more than one way to make a difference in someone’s life. Among the projects she’s spearheaded are conducting a clothing drive, making face masks for first responders, sending letters to nursing home residents, and making Thanksgiving and Easter baskets for those in need.

“Community service helped me realize that there are people in the world with real problems,” she said.

“During the clothing drive, this girl in high school came in and explained that she needed clothes for her younger brothers and sisters who she took care of. The world is imperfect, but this made me realize

18

JANUARY 2022

that I wanted to do more to change it.”

Laub noted through her service efforts, she’s honed her leadership skills. She’s learned how to solve problems, collaborate with others, manage her time better, be more dependable, and build trust.

In the future, she would like to create a food drive for her local food pantry, join her church’s youth group and get involved in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s charitable efforts.

Nathaniel Origer

Danville, Danville Community Middle School Eighth grader

The main way Nathanel Origer has helped his community is through his school’s very active Student Council. Origer, a three-year council member

who currently serves as its treasurer, has regularly volunteered at his school’s basketball and volleyball games to raise money for the school. He has also helped clean up the local park in his hometown of Danville.

Outside of Student Council, he helps on the altar during his church’s Saturday services and helps with a Vacation Bible School group and at church fish fries.

“Even if it’s just the small things, every good thing that you do is important,” Origer said. He believes, too, that helping others may inspire those who’ve been helped to do the same.

Origer is a firm believer that anyone can make a difference in their community. “There is no reason to limit someone based on their age, and doing good things should be a big goal, even for younger people like me,” he said.

Niles Knox

Angola, Angola Middle School Sixth grader

Niles Knox’s passion for community service was fueled in spring 2020 at the start of the pandemic. “After

we were released from school for virtual learning in March, I found I had a lot of extra time,” he said. “My family and I thought of ways we could be a light during such a dark time.”

So, he got to work, doing things like cleaning trash off a community walking path and delivering Mobile Meals to the handicapped and those in need. In the process, he discovered how rewarding it was to make a difference — and how fun it was, too.

“I love the community where I have been able to grow up,” Knox said. “It is my home and I want to do my part to give back to others.”

Through his community service, he has developed as a servant leader and is already planning ways to expand his efforts beyond his northeast Indiana home.

“Our family has been talking about the destruction of homes in Louisiana during the last hurricane. We want to work with Samaritan’s Purse to help raise money and take a mission trip to help do whatever we can do to help,” Knox said. “We all have gifts we have been given that we should use to serve others.”

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county feature

SOU T H S H OR E C ON V EN T I ON & V IS ITOR S A U TH OR ITY P H OTO

Newton County is the home of the Nature Conservancy’s Kankakee Sands prairie restoration project. In 2016, the land trust organization (please see cover story on page 22) introduced a herd of 23 bison to Kankakee Sands. Today, more than 90 bison roam this square mile prairie. Visitors are able to see the bison easily and safely from a natural elevated viewing area established just off U.S. 41, which runs through Kankakee Sands.

The Conservancy and partners have been working to restore a significant slice of prairie at Kankakee Sands since 1996.

Newton County Newton County has the dubious

In 1859, Newton was revived

distinction of being the only Indiana

and formed out of the western

county that was penciled in and

half of Jasper County. With its

actually appeared on maps, erased

revival, the new Newton County

in a merger into its neighboring

became the last of Indiana’s 92

county, then pulled back out from

counties.

that county and reappear. This close kinship with its neighbor, Jasper County, began with the two men for whom the counties were named — Revolutionary War compadres, sergeants John Newton and William Jasper — and continues today.

Both John Newton and William Jasper were sergeants in the American Revolutionary War with similar tales which linked them

County Facts FOUNDED: 1859 NAMED FOR: Sgt. John Newton, soldier in the American Revolutionary War. POPULATION: 14,011 (2018 estimate) COUNTY SEAT: Kentland INDIANA COUNTY NUMBER: 56

partnerships across both counties to make a greater impact. “Love where you live” has become the strong motto the foundation has fostered in building community support.

