July-August TCEC Newsletter

TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Rural Living Don’t fall for the call Know the signs of a scam Pg. 2

Got Mail? – Unclaimed Capital Credits Pg. 7 July & August 2022

Rural Living Know the Signs of a Scam TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

It’s no secret that consumers with a water, gas or electricity connection have long been targets for utility scams, but fraudsters have changed their tactics since the Covid-19 pandemic. As consumers became more reliant on technology for work, school and commerce, scammers noted these shifts and adapted their tactics to this changed environment.

July & August 2022

Board of Trustees

Bobby Dodd

Donnie Waldrep

Catherine Bethea

District 2

District 3

District 5

President

Junior Smith District 1

Benny Bishop District 7

Vice President

George Webb District 4

Secretary/Treasurer

Ann Herring District 6

Johnny Edwards District 8

TCEC Staff

Julius Hackett, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Brewer, Vice President of Engineering Eileen Herndon, Vice President of Corporate Services John Tuten, Vice President of Operations Wendell Williams, Vice President of Finance Tri-County Electric Cooperative Rural Living, the voice of your member-owned electric cooperative, is published bimonthly — more if necessary — at no subscription cost to the membership. The publication team is comprised of TCEC employees. Postage is paid at Tallahassee, Fla.

Publication Team

Julius Hackett, Chief Executive Officer Eileen Herndon, Vice President of Corporate Services Kaitlynn Culpepper, Community Relations Director

Publisher

Joanna Forrester Printed on Responsibly Forested Paper Tri-County Electric Cooperative 2862 West US 90 Madison, FL 32340 www.tcec.com 1-800-999-2285

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Imposter scams are the number one type of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission. While scam artists may come to your door posing as a utility worker who works for the “power company,” in today’s more connected world, attempts are more likely to come through an electronic device, via email, phone or text.

Common Types of Scams A scammer may claim you are overdue on your electric bill and threaten to disconnect your service if you don’t pay immediately.

Whether this is done in-person, by phone, text or email, the scammers want to scare you into immediate payment so you don’t have time to think clearly.

If this happens over the phone, simply hang up. If you’re concerned about your bill, call us at 850.973.2285. Our phone number can also be found on your monthly bill and on our website, www.tcec.com. If the scam is by email or text, delete it before taking any action. If you’re unsure, you can always contact us, or use the TCEC FL mobile app, to check the status of your account.

Remember, TCEC will never attempt to demand immediate payment after just one notice.

Some scammers may falsely claim you have been overcharged on your bill and say they want to give a refund. It sounds easy. All you have to do is click or press a button to initiate the process. If you proceed, you will be prompted to provide banking or other personal information. Instead of money going into your bank account, the scammers can drain your account and use personal information such as a social security number for identity theft.

Julius Hackett, CEO If this “refund” scam happens over the phone, just hang up and block the phone number to prevent future robocalls. If this scam attempt occurs via email (known as a “phishing” attempt) or by text (“smishing”), do not click any links. Instead, delete it, and if possible, block the sender. If you do overpay on your energy bill, TCEC will automatically apply the credit to your next billing cycle. When in doubt, contact us.

Defend Yourself Against Scams Be wary of call or texts from unknown numbers. Be suspicious of an unknown person claiming to be a utility worker who requests banking or other personal information.

Never let anyone into your home that you don’t know unless you have a scheduled appointment or reported a problem. TCEC employees wear logoed uniforms and carry ID badges. When we perform work on our members’ property or come into your home, our employees are professionals and will always identify themselves.

We want to help protect our community against utility scams, and you can help create the first line of defense. Please report any potential scams to us so we can spread the word to prevent others in the community from falling victim.

Board Meetings The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be held the second Monday of each month at 3:00 p.m. in the central office building of the Cooperative located at 2862 West US 90, approximately two miles west of the City of Madison.

July & August 2022

Recent Developments with the Price of Electricity Natural Gas Prices & Member Rates The price of natural gas has been increasing for the past twelve months. As gas prices continue to climb, the price for electricity is on the rise as well.

Price projections for natural gas remain high throughout the rest of this year.

The WPCA credit will be reduced to zero for TCEC members starting on the July bills to cover the rising wholesale power costs. The fluctuation in the WPCA is largely caused by changes in the cost of fuel for power generation. The co-ops cost of wholesale power is now more than 65 percent of the cooperative’s total expenses, so it is critical that the co-op makes sure that it recovers all of its wholesale power costs.

Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA) $ per 1,000 KWHS

JANUARY 22 $13.00 Credit

JULY 22 $0 CREDIT

DECEMBER 22 $0 CREDIT

The Electric Cooperative Business Model: Stronger Together Seminole Electric Cooperative, TCEC’s wholesale power provider, is committed to providing safe, affordable, reliable electricity to TCEC and eight other not-for-profit electric cooperatives in Florida. As a not-for-profit, Seminole provides electric services at cost.

This means that when the price of fuel goes up, those costs are passed on to Seminole’s Members in the form of higher rates for electricity.

The benefit of being in a generation and transmission electric cooperative like Seminole is that TCEC member-consumers are not facing this situation alone. The costs of electric generation and transmission to all the Seminole Members are spread out among 1.9 million electric cooperative consumers and businesses in forty-two of Florida’s 67 counties.

Our structure also ensures that local leaders make the decisions that support our local communities. For example, TCEC’s CEO, and several board trustees represent TCEC on the Seminole Board of Trustees.

Our Current Energy Portfolio In 2021, approximately 27% of Seminole’s wholesale electricity was generated by Seminole using natural gas as a fuel source. Seminole also purchased an additional 28% of its wholesale electricity from other utilities in the state, who largely use natural gas to generate electricity.

In addition to natural gas, Seminole also generates electricity from coal and renewable sources. This resource diversity helps spread risk when the price of one type of fuel increases.

Supply Chain Challenges are Delaying New Technologies and Renewable Energy While the price of natural gas is largely driving the recent increases in the cost of electricity, other factors, including trouble finding materials and supplies, are also causing disruptions. You may have noticed long lead times and delays when ordering consumer items like washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and other appliances. Electric cooperatives are also experiencing difficulties acquiring the materials that we need to provide you with electricity. For example, on the distribution side of our business, TCEC has noticed price increases and delivery delays on transformers, conductors, and poles, just to name a few.

Seminole is also seeing delivery delays and cost increases. Solar panel price increases, production delays, delivery difficulties, and international trade uncertainty are delaying or canceling many of the solar facilities that were planned to be installed this year.

Over the last nine months, the solar industry is reporting that 2022 solar installation forecasts have been cut in half due to these continued challenges.

Keeping the Lights On Seminole and TCEC remain dedicated to providing our member-consumers with safe, affordable, reliable electricity. We don’t just work in the communities we serve, we also live here, and we are experiencing the same price increases for electricity that you are. Staff at TCEC and Seminole continue to work to minimize our other costs, and do what we can, to lessen the impact of these natural gas price increases on the price of electricity.

July & August 2022

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TCEC Lineworkers committed to their career –

because it’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. The long hours and everpresent danger can truly take a toll. In fact, being a lineworker is listed in the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the U.S. Lineworkers often work non-traditional hours, outdoors in difficult conditions. While the job does not require a college degree, it does require technical skills, years of training and hands-on learning. Becoming a journeyman lineworker can take more than 7,000 hours of training That’s because working with high-voltage equipment requires specialized skills, experience and an ongoing mental toughness. Shortcuts are not an option, and there is no room for error in this line or work.

Six members of the TCEC Operations team were recently recognized for their hard work in moving through the rigorous lineman training program.

Chad Mitchell, Josh Williams, and Seth Ragans have completed the Lineman Apprenticeship program and are now certified Journeymen Linemen. This certification process includes four levels of testing through Northwest Lineman College, four field exercises through Georgia EMC and a minimum of five years of on-the-job training.

Capas Kinsey, Bryan McMullen, and Jacob Walker have spent the past year with TCEC working through the Lineman

Trainee program and have now moved up to the next level of training as Apprentice Lineman.

We are very proud of the hard work and time spent by our operations team members and look forward to their bright future at TCEC. Without the exceptional dedication and commitment of these hardworking men, we simply would not have the reliable electricity that we need for everyday life.

VP of Engineering, Jeff Brewer, graduates from the Management Internship Program Jeff Brewer, TCEC’s Vice President of Engineering has completed an intensive program in electric utility management with the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

The Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program (MIP) is a series of workshops offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The program guides participants through all facets of the electric utility industry, including the many changes occurring around the nation.

MIP participants go through three 10-day sessions designed to challenge and educate in new, innovative management techniques.

Participants leave with a better understanding of what consumers want and how to ensure they get it.

