Teachers:Win Up To $1,500 For Your Classroom! The Bright Ideas grant program, sponsored by Tri-County EMC, provides grants for teachers to improve education in local classrooms through innovative projects in grades Pre-K through 12 that would not otherwise be funded. Georgia certified public or private school teachers in grades Pre-K through 12 in Baldwin, Jones, Putnam, Twiggs and Wilkinson counties qualify.
proposal per year. Grants will be awarded based on merit and must be used within 18 months of the issue date. Applicants may be asked to provide a follow up report about the funded project.
Since 2008, Tri-County EMC has provided nearly $150,000 in grants to local schools. Funds for the Bright Ideas grants come from unclaimed capital credits that otherwise would have been surrendered to the state. The grants are open to all subjects. Projects will be judged based on innovation, goals, learning objectives, student involvement and budget. Individual projects can be funded up to $1,500. Teachers are limited to one grant
All applications must be completed online at www.tri-countyemc.com/bright-ideas.cms. Applications must be submitted by midnight on Monday, December 7 to be considered for funding. For questions about the program or application process, please contact Kim Broun at 478.986.8126 or kimb@tri-countyemc.com.
Bright Ideas Grant Applications Due December 7, 2016
Recipe Box Championship Crock Pot Chili Thanks to Fannie Batchelor of Baldwin County for sharing this delicious recipe! Did you know that your recipe is worth $20 if chosen? Send your best recipes to kimb@tri-countyemc.com or mail to P.O. Box 487, Gray, GA 31032. Ingredients: • 3 ½ - 4 lbs ground beef • 14 ½ oz. can beef broth • 3 Tablespoons onion, finely chopped • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 3 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules, divided • 8 oz. can tomato sauce • 2 Tablespoons paprika • ½ teaspoon black pepper
• • • • • • • • •
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 Tablespoons chili powder 1 Tablespoon cumin ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon garlic salt ¼ teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules 1 Tablespoon lime juice
Directions: Cook beef in large skillet over medium heat, stirring to crumble until beef is browned. Drain the beef. Place cooked beef, chopped onion, beef broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, paprika, cumin, two teaspoons of beef bouillon, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook for seven hours on low or three hours on high. Stir in remaining beef bouillon, onion powder, salt, sugar, garlic salt, chicken bouillon and lime juice. Cover and cook for one hour on low. (36859001)
Owned By Those We Serve
P.O. Box 487 Gray, GA 31032 478.986.8100 FAX 478.986.4733 www.tri-countyemc.com
Ray Grinberg, CEO Board of Directors Brenda P. Green, Chairman Sammy Hall, Vice-Chairman Thomas Noles, Secretary/Treasurer George “Buck” Comer, Dan Greene, Chester Mercer, Marion Nelson, Cecil Patterson, Mike Rainey
current lines Monthly Publication for Tri-County EMC Members Kim Broun, Editor Communications Specialist
current lines October 2016
A monthly publication for Tri-County EMC members
In this issue:
PSC Rate Survey Results
Operation Roundup Grants
Christmas Card Art Contest, Flood Relief
Bright Ideas, Recipe Box
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
Public Service Commission Reports Rates Tri-County Rates Lower Than Average
A
ccording to the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) Summer 2016 Rate Survey, Tri-County EMC has lower rates than the average Georgia EMC and Georgia Power. The average residential Tri-County EMC member uses 1,176 kWhs per month. A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the unit electric utilities use to measure the power you purchase. One kWh will power a 25-watt bulb for 40 hours. At the 1,000 kWh, 1,500 kWh and 2,000 kWh levels, Tri-County EMC members pay less than members of the average EMC in Georgia and less than Georgia Power customers.
The PSC survey ranks electric service providers by total electric bill amounts for 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 kWh. The PSC residential rate surveys are done twice each year, once during the summer and once during the winter. For this survey, rates in effect for the month of July were utilized. All electric providers in Georgia participate, including all Electric Membership Corporations, all Municipal Electric Systems and Georgia Power. For complete survey results, visit http://www.psc.state.ga.us/electric/surveys/residentialrs.asp.
Georgia PSC Rate Survey
$ 50
$127
$ 100
$123
$245
$216
$184
$ 150
$167
$200
$202
$250
$277
$300
$119
TOTAL COST IN DOLLARS
Summer 2016 Results
TRI-COUNTY EMC STATE AVERAGE GEORGIA POWER
1,000 kWh
1,500 kWh
2,000 kWh
MONTHLY ENERGY USE
Tri-County EMC Foundation Grants $18,480 in September
L
ast month, the Tri-County EMC Foundation Board approved 14 grant projects, totaling $18,480 in Operation Roundup funds, to benefit organizations or individuals in our local community. The organizations that received funds last month are the following:
Boy Scout Troop 310: $1,600 to help cover the cost to send students from a Putnam County troop to Boy Scout Camp. Brave Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center: $1,000 to send three riders to compete in the Special Olympics. Camp Kudzu: $1,000 to send students from the TriCounty Service area to a diabetes education camp. Chard Wray Memorial Food Pantry: $1,000 to purchase food for a food pantry in Baldwin County. Ferst Foundation: $1,000 to purchase books for students under the age of 5 in Jasper County. Georgia War Veterans Home: $2,500 to renovate a Care Ambassador Suite to accommodate visitors to the Georgia War Veterans Home in Baldwin County. Golden Harvest Food Bank: $1,000 to purchase food for a food bank serving individuals in need in Putnam County.
