May 2022

A newsletter for members of Rural Electric Cooperative

May 2022

Co-op Comments REC donates money to rural fire departments to assist with needs In REC’s service area, there are 24 rural fire departments with over 340 men and women volunteering their time to help protect their families, neighbors and friends.

Not only do these individuals fight fires, but they also help construct buildings to house equipment, perform maintenance and work fundraisers to have the necessary money to purchase fuel and equipment to protect homes and properties in their area. These services survive because of the dedication of volunteer firefighters.

For the 32nd year, firefighters in REC’s service area gathered for recognition for their efforts in protecting lives and property.

This year 19 fire departments were in attendance at the banquet and REC presented each department with a check to assist in purchasing equipment and supplies.

REC’s grant program awarded $15,950 to the area departments bringing the program’s total donated funds to $417,900.

“It is important to support our local rural fire departments as they are first responders protecting our lives, businesses and property,” Dusty Ricks, CEO, said. “REC’s grant program is designed to assist these departments in being better equipped to handle fires in rural areas.

The service rural fire departments provide is invaluable and we cannot thank them enough for the work they do every day.”

REC recognizes the importance of the tasks these men and women perform and

REC donated money to rural fire departments to assist with purchasing equipment and supplies. Pictured from left to right top row: Tanner Roberson, Lindsay;Rocky Claunch, Purcell; Brad England, Dibble; Brian Gentsmer, Bray; Carrie Anderson, Alex; Lance Thompson, Bradley; Will McLin, Elmore City and Bailey Sanders, Bailey. Middle row from left to right: Earl Henderson, Doyle; Rodney Christian, Naples; Mike Park, Maysville, Scottie Peery, Wayne; Representative Cindy Roe; Rodney Gregory, Grady County; James Anderson, Pernell; Brian Bearce, Acme and Devin Smith, Paoli. Front row from left to right: Darren Glory, Paoli; Freddie Beagle, Payne; Richard McCarty, Rush Creek and Allan Hensley, Katie. the obstacles they must overcome to do their jobs. The grant program is the Cooperative’s way of expressing thanks for their hard work protecting the people in rural communities and their property.

Departments receiving grants include: Acme, Alex, Bailey, Bradley, Bray, Cox City, Dibble, Doyle, Elmore City, Farwell,

Katie, Lindsay, Maysville, Naples, Ninnekah, Paoli, Payne, Pernell, Purcell, Rush Creek, Rush Springs, Washington, Wayne and Wynnewood. 557700 Collectively, the 24 departments have 347 firefighters trained to fight wildfires as well as structure fires. During 2021, the departments went on 4,444 runs.

CEO’s MESSAGE

The importance of year-round safety

At Rural Electric Cooperative, we recognize Electrical Safety Month every May, but we also know the importance of practicing safety year-round. From our coop crews to you, the consumer-members we serve, we recognize everyone has a part to play in prioritizing safety.

According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, thousands of people in the U.S. are critically injured or electrocuted as a result of electrical fires and accidents in their own homes. Many of these accidents are preventable. Electricity is a necessity, and it powers our daily lives.

But we know first-hand how dangerous electricity can be because we work with it every day of the year.

To me, safety is more than a catchphrase.

As CEO it is my responsibility to keep coop employees safe. Additionally, we want to help keep you and all members of our community safe.

Electricity is an integral part of modern life. Given the prevalence of electrical devic2 Co-op Comments

es, tools and appliances, I would like to pass along a few practical electrical safety tips.

Frayed wires pose a serious safety hazard. Power cords can become damaged or frayed from age, heavy use or excessive current flow through the wiring. If cords become frayed or cut, replace them, as they could cause a shock when handled.

Avoid overloading circuits. Circuits can only cope with a limited amount of electricity. Overload happens when you draw more electricity than a circuit can safely handle–by having too many devices running on one circuit.

Label circuit breakers to understand the circuits in your home. Contact a qualified electrician if your home is more than 40 years old and you need to install multiple large appliances which consume large amounts of electricity.

Use extension cords properly. Never plug an extension cord into another extension cord. If you “daisy chain” them together, it could lead to overheating, creating a potential fire hazard. Do not exceed the wattage of the cord. Doing so also creates a risk of overloading the cord and creating a fire hazard. Extension cords should not be used as permanent solutions. If you need additional outlets, contact a licensed electrician to help.

