Today in Mississippi September 2020 Local Pages by American MainStreet Publications

FOR MEMBERS OF ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OF MISSISSIPPI

CROSSROADS OF RURAL AMERICA

COMPETITIVE STUDENT SHOOTING RECALLING

POPLAR HILL SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER 2020

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CENTRAL ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION A tradition of dependable, hometown service since 1937.

107 E. Main Street Carthage, MS 39051

Carthage: 601-267-5671 • Philadelphia: 601-656-2601 Rankin: 601-829-1201 • Sebastopol: 601-625-7422

Central Electric Power Association’s ongoing substation improvements Great milestones have been reached in Attala and Neshoba County. The Kosciusko Substation, serving members in Attala County, was built in 1973. On April 30, 2020, upgrades were completed and the substation was energized at 161 kV. Longino Substation was built in 1978. On August 11, 2020, the substation was energized at 161 kV. Additional upgrades will be completed by the end of this year. Sandtown Substation is currently being constructed and will be energized later this year. Both the Longino and Sandtown Substations serve members in northern Neshoba County. All these improvements will increase the reliability and service quality to the members they serve. These new 161/25 kV substations have the capacity to serve many years of residential, commercial, and industrial growth. Kosciusko Substation serves members in Attala County.

“These improvements will increase the reliability and service quality to the members they serve.”

Longino Substation

12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

This substation will serve members in northern Neshoba County.

ELECTRICAL SA TIPS FOR HUNTE mind as you enjoy the great outdoors.

This hunting season, we encourage all members to be aware of electrical equipment and take necessary precautions while hunting. Keep these safety tips in mind as you enjoy the great outdoors.

Takehunting notice of posted warning signsallanm This season, we encourage ELECTRICAL SAFETY clear of electrical equipment. aware of electrical equipment and take Take notice of posted andthese keep s TIPS FOR HUNTERS ELECTRICAL SAFETY ELECTRICAL SAFETY precautions while warning hunting.signs Keep mind as you enjoy the great outdoors. TIPS FOR HUNTERS TIPS FOR HUNTERS ELECTRICAL SAFETY Do not shoot at or near power lines or

This hunting season, we encourage all members to be aware of electrical equipment and take necessary precautions while hunting. Keep these safety tips in mind as you enjoy theseason, great outdoors. This hunting we encourage all

clear of electrical equipment.

Take notice of posted warning signs and keeptips in precautions while hunting. Keep these safety clear of electrical equipment. mind as you enjoy the great outdoors.

Know where lines and equipment are located onpower the of land where you hunt. Take notice posted warning located on the land where you hunt.

membersall tomembers be This hunting season, we encourage to be Do not shoot at or near power lines or insulator aware ofaware electrical equipment and take necessary of electrical equipment and take necessary precautions while hunting. safety tips insafety tips in precautions whileKeep hunting. Keep This hunting season, we encourage all these members to these be Know where power lines and equipmen mind as you enjoy the great outdoors. aware of electrical equipment andthe takegreat necessary mind as you enjoy outdoors.

TIPS FOR HUNTERS

Take of posted signs lines or insulators. Do notice not shoot at orwarning near power Take ofequipment. posted warning signs and keep clearnotice of electrical

clear of electrical equipment.

Be especially careful inareas wooded areas w Be especially careful in wooded Be especially careful in wooded areas where and keep where power linesmay may be not bebe as as visible. power lines not power lines may not as visible.

Take notice of posted warning signs and keep visible.

clear of electrical Do not shoot at or near power l Take notice of postedequipment. warning signs and keep clear of electrical equipment. Know power lines and equipment are clearwhere of electrical equipment. Do notnot place deerdeer stands on utility located on the land where you hunt. Do place stands on poles utilityorpole climb poles. Energized lines and equipment climb poles. Energized lines and equipm Do not shoot at or near power lines or Know where power lines and conduct electricity to anyone who comes Do not shoot at or near power lines orcan insulators. insulators. equipment are located on the land where power lines and eq can conduct electricity anyone who inKnow contact with them, causingto shock Do not shoot at or near power lines orpower insulators. Be especially careful inshoot wooded areas where you hunt. Do not at orwhere near lines or insulators. in contacton with them, causing shock orlocated electrocution. the land where you h power lines may not be as visible. or electrocution. Know where power lines and equipment are

Know where power lines andpoles equipment are Do located not place deer stands on utility or hunt. Do not place decoys on power lines or other on the land where you Know where power lines and equipment are utility equipment. Any non-electrical equipmen located on the land where you hunt. Do not place deer stands on lines utility Do notnot place decoysdecoys on power lines climb poles. Energized and equipment Do place on power lines or Be especially careful in wooded attached to a pole can pose an obstruction and poles or climb poles. Energized lines or other utility equipment. Any noncan conductlocated electricity to anyone comes on the who land where you hunt. utility equipment. Any non-electrical eq serious hazards to our linenot crews. power lines may be as visib and equipment can them, conductcausing electricity electrical equipment attached to a pole in contact with shock attached to a pole can pose an obstruc toor anyone who comes in contact with can pose an obstruction and serious electrocution. serious hazards to our line crews. Be especially careful in wooded where Be especially in wooded areasareas wherehazards them, causing shock orcareful electrocution. to our line crews. power lines may bevisible. as visible. power lines may notnot be as

Be especially careful in wooded areas where

Do not place decoys on power lines or other Do not place deer stands on uti utility equipment. Any lines non-electrical equipment power may not be as visible. climb poles. Energized lines and attached to a pole can pose an obstruction and Do not place deer stands on utility poles or serious to ourdeer line crews. Do hazards not place stands on utility poles or conduct electricity to anyon can

ENERGY EFFICIENCYcausing sh

climb poles. Energized lines and equipment climb poles. Energized lines and equipment in contact with them, can conduct electricity to anyone who comes can conduct electricity to anyone who comes Do not place deer stands on utility poles or or electrocution. in contact with them, causing shock contact with them,Energized causing shock climb poles. lines and equipment orinelectrocution.

or electrocution. can conduct electricity to anyone who comes

in contact with them, causingDo shock Clothes dryers make on power not place decoys Do not place decoys on power lines or other or electrocution. up aequipment. large portion of Any non-elec utility equipment. Any non-electrical equipment Do not place decoys on power lines or utility other your appliance energy attached to aClean polethe can pose an attached to a pole canAny pose an obstructionequipment and utility equipment. non-electrical consumption. serious hazards our can line crews. serious our line crew lint and filterhazards after eachto cycle, attached to ato pole pose an obstruction not place on power and lines or other scrub the filter with a seriousDo hazards to ourdecoys line crews. toothbrush once a month utility equipment. Any non-electrical equipment to remove film and attached to a pole can pose an obstruction and increase air circulation. serious hazards to our line crews. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

P.O. BOX 188 340 HOPSON STREET • LYON, MS 38645

662-624-8321 FAX: 662-624-8327

www.coahomaepa.com cepa@coahomaepa.com

Celebrate Democracy: Register and

dates. They also dramatically reduced overall access to voter registration forms through department of motor vehicle offices, public libraries and schools. Suspension of on-site classes at many high schools prevented guidance counselors and government teachers from passing out registration applications to students who reached voting age this spring and summer. Voter education efforts by churches, or by state and local officials who normally would have booked space at community events to encourage community outreach found many of those events scaled back or canceled throughout spring and summer. Lingering concerns about a resurgence of COVID-19 cases this autumn continue to fuel uncertainties on exactly how polling locations will operate or just how states and other jurisdictions will handle absentee and mail-in balloting. The challenge ahead “In 2018 there were 1.9 million registered voters in Mississippi, that represents 86% of the total voting age population,” said Paul Purnell, vice president of ECM government relations. “Increasing overall participation in the election process begins with

registering as many eligible voters as possible.” That’s the goal of National Voter Registration Day. Recognized as a civic holiday since 2012, the annual event has served as a rallying point for voter registration initiatives supported by a network of nonpartisan organizations committed to increasing overall participation in the electoral process. “Voting is central to American democracy,” said Laura Vogel, a senior political affairs advisor at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. “That’s why many electric cooperatives and their statewide associations are committed to making this year’s National Voter Registration Day the most successful event ever.” Vogel, who represents electric co-ops on the National Voter Registration Day steering committee has worked with co-ops in Mississippi and throughout the nation to help develop new and effective ways to encourage co-op members to participate in local, state and national politics. “Since 2012, National Voter Registration Day awareness efforts have helped to register more than 3 million voters,” said Vogel. “This year, we’re putting even more emphasis on digital engagement, because 41 states and the District of Columbia allow voters to register online.” Many electric co-ops are using their social media

pages to promote voter registration, and encouraging political engagement with articles in their newsletters, on their websites and with bill attachments or point of contact brochures and leaflets. “More than 20,000 volunteers are committed to promotion of National Voter Registration Day,” said Vogel. “In the weeks ahead, electric co-ops will be promoting webinars on digital organizing and working closely with community organizations and businesses that are likely to remain open even if a resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic concerns occurs this autumn.” “National Voter Registration Day is a great opportunity for us all to begin focusing on the most important aspects of this political season,” said Michael Callahan, executive vice president and CEO of ECM. “This nonpartisan program promotes participation, and that includes ensuring that those who are registered to vote stay abreast of any changes that we might see in how to legally cast ballots in our state on election day.” Remember to mark your calendar for National Voter Registration Day on September 22, and together, let’s enjoy the rights and opportunities we all share as Americans and celebrate our democracy. To learn more about National Voter Registration Day, visit www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY Clothes dryers make up a large portion of your appliance energy consumption. Clean the lint filter after each cycle, and scrub the filter with a toothbrush once a month to remove film and increase air circulation. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

Where our members have the power Communicators: April Lollar & Merilee Sands For Today in Mississippi information, call 877-7MY-CEPA (1-877-769-2372) www.coastepa.com

A message from your CEO By the time this issue of Today in Mississippi is in your mailbox, we will know the result of our member vote regarding broadband service and construction for our pilot project will be well underway. We know this is an issue so many are passionate about, and we understand why. Coast Electric employees live in the same communities you do and experience the same opportunities and challenges you do. We know high-speed internet service is something that allows those who can receive it more opportunities to work from home, do schoolwork from home, access online medical care or even binge your favorite shows on streaming services. We understand and appreciate the passion many of you have shown in the past weeks when asking questions about the possibility of service. We want you to know that we hear you. We also want to be up front with you about the challenges that come with the potential of building a large system and hope you will give us the opportunity to work with you as we move forward in a way we all believe is best for the people and communities we serve. There are a few things I hope you will keep in mind in the coming days. • Our members are the reason we exist. We haven’t forgotten about you and won’t forget about you, even if your area isn’t the first to be served. As you may know, we received a CARES Act grant to provide service to areas in the northern part of Pearl River County. This area was chosen as it was identified by the FCC as the most underserved part of our service area.

Bylaw changes on www.coastepa.com Coast Electric’s Board of Directors recently made changes to the following areas of the cooperative’s bylaws: • Section 1.01 • Section 1.06 • Section 8.03 • Section 11.07 Updated copies can be found on www.coastepa.com or at any Coast Electric office. 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

We know many others are in need as well, but we have to start somewhere and starting in an area that is most underserved makes sense. • Electric cooperatives were formed in the 1930s after other electric service providers didn’t want to incur the expense of serving rural residents, so we’ve got experience serving where others can’t or won’t. It’s what we were formed to do. Just like electricity became a necessary way of life back then, reliable, affordable internet service is necessary for our way of life now. • It takes time. We know you are eager but remember that building a new system won’t happen overnight. If our members voted “yes” in August, that means we can continue our research and will announce our plans later this fall. If we do move forward with planning, it doesn’t mean an entire system will pop up overnight. We’ve got a responsibility to you to make sure we are providing reliable, affordable service and we take that responsibility seriously. We will work with a sense of urgency, but we aren’t willing to sacrifice quality or safety. Whatever the future brings, we will remain dedicated to serving our members and improving the quality of life in the communities we serve.

by Ron Barnes President and CEO

Coast Electric announces broadband pilot project in Pearl River County Coast Electric Power Association has been awarded a grant that will bring high-speed internet service to residents in northern Pearl River County, the most unserved and underserved area of the cooperative’s service territory. In July, Coast Electric, along with 14 other electric cooperatives in Mississippi, submitted grant applications for broadband high-speed internet pilot projects through the state, funded by the federal CARES Act coronavirus recovery plan. The Mississippi State Legislature set aside $65 million in matching funds for broadband deployment by electric cooperatives throughout the state. This grant funding will be awarded through the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff. Coast Electric’s pilot project will cost an estimated $15.3 million with $6 million of that cost covered by the grant. This pilot project is a small-scale venture that will help the cooperative determine and evaluate the feasibility of providing broadband service to other areas of its service territory. “We would like to thank Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, Sen. Joel Carter, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and State Rep. Scott Bounds, chairman of the House Public Utilities Committee. We also want to thank Public Utilities Staff Executive Director Sally Doty and her entire staff for their hard work expediting the grant process,” said Coast Electric President and CEO Ron Barnes. Coast Electric has been researching the possibility of offering high-speed internet service in Pearl River, Hancock and Harrison counties since the state legislature passed a bill in 2019 allowing electric cooperatives in Mississippi to offer broadband service. For more information about the possibilities of rural high-speed internet in Pearl River, Hancock and Harrison counties, visit the broadband page on www.coastepa.com.

Interested in service? Members in northern Pearl River County served by the Derby or Crossroads substations who are interested in participating in the pilot project should fill out a form at www.coastepa.com. Service will begin for members served by the Derby substation in 2020. Members served by Crossroads will be in the second phase of our pilot project in the spring. Visit www.coastepa.com to see a map defining the project area.

FREE high-speed wireless internet hotspots Coast Electric Power Association is now offering free high-speed wireless internet hotspots in northern Pearl River County in conjunction with our broadband pilot project funded by a federal CARES Act grant. These hotspots are available for our members, neighbors and friends to practice social distancing while also accessing the internet. Locations: The Corner Store 8967 Hwy 11 South Poplarville MS 39470

Cale’s Healthy Way 10155 Hwy 11 Poplarville MS 39470

Duval’s Quick Stop 9797 Hwy 11 Poplarville MS 39470

White Sand Baptist Church 2037 Hwy 26 W Poplarville MS 39470

Hotspots available from 6 a.m.-10 p.m.

COAST ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION

WILL BE CLOSED Monday, September 7 in observance of Crews will be on call and dispatchers will remain on duty during the holiday weekend. Members can report outages on the CE on the Go app or via text at 352667 if you have a mobile number associated with your account. You can also call 877-769-2372 to report outages. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend! SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

Connecting the Coast What it takes to build a broadband system Coast Electric is committed to using innovative technology to provide members with the latest products and services. That could include high-speed internet service, but there are several steps in the process. Many of those steps have been completed but there are still many to take. Our board and management team have been working with consultants to learn all we can about a broadband system and have reached out to members to determine the types of products and services you want and need. Before we begin a new business venture, we must ensure that you will be able to receive the same reliable, affordable service you’ve come to expect with your electric service. We must consider several factors including financing, planning, design, engineering, construction, fiber installation, marketing and equipment. In addition to the planning that was already happening, in July, Coast Electric received a grant from the Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19 Act passed by

Spring 2019 — Coast Electric conducts feasibility studies for broadband in their area as required by law.

January 31, 2019 — Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act signed into law, allowing electric co-ops to offer broadband services. 14 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

the Mississippi legislature. The grant will provide service to members in areas of Pearl River County that were determined to be the most underserved areas of Coast Electric’s territory by the Federal Communication Commission. This project will help Coast Electric determine how to best serve other areas in Coast Electric’s service territory if members vote to allow the cooperative to offer broadband service. If we received a positive vote from our members in August, the board will use September and October to evaluate the pilot project and determine if offering broadband in more areas is in our members’ best interests. Announcements about the future of broadband will be made in November. If the board determines it is within the best interests of our members, a comprehensive build out plan will be developed to guide the construction phase. We are aware that high-speed internet service is a necessity and, if given the opportunity, we will work to build a reliable, affordable broadband system just as we have built a reliable, affordable electrical system.

Fall 2019 — Second round of feasibility studies are conducted for comparison.

Summer 2019 — Coast Electric surveys members to determine need/ want for broadband services.

July 9, 2020 — Mississippi Electric Cooperative Broadband COVID-19 Grant Program becomes law.

March 2020 — CARES Act is approved by U.S. Congress and President Trump.

Pearl River County broadband

How did you pick the area for the pilot project?

Will high-speed internet be deployed to the entire system?

The location of the pilot project was chosen based on criteria outlined in the CARES Act grant application that stated that the area must be defined as an un- or underserved census block for high-speed internet service by the Federal Communications Commission. Coast Electric also determined that it would be most efficient and cost-effective to bring fiber to members served in the same substation area.

The decision to deploy high-speed internet to the entire system depends on the following factors: 1. A vote to ratify the resolution to change Coast Electric’s Certificate of Consolidation for the sale of high-speed internet services is critical. If this resolution fails, there cannot be any further expansion of high-speed internet services. 2. The success of the pilot project is also important. One measurement of success will be the number of consumers in the project area who sign up for and purchase high-speed internet services.

Why wasn’t my area chosen for the pilot project? Many rural areas need service, so management had to analyze which area would best meet the requirements of the grant, providing a viable pilot project. This pilot project is a first step in offering high-speed internet through fiber optic cable in Coast Electric’s service area. There are numerous other areas within Coast Electric’s threecounty service territory that need high-speed internet service. Only one area could be chosen for the pilot project grant funding and meet the timeline requirements.

August 25, 2020 — Coast Electric holds its Annual Meeting. Members were asked to vote to ratify Coast Electric’s Certificate of Consolidation to allow the cooperative to offer broadband service. This issue of Today in Mississippi went to press before the meeting was held so final voting results were not known as of the press date. Coast Electric officials will make an announcement in November about the future of broadband in the cooperative’s service area.

July 17, 2020 — 15 electric cooperatives submit grant applications for pilot projects to the Mississipppi Public Utilities Staff.

July 28, 2020 — $65 million in CARES Act funding is approved for high-speed internet pilot projects in rural areas.

July 29, 2020 — Coast Electric began preparations for providing broadband in the pilot project areas.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

Delta Electric’s new IVR phone number is 662-743-4425 – USE IT ANY TIME 24/7

✓GET ACCOUNT INFO ✓MAKE A PAYMENT ✓REPORT AN OUTAGE ✓MAKE AN ARRANGEMENT

Celebrate Democracy: Register and

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

CONTACT INFORMATION 601-425-2535 • www.dixieepa.com @DixieElectricMS

@DixieEPA

@dixie_electric

“Powering communities and empowering lives” Dixie Electric is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

Pilot project is first step in bringing high-speed internet As you may have heard, Dixie Electric was approved to receive grant funding for a high-speed internet pilot project. Fifteen electric cooperatives, collectively, will match the grant money with $65 million to provide a total of $130 million for expanding broadband access across the state. Dixie Electric’s portion of the grant funding will cover approximately half of the $7.4 million pilot project. The pilot project area includes southeastern Jones County and northwestern Perry County and is a two-phase project. The grant funding is for the installation of fiber optic cable to facilitate the delivery of broadband service to one of the most unserved or underserved areas of our service territory. Our management, directors and employees are excited about this new venture, but with anything new, there is a learning process. The pilot project is an ideal first step in deploying highspeed internet services because it is manageable and attainable to accomplish in a relatively short period of time, allowing us to learn and train. As expected, we’ve received numerous questions about how we chose the pilot project area and when we will expand highspeed internet services across our entire service territory. I’ve provided answers to those questions on page 15. Remember, this pilot project is a first step; therefore, decisions are still being made, and plans are evolving. We need your help. Please vote in the 2020 annual meeting elections. In addition to our annual board elections, our members will have an opportunity to vote “in favor of” or “not in favor of” a resolution to update the Certificate of Incorporation to include the ability to provide high-speed internet services. Your vote for this resolution will determine whether or not we continue to develop a plan for our entire service territory. If members vote “in favor,” we will continue to move forward, and a decision will be made in early 2021. If members vote “not in favor,” our research and the decision-making process for a fullscale project in our service area will stop. To pass, the resolution requires a 60% majority of voters to mark “in favor.” Every vote counts. There are more details on the following pages on ways 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

to vote and when voting opens. I’ve talked a number of times in the past about the determination of farmers and residents in our local rural areas to start an electric cooperative to bring electricity to homes and farms across our service territory. As a result of their efforts some 80 years ago, the quality of life for rural Mississippians was forever changed. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly revealed quality of life issues that high-speed internet can address, such as distance learning, work from home or telemedicine opportunities. Our pilot project is a first step to change this, and the road ahead is long and expensive. Your continued support and understanding are appreciated.

by Randy Smith General Manager

FUTURE OF BROADBAND SERVICE

needs your vote

Dixie Electric Power Association received grant funding for a high-speed internet pilot project. The pilot project is only the first step. Dixie Electric members will have to decide to be in favor, or not in favor, of changing the Certificate of Incorporation to allow Dixie Electric to sell high-speed internet. Your vote will determine whether or not Dixie Electric’s staff continues to develop a plan that includes our entire service territory. If members vote “in favor,” we will continue to move forward, and a decision will be made in early 2021. If members vote “not in favor,” our research and the decision-making process for a full-scale project in our service area will stop. To pass, the resolution requires a 60% majority of voters to mark “in favor.” Every vote counts. The future of deploying broadband is up to you, our members. The ballot for this vote will be provided alongside the ballot to elect the board of directors, or if you choose to submit a proxy, this vote is included as well. You can vote online, by mail or in person at drive through voting on Oct. 24, 2020.

