June 2024

702-990 | ISSN: 1042-7767 | VOL 74, NO 6

Current Light Flashes is the official voice of West Florida Electric Cooperative Association, Inc., a member-owned Touchstone Energy® cooperative serving Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties. It is published as a service to the Co-op’s members. Periodicals postage is paid at Graceville, Florida.

Two Long-time Dispatchers Retire

Virginia Green and Danny Pitts, two of the co-op's most experienced dispatchers, have decided to hang up their headsets and retire. As afterhours dispatchers their duties include dispatching linemen to outages, and coordinating multiple crews while they make repairs to the power grid. They also assist local emergency agencies, providing help with emergency situations related to electricity including downed lines, house fires, car accidents and more. For years, both Green and Pitts often worked 12-hour shifts each weekend.

Green began her career at West Florida Electric in July 1994 while simultaneously working as a Title 1, Pre-K Assistant and Pre-K teacher at Graceville Elementary, which she continued to do until 2019 when she retired from the school system. She worked with students at GES for 29 years.

She says that the field of afterhours dispatching has changed tremendously since she started. Some of those changes included going from using a printed out list of members accounts and information during outages to using computers and new dispatch programs, taking payments for prepaid members after hours, assisting members with the co-op's satellite program (which no longer exists) and training many other dispatchers. The shifts she works have also changed over the years. She says there were many challenges over the years but she learned new things with the help of her supervisors, co-workers and the linemen. She said one of the things they taught her was how to speak into the radio properly so she didn't sound like she was in a hole.

"I will miss the guys because I feel I have a good working relationship with them. They are very respectful and helpful. I will also miss my co-workers

continued on page 4

When ROW crews are trimming in your area, there may be several days between ROW cutting & clean-up crews due to inclement

other

Virginia Green

Danny Pitts

because I enjoy people. I want to thank the wives of the linemen for being nice to me when I called them out at all times of the night," said Green. She plans to do more traveling with her daughters after she retires. Green says she has been to Colorado Springs, the Pentagon, Virginia, San Diego, and many more places in the past year. She also has many more travel plans for this year.

Pitts was previously employed by the Jackson County School District and the Graceville Police Department, enjoying long careers with each. Pitts started working at West Florida Electric Cooperative in October 2013. He is married to Anna Lee and plans to spend lots more time with her and his family after retirement.

"Dispatchers are the people who direct the crews during outages. Having dispatchers who genuinely care about the lineworkers and members is a win for all parties. Danny and Virginia are those types of dispatchers," said Shawn Walling, Executive Vice President and CEO.

"I have had linemen tell me Ms. Virginia would call them to make sure they are okay when a repair took longer than they told her it would. They all knew Ms. Virginia was there keeping an eye on them and making sure they were safe. In her 30 years of being a dispatcher, she has seen many changes. Employees have started and finished their careers here at WFEC with her voice being the one on the radio after hours. She has been a fixture. As she and Danny begin this new season of their lives, we wish them the best.

For the employees, we will miss both of them, but especially Virginia's larger-than-life personality and the pride and care she took in keeping WFEC's lineworkers safe and "getting the lights" back on for the membership," he said.

Scan the QR code below to download the mobile app!

WFEC Holds 87th Annual Meeting/Member

Appreciation Day

West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) held its Annual Meeting/Member Appreciation Day on Saturday, April 27. Attendees were greeted by a large American Flag suspended between two bucket trucks when they entered the grounds of the Graceville Civic Center. Booths ranging from health screenings to pole climbing by WFEC linemen, and toucha-truck displays from local emergency agencies and the co-op were some of the main attractions for members. The co-op also provided valuable information about electrical safety, surge protection, EVs and more. Entertainment was provided by Swiftwater, a bluegrass group from Altha, Florida.

The meeting started with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem sung by Gerald Webb of Swiftwater, and the colors were presented by Vernon HS JROTC students. This was followed by an address to members by Shawn Walling, Executive Vice President and CEO of WFEC. Walling took time to recognize the cooperative's membership saying, "I want to thank you, the members, for understanding that sometimes to do something 'safely' it will take a little longer. This can stretch the length of outages. We want to get the lights on as quickly as possible, but we also have the goal of 'everyone goes home every day.' This translates to nobody gets hurt."