together. Four other states, Georgia,

In addition, the Interstate 65 corridor

Mississippi, Missouri and Texas,

runs along the shared county line

have adjacent Jasper and Newton

where Newton and Jasper counties

Originally, Newton and Jasper were

counties to remember the two

have seen unprecedented growth in

carved from some of the last parcels

as a true duo. While Jasper was a

agritourism over the past 20 years,

of open, unorganized Indiana land

documented war hero, Newton’s

beginning with Fair Oaks Farms.

in 1835. The two occupied the area

exploits may have been exaggerated

Originally large dairy operations

that now also includes Benton

in tales by the early-American

that developed a hands-on dairy

County and parts of Lake and Porter

author who also fabricated the myth

educational “adventure” and a

counties in Indiana’s far northwest

of a young George Washington and

cheese factory and shop, the Fair

corner along the Illinois line. Instead

the cherry tree.

Oaks Farms complex now also

of running side-by-side north to south as they are today, Newton ran beneath Lake and Porter counties, and Jasper was its neighbor to the south. When Benton was created in 1839 from much of what was the southern portion of Jasper County, Newton was merged into a new larger Jasper County.

20

JANUARY 2022

Today, Jasper and Newton counties continue a tight connection, working together in numerous ways to benefit residents and organizations in both mostly agricultural counties. Jasper Newton Foundation Inc., is a nonprofit organization that facilitates strategic

includes a full farm-fresh restaurant, hotel, meeting facilities, agricultural educational experiences for dairy and large-scale pig operations and much more. A new agricultural/ industrial park is also being added at the I-65/Ind. 14 junction that will include a vertical (hydroponic) farming facility.

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Pearls NATURE’S

Thirty years of successes and challenges working to preserve Indiana’s natural areas

An eastern bluebird takes a cold bath in an icy tributary along a Mud Creek Conservancy easement in northeastern Marion County.

PHO TO CO URTESY O F THE M UD CREEK CO NSE RVANCY

22

JANUARY 2022 A frozen waterfall is among the spectacular beauty found at Hathaway Preserve at Ross Run in Wabash County.

P H OTO B Y TH OMA S S P R U N GE R , C OU R TE S Y OF ACRES LAND TRUST

By Richard G. Biever

W

henever Tom Laycock sees a blue

Indiana “Environment” license plate on a vehicle, he says he wishes he could show the driver his appreciation.

“I would love to have a stack of Post-It Notes and be able to run up and just thank everybody,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I can’t. And people would take a dim view of me going around putting notes on people’s windshields.”

that total amount to procure and protect

wetlands, trails, and river corridors.

To “thank everybody,” Laycock, director

73,292 acres of land.

The program will ensure that Indiana’s

of land acquisition for the Indiana

Sales of the environmental plate have

Department of Natural Resources, would need more than a stack of Post-Its, anyway. He’d need well over 1.6 million Post-Its. That’s how many environmental license plates have been purchased or renewed by Hoosier motorists since its introduction as the state’s first “specialty plate” in 1993. This year will mark the plate’s 30th season of sales.

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles collects an extra $40 from motorists who request the environmental plate.

While $15 of that fee is kept by the BMV for processing, the remaining $25 is used to protect the land, waters, and wildlife habitat of Indiana.

In fact, plate sales are the only ongoing source of funding the state has for acquiring land for conservation, preservation, and recreation.

Since 1993, $40 million has been raised through its purchase. Deposited directly into a special account, the funds are administered by the DNR. All projects funded by the plate for both DNR and its respective conservation partners are sponsored by DNR landholding divisions.

In collaboration with private local, regional, and national nonprofit land trusts, the DNR has been able to parlay

always been strong, but Laycock noted it’s no longer the top seller among

rich natural heritage is preserved or enhanced for succeeding generations.”

the plethora of specialty plates that

The specialty license plate — with

have come along since. While all the

its iconic soaring bald eagle emblem

specialty plates essentially raise $25

against its unique blue background —

for each plate’s given cause, Laycock

was an immediate hit with motorists.

noted not all provide a tangible return for the purchaser like green spaces.

The bald eagle had been successfully reintroduced in Indiana in the 1980s

“We kept the outdoors open,” Laycock

through another donation-driven DNR

mused. While COVID closed just

program. Though not connected to the

about everything else, he said

eagle reintroduction, the environmental

the DNR has seen skyrocketing

plate used the eagle to remind us of the

attendance at state parks, fish and

natural land and waters needed to keep

wildlife areas, state forests and nature

bald eagles in Indiana’s blue skies.

preserves. “We had people during

After all, it was the loss of habitat —

the height of this going in and having

drained wetlands and razed woodlands

picnics in parking lots — just to get

— that primarily drove the last bald

outside. Trail use has blown up,” he

eagles from Indiana in the late 1800s.

added. “The way to support this is to continue to buy plates.”