By also covering the unique principles that govern the operations of electric cooperatives, the program helps the co-op analyze other business ventures it may want to enter as well as enhancing the core organization.

Only rural electric cooperative CEOs and top-level management participate in the program. This allows greater emphasis of study on management and leadership challenges and the aspects of consumer-ownership that cooperatives enjoy. Participants focus on member value as part of day-to-day decision making.

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July & August 2022

$28,500 in Energizing Education Scholarships Awarded in 2022 13 seniors across the TCEC service territory were recently awarded with the TCEC Energizing Education Scholarship.

Valued at up to $2,000 to be used towards their college education.

These scholarships are made possible through the Energizing Education Program in which TCEC members elected to have their monthly electric statement rounded up to the next dollar and those cents set aside to fund scholarships such as these, with the mission to provide educational support for qualified members and their families in Jefferson, Madison & Taylor Counties.

Congratulations Seniors!

Merridy Archambault

Lance Thigpen

Ashton Carroll

Tyler Grass

Zachary Townsend

James Madison Preparatory High School

James Madison Preparatory High School

James Madison Preparatory High School

James Madison Preparatory High School

James Madison Preparatory High School

Tanner Renfroe

Rhett Borklund

Abby Ratliff

Bailey Hackle

Mackenzi Bochnia

James Madison Preparatory High School

Taylor County High School

Madison County High School

Madison County High School

Madison County High School

TCEC also partners with the North Florida College Foundation to award members and their families who plan to attend NFC with scholarships to be used towards tuition or books. Four future NFC students received TCEC scholarship dollars to help further their education.

Carter Gore

Riley Smith

Jadon Bray

Madison County High School

Aucilla Christian Academy

Dixie County High School

To enroll your account to donate to the Energizing Education Program visit: http://www.tcec.com/energizing-education or scan the QR code with the camera on your smartphone.

July & August 2022

Shane Lehmann Jefferson County Homeschool Student Merridy Archambault James Madison Preparatory High School Whitney Raines Madison County High School Sarah Hunt Point of Grace Christian School

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TCEC Members get the Credit

Capital Credits, that is – for helping build, sustain, and grow your local electric cooperative.

In November 2022, Tri-County Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees approved retirement of capital credit refunds in the amount of $1.1 million to current and former members, like you, across portions of 4 counties served by the co-op. This capital credit refund represents 100% remaining of our members’ Capital Credit accounts from 1994 and 35% of 1995.

When you signed up to receive electric service from TCEC, you became a member of an electric utility.

While investor-owned utilities return a portion of any profits back to their shareholders, electric co-ops operate on an at-cost basis. So instead of returning leftover funds, known as margins, to investors who might not live in the same region or even the same state as you do, TCEC allocates and periodically retires capital credits to our members (also called patronage dividends, patronage refunds, patronage capital, or equity capital) based on how much electricity you purchased during a year.

In the event of a member’s passing, capital credits can be refunded at their death or thru the year of death and paid to their designated heir. We recommend closing accounts for deceased member’s and establishing a new account in the name of the individual responsible for the property. A certified copy of a death certificate must be provided as well as proof of updated ownership.

TCEC bylaws/policies provide for the option of an early retirement of the capital credits of a deceased member to their estate. Representatives of a deceased member’s estate can choose whether to receive the deceased member’s capital credits in the form of a present valued lump sum payout or to wait and receive the monies as they are retired as part of the normal, non-discounted retirement process of the Cooperative. Upon request by the appropriate documentation, the cooperative will pay the discounted, net present value of the capital credits to the estate of the deceased member. The amount of such distributions will be calculated using a discount rate that equals the Cooperative’s weighted average cost of capital and considering the date that the distribution would have occurred. Discounting provides a fair way to recognize special circumstances while continuing to treat members equally. If the discount option is exercised, the payment shall be final and binding in all regard.

Capital Credits represent your ownership in TCEC and are one of the most unique and rewarding benefits you enjoy as a member of and electric cooperative.

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July & August 2022

Got Mail?