Maintaining reliable service Dixie Electric Power Association clears trees, limbs and underbrush from the area around and below the power lines, called the right-of-way. Right-of-way clearing decreases the number of outages and reduces the risk of someone coming in contact with the power lines. Clearing the rightof-way protects individuals from the hazards of electricity and makes power restoration quicker and safer for both Dixie Electric’s members and personnel.

CLEARING PROJECTS UNDERWAY

SPRAYING PROJECTS UNDERWAY

West Waynesboro substation:

Hebron substation:

Waynesboro, Big Creek, Dyess Bridge, Clara and Shubuta

Hebron, Big Creek, Gitano and Soso

Sharon substation: North Laurel, Sharon and Hoy

Buckatunna substation: Winchester, Buckatunna, Progress, Chicora and Denham

Burr Creek substation: Moselle, Union and Ellisville

Eucutta substation: Eucatta, Sandersville, Pleasant Grove, Evergreen

Shelton substation: Regional airport, Sanford, Glendale and Shelton

Augusta substation: New Augusta and Leaf River Sawmill

Pole inspections began in August Osmose Utilities Services will be performing inspection and maintenance on some of Dixie Electric Power Association’s poles, beginning in August and continuing for approximately four months. The general areas to be inspected will be the West Ellisville, Sand Hill, Oak Bowery, West Moselle and Sanford areas. This work will generally consist of excavating a hole about 18-inches deep around the poles to inspect them and applying a preservative and/or remedial treatment to the poles as needed. The purpose of the inspection and treatment is to identify poles that do not meet industry strength standards and to extend the useful life of all others. All Osmose contract workers will be identifiable by their yellow and orange Osmose work vests and hard hats. Osmose vehicles should be marked with Osmose Utility decals as well as Dixie Electric Power Association “Contractor” decals.

to offer broadband service to all members? Dixie Electric is committed to innovative technology and providing the membership with the latest products and services. When it comes to addressing high-speed internet service, final decisions will only be made after detailed studies and careful planning are completed. Offering high-speed internet services would be a new business venture for us, and it’s full of unfamiliar business practices, technology and equipment. However, we promise our members if a decision is made to enter into the business, it will be a product that would be reliable and affordable. A project of this type will not be successful if we do not have a large percentage of our members wanting the service. Each component of the internet service business must be considered before proceeding with building a groundup system for broadband: financing, planning, design, engineering, construction, installing fiber, marketing the service, enrolling members and placing equipment in homes and businesses. Your board and management team continue to work with outside consultants and other resources to obtain all of the knowledge available. Before making a decision, we will know as much as possible about this unique business model and the products and services our members want and need. Recently, Dixie Electric received a matching grant from the Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19

Act passed by the Mississippi legislature this past June. “The grant provides funding to build fiber and provide high-speed internet service to a portion of our service area,” said Randy Smith, Dixie Electric’s general manager. “The pilot project provides an opportunity for us to learn this new business while meeting a very important need for our members.” If this project is a success and Dixie Electric and its members determine it’s in our best interest to continue building a fiber network to deploy high-speed internet service to our entire service area, we will organize a subsidiary to offer high-speed services to our members. Additionally, we will use outside contractors and vendors to assist in the design, construction and installation of a fiber network across the nearly 5,000 miles of energized lines we maintain. A comprehensive buildout plan must be developed to guide us in the construction phase. Studies show it could take four to six years to complete the infrastructure to serve our entire seven-county service area. Last, but certainly not least, the new broadband company will have to tackle the financial aspect for the building and maintaining of the network as they cannot use funding from Dixie Electric. Several studies reported it could take more than $100 million for a project our size. In addition to borrowing money, we would look for grants and other low-interest loans to fund this endeavor.

January 2020 — Dixie Electric conducts feasibility studies for broadband in their area as required by law.

January 31, 2019 — Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act signed into law, allowing electric co-ops 14 TODAY SEPTEMBER 2020 to offer| broadband services.

Summer 2019 — Dixie Electric surveys members to determine need/ want for broadband services.

June 29, 2020 — Mississippi Legislature approves grants from the CARES Act funding.

March 2020 — CARES Act is approved by U.S. Congress and President Trump.

How did you pick the area for the pilot project? The area chosen for the pilot project was based on three criteria, which were either outlined in the grant application or are best practices for designing the fiber optic system: 1. The area must be defined as an un- or underserved census block for high-speed internet service by the Federal Communications Commission; 2. The project ideally would include more than one county; 3. The fiber build-out for the project needs to be built in one electric substation area. The area chosen for this pilot project met these criteria.

Why wasn’t my area chosen for the pilot project? Many rural areas need service, so management had to analyze which area would best meet the requirements of the grant to provide a viable pilot project. This pilot project is a first step in offering high-speed internet through fiber optic cable in Dixie Electric’s service area. There are numerous other areas within Dixie Electric’s sevencounty service territory that needs high-speed internet service. Only one area could be chosen for the pilot project grant funding and meet the timeline requirements.

July 17, 2020 — 15 electric cooperatives submit grant applications for pilot projects to the MS Public Utilities Staff.

July 9, 2020 — Mississippi Electric Cooperative Broadband COVID-19 Grant Program becomes law.

Will high-speed internet be deployed to the entire system? The decision to deploy high-speed internet to Dixie Electric’s entire electrical system depends on several factors. 1. A vote “in favor” of the resolution to change Dixie Electric’s Certificate of Incorporation to include the ability to provide high-speed internet services is critical. If this resolution fails, there cannot be any further expansion of high-speed internet services. 2. The success of the pilot project is important. One measurement of success will be the number of members in the project area who sign up for and purchase high-speed internet services. 3. The ability of Dixie Electric or its subsidiary to acquire additional grant funds. Due to the very large expense of implementing high-speed internet to Dixie Electric’s entire system, acquiring grant funds will be crucial. The expansion into other areas cannot be decided until the pilot project nears a successful completion, which will be in early 2021.

July 29, 2020 — Cooperatives begin preparations for providing broadband in the pilot project areas.

July 28, 2020 — $65 million in broadband grant funding is approved for high-speed internet pilot projects in rural areas served by electric co-ops.

October 24, 2020 — Vote approval, at our annual meeting, needed to move forward with providing highspeed internet services across co-op’s service areas.

Dixie Electric Power Association Annual Meeting of the Members Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 Drive through voting 10 to 10:50 a.m.

VOTE $ $ 250 $500

and you could win!

1863 Highway 184, Laurel Virtual meeting online at dixieepa.com at 11 a.m.

Grand Prize: $500 credit on electric bill (one prize awarded) Seven District Prizes: $250 credit on electric bill (one prize awarded per district) Vote Online Prize: $250 credit on electric bill (one prize awarded) Winners do not have to be present to win. Employees and board members of Dixie Electric are not eligible.

Dixie Electric will donate $1 for every vote cast or proxy submitted, divided equally, to the Good Samaritan Center of Laurel, Petal Children’s Task Force, and Samaritan Closet and Pantry in Waynesboro.

Choose ONE of three ways to VOTE!

1 2

MAIL in your ABSENTEE BALLOT or PROXY! You’ll receive the annual meeting voting brochure around Sept. 21, 2020. Choose one, either the absentee ballot or the proxy. Return it using the enclosed, postage-paid envelope by Oct. 19, 2020.

Use the ONLINE BALLOT. You’ll receive access through an email link, so check your email, or visit My Account on dixieepa.com and click Vote Now. Deadline to vote is Oct. 19, 2020.

Vote IN PERSON with drive through voting held at the Laurel office from 10 to 10:50 a.m. on Oct. 24, 2020.

Dixie Electric Power Association

Board of Directors

CLARKE

Robert M. Smith, President ..............3 Allen M. Sledge, Sr., Vice President ...2 Faye Bonner, Sec.-Treas. ..................6 Sears Ward, Alt. Sec.-Treas. ..............5

JASPER

HWY 11

LAUREL

LEAF RIVER

HWY 84

ELLISVILLE

JONES

Mack J. Mauldin...............................4

PETAL

1 RICHTON

PERRY

Dale McKee .....................................7 FORREST

WAYNESBORO

WAYNE

SPURLINE RD. HWY 588

Lucy Cooley .....................................1

16 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

SANDERSVILLE

COVINGTON

NEW AUGUSTA

Northeast, East Central, Southwest, and Southeast Zones A legal buck is defined as having EITHER a minimum inside spread of 10 inches OR one main beam at least 13 inches long. How to estimate a 10 inch inside spread:

How to estimate a 13 inch main beam: 10” Inside Spread

The Credentials and Election Committee certified the following individuals as candidates in their respective districts. The certification includes verifying the qualifications and the petitions submitted by the candidates. The following individuals were the only members who submitted the qualifying documentation:

Meet the

BOARD CANDIDATES Mark Keyl District 2

Mark Keyl of Petal is an attorney and arbitrator who is active in his community. He is a member of the Pine Belt Kiwanis Club, Southern Pines Animal Shelter board of directors and a member of the Mississippi Bar Association. He has served as president of the Trailwoods’ Homeowners Association and is also a member of the American Legion Post 146, Petal Chamber of Commerce and the Petal Community Chorus. Mark and his wife, Barbara, have one child and are members of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hattiesburg.

Allen Sledge District 2 Incumbent Allen Sledge brought years of utility experience to Dixie Electric’s board of directors, having worked for Bellsouth, now AT&T, for the majority of his career. Allen has served on Dixie Electric’s board since 2009. He has been married to Patsy Baylis for more than 50 years, and they have three children and seven grandchildren. He is a member of Petal Harvey Baptist Church and volunteers weekly with the Petal Children’s Task Force.

Dale McKee District 7 Incumbent

Dale McKee from the Whistler community in Wayne County has served on Dixie Electric’s board of directors for three years. Dale works in public relations with the Wayne County School District and writes a weekly sports column for a dozen newspapers. He has coached youth sports for more than 20 years. Dale and his wife Teresa are active in their community and members of First Baptist of Waynesboro. They have two children and two grandchildren.

To estimate a 13 inch main beam, the buck’s head must be observed from the side. If the tip of the main beam extends to the front of the eye, main beam length is approximately 13 inches.

Mississippi’s 2020-2021

HUNTING SEASONS Delta Zone

A legal buck is defined as having EITHER a minimum inside spread of 12 inches OR one main beam at least 15 inches long.

For a estimate complete hunting How to a 12 inch list inside of spread: Inside Spread seasons, bag limits and other12” legal Estimating a 12 inch spread is accomplished by observing a go intothewww.mdwfp.com. buck’s earsrestrictions, in the alert position. When alert position, the distance from ear-tip to ear-tip measures approximately 15* inches. If the OUTSIDE of each antler beam reaches the ear-tip, the inside spread is approximately 12 inches. (Therefore, if the outside of both antler beams reach the ear tips, the buck is legal).

DEER ZONES How to estimate a 15 inch main beam:

15” Main Beam

To estimate a 15 inch main beam, the buck’s head must be observed from the side. If the tip of the main beam extends between the front of the eye and the tip of the nose, main beam length is approximately 15 inches.

*Due to body size differences in the Delta Zone, ear-tip to ear-tip measurements are slightly larger compared to the other zones.

WHITE-TAILED DEER

MANDATORY CWD SAMPLING

DELTA, SOUTH DELTA, NORTHEAST, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHWEST ZONES During the 2020-2021 hunting season, all deer harvested in theEAST respective counties and dates listed below must be submitted for CWD sampling day of harvest. can beDEER found at mdwfp.com/cwd. METHOD by 10 p.m. on theSEASON DATES Check station and drop-off locationsLEGAL DATES Archery Nov. 21-22

Oct. 1 - Nov. 20

LOCATIONS Either-Sex on private land, open public land, and Holly Springs NF

Nov. 7thereof - Nov. in 20the North Mississippi Either-Sexand on private lands andZones. authorized state and federal lands. In any county or portion Issaquena CWD

Youth Season Either-Sex on private lands. (15 and under) Nov. 21 Jan. 31of Adams, Amite, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Walthall, and Wilkinson. In the following counties: all -portions On open public lands, youth must follow below legal deer criteria.

Jan. 2-3

Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Stone, and Wayne.on private land and Holly Springs NF. Either-Sex

Gun (with dogs)

Nov. 21 - Dec. 1

Gun (with dogs)

Dec. 24 - Jan. 20

Either-Sex on private land and Holly Spring NF. Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Archery/Primitive Weapon SEASON

Jan. 21 - 31

Either-Sex on private land and Holly Springs NF. Legal Bucks only on open public BAG LIMIT land.DATES Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was discovered in Mississippi in February 2018. Since then, proactive measures have been enacted for continued surveillance Either-Sex on private land,and open public land, and Holly NF. and management. Some measures include: *Supplemental feeding of wildlife, (including feeders, salt licks, mineral licks), is banned within Springs any MDWFP Primitive Weapon Dec. 2 - 15 defined CWD Management Zone. *Only cut/wrapped meat, deboned meat, hides with no headmay attached, finished products, with no tissue Weapon of choice be used on taxidermy private land with antlers appropriate license. attached, and cleaned skulls or skull plates may be transported outside the CWD Zones or into Mississippi from any other state or country. Either-Sex on was private land and Holly Springs NF. *MDWFP hunters to submit the heads of harvested deer for CWD sampling, especially if the deer harvested in CWD Zones. Gunurges (without dogs) Dec. 16 - 23

Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Fall Turkey

Fall turkey season is open BY PERMIT ONLY from October 15-November 15 on private lands in the following counties or portions of SOUTHEAST ZONE counties where the landowner/leaseholder completes a fall turkey hunting application to the MDWFP Jackson Office and receives tags. The fall season bag limit is twoSEASON (2) turkeys, which may be of either sex. METHOD DATES LEGAL DEER Delta Zone: Bolivar main River levee and those lands east of the main Mississippi ArcheryCounty - west of the Oct. 15 -Mississippi Nov. 20 Either-Sex on private and open public River land. levee known as 27 Break Hunting Club; Coahoma, Desoto, Issaquena, Tunica, and Washington counties - west of the main Mississippi River levee.

Nov. 7 - Nov. 20

Either-Sex on private lands and authorized state and federal lands.

Youth Season North-Central Zone: Benton, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tippah, and Union counties.

Either-Sex on private lands.

(15 and under)

Nov. 21 - Feb. 15

Gun (with dogs)

Nov. 21 - Dec. 1

Either-Sex on private land. Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Primitive Weapon

Dec. 2 - 15

Either-Sex on private and open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

Gun (withoutSEASON dogs)

Dec. 16 - 23

Either-Sex on private land. Legal Bucks onlyBAG on open DATES LIMITpublic land.

Gun (with dogs) Youth

Dec. 24 - Jan. 20

open public lands,Madison, youth must followWilkinson, below legal deer criteria. Southwest Zone: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Franklin,On Jefferson, Lincoln, Warren, and Yazoo counties.

Spring Turkey

(Private and authorized state and federal public lands. Youth 15 and under) Jan. 21 - 31

Archery/Primitive Weapon Spring

Ronald Windham District 2

Ronald Windham from Ellisville had a successful career as a businessman before retiring and opening his real estate practice in 2004. Ronald has served as past president of the Laurel Board of Realtors and is currently serving on the professional standards and legislative and regulatory affairs committees. He also serves as the treasurer of the Ellisville Rotary Club. Ronald and his wife of more than 50 years, Elaine, attend West Ellisville Baptist Church. The couple has one child and three grandchildren.

13” Main Beam

Estimating a 10 inch spread is accomplished by observing a buck’s ears in the alert position. When in the alert position, the distance from ear-tip to ear-tip measures approximately 14 inches. If the OUTSIDE of each antler beam is 1 inch inside the ear-tip, the inside spread is approximately 10 inches.

SEASON Youth Squirrel*

Feb. 1 - 15

Either-Sex on private land. Legal only on open land. OneBucks (1) adult gobbler or 1public gobbler with a Mar. 8 - 14 on private land. Legal 6-inchBucks or longer perpublic day, 3 land. per Spring Either-Sex onlybeard on open season. Hunters 15 years of age and youngWeapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license. er may harvest 1 gobbler of choice (any Mar. 15 - May 1 Bucks only on private age)and peropen day, 3public per Spring Legal land. season. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

SMALLGame GAME Small SEASON DATES

DAILY BAG LIMIT

Sept. 24 - 30

MANDATORY CWD SAMPLING

During theSquirrel 2020-2021 the respective - Fallhunting Seasonseason, all deer harvested inOct. 1 - Feb. 28 counties and dates listed below must8be submitted for CWD sampling by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest. Check station and drop-off locations can be found at mdwfp.com/cwd. Squirrel - Spring Season

May 15 - June 1

SEASON

SEASON DATES

DAILY BAG LIMIT

DATES

Nov. 21-22

LOCATIONS

InRabbit any county or portion thereof in the North Mississippi and Issaquena CWD Zones. Oct. 17 - Feb. 28

Quail counties: all portions of Adams, Nov. 26 - Franklin, Mar. 6 Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Walthall, 8 Jan. 2-3 Bobwhite In the following Amite, and Wilkinson.

Jan. 16-17

Frog

April 1 - Sept. 30

25/Night

In the following counties: all portions of Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson

Raccoon July 1Stone, - Sept.and 30 Wayne. Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry,

1 per Party/Night

Oct. 1 - Oct. 31

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was discovered in Mississippi in February 2018. Since then, proactive measures have been enacted for continued surveillance (Food and sport) 5/Day; 8/Party Opossum, Raccoon, and Bobcat and management. Some measures include: *Supplemental feeding of wildlife, within any MDWFP Nov. 1(including - Feb. 28feeders, salt licks, and mineral licks), is banned No Limit defined CWD Management Zone. *Only cut/wrapped meat, deboned meat,sport, hides with head attached, finished taxidermy products, antlers with no tissue (Food, andnopelt) attached, and cleaned skulls or skull plates may be transported outside the CWD Zones or into Mississippi from any other state or country. Trapping 1 - Mar. 15 if the deer was harvested in CWD Zones. No Limit *MDWFP urges hunters to submit the heads of harvested deer for CWDNov. sampling, especially *On private lands and authorized state and federal lands only in those areas open for squirrel hunting.

