The 2021 Tipmont Annual Meeting kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 at the newly remodeled Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. You can find more details in your September issue of Indiana Connection, but here are some quick items to note.

Electric safety is probably the last thing that crosses anyone’s mind on a leisurely summertime boat ride. But because water and electricity are a deadly combination, before taking off, brush up on some boating safety rules.

You’ve waited to open your pool, bring out the boats and soak up the sun! But before you dive into all the summer fun, remind yourself and your family of the dangers lurking inside pools and lakes. Remember: water and electricity don’t mix!

Most office environments are considered low-risk in terms of electrical hazards. But that doesn’t mean you should take safety for granted. Just because you’re not working on a factory floor with high-voltage equipment or are operating large machinery outdoors near power lines, don’t assume electrical hazards can’t be present.

Power lines crisscross our countryside, bringing the benefits of electricity. But storms or accidents can knock them from their perch and put them on the ground or within reach. Just because they’re down doesn’t mean they’re dead.

Trees add immeasurable value to your property but maintaining them comes with a cost. They need pruning, sometimes heavy trimming, or removal.

When a storm brings widespread power outages to your area, please be patient as your electric cooperative prioritizes repairs and methodically works to restore service.

Charging a cell phone is something we all do every day. No big deal, right?

Wrong.

It can be an exciting and exhausting time, the culmination of a season of hard work. However, the rush to harvest can also yield tragic outcomes. Each year, dozens of farm workers are killed and hundreds are injured in accidents involving power lines and electrical equipment.  

In 2016, more than 65,000 wildfires burned 5.4 million acres of land in the United States according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. The worst part? Many of these wildfires could have been prevented.