If you or someone you know is at risk of ­foreclosure, or struggling with mortgage payments, the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention can help. Foreclosures affect more than just the family that loses its home. When our neighbors are displaced, the entire community is impacted. The goal of Governor Pat Quinn’s Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network (IFPN) is [...]

Children learn about their environment by picking things up and putting them in their mouth. They imitate adults, and of course they can’t read labels or fully understand the cause and effect of eating something potentially harmful. The sole purpose of the Illinois Poison Center is to reduce the ­incidence and injury from poisoning. Historically, [...]

Farmers Mutual Electric Company held a ­special member meeting on Nov. 13 to discuss the plan and agreement of merger with fellow cooperative, Jo-Carroll Energy, Inc. (NFP). Farmers Mutual Electric’s members voted overwhelmingly to approve the merger with 87 percent voting in favor. A two-thirds majority was required for passage. During the meeting Farmers Mutual General [...]

The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight (LLHF) is accepting applications from veterans to see the memorials and monuments in Washington, DC. LLHF has a mission to ­provide round trip transportation and accommoda­tions from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield for any veteran, who is willing and able to fly, in order of their service. This [...]

Waste Management of Indiana, LLC, Wabash Valley Power Association and Hendricks Power Cooperative recently dedicated a renewable energy generation ­facility that uses gas from landfill waste to generate electricity. Wabash Valley provides wholesale energy to three Illinois electric distribution cooperatives. The celebration marks the com­pletion of the fourth landfill gas-to-energy plant at the Twin Bridges [...]

Derrick Knearman, son of Shelby Electric Cooperative employees Diane and Brian Bunton, and Rory Knearman recently won one of only four scholarships given out by the International Lineman’s Rodeo Association. Derrick also won the 2012 LaVern and Nola McEntire Lineworker’s Scholarship from the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. Derrick is enrolled in the lineworkers’ training [...]

GE Lighting is introducing a new light-emitting diode replacement for the traditional 100-watt incandescent light bulb. The new LED packages 27 watts of input power in a standard “A-19” bulb shape. The GE Energy Smart(R) 27-watt LED bulb will be on store shelves the first half of 2013. GE’s existing portfolio of LED bulbs includes [...]

Hurricane Sandy was a monster storm that hit the East Coast hard, leaving the member-owners of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative and millions of others without power. More than 50 linemen from 11 Illinois electric cooperatives volunteered to help our sister cooperative, headquartered in Plymouth, N.H. Jim Bakas, Vice President of Operations & Engineering for New [...]

Consumers wanting to shop locally, support values-based ­businesses and find affordable co-ops in their communities can use the new CooperateUSA mobile app and online directory. CooperateUSA.coop and the CooperateUSA app are free resources and provide access to 29,000 US cooperatives in a variety of industries, ­including credit unions and financial service, grocery and consumer goods, [...]

Jo-Carroll Energy linemen know the power of storms and the devastation they can bring to lives and property. To help warn people in the area of Denleith Township, the linemen helped install a storm siren at a township building located at 7753 Badger Road in East Dubuque. “In the past the only way that residents [...]