Blue plate special The Indiana General Assembly, with broad bipartisan support and then Gov. Evan Bayh’s signature, created the Indiana Heritage Trust during the

While the plate design hasn’t changed in its 30 years, the General Assembly re-named the Indiana Heritage Trust in 2016 to honor President Benjamin Harrison, a conservationist who was the only president to be elected from Indiana. The Heritage Trust is now

1992 session.

the President Benjamin Harrison

Described in the law: “The Indiana

relies on funds raised through the sale

Heritage Trust program will acquire real property for new and existing state parks, state forests, nature

Conservation Trust. The program still of the environmental plate.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

preserves, fish and wildlife areas, JANUARY 2022

23

Grassroots growth Long before the environmental plate, a handful of local land trusts and national and regional conservation Shaded ravines and hulking sandstone outcrops make Mossy Point Nature Preserve in Parke County a special place.

PH O TO CO URT E SY OF CE NT RAL I ND IA N A LAND T RUS T

organizations had been active around Indiana preserving natural areas. But the visibility of the environmental plate on the road has been credited for helping spawn more awareness and encourage the growth of nonprofit land trusts organizations.

“The land trust movement expanded and gained more credibility,” noted Laycock, “and the funding allowed them to start buying properties.”

As they acquired properties, Laycock explained, they could raise more funds themselves pointing to their successes.

“Some of the land trusts don’t use the Harrison Trust much anymore,” he said, “simply because they’ve now moved on in their growth cycle.”

Land trusts are nonprofit conservation organizations. The focus and footprint of each local group can be as varied as the land and water and even the underground itself. Some land trusts focus on preserving and protecting natural areas, or agricultural land, or a particular watershed or vegetation type. Others focus on geological features, and others still on historic or cultural preservation. Indiana has some 25 land trusts that have preserved over 158,000 acres — either on their own or in partnership with the Harrison Trust fund and other donations and grants.

At least one land trust operates in each Indiana county. Besides working with state and federal agencies, these trusts partner with other nonprofits, businesses, industries, schools and universities, foundations, and individuals in support of their conservation mission.

24

JANUARY 2022

Footprints on a snowy path reveal others have already gone before on a brisk early morning walk at Acres Along the Wabash Preserve in Wells County.

P HO TO BY THO M AS SPRUNG ER, CO URTESY O F ACRES LAND TRUST

Joe Tutterrow has long been active in

years ago, the alliance had been a

donations brought back $2.12 of

Indiana conservation, working for 20

loose-knit group of volunteers. In 2016,

investment in Indiana’s natural

years in the DNR’s Division of Forestry.

the alliance acquired 501(c)(3) status

heritage.

He then served as the first executive

to begin raising funds to hire staff and

director of the Indiana Land Resources

advance its conservation mission. ILPA

Council in the early 2000s. He recently

hired its first executive director in 2019.

retired as director of land protection for

ILPA and a host of other

“And now, we hope to be able to share

environmental and conservation

our story about how important this

groups will be promoting the value of

funding is to the Legislature to create

protected lands and demonstrating

additional funding.”

The Nature Conservancy in Indiana.

But having grandkids, Tutterrow has said, was a “game changer” in his passion for conservation.

the need for greater funding for

“I am concerned about the future our

conservation during this session of the

grandkids will face,” he noted. “The

General Assembly. “The establishment

work of our land trust community is

of the Heritage Trust program was

more important now than ever. People

critically important,” Tutterrow said.

need to be more connected with

“The license plate was just one of the

nature. We need to help create a world

funding mechanisms. Of late, it has

that provides equal opportunity for all

been the only funding mechanism.”

people to enjoy the many benefits that

A marriage

our natural world provides.”

“We bring money to the table to leverage what the Harrison Trust brings to the table,” said Tutterrow.

About $1 million a year comes to the Harrison Trust through the sale of the environmental plate, Laycock added.

