10
News for members of Tombigbee Electric Power Association
Drivers can do more to make 4 Mississippi roadways safer
9 Outdoors Today: Back to Africa
with fresh 14 Cooking Gulf Coast seafood
AVAILABLE NOW We are excited to offer our new online publication...
Today in Mississippi
MHP Capt. John Poulos
10 I Today in Mississippi I June 2018
Tombigbee Electric Power Asso Tupelo 662-842-7635 • Fulton 662-862-3146 • www.tombigbeeelectric.com
From the
Past On June 30, 1936, Tombigbee Electric made a payment of $1,123.54 to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for their purchase of wholesale power. This amount represented service for one month. Today, Tombigbee Electric’s average wholesale cost for one month of purchased power from TVA is $7.4 million. A photograph (below) depicts the first TVA pole being erected during a pole-raising ceremony on Jan. 22, 1934. Photo courtesy of the archives of Pontotoc Electric Power Association
Members of the Tombigbee Electric board of directors (top photo) attend a meeting in 1955. In 1935, the first Tombigbee Electric office (left) was located on Main Street in Tupelo. The facility was located next door to the old T. K. E. Drug Store. Pictured from left are Rob Miller Wood, Rebecca Pough and Louis Cook (manager). In 1945, Tombigbee Electric’s office (above) was located on South Spring Street in Tupleo. This location served members until 1963.
June 2018 Today in Mississippi 10a
TEPA KWH COST
ociation
TEPA average electricity use per home per month
1930 – 50 KWH 1945 – 91 KWH 1955 – 290 KWH 1969 – 1000 KWH
1979 – 1260 KWH 1989 – 1073 KWH 1999 – 1245 KWH 2010 – 1389 KWH
1935 – 2.5¢ per KWH 1955 – 1.5¢ per KWH 1969 – 1.1¢ per KWH 1979 – 3.332¢ per KWH 1989 – 5.7¢ per KWH 1999 – 6.4¢ per KWH 2010 – 8.78¢ per KWH
On Feb. 26, 1934, charter was granted to the Lee County Rural Electric Power Association. In June 1924, TVA took over, from Mississippi Power Co., lines serving electric consumers at Guntown, Saltillo, Sherman, Shannon, Nettleton, Plantersville, Verona, East Tupelo, Auburn, Chesterville and Belden in Lee County, and Fulton in Itawamba County. On June 25, 1935, Mr. Louis Cook was appointed manager of Lee County EPA, and during that same year the name was changed to Tombigbee Electric Power Association (TEPA). On Oct. 10, 1935, TEPA bought from TVA all of their distribution lines in this area and began operation as a cooperative with approximately 168 miles of lines and 151 members. On Nov. 1, 1967, Mr. James M. Allen succeeded Mr. Cook as manager of TEPA. On Dec. 1, 1989, TEPA had 2,799 miles of line, 28,572 members and 110 employees. On June 30, 1995, Mr. William W. “Bill” Long succeeded Mr. James M. Allen as manager of Tombigbee Electric Power Association. On June 1, 2010, TEPA had 3,963 miles of line, 41,316 members and 135 employees.
Follow@TombigbeeEPA
A Mississippi Electric Cooperative
Message from your general manager Louis Cook, Manager 1935-1966
Jim Allen, Manager 1966-1995
CREW MEMBERS - FEBRUARY 1967 From left: Billy Hawkins, Gene Hood, Holland Little, Jim Gray, Larry Hamner, Jud Clayton, Poss Wigginton, Bitsy Payne, Junior Inmon, George Kennedy, Bill Lee, Joe Carr, Tommy White, James Jackson, Paul Gandy, Carlos Reynolds, Curtiss Parker, Billy Riley, Unidentified, Jimmy Rea, Dale Carr, Joel Spradling, James Brown, Earnest Davis, Elvin Turner, Scotty Knowles, James Herndon, Harry Collins, Clinton McCormick, Royce Finley, Gerald Rushing, Junior Box, Relmer Guin, William Kelly, Mack Clemons, Wayne Moore, Jimmy Moore, Milford Justice, Johnny Edwards, Doyle Young, Joe Morgan, Leonard Newman, Neal Bishop, Lynn Irvin, Buford Ramage and Bonnor Griffin. Kneeling: M. T. Davis, Virgil Dozier, Ben Rabb, T. E. Yancey, Louis Cook and J. M. Allen.