SEASON

Fall FALL Turkey TURKEY DATES

BAG LIMIT

Fall turkey season is open BY PERMIT ONLY from October 15-November 15 on private lands in the following counties or portions of counties where the landowner/leaseholder completes a fall turkey hunting application to the MDWFP Jackson Office and receives tags. The fall season bag limit is two (2) turkeys, which may be of either sex. Delta Zone: Bolivar County - west of the main Mississippi River levee and those lands east of the main Mississippi River levee known as 27 Break Hunting Club; Coahoma, Desoto, Issaquena, Tunica, and Washington counties - west of the main Mississippi River levee. North-Central Zone: Benton, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tippah, and Union counties. Southwest Zone: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, Warren, Wilkinson, and Yazoo counties.

SEASON

Spring Turkey DATES

BAG LIMIT

For After-Hours Outages, Call 601-581-8600 DeKalb 601-743-2641

Louisville 662-773-5741

Quitman 601-776-6271

Member owned. Locally operated. That’s the cooperative difference.

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR CEO

Power in your hands For those who have faithfully read my articles over the last 18 months, you know I have emphasized the importance of permission, plans and patience as key factors in East Mississippi Electric Power Association’s proposed fiber-to-the-home broadband project. The permission given by the Mississippi Legislature to develop plans to build a system-wide broadband delivery system necessitated a need for your patience as we developed a new business model, built financial models and established construction and operational procedures. These efforts were followed by a need for you to voice desire and necessity for broadband service to help secure funding to make the service affordable to members. You have done so, and I thank you. We have made significant progress in recent weeks. When COVID-19 hit our communities, the need for broadband became increasingly evident as students tried to do schoolwork at home, parents tried to work from home and communication needs increased. Our local representatives in both the House and Senate recognized the need and began working to help fund solutions. When you see these individuals, thank them for their support. In record time and with unanimous support from every member of the House and Senate, $65 million was allocated to electric cooperatives in Mississippi to build out fiber to homes in unserved and underserved areas. This is the first step in a five-year buildout. Two primary criteria dictated where these first areas of construction would ensure the most success in the grant process — the combination of a point-of-presence access point for the internet and census blocks labeled by the Federal Communications Commission as unserved or 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

underserved. These two areas and their supporting criteria enabled us to apply for, and be awarded, a grant of $5,425,826 to begin construction in the areas served by our Vimville substation in southeast Lauderdale and northeast Clarke counties and our Cleveland substation in west Kemper County. These grant funds provide the foundation from which to build out over the next five years. Yes, I know five years seems like a long time, but it continues the work of empowering our members with more access to better educational opportunities, more remote work possibilities, better telemedicine options and enhanced communications. We now put the power to make this a reality in your hands. By the time you read this article, you will have your 82nd Annual Meeting Proxy available and can use it for voicing your approval for this project. Simply sign the proxy, check your chosen box and mail it back to us. Then go to EastMSConnect.com and pre-register for the service. You will find a lot of very good information and answers to many of your questions there. We have done the work to provide a path forward, the legislature has voiced their trust in us to make it happen, but it is up to you to issue the starting command with your vote. If you send us forward on this worthy journey, we are committed to bringing the fastest, most reliable high-speed internet to our communities.

by Randy Carroll CEO — East Mississippi Electric Power Association

Connecting you with the speed you need EMEPA is committed to making high-speed, fiber-to-the-home broadband accessible to every EMEPA member. Upon approval from you, our members, East Mississippi Connect, as an internet subsidiary of EMEPA, will begin bringing worldclass internet speed to our communities through a fiber-to-the-home network. With fiber-optic technology, you get the service you have come to expect and fast, reliable internet you have been waiting for. Visit EastMSConnect.com to stay up to date on our progress and pre-register for service. Thank you for the continued patience and support as we work to connect east Mississippi to the speed you need.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

to offer broadband service to all members? East Mississippi Electric Power Association is committed to innovative technology and providing the membership with the latest products and services. When it comes to addressing high-speed internet service, we are committed to connecting east Mississippi to the speed you need. But now, the power is in your hands. EMEPA members are asked to ratify amending EMEPA’s Certificate of Incorporation allowing EMEPA to establish East Mississippi Connect as an affiliate to offer broadband services. You can indicate your support for high-speed internet access by marking “YES” on the 82nd Annual Meeting proxy card you received in the mail in August and returning it to EMEPA by Tuesday, Sept. 22. Offering high-speed internet services would be a new business venture for us and it’s full of unfamiliar business practices, technology and equipment. However, we promise our members, it will be an exceptional product that EMEPA would be proud to offer. And, it must be reliable and affordable. A project of this type will not be successful if we do not have a large percentage of our members wanting our service. Each component of the internet service business must be considered before proceeding with building a ground-up system for broadband: financing, planning, design, engineering, construction, installing fiber, marketing the service, enrolling members and placing equipment in homes and businesses. Your board and management team continue to work with consultants and other resources to obtain all of the knowledge available. We are exploring everything that we possibly can about this unique business model and the products and

Spring 2019 — EMEPA conducts feasibility studies for broadband in their area as required by law.

January 31, 2019 — Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act signed into law, allowing electric co-ops 14 TODAY SEPTEMBER 2020 to offer| broadband services.

services our members want and need. Recently, EMEPA received a matching grant from the Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19 Act passed by the Mississippi legislature this past June. “The grant provides funding to build fiber and provide high-speed internet service to a portion of our service area,” said Randy Carroll, EMEPA’s CEO. “The pilot project provides an opportunity for us to learn this new business while meeting a very important need for our members.” If you, our members, determine it’s in our best interest to continue building a fiber network to deploy high-speed internet service to our entire service area, we will move forward with organizing East Mississippi Connect as a subsidiary working with a contract broadband services partner. Additionally, contractors and vendors will assist in the design, construction and installation of a fiber network across the more than 5,600 miles of energized lines we maintain. A comprehensive buildout plan has been developed to guide us in the construction phase. Studies show it could take up to five years to complete the infrastructure to serve our entire four-county service area. Last, but certainly not least, the new broadband company will have to tackle the financial aspect for the building and maintaining of the network as they cannot use funding from EMEPA. Several studies reported it could take more than $100 million for a project of our size. In addition to borrowing money, we would look for grants and other low-interest loans to fund this endeavor.

Fall 2019 — Second round of feasibility studies are conducted for comparison.

Summer 2019 — EMEPA surveys members to determine need/ want for broadband services.

June 29, 2020 — Mississippi Legislature approves grants from the CARES Act funding.

March 2020 — CARES Act is approved by U.S. Congress and President Trump.

How did you pick the area for the pilot project? The area chosen for the pilot project was selected based on two criteria: 1. The area must be defined as an unserved or underserved census block for high speed internet service by the Federal Communications Commission. 2. The area must have available access to existing fiber source points. The pilot project, or Phase I, is broken down into two sub-phases. Work will initially begin in the areas served by EMEPA’s Vimville substation in southeast Lauderdale and northeast Clarke counties and its Cleveland substation in west Kemper County in Fall 2020. Phase I will continue in early 2021 into the areas served by EMEPA’s Bonita substation in Lauderdale County and DeKalb and Townsend substations in Kemper County.

Why wasn’t my area chosen for the pilot project? In deciding the phases of construction, EMEPA primarily considers fiber proximity as a point of access and areas currently unserved or underserved and build out from these locations. Density, total cost, the number of potential subscribers, cooperative communication needs and revenue projections also must be considered. The project must be financially viable in order to succeed.

June 11, 2019 — EMEPA Board of Directors vote to approve broadband pilot project and establish East Mississippi Connect.

July 9, 2020 — Mississippi Electric Cooperative Broadband COVID-19 Grant Program becomes law.

There are numerous other areas within EMEPA’s four county, service territory that need high speed internet service. Only one area could be chosen for the pilot project grant funding and meet the timeline requirements.

Will high speed internet be deployed to the entire system? EMEPA believes greater broadband availability in its service area benefits members substantially and plans to bring the service to its entire service area within five years. A vote “yes” to approve the resolution to change EMEPA’s Certificate of Incorporation allowing EMEPA to establish East Mississippi Connect as an affiliate to offer broadband service is critical. Without approval from its membership, plans to expand highspeed internet services will be discontinued and the project will not move forward.

July 17, 2020 — 15 electric cooperatives submit grant applications for pilot projects to the MS Public Utilities Staff.

July 28, 2020 — $65 million in CARES Act funding is approved for high-speed internet pilot projects in rural areas.

July 29, 2020 EMEPA began preparations for providing broadband in the pilot project areas.

October 3, 2020 — Vote approval needed to move forward with providing highspeed internet services across co-op’s service areas.

EMEPA to hold 82nd Annual Meeting East Mississippi Electric Power Association’s 82nd Annual Meeting of the membership will be Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in the Association’s Meridian Auditorium. Official notices mailed in August. The Annual Meeting will inform members of actions taken during the past year in addition to conducting the Association’s business and the election of four directors. Additionally, broadband services will be on this year’s agenda. In June 2020, EMEPA Board of Directors voted to amend EMEPA’s Certificate of Incorporation to expand EMEPA’s purpose to include broadband services. The Board also authorized the creation of East Mississippi Connect, LLC, an affiliate of EMEPA, which will offer the broadband services. As an EMEPA member, you are asked to ratify these decisions. Your voice and your vote count, and you will play an especially critical role in our ability to begin offering high-speed broadband service to

our communities! You may vote on the broadband question by signing and returning your proxy card to EMEPA, or while in attendance at the meeting. Members will have the chance to win one of eight $500 electricity prizes (two per service district) for returning their proxy. No attendance prizes will be awarded. In accordance with the bylaws of East Mississippi Electric Power Association, a quorum of the membership must be represented in person or by proxy in order to conduct the business meeting and hold the election of the directors. Any member of EMEPA may obtain a complete set of bylaws by logging into their EMEPA.com account or contacting their district office in Louisville, DeKalb, Quitman or Meridian. If you have any questions about the Annual Meeting or how to complete your Proxy, please visit EMEPA.com/AnnualMeeting.

Return your Annual Meeting proxy for a chance to win a $500 electricity credit. Due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, in-person attendance will be limited and no attendance prizes will be given. Visit EMEPA.com/AnnualMeeting for information on livestream and dial-in options.

16 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

Financial Statement Fiscal Year Ending

June 30, 2020 ASSETS Electric plant less accumulated depreciation Investments CFC capital term certificates Cash and temporary investments Other investments Accounts Receivable Customer electric bills Misc. accounts receivable Stock of materials and supplies Prepayments and current assets Deferred debits TOTAL ASSETS

133, 230,915 1,424,252 7,178,785 3,385,368 3,822,047 76,199 1,852,850 5,807,320 15,562 156,793,298

LIABILITIES AND MARGINS Long Term debt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CoBank Long Term debt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CFC Other long term debt Post retirement obligation Notes payable Accounts payable Customer deposits Current liabilities and deferred credits

41,664,428 914,630 1,543,465 7,437,591 5,055,208 6,294,641 1,853,153 3,220,765

Equities Memberships Earnings reinvested in system assets

6,213 88,809,417

Total Liabilities and Margins

156,793,298

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 17

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Johnny Johnson, President • Mike Banks, Vice President • Marty Crowder, Secretary/Treasurer • Bill Bell • Kenneth Seitz • Ernest H. “Bud” Tumlinson • John E. “Jay” Gilliland Jr.

Make Your Voice Heard There’s an old political saying, “if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” This adage is the perfect answer to the question, “why vote?” It’s a blunt description of what happens when you don’t engage in the political process. If you don’t vote, you’re not only missing the opportunity to support a candidate that shares your views and concerns, you’re allowing others to chart a course that impacts your future. That’s why we’re encouraging all 4-County Electric Power Association members to recognize National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 22. Whether you’re registering yourself or others to vote, or helping members of our community get organized, there are many ways to get involved. Your vision, your vote While local elections may not be as exciting as the high-profile presidential election, they are just as critical. Local elections have a direct impact on your community and on your quality of life. Like the national level, local elections represent who we are as a community, and more importantly, where we want to go. Whether it’s an election for a mayor, sheriff, state representative, school board, or an electric co-op board member, your vision for the community is tied to your vote. Voting keeps elected officials accountable. Elections are a direct and tangible source of feedback. For example, 4-County board members provide strategic guidance on the direction of the co-op and how it serves the community. Local board members embody the voice and identity of the community. Staying in sync with the community Ultimately, the role of the co-op board is governance. While day-to-day decisions are made by our employees, bigger decisions are made by the board, whose mission is look out for the vitality of the co-op and the members we serve. 4-County board members provide their perspective on community priorities, thereby enabling us to make more informed decisions on long-term investments. A strong voter turnout shows investment in the community and ensures that a diverse number of views are represented. The whole community benefits when more people participate in the process, because greater numbers reflect a consensus on the direction of the future and the will of the people. By voting in national, state and local elections, you are serving as a role model for your family, friends and colleagues. The act of voting demonstrates your support for the community and helps officials chart a course for the future. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Research candidates, learn about issues that are on the ballot and get out and vote! To learn more about National Voter Registration Day or to get involved, visit www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org.

HERE’S AN IDEA Lights out Automatic controls can keep lighting costs in check Whether you can’t train your kids to turn out lights when they leave a room or need a better outdoor lighting scheme, automatic controls might be a cost-effective solution. No matter what type you use, “the most important thing to remember for any lighting control is to use a type of lightbulb that doesn’t need to ‘warm up,’” says Ronnie Vernon, 4-County energy advisor. Indoors Occupancy sensors are helpful indoors, as long as they’re positioned to detect people in any corner of the room. They’re also good as task lighting — above places like a desk or kitchen sink — so you get the extra light you need while working, but you don’t forget and leave it on all night. They are two types of occupancy sensors: ultrasonic and infrared. Ultrasonic sensors detect sound; infrared sensors detect heat and motion. Timers make an empty home look occupied. If kids are still running in and out, however, timers aren’t as effective as occupancy sensors. Plug timers into a wall outlet or install them in the wall, like a light switch or thermostat. New varieties are digital. Outdoors If you already have or are thinking about installing an outdoor security light, consider combining it with a photosensor to keep it from burning all day. A motion sensor goes one step further, if you don’t want continuous light. Timers are commonly used for aesthetic or holiday lighting, sometimes in conjunction with a photosensor — so they turn on at dusk and turn off at a designated time.

Holiday office schedule by Brian Clark CEO/General Manager

12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

4-County offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day. A dispatcher will be on hand to handle emergencies.

Update

4-County to begin broadband pilot programs 4-County Electric Power Association officials announced recently that the co-op will soon bring introductory broadband internet services to three rural parts of its service area. The Columbus-based cooperative has received a matching grant from the recently enacted Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19 Grant Program that will enable the Association to launch a pilot program in areas of Choctaw, Clay and Noxubee counties. That grant program, established by the Mississippi Legislature in July, earmarked $65 million in potential funding for state electric cooperatives to help deploy broadband to their members. 4-County CEO Brian Clark says 4-County was excited to take part in the fund distribution and the groundbreaking rollout of these broadband services to the 4-County territory. “We’ve been working on an approach to broadband and this was a great way to get started. The whole point of co-ops getting into the broadband area is to make fast, affordable internet available to people who don’t currently have access to it. That’s exactly what this grant will help us do,” Clark said. Capped at $6 million per cooperative, the grants must be matched by the cooperative and must be used in areas that are considered unserved or underserved. 4-County will put in about $7 million dollars to kick-start the three pilot programs. “The projects will cover parts of north east Choctaw, west Clay and north Noxubee counties, but I want to point out that not everyone in those counties, or even in the areas covered by the pilots will be able to get service,” Clark said. “The grant requirements are very specific about where we go and who we can serve. That being said, we do hope that these projects are the start to bringing broadband to all members,”

the 4-County official added. Details of the projects, Clark outlined (such as how much the service will cost and when it will be available to members) have yet to be determined. However, those bullet points will be announced as soon as possible. What’s next? “The bottom line is that to make these projects work, we need people to sign up for service,” Clark stressed. “So we will be marketing and communicating details as soon as we have them. We are really looking forward to getting started,” he said. In the meantime, 4-County is working to amend its Certificate of Incorporation to pave the way for internet service. That certificate, issued in the 1930s and based on the Mississippi law that enabled electric cooperatives to operate in the state, must be updated to allow 4-County to create a subsidiary company that can provide broadband. Clark says the pilot project announcement has sparked a lot of interest from members and a lot of questions, too. “There are several questions that keep coming up. First, members want to know if every 4-County member will have to pay, whether they get internet service or not. The answer is no. While 4-County will be taking out the loans to install the fiber backbone, if we bring internet to the entire service territory, we believe the project will at least pay for itself. The next question is usually ‘when can I get internet from 4-County.’ That’s a tougher question,” Clark stressed. “We’ll be doing these three pilots. If they work, then we hope to move forward with the rest of the service territory. That’s the best I can say right now,” Clark explained. “We truly weren’t expecting to get started this quickly. But the MS CARES money became available and our timetable ramped up really fast. We are looking forward to getting started,” he said.

What is broadband?

With our three pilot programs, 4-County will be providing broadband internet service. But what does that really mean? Broadband, basically, means that your internet doesn’t need a phone line to be delivered and it is always connected. There are four ways to deliver broadband: DSL, cable, satellite and fiber optic cable. Fiber, which is what we will use to deliver our internet, is primarily bundles of hair-thin strands of very pure glass. Data moves through the strands in the form of light pulses created by lasers. It is the fastest and most reliable way to bring internet to people (because nothing is faster than the speed of light). So, when we say broadband, we mean data over fiber optic cable — the fastest, most reliable way there is of delivering internet. We look forward to getting these services into the pilot areas and hopefully to the rest of the service territory after that. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

Priest delivers

sermon on the river

by Brad Barr Every trip starts somewhere. are common. Tires, too. “The tires For Larry Priest, his journeys often are hard to get out with a kayak. begin with embracing a tried and true They’re so heavy,” he said. philosophy of life. “I’m going to treat The solution to the problem is every day like it’s summer vacation,” simple, Priest said. “Don’t litter. It’s the 68-year-old Lowndes County a matter of respect. People have to resident said. take some responsibility for their Priest, the retired owner and actions,” he stressed. “If I don’t pick operator of a local home exterior up the litter, who will?” Larry Priest, left, and H.D. Taylor are members of the company, is a California native turned Priest’s kayaking trips began as a Black Creek Paddle society. Larry, top, travels area Mississippi country boy. “As a kid, I youth in California, around Catalina rivers, creeks and waterways picking up trash. was a surfer,” he said. Today, however, Island. His mother was an actress; he rides the waves of local rivers instead of those in the Pacific his father an attorney. Priest is a former San Francisco-based Ocean. “I’ve always loved the water.” musician who performed in the famed Haight Ashbury district. Priest and other members of the Black Creek Paddle “I met a southern gal that brought me to Mississippi,” he said. Society make picturesque treks down the Luxapalila River, the Larry has three children and five grandchildren. Bartahatchie River, the Sipsey River, and the Noxubee River That was many moons ago, Priest said. The multi-talented (all located near Columbus). Their mode of transportation? singer, songwriter, musician, sculptor, woodworker, artist and The kayak. “The rivers are beautiful,” Priest said. “We live in a photographer has settled into southern life just nicely. He and paradise and people don’t realize it.” one of his daughters have even performed at the renowned That beauty is often marred, he explained, by litter. “There’s Blue Bird Café in Nashville, Tennessee. nothing worse than floating down a beautiful, winding waterway Today, his days begin and end in a quiet, secluded area of and suddenly seeing bottles and cans bobbing against the bank Lowndes County where the noise of civilization is far away and and in the channel,” Priest said. the roosters signal a brand new day. Rex, the Great Pyrenees, He and his compatriots do what they can to help, kayaking guards his chickens and doves and LadyBug, the affectionate down the river in search of debris. Larry and his friends often terrier, is a constant companion. “It really doesn’t get any better pick up and bag several pounds of trash. Cans, bottles and jugs than this,” he said. 14 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

When looking for something to do, Priest puts his kayak in the back of his white truck and heads to the river. One must be prepared for a kayaking trip, Priest explained. He has three sit-in kayaks and one sit-on kayak, all 10-feet in length. Priest enjoys half-day trips. “I make stops along the way and explore along the river and shore,” he said. The outdoor enthusiast often makes jewelry out of stones he finds. Priest sometimes sees alligators. For the most part, Priest said, they won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. “We’re in their living room, after all.” The whole process requires strength and endurance. “You really have to maneuver through current, logs, branches and brush,” he said. Adhering to the safety guidelines and knowing how to man your craft is also a must. The kayak’s origins probably originate in Greenland, where it was used by the Inuit and Aleut tribes. The original kayak boats were made from either light driftwood, fallen tree trunks or animal skins stretched over whalebones. Now, the materials

The beauty of area waterways is sometimes marred with trash. Priest does his part to keep it clean.

are a little different. But the principle is the same. Get in and paddle. “I’m going to kayak until I can’t,” Priest said. H.D. Taylor, president of the Black Creek Paddle Society, says the kayaking club enjoys the camaraderie and scenery involved in a river trip. “We wait to see who’s going to get wet,” he said with a laugh. Taylor and Priest have developed a 35-year friendship, much of it spent together on local rivers. During an early morning kayak trip on the river, “the air sings,” Priest said. Mourning doves greet the day with their soothing call. Cicadas sing their staccato song. Fish attack the water’s surface in search of food. It’s all pretty grand, Priest said. “I love it when the air sings on the river.” SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

Behind the Lines

E S

is new co-op podcast

4-County Electric Power Association has added another component to its member communication efforts. Behind the Lines, a monthly podcast of 4-County, hit the airwaves in June. The informative question and answer, 20-minute segment addresses important issues facing the co-op and its members. Listeners can learn more about 4-County’s community programs and involvement, get quick and easy energy tips that’ll save them money around the home, and hear how the co-op is using the latest in technologies to assist in providing the best member experience possible. The co-op is prepping for its third installment of the podcast series. Hosted by 4-County Manager of Marketing and Public Relations Jon Turner, the program often features 4-County CEO Brian Clark and other members of the cooperative team. “Member engagement is a vital part of what 4-County is all about. This is yet another tool to get our message out to members,” Turner

BEHIND THE LINES said. “We want to provide those listening with pertinent information on cooperative activities. Like always, we’ll put our best food forward and invite members to tune in.” Members can listen to Behind the Lines episodes on YouTube, the 4-County Facebook page, or episodes can be downloaded or streamed through your computer or mobile device. Look for an episode each month. For more information, contact the 4-County marketing department at 800-431-1544.