"I am very proud to be a part of the West Florida Electric Family. It is great to know that we at WFEC work for those we serve. I take great pride in working for a foundational business in this area. I say foundational because 'if WFEC is not doing our job well, the rest of the economy doesn't work.' I am proud to be a part of this organization where the membership's needs are put first. I look forward to the next annual meeting where we will be able to say again: West Florida is doing everything we can to meet our goals of providing safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to our member-owners," he continued.

During the business meeting, the results of this year's District 7, 8, and 9 elections were announced to the members. Those results were:

District 7

Randy Bush - unopposed

District 8

Joe E. Rone - 1,526 votes

Melissa "Misty" Erickson - 1,751 votes

District 9

Myron Hudson - 1,610 votes

Jerry Eldridge - 1,039 votes

Jeremy Rolling - 615 votes

This year, members had the option to approve minutes from the 2023 annual meeting on the mail ballot. Those minutes and board actions were approved with a vote of 2,897 members approving and 146 disapproving. The two winners of the $250 bill credits for voting in this year's election are Austin and Ashland Goff and Betty Ard. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, WFEC is a democratic organization controlled by its members, who actively participate in setting policy and making decisions. The elected representatives are elected by the members and accountable to them. Members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote). The elections were overseen and conducted by Carr, Riggs & Ingram, CPAs and Advisors.

10 Things You Might Not Know about Power Restoration

Let's shed some light on our power restoration process to help you understand what might be happening behind the scenes.

1. We need you. When your power goes out, it might be just at your home or small section of a neighborhood. There is a chance we may not know about it, and no one has reported it. We rely on you to let us know if your power is out. You can do that by texting OUT to 800-342-7400, using the mobile app or reporting it online. You can also call 844-688-2431 (844-OUTAGE1).

2. Our employees might be affected too. Because West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) is a local electric cooperative owned by the members we serve, our employees are local too. They are your neighbors, friends and familiar community volunteers. When you're without power, our people might be too.

3. It's a team effort. Every one of WFEC's employees are working to get your power restored as soon as possible. Our member services representatives are taking call, engineers and field staff are surveying the damage, our vegetation management team is clearing hazards, dispatchers are organizing crews, and communicators are keeping everyone informed of progress and potential dangers. When your power goes out, we all work together as quickly and safely as possible to get you back to normal.

4. We assess the situation first. Every outage is different, and we don't know how dangerous it is or what equipment might need to be replaced. When responding to outages, we first need to see what happened, then figure out what materials we need and a plan for how to fix the problem(s) without compromising electric flow for the rest of our members.

5. Restoration is normally prioritized by the largest number of members we can get back on in the shortest amount of time. Our crews focus on responding first to public safety issues and critical services continued on page 7

like hospitals. Then we look to complete work that impacts the largest number of people first.

6. Our employees face many dangers. Besides working around high voltage electricity, our crews are on alert for wild animals, weather elements, falling trees and fast-moving cars. (If you ever drive past one of our vehicles, please slow down).

7. Flickering lights are a good thing. Some folks mistake flickering lights for outages, but these "blinks" are important because they indicate our equipment worked and prevented a possible outage likely caused by wayward animals or stray tree limbs on the lines.

8. You need a backup plan. We do our best to help those who need it, but if you depend on electricity for life support purposes, you must have a back-up plan. Remember, we don't always know how long restoration efforts will take.

9. Our employees have to plan, and eat. If you ever see our trucks in a restaurant parking lot while your power is out, know that sometimes our employees huddle in a safe, common area to map out their plan for getting your power back on. Also, our crews work long hard hours during outages and need to take time for meals just like everyone else.

10. Sometimes it's a waiting game. Our portion of the power grid is connected to other electric utilities, and we maintain positive relationships with power providers interconnected to our system. If our outage is due to an issue from their feed into our system, we must let them do their repairs and be mindful of what they're going through to fix it.

