WK&T Connection - Summer 2011

connection The WK&T

Summer 2011

P u b l i s h e d f o r t h e m e m b e r s o f We s t Ke n t u c k y & Te n n e s s e e Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s C o o p e r a t i ve

Work has begun!

Special Section:

60th Anniversary

Construction underway on WK&T’s fiber project Look inside to learn:

–Where crews are working –What you can expect

New local sports channel coming to WK&T Entertainment this fall

High-speed Internet access helps Cunningham business stay connected

Connection | WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative Vol. 3, No. 3 • summer 2011

connection WK&T is celebrating our heritage The WK&T

is published by West Kentucky and Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative, © 2011. It is distributed without charge to all members of the Cooperative.

while building for your future

S

Tony Goodman President

ixty years ago, a few men gathered in a law office in Mayfield, Ky., to form a new company. It was called the West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative, and its goal was to bring reliable telephone service to the people of Graves, Calloway, Carlisle and Marshall counties.

This was the beginning of something significant. The creation of a member-owned utility set the stage for the development of infrastructure that would change this region forever. By forming a cooperative, the people created a way to provide important services for their neighbors and families — services that privately owned, profit-centered corporations would never have delivered to our small communities.

Jerry Holloway Vice President

changing the landscape

is your cooperative serving West Kentucky and Northwest Tennessee across more than 15,000 access lines.

The company is dedicated to using technology to keep its members connected through local and long distance calling, high-speed Internet, digital television and beyond.

Board of TRUSTEES

Beverly Taylor Secretary/Treasurer Bob Barnett Jeff Davis Algene Goatley Joe Thompson Delbert Newsome Jerry Stephenson Ricky Littleton Send correspondence and address corrections to: WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative P.O. Box 649 237 North 8th Street Mayfield, Kentucky 42066 Telephone: 877-954-8748 www.wktelecom.coop On the Cover: As part of WK&T’s fiber-to-the-home project, crews work in the Farmington, Ky., area to bore under a roadway and install conduit that will one day hold fiber. (See story beginning on Page 4)

2 | Summer 2011

Fast-forward six decades, and today’s WK&T is still dramatically changing its service area. As I write this column, construction has begun on a project to build an advanced fiber-to-the-home network for our subscribers in West Kentucky and Tennessee. When this project is complete, our members will have access to service that matches or exceeds that available in almost any of America’s major cities.

Now some may ask, ‘do we really need that kind of connection in rural Kentucky and Tennessee?’ I’m sure many people asked a similar question 60 years ago when the cooperative was formed: ‘Do we really need a telephone in our home?’ Looking back we understand they could not have imagined how important a reliable telephone connection would become to their families and businesses. The telephone changed society. And so will fiber.

they educate our children. It is a vital tool for economic development, emergency services and health care. Fiber is about more than providing Internet access, it is about building the infrastructure that powers our economy and enriches our lives.

looking at the Past & future

I’m very proud of this expanded edition of The WK&T Connection. In the center you will find our special 60th anniversary section, celebrating our history while pointing toward our future. You will also find important information about our fiber project, along with a profile of a business who needs a fiber connection in order to keep operating and providing jobs in a rural community.

Taken as a whole, this issue tells a compelling story. It’s a story of people who came together to do for themselves what no outside corporation would do for them. It’s a story of 60 years of progress, and the bright future that is still ahead. And it’s the story of a cooperative that remains committed to service — the same commitment upon which it was founded — even as the telecommunications industry changes at an unbelievably rapid pace.

At WK&T, we are proud of our heritage. We are proud to see work begin on our fiber-to-thehome project. And most of all, we are proud to know that, because of the hard work we are doing today, your cooperative will still be around decades from now delivering whatever services you demand — just like our founders would have wanted. That’s the cooperative spirit.

Meeting your demands

The Internet — a mere novelty just a few years ago — now touches our lives every single day. People interact with family members, shop, search for information and take classes online.

Even if you do not have Internet access at your home, most of the local businesses you depend on rely heavily on the Internet in order to serve their customers. Local and state governments depend on it. It is a resource for our schools as

Trevor Bonnstetter is CEO of WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative

WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative | Connection

channel 68 is all sports, all local

New local sports channel coming in August WK&T is taking local sports to a new level! In August we are launching WK&T Sports on Channel 68.