What’s on that pole? EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

This illustration shows the basic equipment found on electric utility poles. The equipment varies according to the location and the service they provide.

Linemen wear many hats What does it mean to be a lineman? Andy Hartness says it’s a chance to help others. Or, he joked, it’s an even better opportunity to drive around in some cool trucks. In all seriousness, Andy says linemen are the face of any rural electric cooperative. And, along with that title comes a serious responsibility. “Sometimes, we may be the only co-op employees that our members ever see. So, our interaction with them is important,” he stressed. Andy serves as a journeyman lineman on Wayne Scarbrough’s Ackerman construction crew. He joined 4-County on Jan. 14, 2008. Andy began work as an Apprentice Lineman 4 on Bobby Macon’s crew in Starkville. He became a journeyman lineman in 2012. Prior to 4-County, Andy worked at Mississippi State University in its electric department. He is a graduate of East Mississippi Community College’s Industrial Electricity program. Andy also graduated from the Southeast Lineman Training Center in Trenton, Georgia. A Winston County resident, he has two children: Walker, 5, and Wilder, 2. He is a member of Friendship Baptist Church in Sturgis. Why a career in line work? “I’ve always been interested in electricity. Even when I was little, I wanted to know more about it. I think it’s neat how electricity works. The whole principle of electricity is a theory,” Andy said. “But it works.” 4-County has earned credibility and a good reputation, he said. “I really appreciate that I work for an organization like that,” Andy said. The cooperative offers security to its employees and members. “It’s a good place to work, a secure place. And the members can count on us to get the job done.” He enjoys working outside “if the weather cooperates,” he joked. “And I enjoy the camaraderie with other linemen.” Linemen rely on their dedication to safety and training. “You have to be sharp enough to know what to do and strong enough to do it.”

INSULATORS Insulators prevent energized wires from contacting each other or the pole.

PRIMARY WIRES Primary wires carry 7,200 volts of electricity from a substation. That voltage is 60 times higher than the voltage that runs through your home’s electrical outlets!

NEUTRAL WIRE The neutral wire acts as a line back to the substation and is tied to the ground, balancing the electricity on the system.

SURGE ARRESTORS These protect the transformer from lightning strikes.

SECONDARY SERVICE DROP Carries 120/240-volts of electricity to consumers’ homes. It has two “hot” wires from the transformer and a bare “neutral” wire that’s connected to the ground wire on the pole.

TELEPHONE, CABLE TV, and FIBER WIRES These are typically the lowest wires on the pole.

GROUND WIRE The ground wire connects to the neutral wire to complete the circuit inside the transformer. It also directs electricity from lightning safely into the earth.

NEVER NAIL POSTERS OR OTHER ITEMS TO UTILITY POLES. THESE CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD FOR LINEWORKERS.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 17

MEP Contact Information: P: 3027 Highway 98 West • Summit, MS 39666 M: P.O. Box 747 • McComb, MS 39649

TO REPORT OUTAGES:

601-684-4011 Visit us online at www.MEPCoop.com Follow us on FaceBook and Twitter

Pay by Phone: 1-877-779-7740

Celebrate Democracy: Register and

by Derrill Holly The best way to celebrate democracy is by encouraging full participation in public life. That’s why the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi (ECM), Cooperative Energy, our generation and transmission cooperative, and Mississippi’s 25 distribution co-ops are supporting National Voter Registration Day on September 22, 2020. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, less than 70% of eligible American citizens of voting age — 18 and over — were registered to vote in 2018. That means that up to 30% have not filed the required applications with their counties, parishes or states of local voter registrar’s offices, which are essential for making our voices as meaningful in American life as they might be. We’re among thousands of organizations committed to making September 22 the most successful National Voter Registration Day in history, because we believe its goals are more important than ever before. Here’s why: Unusual year — Unexpected changes While 2020 began as a very active political year, disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic concerns altered the campaign plans of many candidates. They also dramatically reduced overall access to voter registration forms through department of motor vehicle offices, public libraries and schools. Suspension of on-site classes at many high schools prevented guidance counselors and government teachers from passing out registration applications to students who reached voting age this spring and summer. Voter education efforts by churches, or by state and local officials who normally would have booked space at community events to encourage community outreach found many of those events scaled back or canceled throughout spring and summer. Lingering concerns about a resurgence of COVID-19 cases this autumn continue to fuel uncertainties on exactly how polling 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

locations will operate or just how states and other jurisdictions will handle absentee and mail-in balloting. The challenge ahead “In 2018 there were 1.9 million registered voters in Mississippi, that represents 86% of the total voting age population,” said Paul Purnell, vice president of ECM government relations. “Increasing overall participation in the election process begins with registering as many eligible voters as possible.” That’s the goal of National Voter Registration Day. Recognized as a civic holiday since 2012, the annual event has served as a rallying point for voter registration initiatives supported by a network of nonpartisan organizations committed to increasing overall participation in the electoral process. “Voting is central to American democracy,” said Laura Vogel, a senior political affairs advisor at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. “That’s why many electric cooperatives and their statewide associations are committed to making this year’s National Voter Registration Day the most successful event ever. Since 2012, National Voter Registration Day awareness efforts have helped to register more than 3 million voters.” “National Voter Registration Day is a great opportunity for us all to begin focusing on the most important aspects of this political season,” said Michael Callahan, executive vice president and CEO of ECM. “This nonpartisan program promotes participation, and that includes ensuring that those who are registered to vote stay abreast of any changes that we might see in how to legally cast ballots in our state on election day.” Remember to mark your calendar for National Voter Registration Day on September 22, and together, let’s enjoy the rights and opportunities we all share as Americans and celebrate our democracy. To learn more about National Voter Registration Day, visit www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org.

Help us help you by updating your phone number!

We need our members to make sure your phone number is updated in our files. Why?

For several reasons that include anything from call-backs during big storm outages to the billing department needing additional information. Most members probably do not know, but during a major storm, our Operations Department will make random call-backs to areas that have been hit by the storm to try and determine that all members are back on. For example, if a circuit is out and our linemen have energized the line, one of the dispatchers will make calls to members — not all of them — but random people living on that line to check and see if the power has been restored. This makes for faster restoration of power for everyone. First, if that member is not on, the linemen will still be in the area and can check to see why the members’ power was not restored when the line had been energized. If a dispatcher has an incorrect number on the account for the member, then the process has been interrupted. The lineman may move on to the next outage thinking all the members are on, when in reality, that is not the case. As for billing, there are times that the billing department may need to contact one of our members. For example, a member may have written a note on their bill and our CSR may need to follow up with a question, but if the incorrect number is on the account, then they have to write a letter to the member, delaying the member’s request. A change of number can be an easy thing. You can write the updated number on your payment slip when you submit your bill by mail or you can call the office at 601-684-4011 and speak to a CSR and they can update the number on the account. You can also submit a message through SmartHub with your updated phone number. There are spaces for home phone numbers, business numbers, and cell phone numbers that offer multiple means to talk to our members. The request for updated information is a simple request, but has a big impact on how we can serve our members. Communication in the digital age is changing, but nothing takes the place of personal communication.

Clothes dryers make up a large portion of your appliance energy consumption. Clean the lint filter after each cycle, and scrub the filter with a toothbrush once a month to remove film and increase air circulation. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

AMORY – P.O. BOX 300 • 50408 GREENBRIAR ROAD • AMORY, MS CALEDONIA – 746 MAIN STREET • CALEDONIA, MS

662-256-2962 662-356-4100

Celebrate Democracy: Register and

Monroe County Electric Power Association (MCEPA) held their annual meeting on Tuesday August 4, 2020. During this meeting the board of director election results were announced. The membership of MCEPA re-elected Roy Lee Lindsey to the seat in District 2 and Elaine Dobbs to a seat in District 3. Mechelle Welch was elected to the other seat in District 3. There was a total of 2,995 votes returned to Franks, Franks, Wilemon and Hagood. The board term begins September 1, 2020 and will run for three years.

THE RESULTS OF THE TALLY OF THE BALLOTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: DISTRICT 2 Roy Lee Lindsey ..................................................1,673 Gerald W Weathers ............................................1,274 DISTRICT 3 Mechelle Welch ...................................................1,364 Elaine Dobbs ........................................................1,237 Lem P Holman .....................................................1,115 Dorothy L Frembgen .........................................1,087

CEO MESSAGE There are exciting things happening at North East Mississippi Electric Power Association. As you’ll read about in the following pages of this Today in Mississippi issue, NEMEPA was one of 15 Mississippi electric cooperatives that was awarded grant money from the CARES Act to continue providing much-needed highspeed internet service to our service area through NE SPARC. We are very appreciative to the Mississippi Legislature, that through this pandemic, they have seen the need for high-speed internet in rural Mississippi. The $65 million that they have awarded Mississippi electric cooperatives will go far in providing internet service for vital needs such as telemedicine, teleworking and tele-education. Our building project is nearly complete. After several years of planning and construction, we now have a state-of-the-art office building that will be able to meet the needs of our employees and members for years to come. We expect the project to be complete in about four weeks. Our lobby is now open, and we ask that if our members must

visit right now, to be mindful of practicing social distancing and wearing your mask into our office. We are still encouraging our members to use our online services to pay bills and to call our customer service representatives if you need assistance. Our drive-thru window is back open and we now have a payment kiosk at our drive-thru that will take payments. You can also pay bills with cash through our Checkout system at any Dollar General, CVS and Family Dollar. We know things are not normal right now, but we remain committed to serving our members and improving the quality of life in the communities we serve.

by Keith Hayward General Manager/CEO

Grants awarded to electric cooperatives to provide broadband for rural Mississippi The Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi chairman of the House Public Utilities Callahan also said the electric was awarded $65 million in grant money Committee. I also want to thank Public cooperatives look forward to working that will deploy fiber to provide high-speed Utilities Staff Executive Director Sally Doty with the Public Utilities Staff to meet the broadband internet service to unserved and her entire staff for their hard work approved deadlines for utilizing the grant and underserved areas of rural Mississippi. expediting the grant process,” said Michael money and bringing broadband service The $65 million became available after Callahan, executive vice president and CEO to rural parts of the state. the State Legislature passed Senate of the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi. continued on page 13 Bill 3046 — The Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19 Act — earlier this year. The money became available on Aug. 4, from federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. The electric cooperatives will match the grant money with $65 million to provide a total of $130 million for expanding broadband access across the state. “We would like to thank Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, Sen. Joel Carter, Rep. Jason White, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hoseman, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, Public Utilities Staff Executive Director chairman of the Senate Energy Sally Doty, North East CEO Keith Hayward and Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley. Committee and State Rep. Scott Bounds, 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

continued from page 12

North East Mississippi Electric Power Association applied for and was awarded $3,706,380. The grant money will fund high-speed internet access to many of the underserved areas including those areas served by the Lafayette Springs and Enterprise substations. “We are certainly excited about receiving this grant. Ultimately, this makes it possible to add customers into our first

construction phase instead of waiting for the second phase,” said North East’s CEO, Keith Hayward. “These grant funds will make a tremendous impact on our ability to begin the delivery process to the most rural parts of the state,” Callahan said. Fifteen electric cooperatives from across Mississippi applied for the grant money. Callahan said after the fiber work

DRIVE-THRU IS OPEN! Our drive-thru is open! After being closed through the summer during construction, we are now taking payments for a contactless way to pay your bill. We also have a kiosk beside the drive-thru. This is another way to pay without getting out of your vehicle. Currently, the kiosk is taking cash and credit card payments. You must have your account number to pay at the kiosk. Check payments will be accepted at a later date.

funded by the grants begins, there will soon be broadband internet access available to 10,000 homes. Once the local grant projects are finished, there will be broadband service available to more than 35,000 homes in rural Mississippi. There could be additional grant money available at the end of the year and electric cooperatives would have the opportunity to apply for that funding at that time.

Board Election Process To be nominated as director, you must: • Obtain a petition with not less than 35 active, non-delinquent members that live in the district from which he/she is to be a candidate for director. • Nominations must be received at least 45 days before annual meeting in order to be included on the ballot.

www.nemepa.org • Click on ABOUT at the top of the home page and then select Bylaws. Then click on NEMEPA Bylaws. Go to Article IV, Section 4.

ATTENTION: A duly completed ballot shall constitute the sole and exclusive means of voting for candidates for director. Members wishing to run for the board of directors should come by the office to pick up a packet which includes the Board of Director Qualifications and Eligibility and official nomination form. Guidelines taken from bylaws. To view the bylaws visit NEMEPA.org.

North East Mississippi Electric Power Association Annual Meeting IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: PETITIONS DUE Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020 ANNUAL MEETING Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020

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by Elissa Fulton When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early March, NEMEPA Manager of Office Services Pam Helton thought it was a perfect time to help her community. Her daughter Robin, and friend and coworker Meggan, both work for Chevron and had already began making masks for their colleagues when she decided to start sewing masks as well. “They inspired me, so when they sent the Pam Helton, NEMEPA Manager of Office pattern, I started making them with fabric Services that I had from past sewing projects,” said Helton. “Elastic, by far, was the hardest to find but I was able to find some on Amazon that didn’t require any additional sewing, and that allowed me to make them adjustable and was easier on the ears.” In these unprecedented times that we find ourselves in, everyone feels a little uncertain. This was a way that Helton could put her talents to good use; and her husband, Kevin, fully supported her idea. “I have a sewing machine and a serger machine that I have used on many projects in the past,” said Helton. “God works in mysterious ways because last year I decided to take both machines in to have them serviced and they Pattern used to make masks. were ready to go when all this started. At first, I tried to work out of Robin’s old bedroom; but needed more space so I moved all my sewing stuff to our sunroom and started working on masks anytime I wasn’t working for NEMEPA, eating or sleeping. I just put the TV on Hulu or Netflix and watched a whole serious of shows while making masks.” Helton has made masks for employees, board members, retirees, family members and friends. She sent 100 masks to a women’s shelter, 100 masks to an elderly birthday party for a colleague’s grandmother, and many have gone to different doctor’s offices. Several people have also donated fabric for Helton to make masks. “I try to keep about 20 in my bag with me so I can have one to hand out anytime I meet or see someone who needs one,” she said. “One day I was going into Walmart and a young man was trying to get into Walmart but didn’t have a mask. I asked him if he would like a free face mask and his face just lit up. That type of

response has motivated me keep making and giving them away. When asked why I give the masks away, I just say ‘God has been good to us and this is our way of helping.’” Some people insist on paying Helton for her masks, but she just accepts it as a donation toward the ministry and uses it to buy more supplies to continue making masks as long as she can. “I would like to thank everyone that has helped me to be able to continue this project,” said Helton. Helton’s favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She has continued this ministry through a wrist injury and working at the cooperative full-time and has made nearly 1,500 masks. NEMEPA CEO Keith Hayward said, “We are so proud to have valued employees like Pam that continue to aid the community during times of crises.”

Helton sent 100 masks to a women’s shelter in Lafayette County.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

For more information about Today in Mississippi, contact Michael Bellipanni at 662.895.2151.

northcentralelectric.com

NorthcentralEC

@Northcentral_EC

A message from your CEO

Let your voices be heard The conventions are over, and the ballots are finalized. Election Day, November 3rd, will be here before we know it. Let’s not forget, however, that to participate in our election you must be registered to vote. Northcentral Electric Cooperative supports National Voter Registration Day on September 22. COVID-19 has dramatically altered the campaign plans of most candidates. It also reduced overall access to voter registration forms through government offices, libraries and schools. I believe one thing we can all agree on is the fact that the upcoming November election is an important one. Don’t miss out. Contact your Circuit Clerk or Municipal Clerk’s office to have questions regarding voter registration answered. Northcentral is pleased to be approved for $2.8 million in CARES Act funding through the state. These are funds that will be utilized to provide high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved areas. This amount will be matched by your cooperative to provide approximately 1,000 homes and businesses high-speed internet access that currently

have none. It is Northcentral’s plan to have over half of this project complete by the end of this year. This project is being engineered and constructed to assist in closing the digital divide that inhibits our students from participating in distance learning that may be required during this COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, we at Northcentral continue to monitor and manage the effects of COVID-19 on our operations. We continue to keep employees and those visiting our facilities safely spaced. We continue to keep our employees spaced in a manner to limit exposure, while allowing us to continue to deliver superior customer service to our community. Be careful out there.

by Kevin Doddridge General Manager/CEO

SAVE THE DATE

ANNUAL MEETING Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 2 p.m. Northcentral Auditorium 4600 Northcentral Way Olive Branch, MS 38654 Annual report to the Membership Board Elections Updates on Northcentral Connect All members are encouraged to participate! 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

Anixter assists in new meter installation by Justin Jaggers Did you know that Northcentral deployed a state-of-the-art advanced metering system over 15 years ago? This program enabled us to read meters remotely and accurately through your powerline. Many of those meters are now nearing the end of their useful life. That is why Northcentral Electric Cooperative has enlisted the help of Anixter to upgrade meters in your neighborhood. Members will see the new Aclara TWACS (TwoWay Automatic Communication System) installed as part of the Northcentral electric system. These meters provide a variety of benefits to our members, including a more advanced troubleshooting capability. For instance, if a member experiences an abnormally high bill, Northcentral can use the data collected from the meter to help identify inconsistencies that could be caused by a malfunctioning heat and air system or running water well. Another advantage to the new meters is the reduced time in restoring outages and the need for a member to make another call to report an outage. When linemen have worked to restore an area, the new meter allows Northcentral the ability to remotely send a “1-bit ping” signal to the restored area. This signal will check all meters in the area for restoration and help determine if an individual home or group of homes is still without power, letting us know to continue restoration efforts before leaving the area. Additionally, these new meters provide safe options for first responders in the event of emergency. “Let’s say you have a home that experiences a fire. With our new meters, we can shut off power to the home remotely to allow first responders to enter the home and do their job more safely. Electricity running

through the home during that emergency can add danger to someone trapped inside and the first responder trying to rescue them,” says Larry Johnson, Northcentral’s director of engineering and operations. “Many of these emergencies require us to cut off the power to allow first responders to do their job on

the scene.” Anixter’s technicians are currently working across our system, and each carry a badge identifying them as a Northcentral Contractor. You will see them driving white vans, clearly marked with a Northcentral logo. They will only need access to the outside meter and will never need to enter your home. When you are visited by a technician wearing the Anixter logo like the one shown, know that Northcentral Electric Cooperative is partnering with this company to install new meters to strengthen our system. As always, you may call us at 662.895.2151 for any questions that you may have.

