The Current 226 N. Broadway Walters, OK 73572 (580) 875-3351 zyoung@cottonelectric.com
4
GRADY
2
Meers
Elgin Rush Springs
Sterling Medicine Park
COMANCHE Indiahoma
Cache
Marlow Central High
Lawton
5
Bray
1 Duncan
Geronimo Chattanooga
STEPHENS Velma
TILLMAN
Empire
Walters
3
Comanche Loco
COTTON
Temple
Grandfield Randlett
6
Addington
Waurika
JEFFERSON
Ryan
CIRCULATION MAP
The
Current
A Publication of Cotton Electric Cooperative Inc.
“The Current - Informing Our Members Since 1957” VOLUME 65
February 14, 2022
NUMBER 6
Co-op feels the love from member ratings
The Current is a publication of Cotton Electric Cooperative Inc., and serves members in Caddo, Carter, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, Jefferson, Stephens and Tillman counties.
1. TILLMAN - 132
5. STEPHENS - 6163
2. COMANCHE - 6398
6. JEFFERSON - 613
3. COTTON - 1010
7. CADDO - 119
4. GRADY - 208
8. CARTER - 106
Cotton Electric’s favorable 2021 rating exceeds other co-ops, investor-owned utilities and municipal utitlites.
90
73 72
Munis
71
IOUs
Cotton
The Current, produced by the marketing department at Cotton Electric, has been proudly serving members since 1957. With a circulation of eight counties, The Current is delivered monthly to more than 15,000 households. A full-size newspaper highlights local communities and businesses, The Current provides members information regarding their cooperative, energy savings tips, fun recipes and more.
Co-ops
Current Impact
By Paula Huckabaa We are the stewards of your cooperative, a responsibility we carry out with you in mind. Our goal is to improve your quality of life. We do that by delivering electricity to homes and businesses, by working to provide electricity at the most affordable rates, and by working with members to help them use less electricity as a way to manage their bills. Members offer guidance through volunteer feedback when an interaction with the co-op goes well or not so well. From time to time, we check in with the membership more formally, conducting a random survey to see if we are meeting our goal and if we need to make any adjustments. Results from our most recent survey indicate our efforts have not gone unnoticed. You responded quite positively to questions measuring your satisfaction with our service and other questions about our attitude and performance. Cotton Electric members rated us with an ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) score of 90. Our CAPS (Cooperative Attitude and Performance Score) rating is 93. Both numbers repeat last year’s scores, and are considerably higher than ratings of others in the energy utility industry. Cotton Electric has a history of scoring improvement on the ACSI. Ratings of 84 and 86 came back in surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Nationally, ACSI scores for cooperative energy utilities remained steady from 2020 to 2021 at 73. Cotton Electric’s ACSI score of 90 is also much higher than those of municipal energy utilities and investor-owned energy utilities. Both scored a 72 in 2020. However, in 2021 investor-owned energy utilities held steady at 72, but municipal energy utilities fell one point to 71. Every department here at Cotton Electric strives to
serve our members with quality and competence. Your survey responses tell us we’re doing a good job with those efforts. Ninety-three percent of those surveyed say Cotton Electric provides reliable electric service, and 92% think Cotton Electric restores power quickly after an outage. Ninety-five percent say our employees are friendly and courteous, and 94% say we have knowledgeable staff who communicate effectively.
Many of the survey respondents would like more information about programs to control bills. We encourage you to visit our Energy Efficiency page at www.cottonelectric.com/energy-efficiency to learn ways to save. You can also call our Energy Efficiency Coordinator Heath Morgan at 580-875-3351 to review your bills or schedule a free home energy evaluation.
–– About the survey ––
The 2021 survey took place in December. Postcards and emails were sent to randomly selected members, inviting them to participate in the survey online or by telephone, a new option this year. Conducted by Inside Information of Smithville, Missouri, Cotton Electric has relied on their member research expertise to help with surveys since 2018. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) is the only national
GOING
cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction in the United States. Each year, the ACSI uses data from interviews with roughly 300,000 customers as inputs to an econometric model for analyzing customer satisfaction with more than 400 companies in 46 industries and 10 economic sectors. ACSI data have proven to be strongly related to several essential indicators of micro and macroeconomic performance. The ACSI publishes an annual Energy Utilities Index, which is an indepen-
dent customer satisfaction measure of the U.S. top 30 investor-owned, municipal, and cooperative utilities. The Cooperative Attitude and Performance Score or CAPStone, is a cooperative performance model developed by Inside Information. It is an industry specific benchmarking tool used to gauge performance in service areas deemed most important by cooperative members: Trustworthiness, well-managed, care about members.