Many capital credit checks have been returned with the address marked as undeliverable. To help you determine if you are entitled to one of these unclaimed checks, a partial list is included below. The list of unclaimed checks can also be found on our website, www.tcec.com

A

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B

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ADAMS, ASHLEY AGNER, WESLEY ALBRITTON, ROBBY ALBURY, ROBERT ALEXANDER, ASA ALTMAN, TINA ANDERSON, CURTIS M ARMSTRONG, BONNIE H AUSTIN, BILLY C BALLARD, DOROTHY S BANKS, LEE ROY BARGER, WILLIAM E BARTSCH, MIRIAM E BASKA, PHILLIP B BASSETT-CROCKER-HUGHES BAUMGARDNER, HAZEL M BELLAMY, EVELYN BERRY, JOHN E BERTSINGER, FRANKLIN BETHEA, MAURICE BISHOP, BOBBY L BOOTHE, DALLAS BRIGGS, MARY K BUCHANAN, LES

C

CASEY, GORDON R CAYLOR, ARNOLD CHASE, RON C CHRISTIAN, LOIS C CIMIOTTA, BONNIE CLARK, ARLAYNE A CLARKE, JACK & KATE COLCHISKI, ETHAN R COLLINS, LEROY III COMMANDER, JERRY L COOK, JOSEPH B & GLORIA J CORBIN, CHERYL CORBIN, DANNY J COUNCIL, LUCRESIA A CUSTARD, KAY

D

DANIELS, CARLA L DAVIDSON, DONALD W DAVIS, JAMES D DECK, NORMAN V DELAHUNT, BILLY J DELAHUNT, MICHELE DEMPSEY, BESSIE C & L J MILLS DETARI, CSABA & HELEN DUBBERLY, DALE W

E

ESTEP, DICKY EVANS, GORDON & BARBARA

F

FALLON, ANTHONY FAULKNER, JANET M FAVORS, MILDRED FERRI, JACKSON C FITZGERALD, JERRY FLETCHER, J V FLORES, CHRISTOPHER T FOOTMAN, ORRIE

July & August 2022

GALAXY TELECOM, LP GIANINO, CHRIS L GILLEY, DAN GONYNOR, BOB GONZALEZ, FRANCISCO GORDON, MATTHEW R GRIGSBY, SHAUN GROVES, HOYT GUTHRIE, EDWARD L HALL, CHARLES E JR HAREN, FRED HARRIS, MICAH T HARRISON, ELLA HARTMAN, GAIL M HAUSER, DENNIS HEADLEY, MARGARET D HENDRIX, TERRY L HENDRY, CHARLES HENDRY, DOZIER B HICKS, JAMES N HILBERT, ANNIE D HODGES, GREG HOLLINGSWORTH, JOY HOWARD, MARGARET L HUFF, NOVA E

I

INGRAM, TRACI B IRBY, RANDY & MONICA

J

JACKSON, GERDA L JAMES, MARGARET JENKINS, FORLEPAY L JENNINGS, GINGER JENNINGS, RON JOHNSON, CURTIS R JOHNSON, JOY JONES, KEITH A JONES, MARY ALICE JUAREZ, BONNIE & LEONEL

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KARAU, JACQUELYNN KEELY, TIMOTHY C KELLY, ANGELA JAY KENNEDY, RITA M KIRK, GAYLE M KNIGHT, OLIVER

L

LACY, JERRY LARIVIERE, WILLIAM LAWSON, LINDA LEUTNER, GREG LEWIS, BECKY R LFC POWER SYSTEMS CORP LOGAN, DOUG C LOGGINS, ARCHIE LONG HORN SALOON LOSH, CATHERINE G LOVE, DOROTHY M

M

M B KAHN CONSTRUCTION CO MACK, GARY A

MAIN, ROBIN L MALOY, B E MANEL, LEON MANNING, EDDIE L MARTIN, BETTY D MARTIN, JUDY A MATHIS, WILLIAM MAY, SHELLEY A MAYS, STEVAN D MCCALL, CRAIG MCCARTHY, JOSEPHINE MCCOY, JOE G & JOANNIE MCDANIEL, ZACK MCDONALD, CHRISTI L MCKENZIE, CARL E JR MCLEOD, TOMMY J MEDINA, JAIME MELDREM, JENNIE MERRITT, JOHN R MEYERS, JOHN M MILLER, ROY MINTER, FLOYD MONNOSI, CARLA MOON, JOHN & SANDY MORGAN, MELISSA MUSCHENHEIM, JAY

N

NEUMANN, DONALD E NICKEL, FRED C NORTON, JUANITA

P

PALOMINO, DAVID PANKA, THOMAS PARKER, JEFFERY PARRISH, SAMUEL W PATTERSON, FAYE PEMBLE, FRANK PERRY LUMBER CO INC PHILLIPS, MACK PIERCE, GORDON V PITCHER, JAMES PLACZKOWSKI, SHERRY POPPELL, PAUL