Notice of Rate Action Northcentral Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors voted in their July 29, 2020 meeting to adopt a retail rate increase which will result in an overall increase in revenue of 1.8%. This rate increase will apply to all rate classes and become effective on October 1, 2020. Northcentral’s rate regulator and

wholesale power provider, the Tennessee Valley Authority, has approved the recommendation by Northcentral’s management of the rate increase in order to meet the cooperative’s revenue requirements. Please visit www.northcentralelectric.com for more information on specific rate effects. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

r o k W c i o r e to fight the pandemic H Hospitals serving Northcentral members help stop the virus spread by Bob Bakken The world finds itself in the middle of a battle right now against a virus we know is out there, but is something we can’t physically see until it makes its presence inside us, attacking our health and well-being. The war against COVID-19, also referred to as coronavirus, continues daily. This fight isn’t won by dispatching armies, navies or the Air Force. While we are all called daily to aid in the battle with such measures as wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing, the true warriors in this war reside inside our medical facilities, such as two hospitals serving north Mississippi: Methodist Olive Branch and Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven. They are the ones charged with caring for the casualties of the coronavirus battle who need medical treatment beyond just staying in a quarantine for two weeks. These healthcare workers, the front line battlers against COVID-19, have been greeted when they come to work with signs outside stating, “Heroes Work Here.” While grateful for the acknowledgement, Dr. Shailesh Patel, Hospitalist and Chief Medical Officer at Methodist Olive Branch Hospital, prefers to describe the people he works with not as “heroes,” but those simply answering the call. 14 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

“We consider ourselves privileged to be able to do what we are able to do,” said Dr. Patel. “Most of us go into medicine to be able to help people. They Dr. Shailesh Patel, work tirelessly. The nurses Hospitalist and Chief Medical Officer do a lot of work taking care of the patients. This is a calling for ourselves, and we don’t consider ourselves heroes.” Hospital workers, nurses, physicians, support staff and others were all quickly called to intensive duty in March when coronavirus first appeared in the area. The masks came out, hand sanitizers suddenly became popular, as were temperature checks when you entered a building. Social distancing and phrases such as “the new normal” suddenly appeared on the scene for these “unprecedented times.” The challenges have come whether hospital workers were ready for them or not. Dr. Patel said the staff is dealing with whatever the day brings; the good and the bad. “It’s been a challenging time since March,” said Dr. Patel. “It’s been more challenging in the last several weeks or so. We’ve had success stories where we’ve had patients recovering from COVID-19 and other things and then be able to go home. Then,

we’ve had those bad days where we’ve used each other to get through those trying times.” It’s in those trying times when the cohesiveness of the hospital “family” becomes even more important. “Everybody has come together as a family to help take care of each other while we’re taking care of our patients,” said Dr. Patel. “If there’s a nurse struggling with a sick patient, we see what they are going through and we see what it takes for that nurse. We try to take care of each other, whatever the need.” Many outpourings of support have come from the community, and Dr. Patel said that support has been vital to his hospital staff continuing to be strong and stay the fight. “Everything from community leaders, the mayor providing every service from security guards to police officers for our COVID (testing) line, to the community reaching out to the associates, bringing lunch or dinner, those little things that let us know that they know what we’re doing and they appreciate what we are doing,” Dr. Patel explained. “Without our community, we would have

been in trouble a long time ago. That’s the emotional support we get from them and keeps us going every day.” The community support has been shown for both hospitals. Along with the outreach to Methodist Olive Branch, Baptist-DeSoto has received food deliveries for its hospital staff, churches coming together for a recent Praise in the Parking Lot event to pray for and show hospital workers community support, and the local Arts Council offering sidewalk decorations in front of its facility. Both hospitals offer driveup COVID-19 testing for those who feel they may have contracted the virus. The battle against coronavirus wages on, and Dr. Patel encourages us to help by doing the things that will help everyone win the war against the pandemic. “Continue following the guidelines from the CDC and the local health experts,” Dr. Patel said. “Wear masks, practice social distancing and good hand hygiene, and take care of the elderly patients.” By doing those things, Patel believes we all will be heroic in the battle to stop COVID-19.

COVID-19 testing line at Methodist Olive Branch Hospital

Methodist Hospital healthcare workers perform COVID-19 tests

The COVID-19 testing line at Methodist Olive Branch Hospital spills over to Bethel Road.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

2020 Annual Meeting and Board of Directors Election The Northcentral Mississippi Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting of the Members Olive Branch will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wed., Oct. 28, 2020, in the Northcentral Electric auditorium. Besides summarizing the work of the past year as well as future projects, a major current busiByhalla DESOTO ness task at the Annual Meeting is the election MARSHALL COUNTY of three members of the board of directors. COUNTY This year, board members are to be elected from District 1, District 4 and District 8 of our Hernando system area. A general description of the area Holly Springs served in District 1 would be the area embraced within the Jan. 1, 1984 corporate limits of the City of Byhalia. District 4 generally covers the area north and east of Highway 78/Interstate TATE COUNTY 22, and west of Highway 309, extending to the Tennessee state line, and excludes the Jan. 1, 1984 corporate limits of the City of Byhalia. District 8 represents the area served by the cooperative in Marshall, Tate and Lafayette Counties, which constitutes an at-large district. More detailed descriptions can be found in Section LAFAYETTE COUNTY 4.02 of the Northcentral Electric bylaws. Sept. 29, 2020, to verify the candidate nominations. A list of the Current board members representing these districts are Pat Woods of District 1, Tony Taylor of District 4 and valid nominations will be posted at the Northcentral office. Members can vote either by proxy prior to the Annual MeetRicky Jones of District 8. ing or in person by ballot at the Annual Meeting. Proxies will Nominations to the board of directors, whether incumbent or be mailed on Thurs., Oct. 8, 2020 and must be received in the new candidate, will be made by the membership. Any twenNorthcentral office no later than 2 p.m. on Mon., Oct. 26, 2020. ty-five (25) or more members from the district from which a The Elections and Credentials Committee will review the proxies director is to be elected shall make a nomination by signing a nomination form with the nominee’s name and district stated on for validation beginning at 2 p.m. on Mon., Oct. 26, 2020. For more details on the Board of Directors elections, the Anthe form. Nomination forms can be picked up from the recepnual Meeting or the nomination process, a copy of the Northcentionist’s desk in the Northcentral Electric Administrative Building. Nominations must be completed as required and received in tral Electric Cooperative bylaws can be found under the “Cooperative” section of Northcentral’s website. the office no later than 5 p.m. on Mon., Sept. 28, 2020. Visit www.northcentralelectric.com. The Elections and Credentials Committee will meet Tues.,

Northcentral Electric Cooperative’s Statement of Nondiscrimination Northcentral Mississippi Electric Cooperative is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; and the rules of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which provide that no person in the United States on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital/family/parental status, ancestry, or veteran status shall be excluded from participation in, admission or access to, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any of its organization’s programs or activities. The person responsible for coordinating this organization’s 16 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

nondiscrimination compliance efforts is Kevin Doddridge, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer. Any individual, or specific class of individuals, who feels that this organization has subjected them to discrimination may file a written complaint with this organization; or the Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250; or the Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, Washington, D.C. 20250. Complaints must be filed within 180 days after the alleged discriminatory action, or by such later date to which the Secretary of Agriculture or the Administrator of RUS extends the time for filing. Identity of complainants will be kept confidential, except to the extent necessary to carry out the purposes of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Legal Bucks Northeast, East Central, Southwest, and Southeast Zones

Mississippi’s 2020-2021

A legal buck is defined as having EITHER a minimum inside spread of 10 inches OR one main beam at least 13 inches long.

HUNTING SEASONS

How to estimate a 10 inch inside spread:

How to estimate a 13 inch main beam:

10” Inside Spread

13” Main Beam

To estimate a 13 inch main beam, the buck’s head must be observed from the side. If the tip of the main beam extends to the front of the eye, main beam length is approximately 13 inches.

Delta Zone A legal buck is defined as having EITHER a minimum inside spread of 12 inches OR one main beam at least 15 inches long.

DEER ZONES

a complete list of hunting seasons, bag anda 15 inch main beam: How to estimate For a 12 inch inside spread: Howlimits to estimate other legal restrictions, to www.mdwfp.com. 12” Inside go Spread 15” Main Beam Estimating a 12 inch spread is accomplished by observing a buck’s ears in the alert position. When in the alert position, the distance from ear-tip to ear-tip measures approximately 15* inches. If the OUTSIDE of each antler beam reaches the ear-tip, the inside spread is approximately 12 inches. (Therefore, if the outside of both antler beams reach the ear tips, the buck is legal).

Wear Orange

*Due to body size differences in the Delta Zone, ear-tip to ear-tip measurements are slightly larger compared to the other zones.

WHITE-TAILED DEER

MANDATORY CWD SAMPLING

DELTA, SOUTH DELTA, NORTHEAST, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHWEST ZONES During the 2020-2021 hunting season, all deer harvested in theEAST respective counties and dates listed below must be submitted for CWD sampling day of harvest. can beDEER found at mdwfp.com/cwd. METHOD by 10 p.m. on the SEASON DATES Check station and drop-off locationsLEGAL DATES Archery

Oct. 1 - Nov. 20

LOCATIONS Either-Sex on private land, open public land, and Holly Springs NF

Nov. 7 - Nov. in 20the North Mississippi Either-Sexand on private lands andZones. authorized state and federal lands. In any county or portion thereof Issaquena CWD Youth Season Either-Sex on private lands. (15 and under) Nov. 21 - Jan. 31of Adams, Amite, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Walthall, and Wilkinson. Jan. 2-3 In the following counties: all portions On open public lands, youth must follow below legal deer criteria.

Nov. 21-22

Antlerless Primitive Weapon Nov.all 9 -portions 20 Antlerless Deer Only on private lands. Jackson, Jefferson In the following counties: of Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jan. 16-17 Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Stone, and Wayne.on private land and Holly Springs NF. Either-Sex Gun (with dogs) Nov. 21 - Dec. 1 Legal Bucks only on open public land. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was discovered in Mississippi in February 2018. Since then, proactive measures have been enacted for continued surveillance Either-Sex on private land,and open public land, and Holly NF. and management. Some measures include: *Supplemental feeding of wildlife, (including feeders, salt licks, mineral licks), is banned within Springs any MDWFP Primitive Weapon Dec. 2 - 15 defined CWD Management Zone. *Only cut/wrapped meat, deboned meat, hides with no headmay attached, finished products, with no tissue Weapon of choice be used on taxidermy private land with antlers appropriate license. attached, and cleaned skulls or skull plates may be transported outside the CWD Zones or into Mississippi from any other state or country. Either-Sex on was private land and Holly Springs NF. *MDWFP hunters to submit the heads of harvested deer for CWD sampling, especially if the deer harvested in CWD Zones. Gunurges (without dogs) Dec. 16 - 23

Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Gun (with dogs)

Dec. 24 - Jan. 20

Either-Sex on private land and Holly Spring NF. Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Archery/Primitive Weapon SEASON

Jan. 21 - 31

Either-Sex on private land and Holly Springs NF. Legal Bucks only on open public BAG LIMIT land.DATES Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

Fall Turkey

Fall turkey season is open BY PERMIT ONLY from October 15-November 15 on private lands in the following counties or portions of SOUTHEAST ZONE counties where the landowner/leaseholder completes a fall turkey hunting application to the MDWFP Jackson Office and receives tags. The fall season bag limit is twoSEASON (2) turkeys, which may be of either sex. METHOD DATES LEGAL DEER Delta Zone: Bolivar County - west of the main River levee and those lands east of the main Mississippi Archery Oct. 15 -Mississippi Nov. 20 Either-Sex on private and open public River land. levee known as 27 Break Hunting Club; Coahoma, Desoto, Issaquena, Tunica, and Washington counties - west of the main Mississippi River levee.

Nov. 7 - Nov. 20

Either-Sex on private lands and authorized state and federal lands.

Youth Season North-Central Zone: Benton, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tippah, and Union counties.

Either-Sex on private lands.

(15 and under)

Nov. 21 - Feb. 15

Gun (with dogs)

Nov. 21 - Dec. 1

Either-Sex on private land. Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Primitive Weapon

Dec. 2 - 15

Either-Sex on private and open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

Gun (without dogs) SEASON

Dec. 16 - 23

Either-Sex on private land. Legal Bucks onlyBAG on open public land. DATES LIMIT

Gun (with dogs) Youth

Dec. 24 - Jan. 20

open public lands, youth must follow below legal deer criteria. Southwest Zone: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Franklin,On Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, Warren, Wilkinson, and Yazoo counties.

Spring Turkey

(Private and authorized state and federal public lands. Youth 15 and under) Jan. 21 - 31

Archery/Primitive Weapon Spring

Feb. 1 - 15

SEASON Youth Squirrel*

Either-Sex on private land. Legal only on open public land. OneBucks (1) adult gobbler or 1 gobbler with a Mar. 8 - 14 on private land. Legal 6-inch or longer perpublic day, 3 land. per Spring Either-Sex Bucks onlybeard on open season. Hunters 15 years of age and youngWeapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license. er may harvest 1 gobbler of choice (any Mar. 15 - May 1 age) peropen day, 3 per Spring Legal Bucks only on private and public land. season. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

Small Game SMALL GAME SEASON DATES

DAILY BAG LIMIT

Sept. 24 - 30

MANDATORY CWD SAMPLING

During the 2020-2021 hunting season, all deer harvested inOct. the respective Squirrel - Fall Season 1 - Feb. 28 counties and dates listed below must8be submitted for CWD sampling by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest. Check station and drop-off locations can be found at mdwfp.com/cwd. Squirrel - Spring Season

May 15 - June 1

SEASON

SEASON DATES

DAILY BAG LIMIT

DATES

Nov. 21-22 Jan. 2-3 Jan. 16-17

LOCATIONS

InRabbit any county or portion thereof in the North Mississippi and Issaquena CWD Zones. Oct. 17 - Feb. 28

Bobwhite Quail Nov. 26 - Franklin, Mar. 6 8 In the following counties: all portions of Adams, Amite, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Walthall, and Wilkinson. Frog

April 1 - Sept. 30

25/Night

In the following counties: all portions of Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson

Raccoon July 1Stone, - Sept.and 30 Wayne. Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry,

1 per Party/Night

Oct. 1 - Oct. 31

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was discovered in Mississippi in February 2018. Since then, proactive measures have been enacted for continued surveillance (Food and sport) 5/Day; 8/Party Opossum, Raccoon, and Bobcat and management. Some measures include: *Supplemental feeding of wildlife, feeders, salt licks, and mineral licks), is banned within any MDWFP Nov. 1(including - Feb. 28 No Limit defined CWD Management Zone. *Only cut/wrapped meat, deboned meat,sport, hides with head attached, finished taxidermy products, antlers with no tissue (Food, andno pelt) attached, and cleaned skulls or skull plates may be transported outside the CWD Zones or into Mississippi from any other state or country. Trapping 1 - Mar. 15 No Limit *MDWFP urges hunters to submit the heads of harvested deer for CWDNov. sampling, especially if the deer was harvested in CWD Zones. *On private lands and authorized state and federal lands only in those areas open for squirrel hunting.

SEASON

Fall FALL Turkey TURKEY DATES

DOVE

Mourning and White-Winged Doves

BAG LIMIT

North Zone - Sept 1-Oct 6, Oct 19-Nov 16, Dec 21-Jan 14

SEASON Youth (Private and authorized state and federal public lands. Youth 15 and under)

Spring Turkey DATES

Mar. 8 - 14

BAG LIMITS ■ Antlered Buck Deer: The statewide bag limit on antlered buck deer is one (1) buck per day and three (3) per annual season. One (1) of these three (3) may have hardened antlers that do not meet the zone legal antler requirements on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. Only two (2) antlered deer may be harvested from the South Delta Zone. For youth hunters fifteen (15) years of age and younger, hunting on private land and authorized state and federal lands, all three (3) of the three (3) buck bag limit may be any antlered deer. ■ Antlerless Deer: Private lands: The statewide annual bag limit on antlerless deer is five (5). Antlerless deer are male or female deer which do not have hardened antler above the natural hairline. Only two (2) antlerless deer may be harvested from the Southeast and South Delta zones. There is no daily bag limit on antlerless deer in the Northeast, East Central, Southwest and Delta zones. Only one (1) antlerless deer per day may be harvested in the Southeast Zone. U.S. Forest Service National Forests: The bag limit is one (1) per day, not to exceed five (5) per annual season except in the Southeast Zone which is two (2) per annual season.

South Zone - Sept 1-Sept 15, Oct 5-Nov 6, Dec 21-Jan 31 • Dove North Zone - Areas north of U.S. Hwy. 84 plus areas south of U.S. Hwy. 84 and west of MS Hwy. 35. • Dove South Zone - Areas south of U.S. Hwy. 84 and east of MS Hwy. 35.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 17 BAG LIMIT One (1) adult gobbler or 1 gobbler with a 6-inch or longer beard per day, 3 per Spring season. Hunters 15 years of age and younger may harvest 1 gobbler of choice (any

Columbia: 601-736-2666 Hattiesburg: 601-264-2458

Purvis: 601-794-8051 Wiggins: 601-928-7277

To pay bills or report outages:

855-2PRVEPA (855-277-8372) Visit us online at www.PRVEPA.com Member owned. Locally operated. That’s the cooperative difference.