I encourage you to talk with your kids about playing it safe and smart around electricity. Help them be aware of overhead power lines near where they play outdoors.

Our top priority is providing an uninterrupted energy supply 24 hours a day for seven days a week and 365 days per year.

But equally important is keeping our community safe around electricity.

Contact REC for additional electrical safety tips or if you would like for us to provide a safety demonstation at your school or upcoming community event.

May 2022 Co-op Comments

Official publication of Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. CO-OP COMMENTS is owned, controlled and directed by Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. It is printed monthly and mailed to members in Garvin, McClain, Comanche, Stephens, Grady and Carter counties in Oklahoma.

Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. 13942 Highway 76 • P.O. Box 609 Lindsay, OK 73052 405-756-3104 • 800-259-3504 Outage Number: 855-399-2683 www.recok.coop

Board of Trustees Gary Jones, President, District 1 Scott Christian, Vice President, District 1 Brent Bacon, Sec./Treasurer, District 1 Larry Anderson, District 2 Johnny Harrel, District 2 Terri Hays, District 2 Charles Crawford, District 3 Mark Finch, District 3 Randy Griswold, District 3 Dan Williams, Attorney Management and Staff Dusty Ricks, Manager/CEO Linda Ray, CFO Kelli Lindsey, Administrative Assistant and Staff Coordinator Elaine Gilreath, Manager of Customer Service and Data Processing Jon Jones, Manager of Engineering Mitch Gilreath, Manager of Information Technology Services Megan Lawrence, Manager of Member Services and Marketing Keith Hailey, Manager of Safety and Loss Control/Facilities David Crull, System Superintendent Jason Mays, Operations Superintendent

CO-OP NEWS

REC's youth program winners Rural Electric Cooperative recently awarded and recognized 24 area students with trips and scholarships. Ten high school seniors shared $11,000 in scholarships assisting with their college expenses.

Six high school juniors received all-expense paid trips this summer- three won trips to Washington D.C. for Youth Tour and three won trips to Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. While eight eighth graders won a trip to Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperative’s YouthPower Energy Camp at Canyon Camp near Hinton, Oklahoma.

Both the Youth Tour and Energy Camp competitions were open to REC’s membership and all students attending a school within REC’s service area. Whereas, only

Energy Camp winners from left to right. Top row Cheyanne Holland, Randie Scoggins and Alondra Lopez. Front row from left to right: Garrett Ray, Kale Cook, Paisley Gaines and Creed Taylor. Not Pictured: Trinity Dotson.

Youth Tour finalists from left to right. Top row: Karlea Burton, Macy Henry and Gracie Selzer. Front row: Jacey McReynolds, Colton Hines and Jayda Cook.

high school seniors whose parents or legal guardians are members of REC were eligible to apply for the ten scholarships available.

To compete in the scholarship contest, students were required to complete an application, and from all applicants, a committee of REC’s Board selected 10 finalists to interview. All finalists were selected as winners. Two students received $1,500 scholarships and eight received $1,000 each. Winners of the $1,500 scholarships were Kinley Bratcher of Rush Springs and Seezan Thompson of Wynnewood.

Scholarships of $1,000 each went to: Logan Barber of Elmore City-Pernell, Jennavive Corley of Dibble, Lathan Ferris of Elmore City-Pernell, Collier Ladwig from Rush Springs, Torii Merrell of Lindsay, Victoria Niblett of Elmore City-Pernell, Lizzy Sparkman and Halee Watson of Lindsay.

High school juniors competing in the Youth Tour contest wrote an essay as the first step of the competition. Judges selected the top six essays as finalists. The finalists competed in a speech contest to determine the trip winners. Judges selected Gracie Selzer of Alex, Jayda Cook and Macy Henry of Lindsay as winners for Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. These students will travel to Washington, D.C. with approximately 70 other juniors from across Oklahoma to tour our nation’s capitol.

The three runners-up won a trip near Steamboat Springs, Colorado for the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp hosted by the Colorado Electric Cooperatives. Local winners will join students from Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming for the week-long camp. REC’s winners include Karlea Burton, Colton Hines and Jacey McReynolds of Lindsay.