“We’ve heard from many of our WK&T Entertainment subscribers that watching local sports is their favorite part of local Channel 1,” says Michael Lee, WK&T content manager. “With the launch of WK&T Sports they can catch local sports during prime time every day of the week. Channel 68 will be the alllocal-sports channel for the entire WK&T service area.”

To learn more about WK&T Sports, visit www.wktsports.com.

Businesses interested in gaining exposure on the new Channel 68 can contact Lee at mlee@wk.net or 270-994-8706 for more information.

WK&T Sports will feature prime time coverage of your favorite sports, including: • Mayfield High School Football and Basketball • Graves County Football and Basketball • Carlisle County Basketball • Murray High School Football and Basketball • Calloway County Football and Basketball • Region 1 All A Classic Basketball Tournament • Sporting Events from Mid-Continent and Murray State Universities • Local Hunting and Fishing Programs • Classic Sporting Events from Yesteryear

1 l 1 a 0 2 nu ng Aneeti M

Saturday, July 16, 2011 Graves County High School Business Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.

1951-2011

Celebrating 60 years

Dinner served beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Kid’s Zone with inflatables Musical entertainment

Summer 2011 | 3

Connection | WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative

Construction phase begins on fiber project Construction crews locate lines and bore under a roadway in the Fancy Farm area.

C

rews took to the roadways of West Kentucky and Tennessee last month to plow, bore and bury cable. It was the start of the first phase of construction on a project that will impact this region for decades to come.

“It was a moment we have worked so hard to see,” says Trevor Bonnstetter, CEO of WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative. “Months of planning, delays and working through red tape have paid off. We are on our way toward building the telecommunications network of the future for the members of WK&T.” The project will result in an advanced system capable of connecting every home and business in the WK&T service area with fiber technology. Through their fiber connection, customers will have access to premium services, including multiple HD television streams and Internet speeds significantly faster than anything currently available in the region.

4 | Summer 2011

WK&T takes next step toward building a new fiber-to-the-home system The project is being funded by a grant and loan of $123.8 million. It was the largest awarded last year by USDA Rural Development under the Broadband Initiatives Program of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With construction now underway, the public may have questions about the project, such as:

Where are crews working?

Construction began simultaneously in three exchanges: Fancy Farm and Farmington in Kentucky, and Puryear in Tennessee.

Who is doing the work?

MasTec Construction is building Fancy Farm. McFall Construction is building Farmington. Star Construction is building Puryear. The work of preparing the remotes and certain central office facilities is being done by WK&T crews. OBT Con-

struction is preparing the central offices that have masonry walls, which require a more complex method.

What will I see?

Contractors will be using equipment to perform a variety of tasks: • plowing/burying cable • boring under roadways • digging to install hand holes Motorists will see warning signs as they approach construction areas. Crews may also use traffic cones and flagmen to alert motorists that utility workers are present.

WK&T personnel will frequently be on construction sites to ensure standards are being met.

Contractor vehicles will be marked to identify them with the project, and employees of contractors will carry photo identification.

Continued on page 5

Building new connections

Celebrating sixty years

1951 – 2011 sp e c i a l

a n n i v e r s a ry

s e c t i o n

WK&T is building new connections

I

n the early days of privately owned, community based telephone systems, a connection between neighbors was made by a switchboard operator plugging a cord into a jack. That process has grown increasingly sophisticated over time; today, it takes just an instant for someone in Mayfield or Yorkville or anywhere in between to connect with people across the globe — by phone, email, social networks and more.

When West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative was organized in 1951, it introduced a new way of connecting for the thousands of rural families who previously had no phone service at all. Sixty years later, WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative is building new

connections through an advanced fiber-to-the-home system. When complete, this network will enable individuals, families and businesses to enjoy voice communication, digital television programming, gaming, video conferencing, telemedicine, distance learning and so much more — all over strands of optical fiber.

The founders of this cooperative never envisioned the type of connections we make today. Likewise, we have no idea what ‘staying connected’ will look like in another 60 years. But we do know this: WK&T is building a network today that will make those new connections possible. And we will remain committed to building new connections for this rural region for decades to come.

At the helm: The four general managers W.L. Parr

Percy L. Finks

1951-1961 Mr. Parr had the vision to organize a cooperative that would bring telephone service to our rural communities. He led the utility through its critical early years.

He had served as manager for 10 years at the time of his death.