THE EXTRA
MILE
Power Cost Adjustment Calculated
The power cost adjustment now being applied to bills mailed after February 1, 2022, is $0.01406 per kWh. On a member’s average bill of 1,300 kilowatt hours (kWh), this will amount to a charge of $18.28 on the February bill.
January 2022 Temperature Extremes Day High Low 1 55 15 2 38 15 3 54 17 4 65 30 5 51 30 6 31 17 7 42 14 8 74 40 9 51 32 10 55 19 11 61 18 12 64 25 13 76 27 14 72 32 15 42 29
Avg. 36 27 36 48 41 24 28 57 42 37 40 45 52 52 36
Day High Low 16 53 16 17 63 20 18 74 25 19 45 23 20 29 14 21 40 7 22 51 12 23 63 20 24 67 20 25 51 28 26 37 25 27 41 17 28 54 22 29 68 18 30 68 19 Source: srh.noaa.gov/oun/ 31 73 29 Average Daily High: 55 Average Daily Low: 22
Avg. 35 42 50 34 22 24 32 42 44 40 31 29 38 43 44 51
The
Did You Know?
Contact Us
Cotton Electric offices Do you have a story will be closed Monday, idea for The Current or Feb. 21 for Presidents’ do you need to place an Day. Emergency calls ad? If so, let us know. will be answered at 580We can be reached 875-3351 or 800-522- at 580-875-3351 or by 3520. email at TheCurrent@ cottonelectric.com. The next issue of The You can also drop us Current should arrive in a line at Cotton Elecmailboxes on Mar. 14, tric Current, 226 N. 2022. Broadway, Walters, OK 73572.
What’s Inside Operating Stats ..........2 Co-op News.................... 2 Community........... 3-4 Co-op News............4-7, 9 Recipes .............. 10-11 Puzzles .................... 12 Classifieds ......... 13-15 More news at cottonelectric.com
Current
A Publication of Cotton Electric Cooperative Inc.
“The Current - Informing Our Members Since 1957” VOLUME 65
March 14, 2022
NUMBER 7
OTHER AREAS - 680 Cooperative encourages safety as spring arrives Spring is right around the corner. For many, the arrival of warmer weather sparks the urge to get outside, work in the yard or possibly finish up some doit-yourself projects around the house. Cotton Electric wants to encourage members to prioritize safety while engaging in these long-awaited spring-time activities.
Inspect outdoor tools before starting yard work
Can’t wait to get outdoors to start sprucing up your yard for spring? Take a few minutes before you power up your lawn tools to make sure they’re in good shape for the season ahead. Here are some tips for spring cleaning your power tools: • Dust them off. Even if you store your tools in a cabinet over the winter, they could get dusty. And even if you cleaned them before you put them away for the season, you might find some residual grime and dirt on blades and filters. Use a damp cloth to wipe down all moving parts. • Inspect for rust. Older tools are especially prone to rusting. Use steel wood to gently rub rust from metal parts. For tough spots, use a degreaser, and then spray the moving parts with a corrosion protector/lubricant. • Do a test run. Before you start trimming hedges or mowing your lawn, turn your tool on to learn if it’s operating properly. Odd noises, dull blades, loose bolts and frayed wires are warning signs that your tool needs repairing or replacing. Working with damaged or malfunctioning tools can cause injuries. Keep yourself and your family safe by inspecting, repairing and replacing tools that could turn a beautiful spring into a disaster.
Power Cost Adjustment Calculated The power cost adjustment now being applied to bills mailed after March 1, 2022, is $0.00710 per kWh. On a member’s average bill of 1,300 kilowatt hours (kWh), this will amount to a charge of $9.23 on the March bill.