Q

QUANDT, BARBARA

R

RAY, ARTHUR C III RAYMOND, RONALD W RICE, MARION RICHARDS, BRYAN RIOTTO, ANDREW J JR RITCH, LAURA ROBERTS, BRENDA P ROBERTS, CAROL K ROBINSON, DONALD G ROBINSON, RICHARD W ROUSE, TALTON RUDY BLAKEY INC RUSHING, B M

SCOTT, JOHN W SCOTT, LETAVIOUS SELDEN, DOUGLAS B SELWICKA, FRANZ SEVOR, KEN SHILOH PRIMITIVE BAPTIST SHIPP, KEVIN L SHIVER, JERRY SINDHU, SHAVKAT H SLAUGHTER, LEE L SMALLEY, CHARLES SMITH, JOSEPH A SMITH, VIKKI SMITH, WILLIAM ROBERT SMYTHE, WILLIAM A SPEARS, SHELLY SPIREK, KATHLEEN STEWART, LARRY C STOER, CHARLES B MD STONE, HAROLD D SULLIVAN, RUTH G

T

TESAREK, TOM THOMPSON, NUMAN O TINNELL, CANDACE TOOKE, WILLIAM VERNON TURNER, INA A

U

UNGARO, WILLIAM US CUSTOMS

V

VALENTINE, RICK L OR SUSAN VAN TASSELL, SUZANNE VICTOR, DAVID E VISAGE, LOUETTE VISMARA, GIOVANNI

W

WALKER, GREG WALTERS, CLIFF WARREN, BESSIE WHARTON, REBECCA WHEELER, BLANCHE WHITAKER, CYNTHIA WILLIAMS, CAROLYN WILLIAMS, TOMMY M WILSON, JEFFERY C WIMPEE, G F WINDSOR, OSCAR S WMAF WOOD, KRISTIN WOODS, VIOLA WORLEY, KAREN J WVH ASSOCIATES INC WYSONG, WILMER

Z

ZUMFELDE, ROAN

S

SALEM PRIMITIVE BAPT CH SANDS, JOHN D SCHIEVE, SCOTT SCHMIEL, GEORGE R

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Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. Board Meetings Summary for January 10, 2022 With all Trustees present, key cooperative personnel and the attorney present, the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of TriCounty Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held on Monday, January 10, 2022, in the Tri-County Electric headquarters office building located in Madison, Florida. Reports to the Board included the Finance Committee, Policy Committee, Building and Land Committee, and CEO. Action taken by the Board included the following: approval of the January 10, 2022 Board Agenda; the December 13, 2021 Board Meeting Minutes; and Consent Agenda items as written and recommended by the CEO, which included: the WPCA for January 2022 as established by resolution; RUS Form 7 for November 2021; list of new members for October 25, 2021 – December 31, 2021; and Work and Accident Report for November 2021 along with the System Outage Reports.

Other action taken by the board included authorization for the CEO to proceed with the cooperative’s broadband initiative, adoption of a 2021 Revenue Deferral Resolution; and approval to perform a review of the district boundaries in 2023. The cooperative attorney reported on the purchase of the transmission line between Dixie and Taylor counties from Seminole Electric Cooperative.

Bobby Dodd, President

Catherine Bethea, Secretary/Treasurer

Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. Board Meetings Summary for February 14, 2022 With all Trustees present, key cooperative personnel and the attorney present, the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held on Monday, February 14, 2022, in the Tri-County Electric headquarters office building located in Madison, Florida.

Reports to the Board included the Finance Committee, Policy Committee, Building and Land Committee, Seminole Electric February 2022 board meeting, Florida Electric Cooperatives Association February 2022 board meeting; and Cal Brantly, CPA with Nichols, Cauley and Associates, and CEO. Action taken by the Board included the following: approval of the February 14, 2022 Board Agenda; the January 10, 2022 Board Meeting Minutes; and Consent Agenda items as written and recommended by the CEO, which included: the WPCA for February 2022 as established by resolution; RUS Form 7 for December 2021; approval of list of new members for January 1, 2022 – January 20, 2022; and Work and Accident Report for December 2021 along with the System Outage Reports.

Other action taken by the board included authorization for the CEO to execute agreements on behalf of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Conexon, following confirmation of the agreements by the cooperative attorney; approval of RUS Form 675 “Certificate of Authority Resolution” to update files for RUS and designating authorized signers for RUS Form 595.