1961-1976 Mr. Finks’ goal as general manager was to modernize the telephone system by doing away with party lines and delivering one-party service to the members.

When he retired, the cooperative was half-way to that goal.

Glen B. ‘Sonny’ Sears

Trevor Bonnstetter

1976-1998 A longtime employee, Mr. Sears continued the progress. He led numerous system upgrades and ushered in many modern telecommunications services. He was an industry leader, serving as president of the national association.

1998-Present Mr. Bonnstetter is working with employees and board members to ensure another 60 years of unparalleled service. Together, he and the WK&T staff continually search for new opportunities to meet tomorrow’s growing needs.

Behind every leader...

Martha Williams Fisher 1961-2002 Fisher had just finished business school when W.L. Parr offered her a job as cashier at the cooperative. When his secretary resigned, Fisher was promoted to the position. She served as the ‘right hand’ of all four managers before retiring.

Cooperative leaders, yesterday and today

COOPERATIVE FOUNDERS — This photo from the October 1, 1952, edition of the Mayfield Messenger, shows the board members, attorneys and manager of what was then known as the West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative. Pictured, left to right, are: (standing) E.T. Inman of Marshall County; Roy Lowe, secretary-treasurer, of Graves County; Ralph Edrington of Carlisle County; Roscoe Cross, attorney, of Mayfield; L.W. Murdock, president, of Graves County; Luck Burt of Calloway County; (seated) Farland Robbins, attorney, of Mayfield; and W.L. Parr, the cooperative’s first manager.

Tony Goodman

Jerry Holloway Vice President

Secretary/Treasurer

Bob Barnett

Jeff Davis

Algene Goatley

Joe Thompson

Delbert Newsome

Jerry Stephenson

Ricky Littleton

President

Beverly Taylor

TODAY’S WK&T BOARD OF TRUSTEES continues to lead the cooperative in the same spirit as its founders — focused on progress and dedicated to the mission of providing reliable service to all people in its service area.

Milestones are reached by small steps

T

he timeline below shows some of the more significant events that have shaped WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative. While these moments have each made a tremendous impact, it is the small steps leading up to them that truly matter.

For example, the incorporation of the utility was the first major step toward the state-of-the-art services we enjoy today. Before those incorporation papers were signed, however, W.L. Parr took countless smaller steps. He visited neighbors and friends. He held community meetings at country stores and schools. Armed with contacts made through his work with the Farm Bureau, he encouraged community leaders to get behind the idea of a cooperative that would bring modern telephone service to their homes and farms.

Of course, some communities had small, family owned systems that served a few homes. With no privacy to speak of, the phone was more of a novelty than a useful tool. “There was usually a lady in the community who always listened to everything,” recalls Ralph Edrington, who grew up on the independent system in Arlington and later served on the cooperative’s original board. “So if you wanted to know something, you called her because sometime during the day she had heard the news!”

When the cooperative brought its first two exchanges into

July 1951 Cooperative is organized

September 1952 1,200 members; Cooperative receives $1,485,000 REA loan

service in 1955, there were still several people on one line.

But eight-party service was better than no service at all, which is what most rural people were accustomed to. Percy Finks, who became the cooperative’s second manager in 1961, could envision a day when every member had their own private line. That vision was another step forward.

The system upgrade continued under the leadership of the cooperative’s third manager, Glen ‘Sonny’ Sears. With private lines came a new appreciation for the power of telephone service. “The customers’ comfort level really changed,” recalls Shae Copeland, who has worked with WK&T for 33 years. “When we went to private lines they began to use the phone more. It really added security... they began to do business over the phone.”

Sears says it was the “gradual growth,” the small steps, that made a difference in the lives of members. He had a front-row seat to those changes, and in fact led most of them. He joined the company in 1955 where he worked in many different capacities, spending 1976 to 1998 as the cooperative’s third general manager. He steered the organization through tough times (the early days of cell phone service, regulatory bureaucracy) and rapid advancement (digital switching, service area expansion). The cooperative was successful, and was recognized as an industry leader. “One

1951–

1953

1955

1965

Modern dial service begins

Cooperative’s first two exchanges go into service

All exchanges upgraded; 6,600 customers; New building completed

1976

1987

All one-party lines/exchanges service wide

System wide renovation; move toward digital switching begins

of the highlights of my career was serving as president of the National Telephone Cooperative Association,” he recalls.