That doesn’t go very far when land is selling at $6,000-$8,000 per acre or even much more in some prime areas of growth.

Tutterrow noted that the number of specialty plates that burst onto the

In the 27 years the license plate

Tutterrow is now board president of

BMV radar after the initial success of

fund has made disbursements, 556

the Indiana Land Protection Alliance.

the environmental plate and the many

properties have been protected.

ILPA (pronounced “ill-pah”) is Indiana’s

worthy causes they support makes

Through matching grants with land

statewide alliance of member land

choosing a plate a difficult personal

trusts and other partnerships, every

trusts, conservation organizations, and

decision. He said it comes down

dollar the fund raised through plate

conservationists. Beginning about 20

purchases and additional direct

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

JANUARY 2022

25

To help preserve Indiana’s natural lands for future generations, purchase the environmental license plate when you renew your plates this year, or make a donation directly to the

PRESIDENT BENJAMIN HARRISON CONSERVATION TRUST 402 W. Washington St., Room W256 Indianapolis, IN 46204

A northern saw-whet owl peaks from the snowy foliage near Mud Creek. The Mud Creek Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust protecting the Mud Creek Watershed in Marion, Hamilton and Madison counties.

PHOTO CO URT E S Y OF T H E M U D C R EE K C ONS E RVA N C Y

INDIANA’S LAND TRUSTS Indiana has 25 nonprofit land trusts that have preserved over 158,000 acres. At least one is operating in every county. Many counties are served by multiple land trusts with different missions. To learn more about each, visit the Indiana Land Protection Alliance website at ProtectIndianaLand.org .

to personal priorities. “Right now,

thinking about what conservation

especially with the pandemic, people

looks like in the state,” she continued.

are coming to realize how important it

“Indiana is seen as a prime state for

is to get outside and to enjoy nature

development. Land trusts are not

and green space. And that’s what

opposed to economic development;

the Harrison Trust is all about. That’s

that’s a misconception a lot of people

101 Lakes Trust

exactly the purpose of the Harrison

have. And our land trusts have done

ACRES Land Trust

Trust and our land trusts statewide.”

a really good job working with our

Blue Heron Ministries

economic development organizations.”

Central Indiana Land Trust

where ILPA comes in as the voice for

While Indiana focuses on creating

the land trusts and their volunteers

business environments designed to

Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy

statewide. ILPA’s core membership

attract highly educated and skilled

includes the nonprofit conservation

younger talent from other states,

Indiana Karst Conservancy

organizations protecting natural areas

Huntington said providing a natural

and working lands throughout Indiana.

environment should also be a priority.

La Porte County Conservation Trust, Inc.

Raising awareness for legislators is

While the mission of each land trust may vary, they work collaboratively with landowners to acquire land or conservation easements to ensure that the land is protected forever.

George Rogers Clark Land Trust

LC Nature Park

“Quality of life and quality of place are

Little River Wetlands Project, Inc.

increasingly important, especially for

Mud Creek Conservancy

young families. To attract companies, attract employees, and retain a talented workforce — you need to

NICHES Land Trust Oak Heritage Conservancy

“Because land trusts are nonprofits,

have healthy, vibrant, and beautiful

Ouabache Land Conservancy

funding is always a challenge,” said

communities. Thoughtful, strategic,

Oxbow, Inc.

Andrea Huntington, ILPA’s new

and collaborative planning is critical,”

Red-tail Land Conservancy

executive director. “A role ILPA and

Huntington emphasized. “So, we

Save the Dunes Conservation Fund

the individual land trusts can play is to

need to figure out what a marriage

Shirley Heinze Land Trust

unite and elevate our voice so that our

between those looks like. It has to be

Sycamore Land Trust

leaders and our lawmakers know the

a partnership.”

The Nature Conservancy

collective value of what we’re doing.

“It’s going to be so important in the coming years that our communities — rural, urban, suburban — are really

Three Valley Conservation Trust Richard G. Biever is senior editor of Indiana Connection. The Indiana DNR and Indiana Land Protection Alliance also provided information used in this story.

Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation Whitewater Valley Land Trust Wood-Land-Lakes RC&D Land Trust

26

JANUARY 2022

Woodland Savanna Land Conservancy

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Common ailments often associated with aging — such as memory problems, heart issues, blood sugar concerns and vision and hearing difficulties — can all be connected to a decrease in mitochondria.