President’s Report by Hugh Gene Smith Pearl River Valley Electric, despite difficult challenges this year, has continued its trend of positive growth. With this year’s pandemic devastating our economy and causing hardships for our members, your Board of Directors has worked tirelessly to create a sense of normalcy by ensuring there was no interruption or drop in quality of service. It is important for our members to understand that regardless of COVID-19, our goal is to provide the highest quality service at the lowest possible cost. As we navigate through the rest of this year and beyond, rest assured that your Board of Directors will continue to work to maintain the economic stability of your Association. Wholesale power costs Purchasing wholesale power accounts for nearly 72% of our overall cost of providing electric service to members. PRVEPA is a member-owner of Cooperative Energy, a generation and transmission cooperative. This arrangement ensures us of having our wholesale power delivered on a not-for-profit basis. Cooperative Energy’s strategy to generate electricity is to use a broad mix of fuels —including coal, gas, nuclear, hydro and other renewable sources — which helps keep costs as low as possible. Finding new, cost-effective ways to meet our wholesale power needs is a continuing priority and your PRVEPA Board will be closely watching developments throughout the industry. Economic development/Community Many of our members may not realize it, but Pearl River Valley Electric plays an important role in helping our region grow economically. Your Association is very active in promoting economic development for our 12-county service area and belongs to various economic development organizations, which are committed to bringing new businesses and helping existing ones grow. Our employees — our greatest resource — do their part in helping our communities prosper and make them better places to live. When they’re not climbing poles, answering service calls or doing one of dozens of other jobs, they are working to improve the communities they live in. They volunteer as coaches, Sunday school teachers, youth leaders and community service workers. 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

Core business Our primary function is to provide electric service to our members at the lowest possible cost. Over the years, many electric power associations have undertaken various business enterprises besides providing electricity. As a cooperative, we must be good stewards of our member’s money and while we have studied providing additional services, each time, your Board of Directors has determined that our primary purpose should be furnishing electric service to our members. Since the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill allowing electric cooperatives to consider offering broadband internet in 2019, we have looked into providing this service to our members. However, this is an extremely complicated issue and a project of this scale would likely be more involved and costly than anything PRVEPA has ever undertaken. In effect, we would have to build out more than 6,000 miles of fiber optic line (it does not come through your electric lines), with an estimated cost well exceeding $130 million. We understand the need and desire by many in rural areas to have access to this service, especially with more members working and attending school from home due to COVID-19. For this reason, we are still studying the issue and will continue to evaluate options as they develop. Annual meeting Pearl River Valley Electric is an electric cooperative owned by the consumers it serves. The annual meeting gives members an opportunity to learn about the progress of your Association and to participate in its business plans. We encourage you to be an active, informed member and attend the annual membership meeting. Our cooperative is strong and is headed in a direction of success as we prepare to enter 2021. We, as your Board of Directors, are committed to making sure that Pearl River Valley Electric is ready to respond to any situation or need. We are also proud that you, as a member of Pearl River Valley Electric, are a part of a great organization with a proven track record of success. As president of your Association, I am proud to present this report for your consideration.

Secretary-Treasurer’s

REPORT

by Lavell Bond

The Association’s records and accounts were audited by Topp, McWhorter, Harvey, PLLC, Certified Public Accountants. The report was complimentary of your general manager and staff. It also showed the records and accounts in excellent condition and that the Association is in a financially strong condition. The following is from the annual audit dated December 31, 2019: • Total electric plant increased $5,685,749, bringing the total to $176,487,076. • Assets total $252,253,554, which reflects an increase of $7,029,495 for the year. • The member-owners of Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association have equity of 39.4% in the system. Regular patronage refund Your Board of Directors is dedicated to the principal of returning patronage capital to our member-owners - in fact, we were the first electric power association in Mississippi to start paying regular patronage refunds.

This year, we refunded $6.5 million to our members. In addition, Cooperative Energy, our wholesale power provider that is a cooperative owned by PRVEPA and 10 other electric power associations, began returning capital credits in 2015. Those credits, totaling $367,938 for 2019, will be returned to applicable PRVEPA members, increasing the total amount returned to $6,867,938. We have now made patronage refunds to our member-owners for 57 years, totaling nearly $58 million. Very few electric cooperatives in the nation can surpass our record of paying patronage refunds to their members. Patronage refunds to deceased and former members In 1988, your Board of Directors started a program where we return the accumulated patronage capital to the estates of deceased members. In addition, a program for offering discounted capital credit refunds to former members was initiated in 2016. We have returned more than $15.5 million through these programs, including $838,000 in 2019.

ANNUAL MEETING SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

All members of Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association are invited to attend the annual meeting of members on Saturday, September 26. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Columbia Water Park Pavilion at 27 Water Park Lane, Columbia, MS 39429. The meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. This year’s annual meeting will be slightly different due to COVID-19. All areas of the pavilion will be sanitized for the coronavirus and seating will adhere to social distancing guidelines. Hand sanitizer will be available, and masks will be handed out and required for attendance. While we encourage social distancing, member participation at the annual meeting is important to elect directors, hear reports covering the operation of the Association and to transact other business that may come before the meeting.

Included on the agenda is the election of four directors to 3-year terms: District 2 - Winfred Kendrick

District 7 - Davis Wingo

(Nominated by Nominating Committee)

District 5 - B.F. Hudson Jr.

At Large - Leslie Peters

(Nominated by Nominating Committee)

In addition, members in attendance will vote to approve the board’s proposed amendment to Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association’s Certificate of Incorporation to allow the cooperative to provide high-speed internet to its members, if found to be financially feasible. PRVEPA will award 13 attendance prizes, including a $1000 certificate for electricity. You must be present at the meeting to be eligible for the attendance prizes. If you cannot attend the meeting, mail in your annual meeting ballot today. By returning your ballot, you are eligible for the absentee prizes. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

General Manager’s Annual Report It is with great pride that I am providing this annual report to our members. We have had some unique issues over the course of the last year, some of which are a first in our 82-year history. In March, COVID-19 hit our area, and we were tasked with implementing a pandemic response plan. For the first time ever, we were forced to close our lobbies and limit interactions between employees and members. This was extremely difficult for us since we value our relationship with you. Due to increasing cases of the virus, we immediately put in place a plan that required employees to socially distance and adhere to CDC guidelines. I truly believe that our early efforts helped control the virus’ spread. As if the virus wasn’t enough, we were hit with another obstacle when some of the most dangerous storms in our cooperative’s history hit our service territory. The first came on Easter Sunday when one of the largest tornadoes in the country’s history cut a large path through our service area. A week later, another tornado hit our territory and traveled through several counties. In total, the storms left 365 broken poles on the ground and more than 12,000 meters without power. Our line crews and servicemen, along with our inside workers, helped to restore power quickly, safely and efficiently. We also received assistance from our sister cooperatives, Magnolia Electric and Coast Electric Power Association. Employees balanced COVID-19 safety protocols along with a difficult outage restoration masterfully. I am extremely happy with the work our employees have done during an unprecedented time. Regardless of pandemics, storms and uncertain futures, there is one thing that is sure, that your electric cooperative is working in your best interests. I am proud to be able to say that we have seen many good results over the past year despite the difficulties brought on by the coronavirus and severe weather. SYSTEM GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT For 2019, the number of meters served by the Association increased 1% from 50,039 to 50,469, while our annual sales of electricity — 1,039,734,706 kilowatt hours (kWh) — were about 3% below 2018. Maintaining reliable service to members requires continual planning and upgrading of our lines and equipment. In 2019, our crews added nearly 39 miles of new overhead and underground lines to our system, which has 6,140 miles of lines and 25 substations throughout our 12-county service area. RIGHT-OF-WAY TRIMMING Right-of-way (ROW) trimming is an essential part of our maintenance program. Our goal is to rotate through our entire system every 10 years, which means we trim nearly 500 miles of ROW annually. This year we used a combination of trimming and cutting trees along with the application of economical and environmentally-friendly herbicides. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work to maintain a safe and reliable system for our members. SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND OUTAGES Pearl River Valley Electric has an excellent outage record that is well below the national average. Typically, our members experience very few outages lasting only short amounts of time, which is remarkable when you consider that electric service is a 24/7 commodity. However, despite our best efforts to provide excellent service, we are still at the mercy of severe weather, like the storms in April. Along with our ROW maintenance, we continue to implement a pole inspection program to change out bad poles that could possibly cause power outages. As always, over the past year we also replaced, upgraded or retired equipment and facilities as needed. Updating our system to benefit our members is always a priority. Over the course of the last year, Pearl River Valley Electric has been working to switch two substations from being supplied with power from Mississippi Power to Cooperative Energy. This change will benefit our members with quicker response times during major outages as well as financial savings for the Association. In addition, we have been hard at work adding a substation located on Cole Road to serve the Oak Grove area with even greater reliability. SAFETY All our employees are committed to working safely. They have adopted a full-time culture of safety and strive to work accident free each day. An effective safety program not only ensures the well-being of employees, but it also saves your Association money. Along with existing safety standards we have improved the sanitation of offices, vehicles and equipment due to COVID-19. In addition, we have made personal protective equipment available to employees to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

14 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

Member Programs COVID-19 has shown the importance of having alternate ways for our members to access their information along with being informed about important events and issues affecting the cooperative. Online Tools: Our website is better than ever now for handling your day to day needs. Through our website www.PRVEPA.com you can pay your bill, access your energy use history and report outages. In addition, we have added the ability to apply for service as well as access our levelized billing and bank draft forms. We also offer a mobile app that offers similar services. You can access the app by searching for “PRVEPA” in your app store. You may also call us about home energy audits, advice on the proper sizing on heating and air-conditioning systems, and educational programs for civic groups and schools. We are also in the process of designing a new website that will be easy to use while providing the same great features of our current site. @MyPRVEPA COVID-19 and the April storms taught us that we need as many tools as possible in our arsenal to inform you about news concerning Pearl River Valley Electric. For this reason, we launched our Facebook and Twitter pages. These sites are meant to educate and inform our members about our cooperative. During large scale outages, we will update you about restoration efforts. In addition, these sites will be used to alert members to important information such as scam alerts, program and policy information and news about the positive impact your cooperative is having in the community. These sites aren’t monitored 24/7, so we ask that you refrain from posting outage notifications. Round Up for Education This will be our eighth year of operating Round Up for Education, a community college scholarship program designed to encourage members and their children to continue their education. The vast majority of our members are rounding up their bills each month, which is providing the money to fund the scholarships. Over the past seven years, more than 1,500 students have received nearly $1.4 million in scholarships to help with their education costs, and this year we have more than 180 applicants. Without doubt this program is a unique and collaborative way to improve the quality of life for hundreds of families in the communities we serve. It is an outstanding example of what can be accomplished by cooperative members working together; I don’t think there’s another program like it in the country. YOUTH LEADERSHIP ESSAY CONTEST COVID-19, like everything else, changed our Youth Tour plans this year. Each year Pearl River Valley Electric sponsors an essay contest for junior class students in high schools located within our service area. A judging committee reviews the essays and selects the winners. Normally, the winners attend a threeday youth leadership workshop in Jackson and during the summer they travel with other Mississippi students to Washington, D.C. for the week-long Youth Tour. However, this year, our Youth Tour participants were unable to attend the Washington D.C. trip due to the coronavirus. This year’s winners were Marlie Barnes and Hagen Bracey of Columbia Academy and Jeremiah Jackson of Wiggins. These young people have been outstanding representatives for Pearl River Valley Electric. MEMBERS ARE OUR PRIORITY This year, more than any before, has given me pause for reflection on how important our members are to our cooperative. COVID-19 along with the devasting storms put into perspective for all of us at Pearl River Valley Electric what is important in our daily lives; our members and each other. I would again like to say thank you, for your support and faith in us during this year’s pandemic and extreme weather. It has been a privilege to serve you this past year, and we will continue to work hard in coming years to meet and exceed your expectations.

by Randy Wallace General Manager

ELECTRIC FARMING EQUIPMENT

is an energy trend to watch

by Maria KanevskyÂ Â Our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farmers have worked for generations in fields across the country. They have seen firsthand how farming equipment has improved over the decades to increase efficiency and to feed an ever-growing population. A major new change for farming equipment is the trend of switching fossil fuel-powered farming equipment towards electric farming equipment. This trend builds on the idea of beneficial electrification, where switching to an electric end-use technology satisfies at least one of the following conditions without adversely affecting the others: saving consumers money over time, benefiting the environment, improving product quality or consumer quality of life, and fostering a more robust and resilient grid. Historically, the most common form of electrification for farms has been electric irrigation pumping systems. Irrigation systems are crucial for many farmers and can make or break the crop yield for the entire year. Water heaters are the second most-used forms of electric technology on farms. They can be used for many different purposes, like in dairy farm processing, sterilizing equipment and general cleaning. Choosing an electric water heater for the right application depends on efficiency, size, recovery speed and peak temperature. There are many benefits of replacing diesel motors with electric motors. Highly efficient electric motors can operate at 90% efficiency, which helps to provide cost savings over time, compared to inefficient diesel motors that only operate at 30% to 40% efficiency. Farmers can simply plug in the electric equipment without needing to refill a diesel tank. One of the greatest benefits of electric motors is they do not emit fumes like diesel motors, which means farmers get to breathe in cleaner air around them. Overall, electric motors are cleaner, quieter and easier to maintain. Some farmers are making the switch to electric tractors as companies like John Deere, AgCo and other companies continue to perfect their own electric models. While electric tractors are more efficient, quieter and better for the environment than conventional diesel tractors, they lack the battery power that many farmers need for a long day of working in the fields. But the largest barrier of converting to electric

technologies is the cost. Both the price of the electric technology itself and for the wiring to connect it to the entire farm can be extremely costly. Even with savings on fuel costs over time, farmers will be reluctant to replace their farming equipment because of high initial costs. However, there are federal and local government programs that can help to lessen the upfront costs for farmers. Electric cooperatives can also help farmers in their local territory with energy audits to identify energy efficiency opportunities, or with applying for funding from federal programs such as the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) or the Rural Business Development Grants (RBDG). Besides electric irrigation systems and water heaters, the availability of other electric farming technologies is much less common, such as grain dryers, thermal electric storage systems and heat pumps. Many of these electric technologies are still in the early stages of commercialization and have not fully entered the agricultural market. The accessibility of these other technologies will depend on a variety of factors, like the type of farm, electricity prices versus fossil fuel prices, and any incentives to decrease upfront costs for buying new equipment. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities for expansion, especially for electric tractors and other electric farm vehicles which are used on many different types of farms. With more time and investment, electric farming equipment will likely become more widespread in the coming years. Maria Kanevsky is a program analyst for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

photo credit: John Deere

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

CONTACT INFORMATION: PONTOTOC P.O. Drawer 718 • 12 South Main Street, Pontotoc, MS 38863

662-489-3211 • Fax: 662-489-5156 BRUCE P.O. Box 415 • 129 South Newberger Street, Bruce, MS 38915

662-983-2727 • Fax: 662-983-1335

Pontotoc Electric recaps broadband efforts, plans to continue search for viable option In January 2019, then-Governor Phil Bryant signed into law the Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act (HB 366). This bill, which passed by almost unanimous vote in both houses of the legislature, allows but does not require electric power associations in the state to offer broadband internet service to their members. The law allows power associations to form a subsidiary company for broadband, and allows power associations to borrow in order to finance a broadband project, but does not allow revenues from electric sales to be used to subsidize a broadband subsidiary. The new law also imposed some other requirements on power associations, including a requirement for an economic feasibility study to be completed before any power association went into the business of broadband. The law also requires that a plan be in place to offer internet service to the cooperative’s entire service area. However, it does not set a deadline for that requirement. Following passage of this legislation, Pontotoc Electric Power Association’s Board of Directors, management and staff undertook the process of learning everything that we could about starting up an internet subsidiary. PEPA staff attended numerous meetings and training sessions. Staff members and directors traveled to electric cooperatives in other states that were already in the internet business to observe business operations, ask questions and get insight into how other utilities took on this challenge. PEPA also conducted community meetings at three different locations (Pontotoc, Ingomar, and Bruce) and asked our members to attend the meetings to learn about and share their opinions about a PEPA broadband subsidiary. A member interest survey was also mailed to all members as part of the monthly Today in Mississippi magazine that is sent out to all members. PEPA is very appreciative to all members who took the time to attend one of these meetings and/or completed and returned the member interest survey. PEPA also commissioned not one, but three, separate feasibility studies to determine the economic impact of forming a broadband subsidiary. These studies projected a cost ranging from about $40 million to approximately $48 million to construct and put into service a broadband internet company on the PEPA service territory. All three of these 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

studies indicated that a broadband venture by PEPA would, at best, struggle to be financially viable. Based on projections of customer “take rates,” or the number of customers anticipated to sign up for internet service at competitive monthly billing rates, the studies determined that such a business venture would not pay for itself. PEPA also looked into the possibility of grant funding from the federal government and other sources. Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF) grants are one significant avenue for broadband grant funding. RDOF grant amounts for specific geographic areas are based on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) coverage maps that supposedly indicate the current availability, or lack of availability, of internet service in specific areas. While this is a complicated topic, the bottom line is that FCC coverage maps indicate that 75% of the PEPA service territory already has qualifying internet service available. Due to this, the amount of RDOF grant funds available to PEPA are significantly less than some surrounding areas. PEPA could only expect somewhere between $1.9 million and $4 million in RDOF grant money spread over the next 10 years, a fairly small percentage of the $40+ million cost to install and operate a broadband system. After months of studying this subject, the board of directors of Pontotoc Electric Power Association voted in April 2020 not to proceed further with study of a broadband subsidiary “at the present time” due to the high cost and low anticipated revenue of such a system. The board left open the possibility of re-examining the potential for a broadband subsidiary should circumstances change that would positively impact the financial feasibility of a broadband venture. In July 2020, the Mississippi Legislature passed the Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19 Act (SB 3046), using money received by the state from the federal government under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The bill established a $65 million grant fund that would provide dollar for dollar matching funds for electric power associations presenting a plan to expand broadband internet service into unserved and underserved areas. These funds were subject to regulations set forth in the

CARES Act, as well as certain requirements set out in the state bill. CARES Act monies are required to be used in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and must be spent before December 30, 2020. This was defined as meaning that fiber had to be installed and activated and that at least some number of customers had to begin receiving internet service by December 30, 2020. The Mississippi Legislature did a commendable job crafting this bill in a way that made it as easy as possible for electric cooperatives to make use of these funds. However, one major question that has not yet been fully resolved is whether this particular use of CARES Act funds will ultimately be seen as acceptable as interpreted by the U. S. Treasury Department. No one — from state legislators, to power association representatives, to other elected officials — has been able to get a definitive answer from the Treasury Department in Washington, D. C. regarding this use of CARES Act monies. A deadline of July 17, 2020 was set for power associations to submit project proposals to the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff. An application fee of one-half of 1% of the proposed grant amount was required to accompany any grant application. Pontotoc Electric had initially proposed a “pilot project” to deliver broadband internet service to three areas that were determined to be the most unserved or underserved areas of PEPA’s electric system territory. The total project cost for this internet build out was about $11.3 million. PEPA’s proposal called for a grant of $5.3 million, slightly less than half of the total project cost, for a first phase based on what was felt could be accomplished before the December 30, 2020 deadline. This first phase would cover the purchase of fiber and other materials, system planning and engineering cost, and other up-front expenses. However, PEPA was told that we would not be able to receive materials quickly enough and get contract personnel on site quickly enough to actually install fiber and serve customers prior to the deadline. This left PEPA vulnerable to having to return grant monies that had already been spent. It also meant that PEPA’s grant application fee of almost $27,000 would have been forfeited. A feasibility study was performed on this proposed pilot project area. Based on the low customer density in those areas, the financial projection was that not enough revenue could be generated to cover the cost of the system build out, even with grant funds of $5.3 million to defray the cost. Should PEPA be required to return grant funds deemed not to have been used in accordance with all applicable regulations, financial projections were even more bleak. Other hurdles also existed that would have had to be overcome. A change in the Association’s charter would be required that would be difficult to get accomplished in a short amount of time. State law requires that a change in an electric power association’s charter must be approved by a 60% vote of the Association’s board of directors, as well as by a 60% vote of

the membership. This would require a special Called Meeting of Members of Pontotoc Electric Power Association. For that meeting to be official and any vote taken during the meeting to be valid, a quorum of between 750 and 800 members would have to be present at the meeting. It would be extremely difficult to have enough members present to be able to hold a valid business meeting of members. There is no provision given where this vote can be conducted by mail or any other means than an in-person meeting of members. Pontotoc Electric Power Association’s board of directors has been very involved in this broadband process since the very beginning. Directors fully understand the importance of access to adequate internet service in today’s society, and particularly in the current pandemic climate. Their desire is to meet the needs of PEPA’s members in any way possible. However, their first priority has always been PEPA’s electric system and providing safe, reliable, and economical electric service to members. The board of directors is very concerned about risking the financial stability of the electric system to go into a broadband internet venture that all available information indicates has a very low chance for success. The PEPA board has instructed management to continue to monitor developments in the broadband area. The board remains open to a possible broadband venture should circumstances change so that the undertaking of this venture becomes economically feasible. The current climate in broadband is extremely volatile. Circumstances change on almost a daily basis. PEPA continues to be engaged and monitor any and all new developments in this area. Should new information or opportunities arise that positively impact the potential for offering broadband service to the PEPA area, PEPA and its board of directors are ready and willing to re-examine this potential new service.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

Linemen Advance to Year Three

Congratulations to Pontotoc Electricâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Byron Steen and Walker Westmoreland who recently passed their testing to move into Year Three of the Lineman Apprenticeship Program.