REC’s winners to YouthPower Energy Camp were selected from a large group of essays submitted by eighth graders from several area schools. The group will attend the camp with 80 other eighth graders across Oklahoma. Winners include: Kale Cook of Lindsay, Trinity Dotson of Wynnewood, Paisley Gaines of Cement, Cheyanne Holland of Maysville, Alondra Lopez of Lindsay, Garret Ray of Ninnekah, Randie Scoggins of Maysville and Creed Taylor of Lindsay.

Student winners, parents, school teachers and administrators were honored at a banquet hosted by REC recently at the Cooperative’s Multi Purpose Center in Lindsay.

REC has offered these programs to area students since 1989. Over the past 33 years REC has provided: 344 scholarships; sent 95 high school juniors to the Youth Tour in Washington, D.C.; sent 87 high school juniors to the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp; and sent 220 eighth grade students to the YouthPower Energy Camp.

Scholarship winners from left to right. Top row: Collier Ladwig, Halee Watson and Logan Barber. Front row: Lizzy Sparkman, Jennavive Corley, Kinley Bratcher, Victoria Niblett and Seezan Thompson. Not pictured:Torii Merrell and Lathan Ferris.

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Classified Advertisement MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE: Adult wheelchair, $280.

PH: 405-351-0878.

FOR SALE: 35 foot fifth-wheel travel trailer in good shape with washer and dryer. Call for pricing. PH: 405-756-4409.

Account number worth $10 bill credit

FOR SALE: 15 foot Tracker boat and trailer, both in excellent condition, used very little, barn kept, 2 seats and 3 horsepower Evenrude motor, $2,100.

PH: 580-467-4711.

FOR SALE: Powersports Coleman Go Cart, 2 seated, never used, includes owner’s manual, $750. PH: 405-351-0878.

Locate your account number in an article of this issue; it will be good for a $10 credit on your electric bill.

To claim the prize, you must locate the account number - if the number is yours, contact REC by the 10th of the month and we will credit your account. Only the member assigned that number is eligible for the prize. If you don’t know your account number, it can be located on your electric bill.

Use caution around REC's utility poles when burning. Make sure to put out all fires around the pole.

Co-op Connections

Use your Co-op Connections Card to save you money on lodging, photographs, oil changes and other items. You can also save on prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing, lab work and imaging and chiropractor services at participating locations.

Your card is a discount card. If you have misplaced your card, contact REC for a replacement card and use it to save yourself some money.

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month Even in summer months, adding insulation to your attic can keep your home more comfortable and save energy used by your cooling system. If your attic insulation is level with or below your floor joists (meaning you can easily see your joists), you should add more. If you can not see any of the floor joists because the insulation is well above them, you likely have enough insulation.

Attic insulation should be evenly distributed with no low spots. Make sure the areas along the eaves are adequately covered.

Learn more at energystar.gov.

FOR SALE: Bulk topsoil, approximately 2,500 yards, located 4 miles south of Wallville, buyer loads and hauls.

PH: 405-496-7874.

PETS & LIVESTOCK FOR SALE: Two horses - one paint and one dunn in color, very gentle. $400 for both. PH: 405-331-8375.

Local Co-op Connection Card Deals A-U-Store It, Purcell $5 off first month rent Backroads Boutique, Lindsay 5% off everything excluding special order and sale items Best Western, Chickasha 15% Off Regular Room Rate Blue Moose Outdoor Portable Rentals, Elmore City 5% Off Septic Tank Pumping, Tent Rental and Special Event Toilet Rentals

Chickasha Diesel Services, Chickasha $50 off any big diesel oil change Edwards Canvas, Pauls Valley - 5% Off Jenny’s Pics Photography, Lindsay 10% Off $50 or More Purchase of Pictures Lindsay Tire and Lube, Lindsay $5 Off Any Full Service Oil Change M & M Furniture, Chickasha 10% Off Any Purchase Mazzio’s Italian Eatery, Purcell 10% Off Purchase Photos by Ginger, Pauls Valley 1 Free 8x10 Print With First Order of $25 Pharmacy Discounts Check out the discounts available using your Co-op Connections Card at participating pharmacies throughout our area. For a complete list of pharmacies, visit REC’s website to see if your pharmacy is offering discounts to Co-op Connections Card holders.

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