What does energy technology entail, exactly? John Roudebush hears that a lot when discussing the courses he teaches as Ivy Tech Lafayette’s Energy Technology program chair.

"We look at how wind and solar power can complement the use of natural gas," Roudebush says of the program, which started in 2010 shortly after wind farms opened in Tippecanoe and White counties. "But it boils down to letting people know this is an industry with future-proofed careers."

The Tipmont REMC board of directors authorized a capital credit retirement for members that received service in 1987. The capital credits reflect those members’ contribution of capital to, and ownership of, the cooperative during those years. Those funds helped us build and maintain a reliable electric distribution system and cover emergency expenses.

The young lady featured on the cover of this month’s magazine was selected for Tipmont’s Youth Tour delegation last summer. The photo was taken at the Newseum, an exhibit that promotes the importance of a free press and the First Amendment. The balcony on the seventh floor looks right down Pennsylvania Avenue at the U.S. Capitol. It’s just one awe-inspiring sight in a week of life-altering experiences that Tipmont is proud to sponsor each year.

It’s college football season and Tipmont REMC is hosting the Pick-It Bowl Challenge this year!

I'm not a food challenge kind of guy. For a newspaper story, I once dressed as Santa and ate "firebrand spice" chili to get Santa Claus’ name on a wall of fame. And sure: A friend and I may have been responsible for amendments to a former Lafayette restaurant's all-you-can-eat sushi lunch. But scaling multi-pound mountains of meat or putting away pizzas the size of a table aren’t my thing.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have a long and complicated history. The first electric car debuted in the U.S. around 1890. It was a six-passenger vehicle with a top speed of about 14 miles per hour. By the early 20th century, many taxis in New York City were electric. But the high cost of production compared to gasoline-powered cars combined with a lack of electricity outside the cities was too much to overcome. By the mid- 1930s, electric vehicles had mostly vanished.

Tipmont REMC members have many options to pay electric bills. We recommend avoiding third-party payment processing websites. Doxo.com is a an example of a third-party online bill pay service that allows you to pay your utility and other monthly bills via their website.

My wife and I have only lived together in two different cities: Springfield, Illinois; and Lafayette, Indiana. But each is home to a local restaurant that would follow us wherever we may go if we had our druthers. Places where they know you and what you want. That jump to the top of any dining-out conversation. That feel like a room in your home.

We recently received a heartwarming note via our Facebook page:

“I’m not sure who the gentleman was at McDonald’s, but the side of his truck said Tipmont REMC. He helped me and my daughter and I'd just like to say it really made our day. My daughter started crying and said there are still people out there that care.”

Given our area’s bounty of good eats, you can get almost anything you want, any night you want … except an excellent, localized everyday pizza.