We appreciate their hard work and dedication!

Santa Fe Enchiladas

Hamburger Casserole

Jennifer Johnson,

Bobby and Ramona Wells,

Manager of Human Resources

Bobby (PEPA Retiree)

2 lbs. ground chuck 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste 1 cup water 1 envelope taco seasoning

5 medium potatoes 1 large onion 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger meat

10 (6-inch) flour tortillas 1 jar (8 oz.) cheese whiz 1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies

Brown ground chuck and onion. Drain well. Add tomato paste, water, and taco seasoning and cook until heated through. Spoon a portion of the meat mixture in each of the tortillas, roll up, and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. In a microwave safe bowl, combine cheese whiz and chopped green chilies. Microwave on high for one minute and stir. Pour this over the tortillas. Bake on 350 until cheese bubbles. (You can top them with salsa and sour cream or whatever you like.) 14 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

1 can cheese soup salt and pepper

Shape meat into small patties. In separate bowls, slice potatoes and onion in thin slices. Starting with meat patties, alternate meat, onions, and potatoes, layering in casserole dish until all are used. Salt and pepper each layer to taste. Pour soup on top of final layer. Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are done.

ELECTRIC FARMING EQUIPMENT

is an energy trend to watch

photo credit: John Deere

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

BRIAN HUGHEY

General Manager & CEO LORRI FREEMAN, APR AMANDA PARKER Manager of Public Relations Public Relations Specialist

Bringing power and energy services to local communities

For more information, call 601-947-4211, 228-497-1313 or visit singingriver.com. @singingriverelectric @SRECooperative SRE is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR CEO

Board brings broadband vote to membership on October 9 There is no debate over the growing need for reliable, highspeed internet service or broadband within our service area. During the ongoing pandemic, broadband has become essential to many families, as some parents and students work from home and complete school assignments. Singing River Electric’s management and board have completed a great deal of research on whether to provide broadband. Our focus is our core competency – providing quality, dependable and affordable electric service to our members for 82 years. Our careful, deliberate study of the possibility of Brian Hughey providing broadband is necessary to ensure General Manager & CEO the success of this electric cooperative. The board has not made a final decision to offer broadband, as they are still studying its financial viability. However, the board has agreed to ask the membership to vote to ratify a change to Singing River Electric’s Certificate of Incorporation. Voting “yes” to the change could give your co-op the option to offer both electric and broadband services. Presently, we can only offer electric service. We need your vote! A Drive-in Broadband Vote and Meeting will be held on October 9, 2020. See details of the meeting in the notice on the page to the right. The event will be held outdoors to allow for social distancing. If you cannot attend, you may ensure your voice is heard by returning your mailed ballot or voting online at singingriver.com by the October 5, 2020, deadline. The meeting notice will mail and the online broadband vote will begin on September 8, 2020. Let’s discuss SRE’s completed research on the broadband topic. In January 2019, the Mississippi legislature enacted the Broadband Enabling Act. Following that, our board tasked SRE’s management to complete a feasibility study and member survey. The feasibility study showed a projected cost of $130150 million to provide broadband to our entire membership. The member survey completed in August 2019 oversampled a representative portion of our membership, which means we surveyed four times the number of SRE members than what was originally presented as being representative of the whole. Furthermore, we oversampled in the unserved areas of our system to get solid feedback. The results of the survey showed two-thirds of participants had high-speed internet and that only 29% of par-

ticipants would likely sign up for a premium service ($100) and only 30% expressed interest in a mid-range package ($75). March 2020 brought the hardship of COVID-19 or Coronavirus, and our dependency on quality high-speed internet significantly increased. After the pandemic hit, your SRE board decided to update the feasibility study and form a subcommittee of board members to review any changes and potential funding opportunities, some that quickly became available and some still on the horizon. The subcommittee, as well as the entire 10-member board, agreed to partner with an experienced consultant to increase the depth of study on this issue. So what about CARES Act funding, and what are our plans moving forward? As $65 million in CARES Act funding became available, your board decided not to apply for the funding. There are numerous reasons that led to this decision. Several electric cooperatives, many of which had already made the decision to provide broadband, participated by submitting a small project. This was a matching grant. Doing the math, $65 million divided by 15 electric cooperatives means around $4 million was available per participating co-op. This of course would require the co-op to put up a matching $4 million to go towards a fiber project that would provide service to only a very small, underserved area. Additionally, the CARES Act funds were required to be spent, projects completed, and services offered to members within six months, with a deadline of December 31, 2020. This made it near impossible to hire additional workers and complete necessary work in the short time frame. As we researched fiberoptic vendors, lead time for ordering required cable was estimated at 12-15 weeks. Another reason SRE didn’t apply for CARES Act funding was at the deadline time, it hadn’t been legally determined that electric cooperatives would even qualify for the funding. SRE’s board was also aware of other funding opportunities. Your board continues to work carefully with the consultant to determine the financial viability of broadband and is now also asking for your vote to amend the Certificate of Incorporation for SRE to be able to offer broadband. A decision will be made by the end of the year and will be shared in this publication. We do not want to put our electric members at risk, as we value providing quality electric service at the lowest possible cost, but we also recognize the need for quality internet service, today more than ever.

2020 Broadband Drive-in Vote and Meeting WE NEED YOUR VOTE TO AMEND SRE’S CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

Your Co-op. Your vote. Drive-in vote to amend SRE’s Certificate

of Incorporation

r9 e b o t c O , y a Frid dale uth, Luce

So 11187 Old 63

. s at 3:00 p.m in g e b n io t Registra 3:45 p.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. t a s in g e b Meeting

Participate by voting in person, online or returning your ballot by mail. Co-op bylaws require a 10 percent quorum of the membership in order to conduct business. Your participation is crucial to our success, and with it you will be eligible to win prizes including $500 in cash!

THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:

IN PERSON, BY MAIL AND ONLINE

Voting in person can be done at the drive-in vote meeting on Friday, October 9, at 4 p.m. The meeting will be held at the SRE Lucedale office at 11187 Old 63 South and will be held outdoors to

comply with COVID-19 restrictions.

Return your completed ballot by mail using the enclosed self-addressed, postage-paid envelope by Monday, October 5. You may still attend the meeting. Voting online is easy! Members can vote online beginning Tuesday, September 8, through Monday, October 5. Simply click on the “Vote Here” icon on either the SmartHub app or website at singingriver.com. By entering your membership ID and zip code, you can view the ballot and cast your vote.

Eight members who vote online or return their ballots by the October 5 deadline will be selected to receive a $250 CASH prize. One member who votes online or returns the ballot by the deadline will receive a special grand prize of $500 CASH!

Attendees drive up and tune in to 20

With health and safety in mind, Singing River Electric worked to plan the July drive-in annual meeting. The meeting had to be short to take into account the heat of the afternoon, and it had to be viewed from within attendee vehicles to ensure safe distancing due to COVID-19. All employees and members were encouraged to wear masks. “Having the meeting outdoors was a first for our cooperative,” said Singing River Electric General Manager and CEO Brian Hughey. “Our goal was to provide our members with a meeting, yet keep safety absolutely our prime focus.” Employees wearing bright yellow, reflective vests and masks guided members to park along the side of SRE’s building, and signs instructed attendees to tune into an FM broadcast to hear the meeting proceedings from their vehicles. Meeting registration was done touch-free using iPads. Participants honked to make motions and vote. Singing River Electric member Mary Mallette posted on SRE’s Facebook page that “Given the situation we were all in with COVID-19, this meeting could not have gone better! I felt like I was a part of something special and just love how organized and how well the meeting went.” Board members James “Robert” Steele from District 1, Roy Grafe from District 2 and Kristal Sisson from District 3 were re-elected to their board seats for a three-year term. “Everyone followed our safety guidelines and seemed to enjoy the changed format,” said Hughey. “We felt the departure this year from our normal meeting setup was a success.”

2020 SRE Online/ Proxy Prize Winners

Pictured are members Mr. and Mrs. Odom from Lucedale who received the grand prize of $500.

$250 winners include:

• Horn, Jr. from Lucedale • Scamman from Ocean Springs • Achee from Pascagoula • Jones from Gautier

• Gavliniski from Ocean Springs • Leaf Baptist Church in McLain • Yates in Ocean Springs • Seevers in Ocean Springs

Winners received their checks by mail. Congratulations and thank you for participating in our 2020 Director Elections! 14 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

o 2020 Annual Membership Meeting

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

Supporting education SRE donates T-shirts for Jackson County FABLAB to make masks As electric cooperatives, we belong to the communities we serve. We adhere to a set of seven cooperative principles, and the seventh is concern for community. It is a part of all that we do.

Singing River Electric recently donated spare cotton T-shirts to the Jackson County FABLAB. The FABLAB is a technical platform for STEAM education, workforce development and business idea prototyping that allows students to explore the entire engineering design process in a real world context. The lab is a part of Jackson County School District but works through grants to service the needs of students, teachers and community members at large. They recently stopped planned efforts and used grants, donations and resources to make masks for local students. Singing River Electric and many other local businesses donated T-shirts to assist the effort.

Visit singingriver.com/my-community for more information on community donations. 16 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

Fall Farm Safety Check Electrical safety on the farm is key to prevent injuries and potential death. Take a look at possible electrical hazards. Scan the horizon for overhead power lines before you climb on any farm equipment. For more tips, visit myelectriccooperative. com/safety or safeelectricity.org.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Preparedness Month! Take steps to prepare for emergencies in your home, business, school and community. Take time with your family to make a plan and build a disaster kit. Review your evacuation plans and meet up location. Disasters donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait. Make your plans today. Visit ready.gov for more information.

Legal Bucks Northeast, East Central, Southwest, and Southeast Zones

Mississippi’s 2020-2021

A legal buck is defined as having EITHER a minimum inside spread of 10 inches OR one main beam at least 13 inches long.

HUNTING SEASONS

How to estimate a 10 inch inside spread:

How to estimate a 13 inch main beam:

10” Inside Spread

13” Main Beam

To estimate a 13 inch main beam, the buck’s head must be observed from the side. If the tip of the main beam extends to the front of the eye, main beam length is approximately 13 inches.

Delta Zone A legal buck is defined as having EITHER a minimum inside spread of 12 inches OR one main beam at least 15 inches long.

DEER ZONES

Wear Orange

*Due to body size differences in the Delta Zone, ear-tip to ear-tip measurements are slightly larger compared to the other zones.

WHITE-TAILED DEER

MANDATORY CWD SAMPLING

DELTA, SOUTH DELTA, NORTHEAST, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHWEST ZONES During the 2020-2021 hunting season, all deer harvested in theEAST respective counties and dates listed below must be submitted for CWD sampling day of harvest. can beDEER found at mdwfp.com/cwd. METHOD by 10 p.m. on the SEASON DATES Check station and drop-off locationsLEGAL DATES Archery

Oct. 1 - Nov. 20

LOCATIONS Either-Sex on private land, open public land, and Holly Springs NF

Nov. 21-22

Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Gun (with dogs)

Dec. 24 - Jan. 20

Either-Sex on private land and Holly Spring NF. Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Archery/Primitive Weapon SEASON

Jan. 21 - 31

Either-Sex on private land and Holly Springs NF. Legal Bucks only on open public BAG LIMIT land.DATES Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

Fall Turkey

Fall turkey season is open BY PERMIT ONLY from October 15-November 15 on private lands in the following counties or portions of SOUTHEAST ZONE counties where the landowner/leaseholder completes a fall turkey hunting application to the MDWFP Jackson Office and receives tags. The fall season bag limit is twoSEASON (2) turkeys, which may be of either sex. METHOD DATES LEGAL DEER Delta Zone: Bolivar County - west of the main River levee and those lands east of the main Mississippi Archery Oct. 15 -Mississippi Nov. 20 Either-Sex on private and open public River land. levee known as 27 Break Hunting Club; Coahoma, Desoto, Issaquena, Tunica, and Washington counties - west of the main Mississippi River levee.

Nov. 7 - Nov. 20

Either-Sex on private lands and authorized state and federal lands.

Youth Season North-Central Zone: Benton, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tippah, and Union counties.

Either-Sex on private lands.

(15 and under)

Nov. 21 - Feb. 15

Gun (with dogs)

Nov. 21 - Dec. 1

Either-Sex on private land. Legal Bucks only on open public land.

Primitive Weapon

Dec. 2 - 15

Either-Sex on private and open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.

Gun (without dogs) SEASON

Dec. 16 - 23

Either-Sex on private land. Legal Bucks onlyBAG on open public land. DATES LIMIT

Gun (with dogs) Youth

Dec. 24 - Jan. 20

open public lands, youth must follow below legal deer criteria. Southwest Zone: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Franklin,On Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, Warren, Wilkinson, and Yazoo counties.

Spring Turkey

(Private and authorized state and federal public lands. Youth 15 and under) Jan. 21 - 31

Archery/Primitive Weapon Spring

Feb. 1 - 15

SEASON Youth Squirrel*

Small Game SMALL GAME SEASON DATES

DAILY BAG LIMIT

Sept. 24 - 30

MANDATORY CWD SAMPLING

May 15 - June 1

SEASON

SEASON DATES

DAILY BAG LIMIT

DATES

Nov. 21-22 Jan. 2-3 Jan. 16-17

LOCATIONS

InRabbit any county or portion thereof in the North Mississippi and Issaquena CWD Zones. Oct. 17 - Feb. 28

Bobwhite Quail Nov. 26 - Franklin, Mar. 6 8 In the following counties: all portions of Adams, Amite, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Walthall, and Wilkinson. Frog

April 1 - Sept. 30

25/Night

In the following counties: all portions of Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson

Raccoon July 1Stone, - Sept.and 30 Wayne. Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry,

1 per Party/Night

Oct. 1 - Oct. 31

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was discovered in Mississippi in February 2018. Since then, proactive measures have been enacted for continued surveillance (Food and sport) 5/Day; 8/Party Opossum, Raccoon, and Bobcat and management. Some measures include: *Supplemental feeding of wildlife, feeders, salt licks, and mineral licks), is banned within any MDWFP Nov. 1(including - Feb. 28 No Limit defined CWD Management Zone. *Only cut/wrapped meat, deboned meat,sport, hides with head attached, finished taxidermy products, antlers with no tissue (Food, andno pelt) attached, and cleaned skulls or skull plates may be transported outside the CWD Zones or into Mississippi from any other state or country. Trapping 1 - Mar. 15 No Limit *MDWFP urges hunters to submit the heads of harvested deer for CWDNov. sampling, especially if the deer was harvested in CWD Zones. *On private lands and authorized state and federal lands only in those areas open for squirrel hunting.

SEASON

Fall FALL Turkey TURKEY DATES

DOVE

Mourning and White-Winged Doves

BAG LIMIT

North Zone - Sept 1-Oct 6, Oct 19-Nov 16, Dec 21-Jan 14

SEASON Youth (Private and authorized state and federal public lands. Youth 15 and under)

Spring Turkey DATES

Mar. 8 - 14

BRINGING THE POWER WWW.SOU THERN PIN E.COOP | P.O. BOX 60 | 1349 1 H WY. 28 | TAYLO R SVIL L E, MS 39 16 8 | 800.231 .524 0

Southern Pine and TEC Collaborate to Bring Fast Fiber Internet to Many Members Southern Pine Electric is excited to announce a collaborative agreement with TEC, a technology company providing fiber internet to people in rural areas of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. TEC will bring fiber internet to many of Southern Pine’s members that are unserved or underserved. With an aggressive work schedule of 10 years, TEC will bring innovative broadband, voice and security solutions to our members, communities and businesses that lack access to true broadband services. As most of our members know, Southern Pine’s board of directors spent tireless hours researching ways to provide broadband internet access to our members. At one point, we considered starting a subsidiary and providing it ourselves. However, after much study and analysis, the board made the difficult decision to not become a service provider of high-speed internet due to financial constraints that could threaten the stability of the cooperative and its members. While this decision ended Southern Pine’s consideration of becoming a service provider, it did not diminish the desire for Southern Pine to play an active role in securing connectivity for our members. Long after the announcement was made in February that Southern Pine would not become an internet service provider, the board continued to search diligently for an alternate way to help our members with access to high-speed internet even in the most rural areas. Through the announcement of this collaboration, Southern Pine’s board of directors and management team has made true on the promise to pursue a sound broadband solution that protects our members’ ownership in Southern Pine. “I am proud that TEC, which is a company with deep roots in our state, recognizes what our members have to offer and is committed to improving their quality of life,” said Don Jordan, president and CEO of Southern Pine Electric. 12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

TEC, headquartered in Mississippi with a local office in Bay Springs, has been a leader in the ever-changing technology industry for close to a century. They have the ability and means to help our members and communities stay connected, informed and secure through their many services and custom solutions. “This endeavor with Southern Pine is a natural fit for our company and our goal of keeping people connected. Both TEC and Southern Pine are committed to our service areas, our customers and our employees. We look forward to bringing fast fiber internet where it truly is needed,” said Joseph Fail, president of TEC. This will be an exciting project that will bring many opportunities to our area. It will require several years of hard work before completion, but the end result will be well worth our efforts. By providing high-speed internet service, TEC provides Southern Pine members with a wealth of opportunities. Members will have more educational opportunities at their fingertips, they will be able to take control of their health and wellbeing by accessing virtual health visits and businesses will be able to thrive with quicker access to their customers and clients. With this need met, Southern Pine can remain singularly focused and financially strong and put additional resources towards strengthening our electric infrastructure and improving service and reliability. You expect and deserve superior service and we aim to deliver. This is our home. What matters to you, matters to us. We want to keep families here. We want better jobs and more opportunities. You are important to us and we believe in giving back. This is just one more way that Southern Pine brings the power to our members. For more information about TEC, please visit TEC.com/southernpine and to sign up visit TEC.com/southernpinefiber. For questions about Southern Pine Electric, visit our website at southernpine.coop or email voice@southernpine.coop.

G R 0

TEC: CONNECTING PEOPLE TEC is an innovative and independent company based in Jackson with a local office in Bay Springs. In 1923, with the purchase of the Bay Springs Telephone Company, Donnie and Estelle Fail had a single vision â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to connect people. With 120 original subscribers, a switchboard and a house located in downtown Bay Springs, they began by providing basic telephone service to rural communities. As communication needs evolved over the years, the company has changed to meet those needs. In 1972, what began as a small, local telephone provider incorporated as TEC, uniting six rural phone companies from Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. For almost 100 years, their vision has not changed. TEC remains focused on delivering reliable and clear communications to each customer, community and business that it serves. From the introduction of automatic dial equipment to cutting edge broadband internet services, an honest commitment to their customers has driven TEC continually to develop creative technology solutions.

Today, TEC and subsidiaries employ over 200 people in four states. TEC has six local telephone companies located in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Additionally, TEC has a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) division located in Jackson with sales efforts focused in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee. TEC subsidiaries are also located in Jackson and Monroe, Louisiana. TEC serves almost 18,000 with fiber internet service or telephone service. They have approximately 1,300 miles of fiber in their rural territories with aggressive plans to build more fiber to serve more rural customers. Throughout the Southeast, TEC offers broadband internet access, local and long-distance calling, network management and security services. Today, TEC stands strong as one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaders in this ever-changing industry, and businesses and communities across the country rely on TEC to stay connected.