We do our best to avoid power disruptions, but they are inevitable from time to time. If the lights go out, know that your co-op team is working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power. If you experience an outage, please let us know by reporting it. You can text OUT to 800-342-7400, use the mobile app, report it online or call 844-388-2431

(844-OUTAGE1).

Feeling left in the dark?

Let’s Talk.

Track and report power outages immediately with your phone – and view detailed outage maps with impacted areas and status. Rest assured we are on our way to you. Log on or download the app today!

www.westflorida.coop 800-42-7400

Pay Your Bill with the Touch of a Button

Let's talk about West Florida Electric Cooperative's (WFEC) mobile app. Take advantage of this convenient way to manage your power in real time. Our secure mobile app is designed to give you fast, secure account access from anywhere. Receive email alerts when your new bill is ready and pay it instantly - with the touch of a button - AND without paying postage!

Using the app is easy and convenient with all the information about your electric account available at your fingertips. Nearly everything you need to do online can be handled instantly - whether you are at home, at work, or on the go.

• Make and schedule secure payments

• View bills and account balances

• Easily manage account details

• Schedule alerts and reminders • Receive push notifications

• View account & payment history

• Contact the co-op

• View use for the past 30 days or customize a report

• Report outages and view the online outage map

The mobile app is secure and free. All critical personal and financial information is encrypted in every transaction run through the app and no personal information is ever stored on mobile devices. Your mobile device will offer the ability to store login information, so remember anyone with access to your mobile device, can access your account using the app.

West Florida Electric's mobile apps for Android and IOS devices are very easy to locate in the Android Market or App Store - just search West Florida Electric Cooperative. It's completely free to download and install.

To use the mobile app for the first time, please call 800-342-7400 to get started and to verify your WFEC account information is correct.

The co-op offers many other convenient payment options to help members avoid mail delays. We will talk about paying online in next month's issue.

Talk.

Take advantage of our convenient services to manage your power in realtime. Receive email alerts when your new bill is ready and pay it instantly –without paying postage.

Log on or downLoad the app today!

Thank You

West Florida Electric Cooperative members for your vote and support in our recent election. Your returning me as your District 9 Trustee is deeply appreciated. As your board member, my pledge to you is to continue working diligently to maintain an effective and efficient co-op that will best serve all member-owners. It is an honor to serve you.

Doug Hannon's Fish & Game Forecast

18 9:18-11:18 9:42-11:42 3:45-5:15 4:09-5:39

CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE

Animals/Livestock

Very gentle mare with 2 saddles, lots of tack, $800; 850-419-3270.

Five kittens, two tabby and three gray and white, asking re-homing fee, $10 each; 850-638-8166.

Tiny Shih Tzu male puppies, eclipse babies, will be buff/cream (chocolate fuzz grows out), adorable; 850-768-0556, text.

Appliances

Electric Kenmore washing machine, ultra fabric care, heavy duty, 90 series, quiet, extra capacity; 850-237-2176.

Home/Farm

Antique Long 445 tractor, with bush hog and blade, $2,500; 251-979-5971, call or text.

Big couch, folds into double bed w/mattress; 850-263-4339.

Enclosed trailer; 850-332-8876, call or text Joseph.

5403 John Deere tractor w/ loader, 1,350 hours, 70+HP, runs great, recently replaced tires, $20,500; 850-590-3479.

Vicon hay cutter, CM2400, lift type, 8’, well maintained, one owner, everything works as it should, field ready; 850-5924798.

Noritake China Blossom Time, eight 5-piece place settings, includes platter, vegetable bowl, sugar bowl w/lid and creamer; 850-866-4953. Miscellaneous

Two used Huffy bicycles, $70 each, good condition; 448-488-2091, call or text if interested.

Gen Air steel gas grill cover, gas tank included; 850-237-2176.