Birth of new mitochondria

Dr. Sears and his researchers combined the most powerful form of CoQ10 available — called ubiquinol — with a unique, newly discovered natural compound called PQQ that has the remarkable ability to grow new mitochondria. Together, the two powerhouses are now available in a supplement called Ultra Accel II. Discovered by a NASA probe in space dust, PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinone) stimulates something called “mitochondrial biogenesis” — a unique process that actually boosts the number of healthy mitochondria in your cells.

In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, mice fed PQQ grew a staggering number of new mitochondria, showing an increase of more than 55% in just eight weeks.

The mice with the strongest mitochondria showed no signs of aging — even when they were the equivalent of 80 years old.

Science stands behind the power of PQQ

Biochemical Pharmacology reports that PQQ is up to 5,000 times more efficient in sustaining energy production than common antioxidants.

“Imagine 5,000 times more efficient energy,” says Dr. Sears. “PQQ has been a game changer for my patients.”

“With the PQQ in Ultra Accel II, I have energy I never thought possible,” says Colleen R., one of Dr. Sears’ patients. “I am in my 70s but feel 40 again. I think clearer, move with real energy and sleep like a baby.”

It works right away

Along with an abundance of newfound energy, users also report a sharper, more focused mind and memory, and even younger-looking skin and hair. Jerry M. from Wellington, Florida, used Ultra Accel II and was amazed at the effect.

“I noticed a difference within a few days,” says Jerry. “My endurance almost doubled.

But it’s not just in your body. You can feel it

NASA-discovered nutrient is stunning the medical world by activating more youthful energy, vitality and health than CoQ10. mentally, too,” says Jerry. “Not only do I feel a difference, but the way it protects my cells is great insurance against a health disaster as I get older.”

Increase your health span today

The demand for this supplement is so high, Dr. Sears is having trouble keeping it in stock.

“My patients tell me they feel better than they have in years. This is ideal for people who are feeling or looking older than their age… or for those who are tired or growing more forgetful.”

“My favorite part of practicing anti-aging medicine is watching my patients get the joy back in their lives. Ultra Accel II sends a wakeup call to every cell in their bodies… and they actually feel young again.”

Where to find Ultra Accel Il

Right now, the only way to get this potent combination of PQQ and super-powered CoQ10 is with Dr. Sears’ breakthrough Ultra Accel II formula.

To secure bottles of this hot, new supplement, buyers should contact the Sears Health Hotline at 1-800-830-9480 within the next 48 hours. “It takes time to get bottles shipped out to drug stores,” said Dr. Sears.

“The Hotline allows us to ship the product directly to the customer.”

Dr. Sears feels so strongly about this product, he offers a 100%, money-back guarantee on every order. “Just send me back the bottle and any unused product within 90 days, and I’ll send you your money back,” said Dr. Sears.

The Hotline will be taking orders for the next 48 hours. After that, the phone number will be shut down to allow them to restock.

Call 1-800-830-9480 to secure your limited supply of Ultra Accel II. You don’t need a prescription, and those who call in the first 24 hours qualify for a significant discount. To take advantage of this great offer use Promo Code UAIN0122 when you call in.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON. NO INDIVIDUAL RESULT SHOULD BE SEEN AS TYPICAL. OFFER NOT AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS OF IOWA

safety

DON’T ADD ELECTRICAL HAZARDS TO YOUR HOME OFFICE INBOX

D

uring the pandemic, most office environments either

closed and sent workers home to work remotely when and where feasible or created rotating work schedules.

These changes were done to help mitigate the spread of the virus and keep workers safe.

printer, and whatever equipment you

Do not run electrical cords

need. This will keep you from having

through high-traffic areas, under

to continually move equipment and

carpets, or across doorways.

will avoid stretching power cords that could become tripping hazards.

Beware of equipment heating beyond normal operations.

