February 2017
Slam the door on scammers by being a cautious consumer on’t be tricked into paying a bill you don’t owe. Phony debt collection attempts rank among the most common scams targeting consumers, according to the Better Business Bureau. The “power cut-off” scam goes something like this: A consumer receives a phone call from someone claiming to represent the electric utility in collecting a past-due power bill. The consumer is told that to avoid a service disconnection, he must give the caller a credit card number, prepaid debit card number or other form of payment. Please don’t fall for this con. Your electric power association will never demand immediate payment of a bill over the phone. If you receive such a call, don’t be pressured to act. Hang up, and call your electric power association to get the true status of your account. In another scam, the caller claims to be an IRS agent and threatens to fine or arrest the consumer for failing to pay a non-existent tax debt. This kind of fraud accounts for 25 percent of all scams reported by victims to the BBB. Another common scam has to do with phony sweepstakes or prize winnings. The prize isn’t real but the caller’s attempt to get upfront payment of taxes or other fees from you is very real. In the “government grant” scam, the caller asks the victim for checking account or credit card information, or an upfront payment of fees in order to qualify for the “free” grant money. Regardless of the scenario, the goal of all these scams is to steal your money, or obtain your personal information for the purposes of identity theft. All of them have targeted consumers in Mississippi. (Not everyone took the bait; many Mississippians recognized a scam and reported it to the BBB.) You can learn about and report scams to the BBB through the BBB Scam Tracker, a free interactive online tool at www.bbb.org/scamtracker. By clicking on a map, you can read about scams being reported in specific areas of the country, as well as your own area. You can also subscribe to the BBB’s scam alerts.
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On the cover The newest inductees in the Mississippi Hall of Fame are two civil rights leaders, a rock ‘n’ roll icon, a political pioneer and a ground-breaking surgeon. The Hall of Fame was founded in 1902 to instill pride in the achievements of outstanding Mississippians. Learn more about the new inductees and their contributions on pages 4-5. Photos courtesy Mississippi Department of Archives and History
And remember, an offer that sounds to good to be true usually is. Just hang up the phone or ignore the email solicitation. ••• Mississippi’s new year was ushered in with heavy rains, high winds, a few tornadoes, sleet, ice and temperatures dipping into the teens in some areas. Bad weather is the most common cause of power outages. Tens of thousands of electric power association members in south Mississippi lost their service during tornadoes and high winds that swept the My Opinion state on Jan. 2, and our Michael Callahan crews quickly scrambled to Executive Vice President/CEO rebuild power lines. Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi This is a good time to remind everyone of the dangers of fallen power lines. Contact with a line on the ground can cause a deadly shock—even during a power outage. There is no way to tell if a downed line is energized simply by looking at it, so please, just stay away and report the situation immediately to your electric power association. One more safety-related plea: Our crews often work on lines after dark, in the fog and during downpours. They use various safety devices and procedures to help drivers spot them, but they still need your help to stay safe. Please slow down when you approach a utility work site on a roadside. On multi-lane highways, remember the “Move Over Law”: Move over at least one lane away from any utility or emergency vehicle with lights flashing. If you can’t change lanes due to traffic, slow down and be prepared to stop. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our members, employees and the public.
Today in Mississippi OFFICERS Tim Smith - President Barry Rowland - First Vice President Randy Smith - Second Vice President Keith Hayward - Secretary/Treasurer
EDITORIAL STAFF Michael Callahan - CEO Ron Stewart - Sr. VP, Communications Mark Bridges - Manager, Support Services Debbie H. Stringer - Editor Elissa Fulton - Communications Specialist Trey Piel - Digital Media Manager Rickey McMillan - Graphics Specialist Linda Hutcherson - Administrative Assistant
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ON FACEBOOK Vol. 70 No. 2 EDITORIAL OFFICE & ADVERTISING 601-605-8600 Acceptance of advertising by Today in Mississippi does not imply endorsement of the advertised product or services by the publisher or Mississippi’s electric power associations. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. • National advertising representative: National Country Market, 800-626-1181 Circulation of this issue: 436,892 Non-member subscription price: $9.50 per year
The Official Publication of the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Today in Mississippi (ISSN 1052-2433) is published 11 times a year (Jan.-Nov.) by Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Inc., P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300, or 665 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, MS 39157. Phone 601-605-8600. Periodical postage paid at Ridgeland, MS, and additional office. The publisher (and/or its agent) reserves the right to refuse or edit all advertising. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Today in Mississippi, P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300
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Today in Mississippi
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Our Homeplace
Portaits of some of Mississippi’s First Ladies are displayed in a small room off the Senate Chamber in the Old Capitol Museum, in Jackson.
Mississippi is home to many different churches and some are even one of a kind. They are large, medium and small, or whatever comes to mind. Some in the larger towns are majestic and very tall, While some in the smaller towns and countrysides are very minute and small. Some have pointed steeples reaching high in the sky, But some have no steeples at all and no one asks why. The stained glass windows in some look like gems And are so pretty to look at while singing the hymns. Whether large choirs with robes or choirs that have not, They are kept both warm and cool by 4-County Electric, and we thank them a lot. – Mary Carolyn Mitchell, Starkville The little big town of McComb called my magnoliaborn husband and me to put down our roots in 1979. Job transfers gave us a broader look around Mississippi, but back home we came to Pike County in 1982. Now we click our heels any time we are away and say, there is no place like home. Sweltering, too-hot summers remind us of just-right winters (for the most part), with frontporch-sitting autumns and springs wedged in between. Beautiful blooms and hummingbird feeders to coax those amazing little creatures to a near ‘bout arm’s reach. Delta blues and Elvis roots, beaches and space travelers, and more paths, rivers and lakes than you can imagine. Arts and entertainment nearly every weekend of the year because of the wonderful weather. Although we may have to brace ourselves for a hurricane now and again, my Mississippi knows how to band together to repair and restore. The South is in my genes and Mississippi is forever in my heart. – Ronda Temple, Pike and Amite counties
What’s Mississippi to you? What do you treasure most about life in our state? Send your thoughts to Today in Mississippi, P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158, or to news@ecm.coop. Please keep your comments brief. Submissions are subject to editing for length and clarity.
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