Leave electrical jobs to professionals
• Never seek shelter under an isolated tree, tower or utility pole since lightning tends to strike tall objects. • Immediately vacate elevated areas, such as hills, mountain ridges and peaks. • Get away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water. • Stay away from objects that conduct electricity, including wires and fences, and golf clubs! Approximately five percent of annual lightning deaths and injuries in the U.S. happen on golf courses, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. • Never lie flat on the ground. • Learn about your community’s emergency warning for severe thunderstorms. • Pick a safe place in your home for family members to gather during a thunderstorm. The location should be away from windows, skylights and glass doors that could be broken by strong winds or hail. • Protect your animals by ensuring that any outside buildings that house them are structurally sound. • Your mom was right: never talk on a landline telephone during a thunderstorm. Lightning could strike whatever building you are in, and the electricity will look for the quickest route to the ground via wiring. Although many homes don’t have landlines anymore, many businesses still do. • Know the difference between a watch and a warning. A severe thunderstorm watch means that Prepare for spring/summer storms Oklahoma weather can sometimes be unpredict- they are possible in and near the area. A severe thunable, but a severe thunderstorm is sure to pop up derstorm warning means that severe weather has throughout the season. Being mindful of the weath- been reported by spotters or indicated by radar. A warning is serious and means that there is immier and taking certain precautions can help keep you and your family safe. nent danger to life and property. There’s a little bit of a do-it-yourselfer in everyone. But some projects are best left to professionals. Leave complicated jobs—especially those involving electricity—to the pros. Even the most seasoned handymen stay away from jobs that could put them in danger or start a fire. • If you do work with electricity, your tools need insulated grips. • Switch off the circuit breaker that corresponds to the project on which you’ll be working. • If you’re repairing a lamp, appliance or other plugged-in device, unplug it before you start your work. • Plug power tools into ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). A GFCI will prevent you from getting shocked. • If you need an extension cord for your power tool, choose one with a cord that measures less than 100 feet. • Water and electricity don’t mix, so don’t use power tools in wet areas. • If you’re drilling into a wall, check that you will not come into contact with electrical wires or water pipes. • Shield your eyes and ears and suit up with heavy-duty gloves and other protective gear when you power up your tools. • Wear sturdy, protective shoes and long pants when using power tools—even your lawn mower.
February 2022 Temperature Extremes Day High Low 1 70 44 2 44 18 3 19 15 4 34 15 5 44 11 6 54 18 7 58 27 8 67 21 9 69 24 10 67 33 11 68 26 12 50 23 13 62 21 14 72 23 Source: srh.noaa.gov/oun/
Avg. 57 31 17 25 28 36 43 44 47 50 47 37 42 48
Day High Low 15 72 31 16 78 55 17 62 22 18 50 16 19 65 25 20 74 33 21 75 37 22 58 20 23 23 14 24 27 17 25 32 14 26 40 24 27 56 20 28 67 23
Average Daily High: 56 Average Daily Low: 24
Avg. 52 67 42 33 45 54 56 39 19 22 23 32 38 45
Did You Know? You can report outages by calling 580-8753351 or 800-522-3520. You can also report outages by using the SmartHub app.
Contact Us
Do you have a story idea for The Current or do you need to place an ad? If so, let us know. We can be reached at 580-875-3351 or by email at TheCurrent@ The next issue of The cottonelectric.com. Current should arrive in You can also drop us mailboxes on April 11, a line at Cotton Elec2022. tric Current, 226 N. Broadway, Walters, OK 73572.
What’s Inside Operating Stats ..........2 Co-op News.................... 2 Community............... 3 Co-op News................ 4-9 Recipes .............. 10-11 Puzzles .................... 12 Classifieds ......... 13-15 More news at cottonelectric.com
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A D RA T ES BLACK AND WHITE - $7.00 PER COLUMN INCH COLOR - $9.00 PER COLUMN INCH COMPLIMENTARY AD DESIGN AVAILABLE
POPULAR AD SIZES
3X5
3 columns wide x 5” deep=15 column inches Black and White-$105 Color-$135
2X3
2 columns wide x 3” deep=6 column inches Black and White-$42 Color-$54
2X2
2 columns wide x 2” deep=4 column inches Black and White-$28 Color-$36
The Current Advertising Rate Sheet Column Width
B&W $7.00
Height of Ad
Color $9.00
Column Width
B&W $7.00
Height of Ad
Color $9.00
1
X
1
$
7.00
$
9.00
4
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$
28.00
$
36.00
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14.00
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18.00
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56.00
$
72.00
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21.00
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27.00
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84.00
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28.00
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36.00
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$ 144.00
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42.00
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54.00
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$ 168.00
$ 216.00
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63.00
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$ 224.00
$ 288.00
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63.00
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81.00
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$ 252.00
$ 324.00
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70.00
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90.00
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$ 360.00
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14.00
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35.00
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45.00
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28.00
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70.00
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42.00
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98.00