If you bring older office equipment

Beware of discolored plastic casings

But setting up a temporary or full-

home, check those electrical

on the equipment or discolored outlet

time office at home can create a

cords and connections that

covers.

new kind of health issue — electrical

perhaps have been pinched behind

safety. “Bringing electrical equipment

the credenza for years. Make sure

Turn off all appliances at the

home from the office or adding new

they are not damaged or loose.

end of the day to save energy and ensure added safety.

equipment to make your home office fully functional can create some safety

Make sure outlets in older

concerns of their own,” said John

homes hold plugs snugly. Avoid

If your home is older or you require

Gasstrom, CEO of Indiana Electric

circumventing the grounded three-

many electrical devices, you probably

Cooperatives. “Take the same attitude

prong plugs on your equipment with

should have a licensed electrician

toward electrical safety in your home

adapters to fit in older two-slot outlets.

come out for an inspection. The electrician may suggest installing

office so you’re not trading concerns about the virus in the office for

Do not overload outlets with

additional outlets, arc-fault circuit

electrical and fire concerns at home.”

multiple power strips.

interrupters, and circuits to avoid overloading existing outlets and

THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR A HOME OFFICE: Designate a place for your office space. Even if it’s just temporarily rearranging a home desk or a side table, establish a comfortable place for your laptop or desktop computer,

28

JANUARY 2022

Avoid using extension cords

overusing extension cords and power

for extended periods. Even if

strips. These updates will make your

you’re using them temporarily, avoid

workspace more attractive, practical,

long, flimsy, multiple outlet cords.

and, most importantly, safe.

Always unplug extension cords from the wall when you are not using the equipment.

profile

ONE BAD DAY

… led to a wonderful life

BY RICHARD G. BIEVER Chuck Tiemann recognizes more than most how one bad day at work can change a life. He cites his by the day and hour: Thursday, May 1, 1980 — May Day, appropriately — 1:58 p.m. … Central Time.

That’s when Chuck, not three years into his career as a lineman for a rural electric cooperative in Oklahoma, grabbed an energized power line he believed was dead. He paid dearly, literally an arm and a leg, and almost his life.

Over the next 41 years, Chuck, now 66, devoted his life sharing electrical safety lessons so others wouldn’t have to learn them as he did. Fortunately for Indiana, the last 15 of those years has been as a safety and risk management instructor at Indiana Electric Cooperatives.

Teaching, preaching, praying, cajoling, counseling, consoling, lecturing, badgering, bending ears, sometimes twisting arms … sometimes twisting his own arm to unsnap and feign throwing his prosthetic hand, Chuck did what it took to get everyone’s attention. From pole yards to pole tops, he’s been a mentor and a “mother hen,” an ally and an agitator, pressing linemen to work more safely. And from REMC boardrooms to national conference rooms, he’s been an unrelenting advocate pressing directors and managers to approve and provide every necessary tool and procedure to make a safer environment for the lineworkers he loves.

“My only focus is the linemen,” Chuck says, reflecting on his career he officially wrapped up last month with retirement.

“That’s what our job is. It’s about their families and getting them home at the end of the day.”

Though Chuck is stepping away from the career, he plans to continue being the evangelist he became for electrical safety and a champion for burn victims and amputees. He plans to continue motivational speaking, as well, and, serving as a witness to a Savior who he said stepped in and saved him.

“I don’t know why my life was spared,” he says with a break in his voice and a tear welling in his eyes, “but God spared my life, and I'm forevermore grateful for that. I take not one day for granted … not one breath of life do I take for granted … because life is precious, and it could be gone that quick.

And I understand that.”

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JANUARY 2022

CHUCK’S BAD DAY AT WORK On May 1, 1980, Chuck was part of a line crew working routine construction in muddy open range country of northern Oklahoma. Toward midafternoon, Chuck started climbing a pole as he’d done a thousand times before. The lines weren’t going to be energized, so he left the protection of rubber gloves below. As he neared the top, for a split second Chuck said he wondered if a coworker had deenergized the line as he confirmed he’d do. Chuck saw him working down by that pole where it was to be cut moments earlier. So, he reasoned that critical task was done.

Protected by only his leather glove, his left hand reached up for the line. But it was not dead.

In less than a heartbeat, 7,200 volts of electricity bolted down his left arm, though his torso, down his right leg and blew out his foot heading for the neutral wire nearest to where he had dug his metal climbing gaff into the pole.

He was saved only by his fingertips: The two seized on the line burned off almost instantly. That freed his grip and cut the flow through his body. But his heart stopped. His body bent over backward, head touching his heels, and hung lifeless on the cross-armed pole. His coworkers raced up to revive and rescue him. They called for an ambulance and rushed him out to where the rugged range met a crossroad.

“It was not a good day at work at all,” Chuck has said.

He spent the next 10 weeks in a Tulsa burn unit. He underwent the amputations of his left arm at the elbow and right leg at the knee, as well as five other major surgeries.

He was eventually fitted with a prosthetic left hand and forearm and right leg and foot.

Chuck credits his strong-willed wife, Terri, his high-school sweetheart who was just 24 years old herself at the time, for pushing him to regain his independence.

In 1984, Chuck left the electric co-op to finish the college degree the cooperative gave him the opportunity to start after his accident. But he continually counseled other electrical burn victims such as linemen hurt on the job. Terri

One of Chuck’s legacies will be what linemen have affectionately dubbed as “Chuckisms” — four nuggets of safety wisdom Chuck’s distilled from accidents, including his own — that he’s closed safety classes with. Now, they’ve been put on business cards to share.

profile

would counsel spouses. Then, they turned the challenges they faced into opportunities to help others. “I got tired of counseling with people that had been burned; I decided one day it was time to make it stop,” he says.

In 1996, he rejoined the electric cooperative family — first with Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, which insures most cooperatives around the nation, then with the Alabama electric cooperative association. In 2006, Chuck made his way north, accepting an offer to work for Indiana Electric Cooperatives. And while he’s made Indiana his work home for the past 15 years, the feisty Okie maintained his home and farm in Alabama, and small family farm in Oklahoma. He drove home to Terri and their three children, now adults, on weekends.

A LEGACY OF SAFETY Chuck knows there’s still a lot of work to do to reach the electric industry’s goal of zero electrical contacts for its lineworkers. While numbers are much better than the 200 linemen actually killed each year when Chuck was burned in 1980, he says it’s hard for him as an instructor, who’s visited 444 of the nation’s co-ops, to talk about a “safety legacy.”

“My goal since I’ve been doing safety training is to be at zero. And every time an incident happens, we, as a team, take it hard. What did we miss? Why didn't we get that point across? Why did that lineman fail at that task that day?”

“I can’t say how many there are, or who they are, but I can say this: Linemen are going home to their wives and children every night, and they wouldn’t be if not for Chuck’s unwavering dedication to their safety,” testifies Jon Elkins, the vice president of safety, training and compliance with IEC. “Whether they know it or know him, there are lineworkers in Indiana, and across the United States, who owe their lives or at least their limbs to Chuck Tiemann.”

The crusades for things like electrical safety and proper prosthetics for burn victims in which Chuck has unflinchingly been engaged, often on national platforms, would never have come his way being just a lineman, Chuck says.

“In those fights, God has called me.” And, he adds, any accomplishments have made that one bad May Day worth it.

But Chuck readily admits what a difference a day makes. “If on April 30, 1980, the Lord had said to me, ‘Oh, tomorrow's gonna be a really bad day that’s gonna affect the rest of your life,’” he says, “I would have called in sick.”

Looking back, as he heads into retirement, Chuck says, “Life has been good.” And, he repeats the biggest life lesson he’s learned and has left with most everyone he’s met over the past 41 years: “Life IS good — today.”

I NDI ANA CO NNECTI O N FI LE P HO TO

Chuck Tiemann unsnaps his prosthetic hand to show his injury — and the power of electricity — to a group of Indianapolis youngsters during an electrical safety demonstration for them and their parents in 2017.

JANUARY 2022

31

Hoosier Energy news

INCREASING EFFICIENCY ON THE FARM The heating of poultry barns can be a

Once confirmed, these savings could

but additional testing in various states

huge expense for farmers, especially

provide utilities with new ways to

could result in a major transition

during the winter. Opportunities to find

promote beneficial electrification in

and make a huge impact in the U.S.

new and efficient ways to decrease

under-served rural areas. Beneficial

poultry industry. While acknowledging

energy use for barn heating could help

electrification is a term for replacing

the increased electric load for heat

lessen that burden.