WK&T continues the steady march forward. Trevor Bonnstetter took the helm in 1998 at a time when the telecommunications industry was entering a major shift. Keeping one eye on local needs and the other on the future of telecommunications, he has led WK&T to introduce new services such as DSL and digital television. As Congress and the Federal Communications Commission work to completely rewrite the rules, Bonnstetter is positioning the cooperative

to succeed in the new reality by building a fiber-to-the-home network. “When a direct fiber connection is available to all the homes, businesses, schools, industries, health care facilities and other community partners in our service area, WK&T will have taken the next step on this 60-year mission,” says Bonnstetter, the cooperative’s fourth general manager.

“We’re taking the small daily steps of providing excellent service to our members, and those steps will continue leading us toward the next milestone.”

Leadership milestones 1985

In , WK&T received approval for the largest single loan to date from the REA — $17.3 million. The purpose of the funding was to upgrade its system from mechanical switches to the new digital switches, add some microwave service and replace thousands of miles of worn out copper cable.

2010

In , WK&T was awarded the largest single grant/loan — $123.8 million — under the Broadband Initiatives Program of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The purpose was to build a fiber-to-the-home broadband network for its members in Kentucky and Tennessee.

–2011

1985: Four tele digital switch phone exchanges cut over to

a new

“I don’t know if you can find a more progressive cooperative...”

—Gayle Robbins, WK&T Attorney

ced for system-wide fiber-

2010: Grant/loan announ to-the-home project

1997

1999

2001

2001

2007

2009

2011

First Internet offering

Long distance service introduced

50 years in business; 18,500 access lines

New offering: DSL

Television service launched

Ice storm cripples system

60 years in business; fiber-tothe-home construction begins

Serving cooperatives:

A matter of tradition for the Robbins family

W

hen Gayle Robbins joined his father’s Mayfield, Ky., law practice in 1973, he knew he was taking on a family tradition. Farland Robbins had launched his firm in 1936 (the fourth generation of Robbins men to practice law in Graves County). Two years later he was the organizing attorney for the new electric coopera-

ins, in the library of the

land Robb portrait of his father Far Gayle Robbins, with a yfield, Ky. Robbins law firm in Ma

Robbins &

tive, and for 13 years following filled the same role for West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative.

Farland Robbins would continue representing the cooperatives — his two favorite clients, according to his son — until his death in 1990 at age 78.

“I remember as a child my dad going to the board meetings and the annual meetings,” says Gayle Robbins. “We could never go on our family vacations until after his rural telephone annual meeting the third Saturday in July.”

When he joined his father’s firm, the two Robbinses worked together to provide legal services to the cooperatives. Gayle Robbins has continued that role in the two decades following his father’s death.

“We’re proud of the heritage my father left,” he says.

Members should be proud, too, he says, of the progress their telecommunications cooperative has made over the past 60 years. “The CEO and board of trustees are very progressive-minded and forward-looking,” he says. “They educate themselves on all the issues, and they really are looking ahead and taking care of their members.”

With a son who is an attorney, as well as a smart young grandson, Gayle Robbins hopes the tradition of a Robbins representing WK&T remains alive for generations to come.

Edrington was an original board member

O

ne long, one short. That was the ringing pattern that told the Edrington family a phone call was awaiting them on the hand-cranked unit hanging on their wall.

Of course, when they picked up the receiver to talk, they knew a few of their neighbors were probably listening in as well.

Having grown up on a small, privately owned phone system in the Arlington community, Edrington was very interested when approached about helping form a rural telephone cooperative in 1951. He had served in the Air Force during World War II, was a member of the local Lions Club and was generally interested in helping advance his community.

“It’s the democratic way of doing business,” says Edrington of the cooperative business model. “I think that’s

what built the country we have today, people who were interested in their communities.”

Edrington only served a short time on the telephone cooperative board, as the owners of the Arlington system decided not to sell to the cooperative. He still remembers, though, that the men he served with — including manager W.L. Parr and attorney Farland Robbins — had one thing in common.

“They were leaders in the community,” he says.

Service continues to be important to Edrington. At age 94, he serves on the board of directors for West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative — a position he has held since 1966.

He just recently stepped down as president of that board, an office he had held since 1984.

From telephone company to technology company

W

est Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative was formed in 1951 with a commitment: to bring a reliable service at a reasonable cost to the people of this rural region. As you can see from this overview of our history, WK&T has never lost sight of that original commitment.