CLF Free Ad Policy (Limited to one ad per household)

WFEC publishes free classified ads in the Current Light Flashes as a service to its members. The following limitations apply: 1) Ads must be 20 words or less and must be legible, with an active electric account number at the top. 2) Ads exceeding 20 words are subject to elimination. 3) Submit ads to the Graceville office by the 5th of the month to appear in the following month’s issue. (Example: An ad arriving by Jan. 5 will appear in the Feb. CLF) 4) Ads for services & businesses are not free. Service businesses include, but are not limited to, pet or livestock breeders or stud services, rentals, baby-sitting, etc. 5) Any buying or selling on a regular basis will be considered a business. On-going garage sales & the sale of similar items on a repeated basis do not qualify for free advertising. 6) WFEC may refuse to publish any ad . 7) You may submit your ad online at www.westflorida.coop WFEC will not accept ads over the phone.

Pepper jelly, $5 & $10 jars; habanero, cranberry jalapeno, can be made to order; 850-276-9484, text.

Used meter pole; 850-703-9375.

Multiple Listings

Gravity wagon; 3-horse slant trailer; barrel, roping, pleasure saddles; tack; gentle pony; utility trailer; 850-209-8532 or 850-592-2494.

Vintage 1981 Honda Goldwing 1100 GL, low miles, $6,800; 5x11 enclosed trailer, both $8,800 OBO; 850-373-3709 or 850- 5470448.

Two aluminum tool boxes, 11x65”, $250; pair western cowboy hats, $35; 850-547-0448 or 850-373-3709.

CLF Free Ad Form Please Type or Print Neatly.

#

Address/P.O. Box

# For Sale • Wanted • Free • Thank You • Lost (circle one)

Multiple Listings

(cont.)

Gravity flow wagon, $1,700; 4” auger, $600; 2 Kuhn cutters, 10’, $1,200 each; 850-547-2563.

Round 5’ dining table, with 6 chairs, $150; Lazy Susie $5; other items, too numerous to list; 850-557-8790.

Motorguide MinnKota clampon trolling motors; high-top camper top for small pickup; 850-674-6242.

Square bale annual peanut hay; square bale grass hay; 12x36 walkin cooler; 850-263-3427.

Real Estate

8.5 acres, 5086 Smokey Rd., Graceville, road frontage, pasture land, pole barn, new well, electric, septic, prime deer hunting land, $159,900; 334-560-6019.

Notification Statement

Notice is hereby given that the West Florida Electric Cooperative Association, Inc. Board of Trustees regularly meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, unless special circumstances warrant a change.

Main Business and Publications Offices 5282 Peanut Road

Graceville, Florida 32440-0127 (850) 263-3231 or 1-800-342-7400

Subscription Rate

Cooperative members, $2.50 per year Non-members, $6.00 per year

Change of Address Notices

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Current Light Flashes

P. O. Box 127

Graceville, Florida 32440-0127

DISCLAIMER: Although paid advertisements may appear in West Florida Electric (WFEC) publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, WFEC does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement. WFEC reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish any advertisement, article or information.

This Institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

16 acres of land, in the Graceville area, portions farmable; 727-403-4463.

Vehicles

2008 Smart car for two, excellent condition; 850-272-6611.

2007 Toyota UT, $5,000; 850-573-6583, if no answer, leave message.

WANTED

Old project European cars, Pre1975 and old motorcycles from England, Germany, Italy, CZ France, in any condition; 330-503-5201.

Two or three nanny goats, as companion animals, rescues welcome, good home; 850-547-5213.

Rims, 16” & 8”; 15” & 6”; 850-674-6242.

Horses; ponies; mules; donkeys; 850-209-8532 or 850-592-2494.

Pre-1965 coins and older currency, loose, jars, collections, or estates; 850-326-3437.

Goats, all sizes, and ages; 850-451-1065.

20+ acres pasture land, to rent; 850-693-9152.

genealford@gmail.com MyUHCagent.com/gene.alford

Ingredients:

1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple w/juice

1 21 oz. can cherry pie filling 1 16.5 oz. box golden butter cake mix

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Spread pineapple and juice over the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Then spread the cherry pie filling on top of that. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the mixture and cut butter into thin squares. Arrange the butter on top of cake mix. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 4045 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Serves 8-10 people.

P.O. Box 127

Graceville, FL 32440-0127