Joseph Fail, TEC president and CEO, with his two daughters, Brandi Callison, vice president of human resources (left) and Joey F. Garner, executive vice president (right)

Heather, Jon, Ava, Andrew White

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

MEET YOUR DIRECTOR:

DAVID TADLOCK SCOTT COUNTY

As the summer slowly gives way to cooler days and shorter nights in Mississippi, many of us are eager to be outside, enjoying the woods and open fields. You would be hard pressed to travel very far before seeing a herd of cows contentedly chewing on grass, swatting flies with their tails and looking as if they have no cares in the world. With nearly a million cattle grazing across the state, the picturesque scene is not the only value the cattle bring to our area. They generate jobs, income and provide food for tables. A high commodity, growing cattle throughout Southern Pineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s territory is ideal due to the climate that provides year-round grazing and highly adapted grasses. David Tadlock, owner of Tadlock Stockyards, Inc., in Forest, is no stranger to the importance of cattle in our state. David also serves on the board of directors of Southern Pine Electric representing Scott County and 3,828 members. A family business, he and his wife, Sandra Brantley Tadlock, work along with daughters Greggina Brown and Charlesa Fairley. Two sons-in-law, Kevin Brown and Kyle Fairley, and one extraordinary granddaughter, Jaybea Olivia Brown, accomplish the day-to-day business that keeps the stockyard successful and productive. According to the Mississippi Agriculture Department, for every $1 million in sales, cattle generate $2.35 million in total economic activity. Director Tadlock does all within his power to promote the cattle industry, Southern Pineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s members, Scott County and our state. Home of the largest cattle sales in the state, the Tadlock family has operated the stockyard for 45 years, providing employment and investing in the lives of their neighbors and friends. Selling high-quality cattle locally reduces freight costs, supports the local economy and helps to put food on the table for hundreds of steak-loving Mississippians. David and Sandy also enjoy spending time with their family and two well-loved dogs. With a quick smile, a warm sense of humor, and a mountain of quiet strength, their family shares blessings with everyone that they know. A resourceful director for Southern Pine, Tadlock is always searching for ways to improve the services provided by Southern Pine. Innovative and open to new technologies, he has spent hours in the classroom learning all there is to know about the electric utility industry. That knowledge has bene14 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

fited not only Scott County members but the entire membership. Accustomed to managing his own business, he utilizes that same wisdom when making decisions regarding Southern Pine. His skills and expertise are beneficial to our members in the rapidly changing world of governance, technology and operations required for our co-op to remain strategically on course and able to provide electricity at a competitive cost. We take this opportunity to thank you, Mr. Tadlock, for serving on the board and for making life better for so many people.

A little something you should know before going in the livestock business: Livestock are animals that are bred and raised to keep the producer broke, the commission man confused and the buyer crazy. Livestock are born in the spring, pastured in the summer, mortgaged in the fall, and given away in the winter. They vary in size, color, weight, and grade. The man who can guess nearest to the weight and market grade is called a buyer by the public, a robber by the rancher and a poor businessman by the banker. In talking to buyers and sellers, some say the market will go up and some say it will go down. Whatever you do will be wrong. When you have light cattle, the buyers want heavy ones. When you have heifers, they want steers and vice versa. When they are thin, they should be fat, and when they are fat, they should be thin. There is one thing you can depend on, the commission man will always say, “You should have been here yesterday.” Author Unknown

“Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight, and bull-strong.” Unknown

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15

MEET SOUTHERN PINE EMPLOYEE:

CASEY CLINGAN

To know Casey Clingan is to know that he is one of the most energetic people you will ever meet, and he is always enthusiastic when helping Southern Pine members. Casey is a man of many talents and one of those talents is taking care of our members as a member services representative at the Hattiesburg branch, where he has worked for two years. He puts his funny personality and strong wit to good use while making all members who come into the Hattiesburg branch feel welcome and they leave with a smile after seeing him. “My favorite part of working with members, as cheesy as this may sound, is being able to put a smile on their faces by providing them with a great experience,” Casey said. Karen Moseley, Hattiesburg branch manager, said Casey has a great sense of humor and quick wit and is very thorough with members. “He gives them information on all of the technologies we offer that can help members manage their accounts and make life easier for them,” she said. According to Karen, Casey is very organized, and he prioritizes his workday to make sure

“My favorite part of working with members, as cheesy as this may sound, is being able to put a smile on their faces by providing them with a great experience.” things are done and done correctly. As organized as he is, his humor shines through as one of his strongest traits. “Casey comes up with fun songs to end the day and makes everyone laugh,” Karen added. Another of Casey’s talents is photography and videography. He owns and operates Casey Clingan Cinematography, where he specializes in lifestyle, wedding, and documentary photography, and filmmaking. Some of Casey’s work is featured in the Southern Pine history book, “Making Life Better: The Story of Southern Pine Electric Power Association.” Casey attended Oak Grove High School, then USM majoring in History. He also attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and intends to complete his studies in theology. With his many talents, Casey’s biggest talents are being a great husband and father. Casey and his wife, Courtney, have been married for five years and they have one son, Noah, who is two and a half. Casey loves the mountains and hiking, but nothing compares to his love for his family. “The things that matter the most to me are being a good husband, a good father, and a good man. There is nothing more important in life than having a strong, Christ-centered family and living in a way that honors him,” Casey said. 16 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

AROUND THE TABLE by Jan Collins I am so thankful that September is here. My favorite month for many reasons, the promise of cooler weather, the leaves on the trees beginning to burst with fiery color, and most of all, it is the month God chose to send me my only son. September is truly a month filled with things we can all celebrate regardless of our station in life. A sapphire sky, a lazier evening pace as the days grow shorter and the adventures of a new school year. 2020 has presented so many challenges for all of us, but even a vicious little virus cannot stop the wonder of the seasons and the blessings that it brings. Fall is also the time when we most acknowledge, with grateful hearts, the bounty of the season. Peas, beans, soups, and other home-grown vegetables have been stored away for use during the cold wintery nights ahead. As school assignments roll in, kids are doing homework at the table and enjoying after-school snacks. It seems as if the school calendar once again signals the importance of the kitchen table. There, we gather for homework, projects, food, games and fellowship. Though food is an important part of just about everything in Mississippi, even it becomes secondary to the questions, long talks, and life lessons we have learned, and have yet to learn, around the kitchen table. I can remember the long list of Mama’s gentle and sometimes not so gentle reminders, to eat our vegetables, wipe our mouths and never talk with our mouths full. With a house full of boys and one tomgirl, not chewing with our mouths open and not eating with our fingers were constant daily reminders. More times than not, we did not recognize how difficult it must have been for her to work all day, come home to us and prepare dinner. Unlike me, who cooks as little as I can get away with and always looking for quick meals, she always cooked a full meal. Meat, potatoes, more than one vegetable, bread and tea. Desserts were prepared daily, and we gobbled them down without much thought for the tired hands that prepared them for us. I guess I heard her say “eat it or starve” hundreds of times when we had the audacity to complain about spinach or rutabagas being on the table. As I have grown

older with a family of my own, I am humbled and grateful for all that she did for me and our family. I can look back now and know that the kitchen table was not the focal point of those wonderful evenings. What I remember, and what most of us long for, is those brief evenings with the people in our world. They speed by and before you know it, you are only together for the holidays, weddings and funerals. Mama and daddy were the glue that kept our family bonded. I have finally learned how to duplicate many of her recipes and the whole clan gets together at least one time during the year. During those most precious times, we usually end up laughing, and sometimes crying, about the lessons learned around our kitchen table. We all have different recollections about who started what and who was always in trouble, but we all recall the one thing that matters the most, we were loved. Mama exemplified the old saying that we cannot stop our children from growing up so quickly, but we can be present the entire time, so we do not miss those vanishing moments. The empty nest rushes in before we are ready, and we must safeguard the privilege of participating in our children’s lives while we have them by our side. Here in the south, we accomplish that by good food, storytelling, listening and by the commitment to really be with our children and not just watch as the world calls them to a grand adventure outside our home. I hope that the kitchen table speaks to your heart as much as it does to mine, but if not the table, then your sofa or living room floor. At the end of the day, it is not where we gather but the fact that we make time to gather. One day those little beings will be called upon to take responsibility for the world, to provide for a family and rear children of their own. They will need those memories and lessons learned from around the table. Here at Southern Pine, we unite with our members to help Bring the Power that is needed for us to gather around the table. Join with us as we celebrate this most spectacular month of powerful blessings. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 17

P.O. Box 5 • 18671 Highway 61 • Lorman, MS 39096 601-437-3611 • 800-287-8564 • Fax: 601-437-8736 • Email: info@swepa.coop

Adams • Amite • Claiborne • Copiah • Franklin Hinds • Jefferson • Lincoln • Wilkinson Southwest Electric is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

southwestelectric.coop

Southwest Electric

SWElectricCoop

sw_electric_coop

2020 Annual Meeting Thank you to all of our Members who were able to attend the 2020 Annual Meeting that was held Wednesday, August 12, in Lorman. We regret we were not able to get to see each of you up close due to the social distancing requirements placed on us during these trying times. We also would like to thank all of our Members who returned the bottom portion of their Annual Meeting Notice. We had a great return. Congratulations are also in order for the winners of the four $200 electric bill credit prizes. Even though the meeting was held outdoors, we feel like it was a huge success. We hope to see all of you next year at the 2021 Annual Meeting.

Congratulations to the following prize winners who each received a $200 electric bill credit: •Anna Breyel •Kim Mathieu

Board President Stan Rucker opened the Annual Meeting.

•Bessie Montgomery •Daniel Tarver

The Committee on Nominations report was given by Chairman Travis Hill.

Secretary/Treasurer Betsy Mosby conﬁrmed there was a quorum.

12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

Employees Stephanie Knotts and Les Southerland welcomed and registered Members.

The Credentials and Election Committee report was given by Chairman Jerry Moore.

Prize winners were drawn at the end of the meeting.

Marcus Durrell, Jr. awarded ECM Foundation scholarship Each year the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Foundation awards scholarships to college students currently enrolled in an engineering program. This year, we are proud to announce that Marcus Durrell, Jr. received the $2,500 scholarship. Marcus represented Southwest Electric in the 2015 Youth Leadership Program and he is a student at Mississippi State University.

Lineman Apprenticeship Program Congratulations to Carl Allred for recently completing the Lineman â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Class 3 level in our Lineman Apprenticeship Program. The Lineman Apprenticeship Program has demanding curriculum that requires multiple levels of testing in order to advance. Keep up the good work, Carl!

CEO Kevin Bonds awards MSU engineering student Marcus Durrell, Jr. the ECM Foundation Scholarship.

RIGHT-OF-WAY WORK Contract crews from Delta Tree Services are working in the area indicated on the map in green. Their trucks are marked with their logo and our logo. Clearing the right-of-way of tree limbs is a vital element of power line maintenance and helps keep outage times and costs down. This is part of our project to clear 550 miles in our service area by the end of the year.

COMMON UTILITY SCAMS

SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

FOR AFTER-HOURS OUTAGES, CALL

866-897-7250 HOLLANDALE

BELZONI

(662) 827-2262

(662) 247-1909

GREENVILLE

ROLLING FORK

(662) 334-9543

(662) 873-4233

SERVING MORE THAN 12,600 ELECTRIC METERS IN FIVE DELTA COUNTIES

Twin County to hold its Annual Meeting on October 20, 2020 Twin County’s Annual Meeting of Members has been rescheduled for October 20, 2020 beginning at 2:00 p.m. In order to provide for more social distancing, the Annual Meeting will be held at the South Washington County Multiplex Center located at 911 East Avenue North in Hollandale. All Twin County Members in good standing as of August 18, 2020 (Record Date) will be allowed to vote at the meeting either in person or by proxy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Twin County encourages its Members to consider voting by proxy. A formal Notice of Meeting and a Proxy will be mailed by September 18, 2020, to all of Twin County’s Members in good standing as of the Record Date. *Proxies must be on the document provided by Twin County, signed by the Member whose name appears on the Proxy and delivered by such Member personally to one of Twin County’s offices in Hollandale, Belzoni, Rolling Fork or Greenville, or mailed to Twin County’s office in Hollandale, Mississippi. Proxies must be received by Twin County at 5:00 p.m. on October 14, 2020. Pursuant to Twin County’s bylaws, any 15 Members in good standing as of the Record Date may nominate a Member in good standing as of the Record Date to run for Twin County’s Board of Directors using a form provided by

SUNFLOWER Twin County and filed at at COUNTY Twin County’s Hollandale Leland LEFLORE COUNTY office by 5:00 P.M. on Greenville Inverness September 4, 2020. All Members nominated to Isola WASHINGTON COUNTY for Twin County’s Board Belzoni ✪ of Directors are Hollandale HUMPHREYS COUNTY required to complete HOLMES COUNTY and sign a questionnaire and consent to a Louise Rollingfork SHARKEY criminal background COUNTY Mayersville check simultaneously ISSAQUENA TWIN COUNTY EPA with the filing of their Cary COUNTY ✪ MAIN OFFICE petition. BRANCH OFFICES In addition to electing SUBSTATIONS three Directors at this year’s annual meeting, WARREN COUNTY the Members will also be asked to consider ratifying a proposed Amendment to Twin County’s Articles of Incorporation to permit Twin County to perform any and all acts allowed under the Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act and any amendments thereto. Additional information regarding Twin County’s meeting will be provided in the Official Notice of Meeting and will also be available on Twin County’s website at www.twincoepa.com.

Mark your calendar for October 20, 2020

KEE

NCE

K AS

12 TODAY | SEPTEMBER 2020

NCE

The configuration for the meeting will comply with any and all federal, state and local laws, regulations and orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, this means that all Members DISTA the E H attending THE DISTA R YOUR M P P T meeting A will be required to practice social Mark your calendar, October 20, 2020 beginning at 2:00 p.m. distancing and at the South Washington County Multiplex Center located at wear face masks. 911 East Avenue North in Hollandale.

Roy Schilling True friend of the Delta

Shop local. Eat local. Spend local. Enjoy local. Support the local businesses that support the area where you live, work and play

Who hasn’t heard a version of a “support local” slogan? The slogans are everywhere — TV, radio, social media. During the current health and economic pandemic, it’s something we should all do — buy local. There is a person in Hollandale, Miss. who champions supporting local. In fact, he could easily be the face of supporting local. Delta business owner and Delta supporter, Roy Schilling knows all too well the importance of supporting the community that supports his grocery store chain, Stop-n-Shop. In fact, he was raised on the idea of supporting local and giving back by his dad, and is now sharing the same values with his son, Brian. Q: Stop-n-Shop has a long history in the Delta. When did it begin? R.S.: Originally, the Hollandale location opened in 1959 at its present-day location followed by the Rolling Fork store in 1968. In 2004, Schilling purchased the Leland Stop-N-Shop. The Hollandale and Rolling Fork locations operated as Sunflower Grocery stores until 2014, when all three began operating as Stop-N-Shop. Q: What is your business philosophy that make Stop-n-Shop a Delta success? R.S.: It’s simple — The Golden Rule! Q: What is the best part of being a vital business in the Delta? R.S.: For me, it’s the many friendships made over the years.

Q: Stop-n-Shop is a family affair. Tell us more. R.S.: Yes, my parents Don and Jerelyn started the business in 1959 in Hollandale, then added the Rolling Fork location in the 60’s. I started working at the store as a teenager. Unfortunately, my dad passed away in 1985 at the age of 58, so I did not have the opportunity to work with him as an adult as I do now with my son, Brian. He joined the SNS team in 2010. I love working with him every day! Q: Your name is associated with many organizations throughout the Delta. Which organizations are you a part of now and in the past? R.S.: Community Foundation of Washington County board member, Hollandale Economic & Community Development board member, Hollandale Rotary, Sam Chatmon Blues Festival, and formerly the Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Boy Scouts of American Scout Master and Eagle Scout. Q: What do you do for yourself to recharge to serve the community? R.S.: Family time, of course. I really enjoy spending time boating at the lake or hunting. It’s the Delta! Then, there’s a musical group called Jazz Persuasion which I play guitar in. I really like visiting with folks coming to the Delta exploring our musical heritage. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13

P.O. BOX 8 • 2255 GORDON ST. YAZOO, MS 39194 FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

662-746-4251 — OFFICE & REPORT OUTAGES 866-484-4277 — PAY BY PHONE VISIT US ONLINE @ WWW.YAZOOVALLEY.COM

TWITTER

ANNUAL MEETING SET FOR NOVEMBER 10 The Annual Meeting of Members of Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association will be held Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at the office of the Association in Yazoo City. At this meeting, two directors will be elected to serve a three-year term each. Of the two directors to be elected, one must be a Yazoo Valley member and a resident of Yazoo, Holmes or Humphreys County. The other director to be elected must be a Yazoo Valley member and resident of Warren, Sharkey or Issaquena County. A committee to consider and make nominations for directors of the Association was appointed at an August meeting of the board of directors. Members appointed to serve on this committee are Will Jones, Rosemary Watson, Gregory Moseley, Jamie Peaster, Houston Cohea and James T. Henry. The Committee will meet at a time and place set by the board of directors and shall prepare and post a list of nominations for board members at the main office of the Association at least 30 days before the annual meeting. Any 50 members acting together may make other nominations by petition, and the Secretary shall post the names of any nominees properly made by petition and who meet the eligibility and qualification

requirements of the bylaws at the same place where the list of nominations by the Committee is posted. Nominations of eligible nominees properly made by petition, to be effective, must be received by the Association at least 10 days before the meeting. At least 30 days before the date of the annual meeting, each member will receive a notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting. Such notice will include the number of directors to be elected and the names and addresses of the candidates nominated by the Committee on Nominations. At the annual meeting, a report will be made to the members on the operation of the Association for the past year, and all business coming before the meeting will be transacted.

has presented challenges, but we remain committed to our purpose by Dennis McFee We have all found ourselves in a strange reality since early 2020 when the novel coronavirus began to affect our daily lives. We find ourselves social distancing from our loved ones, wearing masks, washing our hands constantly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and there doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be an end in sight. Businesses have adapted to this changing world, and Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association has been no exception. The COVID-19 pandemic has entirely affected the overall daily operations of Yazoo Valley. Strictly from a business operations standpoint, it has been challenging. With the health and well-being of our employees and members at the forefront of every decision made, we have taken unprecedented steps to keep our critical and essential business operating with minimal impact to our members. We have learned how to adapt and respond to this crisis much like we do with inclement weather and other unforeseen occurrences. We have had to adjust to the changing environment, just as everyone else has. At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in March, we enacted our Pandemic Action Plan which laid out adjusted work schedules and implemented safety measures to limit exposure for all employees. As part of the action laid out in the plan, our lobby is temporarily closed, and we utilize the drive thru to interact with our members. New construction work for our outside line crews was temporarily halted and we were only performing service work and responding to outage calls. Tree trimming work on our rights-of-way was temporarily halted as well. Most of those temporary measures have long since ended as we have returned to work and adapted to a new normal in our business. In an essential business like ours, these measures are unprecedented and difficult to sustain over a long period of time. Our work is considered essential. Therefore, we have had to lay out these critical plans to continue our operations safely. Electricity is the life blood of our society. Whether at home, at work or at play, electricity is powering our lives all day, every day. Due to hard work from electric cooperatives like Yazoo Valley, electricity has become so reliable that we take it for granted most of the time. It is not until power is disrupted due to inclement weather or other unforeseen events that it becomes evident how much we actually depend on it. Consequently, Yazoo Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sole purpose for existing is to provide

safe, reliable electric power to its members. That means you will see our employees out there day and night, storming or sun shining, pandemic or not, fulfilling our obligation to serve our members. It is our job. Storms and power outages are random and unpredictable. Pandemic or not, Yazoo Valley will be on task to recover from storms and restore power whenever those events occur. However, extra safety measures have been put in place for our employees that may affect the speed in which power is restored. We hope our members are aware of this and understand that we must be safe in order to do our jobs effectively. In this strange new world, we are certain we will face additional obstacles. We hope we are at the peak as far as challenges go. We have done most of what we can do as a business to plan and react to this virus. There is always a silver lining and, in this case, it is that we have improved our ability to plan, react and adapt to an event that is completely outside of our control. This makes us stronger and better prepared for the next challenge we face. SEPTEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13