Ten students at the AIEC’s first year apprentice school at Lincoln Land Community College were having a noon lunch break at a Springfield restaurant on Thursday Sept. 16, when an elderly gentleman passed out. The young guys helped revive him and assisted him and his family, but apparently didn’t make a big deal out of it.
Craig Costello, retired Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative lineman and current line school instructor, got a phone call at home that evening from the man’s daughter. It turns out that the gentleman is a veteran and going on a Springfield Honor Flight this fall. Costello is heavily involved in the Honor Flight program and somehow the family knew he was an instructor at the line school. The man’s daughter thanked the young guys, via Costello, and said that they are “heroes” to her entire family.
Costello, and the other school instructors, recognized the students involved on Friday morning before their training began and shared their pride in the young men. Roger Larkin, who heads up the AIEC’s schools, noted, “The cooperatives want to hire quality people who do this kind of thing … the right thing … for others. You should be commended for your actions.”
With Costello (far left) are Kyle Wiegmann from Clinton County Electric Cooperative, Geoff Wahl, from Rantoul, Connor Leonard from Rantoul, Ethan Cox from Carlyle, Tyler Derenzy, Braden Clark, John Schroeder from Clinton County Electric Cooperative, Colin Slagle, James Pryor and Aaron Stelle. 