While our intent has remained firm, the focus of our mission has changed considerably. In this new century, WK&T has transitioned from a traditional telephone company into a technology company.

This may seem like a major shift, but it is actually the next step in a long history of changes — changes that have ensured you were not left behind. Consider these milestones: the move from party lines to private lines; the installation of digital switching equipment; the launch of dial-up Internet, long distance, DSL and television.

Each of these steps illustrates our commitment to delivering modern telecommunications services to the rural regions we serve. We see that many rural customers of today’s investor-owned telcos are left without access to the services they want and deserve. We made a commitment 60 years ago to provide something better for our customers, and that continues to drive us.

Take a good look at your WK&T today. Yes, we offer the basics.

We bring you phone, DSL and digital television, with triple-play bundles to save you money. And we provide it all with customer service that is second to none.

Now look closer. In addition to our television service, we produce our own local programming to bring you high school sports, hunting and fishing, cooking and other interests. Our Tech Stores offer a selection of high-definition TVs, the latest tablet computers, printers, supplies and accessories. Our techs offer repair service for your computer or laptop — even if you bought it somewhere else.

No one knows what services will be delivered over broadband networks in the future, but we know you will not be left behind the technology curve. The advanced fiber network WK&T is building today will be capable of delivering speeds that will rival — and often exceed — those available in major cities. And that is good news for schools and universities, hospitals, emergency response agencies, small businesses, large industries and everyone in between. And don’t forget about our reliable, monitored home security service.

Broadband is indeed the infrastructure of tomorrow. As the telecommunications industry changes, leaving behind the days of traditional phone service, you can trust that your WK&T is making plans now to not only survive but to thrive in the new reality. Because you deserve nothing less. Remember, that is our commitment.

Your cooperative

by the numbers...

15,033

81

access lines

employees

10,000

1,250

Internet customers

square miles served

3,500

3,100

TV customers

miles of copper lines

WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative | Connection

Fiber

something that doesn’t look right, give me a call.”

Will crews be on my property?

How do I stay informed about the progress of the fiber build?

Continued from page 4 During the construction phase, crews will be working on the right-of-way of state and local roadways.

When the time comes for fiber to be extended to homes and businesses, property owners will be asked to sign a permission form to allow WK&T to bury a line (known as the ‘drop’) in their yard.

Homeowners will not have access to fiber service without this drop running underground from the right-of-way to their residence.

Will crews leave a mess?

Some activity, especially digging to install the hand holes, will disturb the ground considerably. In such cases contractors will return to the sites to fill in sunken ground and repair and seed damaged areas.

“We have also told crews not to leave trash, buckets or pieces of conduit laying around,” says Sam Stitcher, PE, WK&T’s engineering department supervisor. “We want to do this with the least amount of disturbance to our subscribers. If you see

WK&T is committed to keeping its members informed as the fiber project continues. Each issue of The WK&T Connection newsletter will feature a fiber update. We will also post updates on our website (www.wktelecom.coop), Twitter and Facebook.

When will the project be completed?

According to the terms of the grant and loan, WK&T has three years to complete the project. This timetable begins when WK&T makes its first drawdown on the available monies. The initial phases have been funded with existing cash flow, preventing the regulatory and weather delays from eating into the three-year period.

“While construction is underway in these three exchanges, engineers are busy staking in other areas,” explains Stitcher, PE, “Activity is in full swing throughout our service region, and we are excited about bringing this advanced technology to our members in the very near future.”

Need help paying for Telephone Service?

Do you or someone in your household participate in any of these programs?

• Medicaid • Food Stamps • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Section 8 Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

If so, you may qualify for these two special programs:

››› LINK UP This program provides a discount on the cost of installing telephone service.

››› LifeLine This program provides a discount on the monthly cost of telephone service.

To find out if you qualify for these programs, call WK&T at 877-954-8748.

WK&T’s Tim Holloway, (left), engineering department inspector, and Shayne Terry, outside plant supervisor, inspect work being done in the Fancy Farm, Ky., exchange. The crew has dug a hole and is preparing to install this cone-shaped housing known as a hand hole. Once installed, the top of the hand hole will be flush with the ground. By removing the cover, utility workers will be able to access the fiber inside.

For a complete set of terms for the Link-Up and Lifeline programs, call or visit WK&T. Link-Up and Lifeline are part of the Federal Universal Service Fund program.