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42.00
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84.00
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63.00
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81.00
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84.00
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105.00
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135.00
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126.00
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162.00
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189.00
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210.00
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270.00
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1/4 Page
3x10.5
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220.50
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283.50
Half Page
6x10.5
$
441.00
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567.00
Half Page
3x21
$
441.00
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567.00
Full Page
6x21
$
882.00
$
1,134.00
Insert - $ 800.00 Ad sizes can range from 1x1" to 6x21"
54.00
The
Current
2022 Publication Dates
January
February
March
Ad Sales Deadline Dec. 30 Classified Deadline Jan. 5
Ad Sales Deadline Jan. 28 Classified Deadline Feb. 2
Ad Sales Deadline Feb. 25 Classified Deadline Mar. 2
Publish Date
Publish Date
Publish Date
Jan. 18
April
Feb. 14
May
Ad Sales Deadline Classified Deadline
Mar. 25 Mar. 30
Ad Sales Deadline Classified Deadline
Publish Date
April 11
Publish Date
July
June Apr. 22 Apr. 27 May 9
August
Ad Sales Deadline Classified Deadline
June 24 June 29
Ad Sales Deadline Classified Deadline
Publish Date
July 11
Publish Date
October
Mar. 14
Ad Sales Deadline May 27 Classified Deadline June 1 Publish Date
June 13
September July 22 July 27 Aug. 8
November
Ad Sales Deadline Classified Deadline
Aug. 19 Aug. 24
Publish Date
Sept. 6
December
Ad Sales Deadline Sept. 23 Classified Deadline Sept. 28
Ad Sales Deadline Classified Deadline
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Publish Date
Publish Date
Nov. 14
Publish Date
Oct. 11
Dec. 12
Display ad rates: Black and white — $7 per column inch Color — $9 per column inch To place an ad, call 580-875-3351. Classifieds: $5 for non-members & subscribers To place a classified ad, email classifieds@cottonelectric.com or call 580-875-3351.
Subscriptions: $10 annually
Display Advertising Policies When ad is approved by advertiser or authorized agent, The Current is relieved of all responsibility in price and copy. The Current limits responsibility for omission of ads, errors, misprints or other mistakes that may appear in advertisements to the cost of the ad. The Current reserves the right to reject any advertisement or advertiser. The Current may decline to accept advertising that is misleading, inaccurate or fraudulent; that makes unfair competitive claims; or that fails to comply with its standards of decency and dignity. In addition, an advertisement must sometimes be declined because of the applicability of laws dealing with such matters as libel, copyright and trademark, the right to privacy, the sale of securities, the sale of real estate and political advertising. Ads that include elements usually associated with The Current editorial matter will not be accepted (for example, but not limited to: same style headlines, bylines, news-style column arrangements or typography). Additionally, The Current reserves the right to label an advertisement with the word “advertisement” when, in its opinion, this is necessary to make clear the distinction between editorial material and advertising.
Payment
Orders from new advertisers, agencies, or an existing advertiser with a history of late payments are to be prepaid until credit has been established. When ad payment or ad copy is received after the advertising deadline, ad may be placed in the next issue. Pre-payment is required for all political advertisements and for “Going Out of Business” advertisements. Prepayment must be made on or before the ad sales deadline. Invoices and tear sheets will be mailed out within three days of publication. Payment may be made by PayPal, check, cash or money order. All advertising bills are due and payable in full within 30 days following the date of publication. Accounts 60 days in arrears may be refused further advertising until the past-due amount is paid in full.
Advertising Rates
Included in our reasonable rates is personal attention to your advertising needs, including advice and consultation about your advertising program. Advertising layout service provided to advertisers at no charge. Clip art services, including cuts and illustrations, are available for ads at no charge to advertiser. The Current reserves the right to revise rates at any time on at least 30 days’ notice. Ad rates effective September 2008: Black and white ads: $7 per column inch Color ads: $9 per column inch Pre-print insertion rate: $800 for up to 6-page broadsheet or 12-page tab. Contact our advertising representative for pricing on larger inserts. Frequency rate: We offer rate discounts for certain advertisers signing a one-year commitment or for those paying for a year’s insertion in advance. Contact our advertising representative for details.
Political Advertising
The Current will only run political ads of a general information nature. Candidate ads must focus on that person and not mention the opponent. Issue ads must focus on supporting the advertiser’s opinion only. We will not run ads containing attacks on an opponent or an opposing point of view. Any statements made within an ad must be factual and documentation must be available that contains information that allows us to verify the information as fact. Even if a statement is true, The Current has the right to refuse any portion of any ad. Any and all ads, including classified ads, that contain political content must have the political advertising disclaimer. The disclaimer must state the name of the individual or group, mailing address, and candidate or committee that is paying for the ad. Political ads, including classified ads, will be charged the standard advertising rate without discount of any kind. Political ads do not qualify for the two free classified ads offered to cooperative members. All political advertisements must be paid for in advance on or before the ad sales deadline. Political ads cannot be invoiced on account.