Greetings, fellow members of Tombigbee Electric Power Association (TEPA). I’m proud to introduce to you our very first issue of Today in Mississippi. It is the official member publication of the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi, and it is the most widely circulated publication of any kind in the state. It will be available to you quarterly through our TEPA website during a special trial offering. If you enjoy the publication, send us a message through our website. The unique design of Today in Mississippi provides members of Tombigbee Electric up-to-date system information, local news and information on the centerspread. Today in Mississippi’s editorial content includes humaninterest features, an editorial, four special-interest columns by freelance writers, a recipe page and an events calendar. Reader involvement is encouraged through a “Mississippi is…” feature and the submission of photographs. Here at Tombigbee Electric, our board has decided to participate in Today in Mississippi with a digital version on a trial basis, with four publications to be made available on our website only. We thought we would begin with our first issue focusing on some of the history of TEPA, with special emphasis on all the people who have served the Association. We are proud of our service history to our members and community, and we look forward to enhancing that service in the future. We welcome all our members to read it and provide us feedback on how you like the publication. Other topics planned for future issues include community involvement through participation in the Youth Leadership Program, our governance and director election process, and other informative articles concerning the operation and services available through your Association.
William W. Long General Manager BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 1955 Seated from left: James C. Young, J. R. Ford, J. L. Evans, Herman Jones and F. G. Wiygul. Standing, from left: J. M. Savery, P. K. Estes, Olen Sheffield, Delmus Harden, A. K. McFerrin, T. C. Russell, Swep Monts and J. E. Gray. Not pictured are Kyle Brown and Luther Harris.
Tombigbee Electric Power Association
10b I Today in Mississippi
I
June 2018
to the
Present
Eleven years have passed since the last yearbook printing. We have more new faces added to “the family” … and the ones remaining are showing more signs of wisdom and maturity. Those employees that were new in the 70s and 80s are now leaders in the organization and facing new challenges and ever increasing member expectations. Even though we still serve members that grew up without electricity, the majority of our members now don’t know what it was like to not have the conveniences of electricity… TV, air conditioning, refrigeration and indoor plumbing (that little house that’s too close in the summer and too far away in the winter). Since the last printing, we’ve seen significant issues threatening our way of business. Issues like Y2K, de-regulation (really re-regulation), catastrophic losses on Wall Street and In October 2013, Tombigbee Electric moved into their new headquarters facilities, the 9/11 tragedy, just to mention a few. We continue to of the administrative office building in front center, with the warehouse and servic experience emergencies among our fellow cooperatives and ing our members with reliable and quality service, and provides for future growth have sent our workforce to Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, This message from our Louisiana and Missouri, not to general manager appeared in our 75th anniversary report to mention at least eight neighborour membership in 2010. ing cooperatives where we have provided assistance due to tornadoes, hurricanes and ice storms. At Coast EPA, due to Katrina, our workers alternated two-week work cycles from August 29, 2005, until the middle of February 2006. During that time, not only did our men at the emergency site provide work assistance and donations to families in need, but those remaining at our local co-op also had to give extra effort to fill in for those traveling. We have continued On April 30, 2012, the board of directors held a ground-breaking ceremony for the new headquarters facilities. to learn the valuable lesson that whatever adverse event doesn’t defeat you, often makes you stronger. OUR PURPOSE Looking forward, we still have challenges to continis to provide: ue upgrades to our electric system and expanded The highest quality of customer service. member services and conveniences. Services like autoA safe workplace for our employees. matic meter reading (AMR), online bill payment and an improved outage management tool that provides Fair and constant application of policies. more member access to “real time” information while Economical rates. we restore power. Let us all remember that our memReliability. bers expect Tombigbee Electric to provide the very best in VALUE, whether that value is in the cost of As a service to our members, we offer having electricity or through the other services we pro- paperless billing, online bill payment, bank vide to our community and members. drafts, energy-efficiency programs, and more. Visit www.tombigbeeelectric.com William W. “Bill” Long The eastern part of Tombigbee Electric’s service area is served through our branch office located at for more information. General Manager 813 West Main St. in Fulton.
June 2018
I
Today in Mississippi
I
TOMBIGBEE SERVICE AREA
FULTON TUPELO
located on Auburn Road in Tupelo. The architectural rendering provides an aerial view ce area at the rear of our property. The new facility enhances our commitment to servof your organization.