Bobby Dodd, President

Catherine Bethea, Secretary/Treasurer

Fiber internet service is coming your way!

Building a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network is a multi-step intensive project encompassing numerous efforts. For each project, the network will be built in zones or phases, with the number of phases dependent on the size of the target service area.

The first step is make ready engineering to determine that existing co-op poles and equipment are in condition to have fiber added as needed.

TCEC has retained TechServ Consulting and Training, LTD to assist in conducting a system wide data collection effort of TCEC assets. In many cases, they will need access to property near and around TCEC poles, meters, and electric lines.

Members in Steinhatchee, Greenville, and Monticello will begin seeing TechServ employees and vehicles in the area.

Their team works long hours and some weekend days.

TCEC wants to thank you for your cooperation with TechServ Consulting and Training, LTD and with this project.

Should you have any questions or concerns about this project, please contact us at 850.973.2285.

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July & August 2022

Upcoming District Meetings

The second of the seven cooperatives principles we follow at Tri-County Electric Cooperative is Democratic Member Control. Which means we are a democratic organization controlled by our members, like you. Members actively participate in setting policy and making decisions by electing their board representatives and holding them accountable to the membership.

Upcoming district meetings to be held in Districts 3, 5, and 6 provide a great opportunity to meet with fellow members in your neighborhood. By attending your district meeting, and electing a member as your district trustee, you have an opportunity to be involved in your co-op and meet with current TCEC trustees and staff to discuss the things that are important to you.

Any member who intends to be nominated and elected at a district meeting for the position of Trustee, may download a Notice of Intent form at www.tcec.com/notice-of-intent, or pick up a form at any TCEC district office and return completed form to Eileen Herndon, Vice President of Corporate Services (850.973.8024) at the headquarters office in Madison, Florida at least 21 days before the District Meeting at which Trustees are to be elected.

District Meetings

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Concord Missionary Baptist Church Greenville, FL

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Monday, July 25 6:00 p.m.

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District Meetings will be held in July for TCEC members living in Districts 3, 5, & 6.In accordance with Article III, Section 7 (a) of the Bylaws of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. district meetings will be held for the purpose of selecting person(s) as candidates for trustee. This year, members will elect trustees to represent Districts 3,5, & 6. District Meetings are scheduled as follows:

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Thursday, July 21 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 26 6:00 p.m.

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District 6

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St. Johns Christian Fellowship Church Perry, FL

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Mount Pleasant A.M.E. Church Monticello, FL July & August 2022

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Strawberry-Melon Summer Salad

Original recipe yields 6 servings

www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients • • • • • •

1 cup – lemon yogurt 1 tablespoon – honey 1 teaspoon – lemon juice 2 cups – watermelon balls 2 cups – cantaloupe balls 2 cups – halved fresh strawberries

Directions 1. In a salad bowl, whisk together the lemon yogurt, honey, and lemon juice until smooth, and gently fold in the watermelon balls, cantaloupe balls, and strawberries. Toss to coat, and serve.

All Tri-County Electric Cooperative offices will be closed Monday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Crews will be standing by if needed. Please see “Connect to your Co-op” on page 11.

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July & August 2022

COOPERATIVE FILL-IN-THE-BLANK

As a member of an electric cooperative (also known as a co-op), you’re part of something special! Read the facts about co-ops below and use the word bank to fill in the blanks.

Check your work in the answer key.

1. Co-ops don’t have customers. Instead, they have _________________.

2. Co-ops are local organizations and businesses, so they understand the local _________________ they serve.

Ellis Anderson, TCEC Crew Leader, has retired after over 47 years of service to the cooperative and our members. We are thankful to Ellis for his commitment, dedication, and hard work and wish him the very best in his years of retirement.

Word Bank: Electric Principles Members Communities Co-ops

4. _________________ are led by the members they serve.

5. You’re a member of an _________________ co-op, but there are also housing, grocery and other types of co-ops.

Answer Key: 1) members 2) communities 3) principles 4) co-ops 5) electric

Congratulations Ellis!

3. All co-ops are guided by the same set of cooperative _________________.

This Publication’s Inspirational Moment

Holiday Schedule Reminder

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. ”

(Psalm 84:11)

July & August 2022

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Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. 2862 West US 90 Madison, FL 32340

Rural Living TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE