AUGUST 2022
THE MESSENGER A Publication for North Arkansas Electric Cooperative Members
Safety first: Give driving full attention August is Back to School Safety Month. Young drivers and school buses will be back on the road, and distracted driving will be as dangerous as ever. The reality is that using a phone while driving creates enormous potential for injuries and fatalities. Distractions take a motorist’s attention off driving, which can make a driver miss critical events, objects and cues, potentially leading to a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one of every 10 fatal crashes in the U.S. involves distracted driving, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths annually. Distracted driving is considered any activity that diverts our attention, including texting or talking on the phone, and adjusting the navigation or entertainment system. Texting is by far one of the most dangerous distractions. Sending or reading one text takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with eyes closed. In addition to refraining from texting while driving, we can help keep the roads safe by moving over for emergency vehicles and utility crews conducting work near the roadside. Let’s work together to keep everyone safe on the roads. Remember: that text can wait, and waiting just might save a life.
Youth Tour returns to D.C.
NAEC's delegates visit George Washington's Mount Vernon on the 2022 Youth Tour. Pictured, from left, are Daniel Haley, Lexie Audeoud, Annaliese Mikay Lengenfelder, Noah Stevenson and Peyton Love. The application for juniors to apply for the all-expenses-paid 2023 Youth Tour will be available at naeci.com/youth-tour by Feb. 1.
LIHEAP helps qualifying members The federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides help for qualifying members with their energy costs during the summer and winter. LIHEAP is administered by community action agencies. In NAEC’s service area, those are Ozark Opportunities and Northcentral Arkansas Development Council. Summer assistance became available in late July. We encourage members needing assistance to reach out to the agency serving their county for more information. Ozark Opportunities serves residents in Baxter and Marion counties. Northcentral Arkansas Development Council serves residents in Fulton, Izard, Sharp and Stone counties. (Please see sidebars below for the websites and phone numbers.) The amount of help available varies based on a member’s income, number of people in the household and other factors. NAEC tries to work with members who are experiencing hardships. Members with questions or concerns about their account may reach a member service representative by emailing info@naeci.com or calling 870-895-3221 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
Northcentral Arkansas Development Council
Ozark Opportunities
nadcinc.org
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Fulton County - 870-895-3628 Izard County - 870-368-4329 Sharp County - 870-994-7353 Stone County - 870-269-4381
ozarkopp.org Baxter County - 870-425-5118 Marion County - 870-449-6250