TOMBIGBEE ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION will be closed Wednesday, July 4
Independence Day Dispatchers are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in case of outages.
TOMBIGBEE’S GROWTH
As part of our commitment to help others, in September 2017 Tombigbee Electric sent crews to assist a Florida electric cooperative in restoring electric service in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Throughout our history, emergency cooperative crews from across Mississippi and adjoining states have helped us recover from ice storms and tornadoes.
Category 1937 Miles of Line 223 Annual Payroll $9,020.00 Density 10.7 Number of Employees 9 System Investment $471,818.00 Depreciated Value Long-Term Debt $375,189.00 Members/Customers 2,377 Annual Sales $68,289.00 Purchased Power $ 19,561.00 Area Covered 1,600 sq. miles Substations Owned and Maintained 0 Counties Served: Lee, Itawamba and portions of six other counties
2017 4,149 $5,932,631.00 10.6 135 $212,200,000.00 $95,400,000.00 $ 5,930,000.00 43,200 $112,000,000.00 $88,200,000.00 1,600 sq. miles 18
10c
10dI Today in Mississippi
I
June 2018
Basic Electricity Overview GENERATING SUBSTATION
Transmission Lines DOWNED TREE ON POWER LINE
If transmission lines are not energized, meters served by the substation will not receive power. Service must be restored to the transmission line before the substation is able to serve the customer.
Transmission Lines
A RECLOSER is used to protect our system line when a fault occurs. A downed tree on this line will cause the RECLOSER to operate, shutting off power to houses A,B,C,D, but allowing power to stay on for houses E,F, & G.
Recloser
NOTICE: Houses 1,2,3 receive power from phase A. Houses 4,5,6 receive power from phase C. The power to these houses on the same street are delivered by two different single-phase lines. Therefore, it is possible for some of these houses to have power while the others do not, even though they are within sight of one another.
Distribution Three-Phase Line
Recloser
Distribution Three-Phase Line
THE DELIVERY OF ELECTRICITY The system that produces and delivers electricity to homes and businesses is usually described as three separate components: generation, transmission and distribution. Electricity can be produced using a number of different sources as long as the source is capable of driving the turbines of a generator. Some sources are economical to build but expensive to operate. The best system is one that is both economical to build and economical to operate.
The transmission system takes the electricity from the source where it is produced (the generator, TVA) to the local distributor (Tombigbee Electric), who sells it to the end users: the homes, businesses and farms that use electricity. The distribution system comprises the wires and electrical equipment that connect the transmission system to the end users, such as homes, commercial buildings and factories.
June 2018