The Federal Communications Commission introduced this program, and the Universal Service Administrative Company oversees it. The goal of Universal Service is to make sure consumers throughout the United States have essential telecommunications service.

Summer 2011 | 5

WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative | Connection

›

Leadership Team — L to R: Charlie Smith (controller), Kerry Mayes (general manager), and Burtise Bright (human resources) are leading Graceland Properties through an era of expansion.

Growing construction business relies on Internet

G

raceland Portable Buildings is a rapidly expanding construction company headquartered in Cunningham, Ky. Launched in 2005 by husband and wife team Daniel and Valorie Burnett, the business today has more than 250 dealers in 12 states and manufacturing facilities across the U.S. The company offers portable buildings to private individuals as well as small businesses in need of office space. Graceland’s goal is to provide customers with superior service and products on a standard or rent-to-own basis.

Pre-built and delivered to the customer’s site, the buildings manufactured by Graceland can be customized according to the needs of the customer. “If a customer wants double doors or a roll-up door on their building, or would like to add a window, our plans are all flexible enough to allow us to do that,” says Graceland’s IT Specialist Robert Parks. “We can make any changes necessary to make sure they get what they are looking for.”

Despite the recession, Graceland Portable Buildings has experienced significant growth over the past three years. In 2008, the company had 11 employees — today, that number stands at more

6 | Summer 2011

Fiber will allow companies like Graceland to grow in rural areas

than 50. But their phenomenal success has not come without a few growing pains.

Graceland depends heavily on their DSL Internet connection from WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative. As their need to process payments, sales and rental contracts online has grown, so has their need for increased Internet upload speeds.

“They were getting the best upload speeds possible on their DSL connection,” says Stacey Riley, central office supervisor at WK&T. “After looking at all the options, we ended up combining two DSL circuits to provide the upload bandwidth they needed for their business.”

While effective in the short term, Riley says this is not a permanent solution. “Through our fiber-to-the-home project, Graceland will soon have a high-capacity fiber connection to the Internet,” he says. “Fiber offers the most reliable connection and the greatest speeds possible, and every WK&T customer will have access to it within the next three years.”

Parks is excited about Graceland’s future fiber connection. “It’s going to help,” he says. “We are in the process of changing from

WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative | Connection

a small business to a big business — and I see lots of opportunities with the addition of fiber. The faster the connection, the more work we can get done.”

In the meantime, Graceland continues to grow and is building additional office space in Cunningham. “Graceland is a great example of why rural America needs fiber infrastructure,” Riley says. “Companies like this could locate anywhere, but they choose to stay in our rural areas and provide jobs for our local communities. They need the same access to high-speed Internet that their competitors have in the big cities — and through our fiber-to-the-home project, WK&T is helping make that a reality.”

To learn more about the power of fiber, or how WK&T can help your business reach its goals, visit www.wktelecom.coop.

Accounting Manager Garrett Strickler (left) and IT Support Specialist Robert Parks use their WK&T Internet connection to process orders at Graceland Portable Buildings.

WK&T crews assist cooperatives affected by tornadoes When killer tornadoes ripped across the Southeast on April 27, cooperatives responded quickly to help their fellow utilities. WK&T sent crews to Alabama, the state hardest hit by the tornado outbreak. Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative (Rainsville, Ala.) suffered extensive damage from more than a half dozen twisters (including an EF-5) that struck its service area. In the photo to the left, WK&T’s Jonathan Whisman connects a line to a pole; the floor of a mobile home is seen in the background, blown against a tree. In the bottom photo, WK&T’s David Cline (in bucket), Benny Turner (left) and Josh Redden work to hang new fiber optic cables near a high school that was heavily damaged by a tornado.

Summer 2011 | 7

West Kentucky & Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative 237 N. 8th Street Mayfield, KY 42066

Incredibly innovative.

Surprisingly simple.

Say hello to the LYNX Touch.

Security doesn’t have to be complicated.

A full-color touchscreen. Brilliant graphic icons. An easy, elegant interface.

The new LYNX Touch from Honeywell brings state-of-the-art technology to your home security system. With the LYNX Touch, you can enjoy basic security as well as advanced options like environmental monitoring, Total Connect remote services and apps for your mobile devices.

See the LYNX Touch in action at www.lynxtouch.com/demo.html

Put information and control at your fingertips

(use “1234” as your security code)

877-954-8748

www.wktelecom.coop