Pictured: Murali Thirumal and Katherine Lacksen, both representing Habitat for Huamnity, accept an Operation Roundup Grant from Kim Broun, Tri-County EMC. The grant will go towards a Habitat home in Baldwin County.
Habitat for Humanity of Milledgeville/Baldwin County: $2,500 to be used for HVAC work in a new Habitat for Humanity home in Baldwin County. Northridge Christian Ramp Ministry: $550 to purchase materials to construct a wheelchair ramp for an individual recovering from hip surgery in Baldwin County. Putnam Christian Outreach: $2,500 to help a diabetic individual in Putnam County receive cataract surgery and to provide shelter, medicine and food for those in need in Putnam County.
Milledgeville First United Methodist Church: $750 to purchase materials to construct a wheelchair ramp for an individual in need in Baldwin County. Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department: $400 to replace the lungs in the CPR mannequins that are used in community CPR training classes. Fragile Kids Foundation: $2,680 to purchase a stroller to help a child with Cerebral Palsy in Putnam County safely travel to and from doctors’ appointments. (72089001)
About Operation Roundup... Operation Roundup is funded by the voluntary contributions of Tri-County EMC members to the Tri-County EMC Foundation. Participants in the program have their monthly bill rounded up to the next dollar, and the difference is donated to Operation Roundup. The Tri-County EMC Foundation Board of Directors meets quarterly to determine which organizations receive funds. Any individual wishing to make a tax-deductible donation to the foundation may contact Kim Broun at 478.986.8126 or make a check payable to: Tri-County EMC Foundation, Inc., PO Box 487, Gray, GA, 31032. To enroll your account in monthly giving through Operation Roundup, visit www.tri-countyemc.com/operation-round-up.cms
Christmas Card Art Contest Artwork Due November 4
T
ri-County EMC is seeking students (grades Kindergarten through 5th grade) to design the Tri-County EMC 2016 Christmas Card. Artwork provided by the students should be Christmas/Holiday themed and will be judged by a committee of employees. The overall winner’s design will appear on Tri-County EMC’s Christmas Card, which will be mailed to friends and associates of the cooperative. The artwork will also be featured in the December issue of Current Lines, on www.tri-countyemc.com and on Tri-County EMC’s social media pages. If you are interested in having your child participate, please fill out the release form at www.tri-countyemc.com/christmascardartcontest.cms and return it with the artwork to: Tri-County EMC Attn: Christmas Card Contest PO Box 487 Gray, GA 31032 You may also turn in entries to either office location. Please do not fold the artwork. The deadline to turn in entries is Friday, November 4. The winner will be announced on social media and our website by 5pm on Friday, November 11. If you have questions, please contact Kim Broun at kimb@tri-countyemc.com or 478.986.8126.
Did you find your account number?
Louisiana Co-op Flood Relief
C
ooperatives around the world operate on seven core principles. Tri-County EMC recently had the chance to execute the sixth principle - Cooperation Among Cooperatives. Through this principle, cooperatives are encouraged to work with and support other co-ops to strengthen the cooperative movement. Through Tri-County’s voluntary Employee Benevolence Fund, a donation from the cooperative and individual donations from board members, Tri-County EMC was able to donate a collective $3,200 to flood relief in Louisiana. The funds were sent to the Association of Louisiana Statewide Electric Cooperatives to be distributed to the many EMC employees affected by the disastrous flooding. If you are interested in making an additional donation, please make the check out to the ALEC Hurricane Relief Fund and mail it to ALEC, 10725 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70816.
christmas card CONTEST Prizes! The first place winner’s artwork will be featured on the Tri-County EMC Christmas Card, in the December Current Lines on tri-countyemc.com and the cooperative’s social media pages. The winner will also receive $50. Overall 2nd Place: $40 Overall 3rd Place: $25 Grade Level Winner: $10
Find your complete account number in this issue of Current Lines and win a $50 bill credit. Call 478.986.8126 to claim your bill credit.
Real Linemen Wear Pink!
T
his month, our linemen will wear pink hardhats as they go into the field to repair and maintain power lines. The ultimate goal is to raise awareness for breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women after skin cancer. In fact, one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. It’s also the second-leading cause of death among women in the United States. Visit the American Cancer Society online at http://www.cancer. org to see how you can support the fight against breast cancer in the area. (83981001)