Active Employees Adams, Alonzo Baggett, Charles M. Bartlebaugh, Candice S. Bates, Linda F. Beard, Kevin Benefield, Jeffrey Brown, Jr., Charles K. Burleson,, Mark A Butler, Jeffrey M. Carden, Alex Carr, Joseph B. Carr, Joseph B. Carr, Patrick S. Carter, Jason Coggin, Gregory B. Collier, Johnny F. Collum, William Seth Cooley, Justin Culver, Ernie Michael Dabbs, John T. Davis, Carolyn J. Davis, Tangela T. DeVaughn, Cindy M. DeVaughn, Geoffrey W. Dickinson, Jordan B. Dickinson, Michael W. Dickinson, Regina Dillard, James Matthew Dillard, Sherry M. Dozier, Jordan S. Dykes, James M. Edwards, Diane Edwards, Rickie D. Ellis, Charlotte H. Ellis, Shawn F. Enlow, Mark Estes, Brian M. Ezell, Jennifer F. Fennell, John M. Finley, Richard R. Frederick, Jr., Billy R. Funderburk, Dayton Funderburk, William M. Futrell, David W. Gann, Gregory G. Garner, Bradley S. Gibson, Sherry M. Godfrey, Jeffery A. Graham, Mark B. Graham, Robert G. Gray, Jacob D. Green, Ricky J. Griffin, Jr., Roger B. Guin, Kelly W. Harlow, James B. Harmon, Gerald Wayne Harris, Jovon Hester, Dickie L. Hinds, Mitzi G. Holloway, Chelsea Holt, Kristin Hood, April N. Hood, Gregory W. Hood, Timothy E. Hughes, Ricky J. Humble, Stevie D. Irby, Dama W. Johnson, Paul C. Johnson, Shannon R. Jones, Jerry Michael Kelso, David Kelso, Lee Kitchens, Barry G. Langford, Chad A. Langley, Jamie T. Lindley, Chris
Logan, Jermaine D. Long, William W. Martin, James Lance Mask, Toby McCarley, Danny McKinney, Penelope A. McMillen, Rickie A. Miller, Matthew W. Miller, Maurice M. Monaghan, Daniel R. Neal, Bobby G. Nichols, Dewayne L. Park, Jr., William T. Parker, Bobby R. Pearce, Brock L. Phillips, Zackary C. Pierce, Rickey D. Pitts, Thomas J. Ponders, James W. Rice, Hugh H. Ridings, George W. Riley, David A. Riley, Edgar L. Robertson, James M. Ruff, Cameron Alex Shumpert, Wesley A. Shumpert, William Smith, Megan Smith, Timothy H. Smithey, John T. Spencer, Allen W. Spradling, Cory B. Spradling, Greg A. Sprayberry, Michael D. Stanford, Cynthia E. Stanford, Robert A. Stephens, Jeffrey C. Tackett, Timothy L. Tally, Russ Tarpley, Randell Steve Thornton, Kevin T. Thrasher, Connie H. Timmons, Lisa Michelle Tynes, Mise A. Vanlandingham, Brad N. Waddle, James R. Walton, Antone T. Waycaster, Gregory A. Waycaster, William Gregory Whitaker, Phillip R. White, Thomas Janson Wilemon, Randy E. Williams, Bruce A. Williams, Jr., Roger D. Wilson, Kathy M. Winters, James Bryson Witcher, Michael A. Wiygul, Robert Wade Young, David W.
Retirees and Past Employees Agnew, F. S. Allen, James M. Bacon, William G. Barnes, Ruth Bass, Noah Bates, Roy L. Baughman, Henry Bishop, Gerald B. Bishop, Neal Boren, Kenneth R. Box, Junior Brock, Dean Brookman, Thomas Brown, James Burleson, Sammie
Carr, David J. Carr, Jimmie D. Carson, Lucrisha Crawford Cates, James E. Chamblee, Tommy Christian, Herschell Clark, Thellis Clemons, Mack J. Collins, Theron Comer, J. G. Cook, Douglas Cook, Eckford Cook, Juanita Cook, Louis Cooley, Mavis Cox, Louise Crayton, John Cross, Dennis Cross, Jettie Cross, W. T. Cunningham, Susie Davis, Marion T. Davis, Sidney L. Dawe, Phillip W. Dickinson, John Lee Dickson, Milton Dill, Houston Dozier, Alma Dozier, Virgil E. Dulaney, Celia Easterling, Wayne Edwards, Johnnie Edwards, Ruby Jean Epting, Debora Estes, Jap Wade Finney, Burvis Franks, Juanita George, Linda G. George, William Gibson, Mildred Glenn, Jr., Robert D. Goff, Janson Gray, James Green, Larry Griffin, William B. Griffis, Fred Hamner, Larry Harris, Coundry V. Hawkins, William T. Hayden III, Martin Hayes, Cuba Herndon, James Hester, Eva Hill, Brian B. Hill, John E. Hinds, Don Hinds, Doyle Holley, Michael K. Homan, Evelyn Hood, Willie Gene Horton, Perry Horton, Ronnie Huddleston, Patrick Hunter, Roosevelt Hutcheson, Gerald Inmon, Jr., William Irvin, Lynn Jackson, Mitchell Johnson, A. C. Johnson, Fred Jones, Mirese Justice, Milford Kelly, R. A. Kennedy, George King, Randell Knowles, John Scottie Knox, Dewitt
Lann, Andrew N. Lee, Robert E. Lilly, C. E. Lindsey, Billy W. Linton, Frances Little, Holland Lockridge, Jackie Mabry, Buddy Mabry, John Mabry, John M. Magers, Thomas A. Mallette, Wayne A. Malone, A. C. Marlin, Ralph G. Mask, Jr., James H. Mattox, Billy Maynard, Jim A. McCormick, Thomas McFarling, Boyce McGaha, Jo Ann McGaughy, Houston McMullan, Malcolm G. Mills, Martha Vaughn Mize, T. E. Monaghan, Rodney W. Moore, F. L. Moore, H. C. Moore, Jimmy D. Moore, L. C. Moore, Mrs. F. Moore, Wayne Moore, William E. Morgan, James H. Morris, Talisa Murphy, Dennis Neeley, Bobby J Newman, John L. Nichols, Roger D. Ollie, Benjamin Orrick, Kenneth Parker, Curtis J. Patterson, John Robert Payne, William G. Pearce, Sarah Peters, James H. Pettigo, Larry M. Phipps, Timothy J. Posey, Andy L. Posey, Bobby G. Rabb, Sr., Benjamin J. Ramage, Buford Ramage, Thomas H. Randle, Paul Ratliff, Clifton E. Rea, Jimmy Lee Reed, Robert Reese, Lonnie A. Reynolds, Carlos Reynolds, Clifford Gayle Rhudy, Randy Riley, Billy W. Roberts, Harvey Roberts, Kenneth Roberts, Ronald D. Robinson, L. M. Rodgers, Randy Ruff, Byron Rushing, Gerald C. Russell, Opal Rye, Connie Sanders, Jettie Sandlin, Joe R. Sandoval, Gary Sartin, Donnie G. Scruggs, Timothy K. Senter, Ralph A. Shackelford, James H.
Sherfey, Kathryn Shumpert, John L. Slawson, H. T. Slawson, Hazel Smith, Norrill A. Sparks, Robert O. Spencer, Keith A. Spradling, Joel W. Stennett, Jr., William A. Stephens, Boyce M. Stephens, Frances J. Stephens, Maxwell Stone, T. B. Summerford, Casper Sumner, Effie M. Tapscott, Jr., Chester A. Taylor, James D. Thomas, James Thrasher, Barry E. Tucker, Mary Jo Turner, Carl Turner, John E. Wade, Marty D. Warren, Michael E. Washington, Derrick L. Watson, Danny Wesson, Jonathan L. West, Edward E. White, Lisa Jean White, Tommy A. Whitfield, Patrick Wilburn, G. B. Williams, Maxine Witcher, Michael Lee Witt, Jr., James E. Wood, R. M. Yancey, T. E. Yielding, Freddy W. Young, Doyle
Directors Agnew, S. B. Ballard, C. C. Barnett, Keith Bishop, M. L. Brown, Charles Brown, Kyle Bryan, Hudson Cantrell, B. C. Carr, Pat Cleveland, A. T. Cooley, Bobby Davis, Ernest Estes, Myra Estes, P. K. Estes, Tommy Evans, John L. Ford, J. R. Ford, Robert Franks, Jr., James R. Franks, Tommy Franks, W. T. Gray, Emily Gray, James Gray, Jimmy Gray, Jimmy Calvin (Jim) Gray, Travis Griffin, Harold Harden, Delmus Harris, Guy Harris, Jr., Glen Harris, Larry Harris, Luther Holland, Steve Hopkins, M. L. Inzer, W. C. Johnson, Jack
I
Today in Mississippi
I
Jones, Herman Knight, Donald Marion, H. C. Martin, F. G. Mattox, A. J. McFerrin, A. K. McFerrin, John T. McFerrin, O. K. McGee, J. E. Mitchell, G. T. Monts, Swep C. Murphy, H. M. Nanney, Leonard Norton, E. C. Palmer, Jr., Julius K. Pearce, James Prestage, Jr., Kelly W. Ramage, Martis Raper, D. R. Redus, J. N. Reed, R. F. Riley, George Riley, Gilford Roberts, Cy Roper, T. L. Ruff, Ben Russell, T. C. Savery, James M. Senter, N. J. Sheffield, Charles Sheffield, Olen Sheffield, Steve Shumpert, Brenda Simmons, Gill Spradling, Don Spradling, Pat Stevens, E. B. Summers, Ed Swann, Everett Thornton, Ray Turner, Lynn Turner, Prentiss Weeks, Cecil Wesson, Malcolm Wesson, T. A. West, Raymond (Mickey) Whitesides, V. S. Wiygul, J. E. Wiygul, Jr., F. G. Wiygul, Sr., F. G. York, W. M. Young, J. E. Young, James C.
Maxine Williams 50 years of service
Mack Clemons 51 years of service
11