Ozark Electric hosts inaugural kids camp by Paul Newton The rubber gloves swallowed small hands. The protective sleeves were heavy and stifling on an impossibly hot summer day. For the children trying them on, the gear offered a glimpse into what it takes for an...
Community
Co-op and Community
Rural Missouri Wins National Honors The Rural Missouri team was recognized in May with eight national awards from the Cooperative Communicators Association, a professional organization made up of communicators from all types of cooperatives. The honors celebrate the...
Making Waves
Butler man cheers up community STORY AND PHOTOS by Paul Newton Most days in Butler, if the weather’s right, you’ll find Alonzo Smith sitting along West Mill Street. He’s not selling anything. Not waiting on anyone. He’s waving. And nearly everyone waves back. Alonzo...
Co-op and Community
Service Beyond the Lines Lineworkers from West Central Electric Cooperative helped bring a season of honor and remembrance to life this winter at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg. The employees shared their time and equipment to install the facility’s Tree of...
Co-op and Community
Lifesaving in Action Because of the nature of the work they do, electric cooperative employees receive extensive lifesaving training. They hope they never need these skills but are prepared to put their training to work — whether assisting an injured employee or a...
Art of the Board
Morgan Loggins turns simple ingredients into crowd-pleasing art STORY AND PHOTOS by Sara Schafer With a practiced hand, Morgan Loggins folds 10 thin slices of salami into an appetizing rose. She tucks that bloom beside several rows of perfectly sliced manchego cheese....
When David Became Goliath
Puxico changed prep basketball with run-and-gun play by Jim McCarty In 1945 a new coach launched his basketball career in tiny Puxico, Missouri. He would stay for 10 years, and in that time would completely change prep basketball in Missouri. His Puxico Indians would...
Rural Relocation
Group aims to address housing shortage in small towns. by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop This past Christmas marked a new chapter for Linden and Damian Antal. The young couple hosted their family in a brand-new home in Lancaster. Their 2-year-old...
A Match Made For Missouri
Southwest Electric, CoBank team up to fund community initiatives As pillars of the communities they serve, co-ops know the value of partnerships. Working together to build a better outcome is how Missouri’s rural electric cooperatives were born, and improving the...
Back to School at New-Mac U
Member-owner education continues at New-Mac Electric It’s not often that a session of night school ends with a round of applause, but on a clear evening in southwest Missouri that’s the sound you’ll likely hear outside the offices of New-Mac Electric Cooperative. And...