direct fossil fuel use (e.g., propane,

exchangers, equipment manufacturers

heating oil, gasoline) with electricity

estimate gas savings of 40-50%. That

in ways that reduce overall emissions

type of savings in the poultry industry

and energy costs.

would be equivalent to removing

In that effort, the Beneficial Electrification League (BEL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to

approximately 250,000 cars from the

promoting beneficial electrification of

Hoosier Energy’s project could also

the economy, along with the National

determine if there are any additional

Rural Electric Cooperative Association

non-energy benefits to the farm,

(NRECA), an organization that

(such as improved animal health)

Hoosier Energy will be partnering with

represents the legislative interests

when utilizing waste heat recovery

GDS Associates Inc., an engineering

of electric cooperatives in the U.S.,

technology as compared to current

and consulting firm, along with

have awarded Hoosier Energy a

barn heating methods.

equipment manufacturer Heartland

$25,000 grant to create a project to investigate propane and natural gas savings on poultry farms. These farms utilize waste heat recovery systems and electric technologies that include heat exchangers, automatic controls, data recording and digital monitoring, along with variable frequency drives as opposed to current barn heating technologies not using waste heat recovery.

32

JANUARY 2022

This project study will provide

road or planting one million acres of forest in the United States.

Farm Energy on this project.

unbiased information related to

In addition to the grant from BEL

the energy efficiency of waste heat

and NRECA to complete this project,

recovery technology and the potential

Hoosier Energy will also invest in

for this knowledge to transition farms

the research to assist in the cost of

toward new beneficial electrification

equipment and consulting services.

technologies.

Current waste heat recovery system research results are quite promising

ART CONTEST RULES

HOW TO ENTER STUDENT ARTWORK IN THE CALENDAR CONTEST WHO CAN ENTER

Indiana public, private, or homeschooled students in kindergarten through 12th grade during the 202122 school year.

• Students do not have to be consumers of a rural electric cooperative (REMC/REC).

• Artwork can be submitted by teachers, youth leaders or others as a group or class project, or by individual students or their parents or guardians.

• Students may enter as often as they wish.

HOW THE CONTEST WORKS

Match the grade the student is in during the current (2021-22) school year to the corresponding month.

Students should draw or paint a picture to illustrate their assigned month.

• 1st grade: January • 2nd grade: February • 3rd grade: March • 4th grade: April • 5th grade: May • 6th grade: June • 7th grade: July

• 8th grade: August • 9th grade: September • 10th grade: October • 11th grade: November • 12th grade: December

Kindergarten students will create the cover art. There is no theme for the cover: any subject, season, event, etc., is acceptable.

HOW ARTWORK SHOULD BE SUBMITTED

Drawings should be no larger than 11x14 inches and no smaller than 8x10 inches. (Paintings on canvas can be larger.) Drawings on white or light-colored paper will reproduce best. Do not use ruled notebook paper.

• The artwork can be most any medium as long as the art is

relatively flat. Charcoal and pastel drawings should be sprayed with a fixative. Do not use glitter, sand, liquids, or other elements that can flake off or otherwise damage the works of other students. No photographic process, digitally-created or digitally-manipulated art, metallic or fluorescent paints may be used in the finished, submitted art entry.

• Artwork in the horizontal or “landscape” position best fits the wall calendar’s format.

• The artwork should be standalone artwork; do not include the name of the month, days of the week or calendar dates into the art itself.

• Submit the original artwork.

Judges will not consider photocopies.

ART CONTEST

• Do not mount, mat or frame artwork.

• Do not fold or crease artwork.

• Please do not submit artwork from previous years.

DEADLINE

Artwork must be at the Indianapolis office of Indiana Connection by 3 p.m., Friday, March 18, 2022.

Mailing address: 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240. (Please do not drop off artwork at your local electric cooperative office unless the local REMC/REC has announced it is accepting entries at its location or the local office has agreed to special arrangements.)

FOR MORE DETAILS

Please contact Richard Biever or Emily Schilling at Indiana Connection, 317-487-2220 or info@indianaconnection.org.

win $200 ENTER YOUR BEST ARTWORK

You could

Fill the pages of the 2023 calendar!

DETAILS AND DEADLINE A complete set of rules and required entry forms are available at indianaconnection.org/foryouth/art-contest. Artwork must be received by March 18, 2022.

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FEBRUARY 2019