IECA Annual Meeting of the Membership held in Licking

By Shari Harris, Publisher

Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association (IECA) held their annual meeting Friday at the Old City Park in Licking.

To open the business meeting, Pastor John Jordan, of Rock Springs Baptist Church, provided the invocation. The Lone Pine Band performed the National Anthem, followed by Veteran Julius Fraley leading those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance. Licking Mayor Scott Ogden welcomed everyone to Licking.

Board President Matthew Duncan recognized the Intercounty Auxiliary, the Roundup Foundation, and the hard working employees of IECA. He pointed out that IECA serves 32,000 meters in 10 counties, and maintains 5,696 miles of electric lines. He expressed that their mission is to maintain reliability of electricity, and said that mission is taken very seriously. In the last year, the cooperative has dealt with damage from tornadoes, ice, flooding and wind. He stated that IECA is blessed to have supportive membership.

CEO Doug Lane reported that two power plants are coming online in the next year, which will be combined wind turbine and gas-powered.

Attorney Christiaan Horton announced that the nominees for the three Board of Directors positions were incumbents Regina Zervos, North District; Matthew A. Duncan, Central District; and Charles M. Manier, South District. Two proposed bylaw changes were also discussed.

When the business meeting reconvened after lunch and the counting of votes, all directors had been reelected, and both bylaws passed.

Bylaw 1, allowing online voting, passed with a vote of 493 yes, 120 no.

Bylaw 2, allowing the unclaimed capital credit list to be published online, and allowing the cooperative’s Charitable and Educational Fund to use unclaimed funds, passed with a vote of 503 yes, 115 no.

The Lone Pine Band performed in the intermission of the business meeting, featuring four local musicians, James Van Kirk, of Licking; Braden Van Kirk, of Rolla; Josie Van Kirk, of Edgar Springs; and Andrew Stockard, of Houston. They play anything from country, old rock, rock, gospel, bluegrass, and even the blues. Many attended their performance on Friday.

Also during the intermission, IECA employees gave a demonstration of electrical safety at their safety truck, showing the dangers of coming into contact with a live line. They emphasized the importance of calling 1-800-DIG-RITE to have lines marked before digging; using generators correctly so power won’t back up on the line; and avoiding any contact with anything that can be energized by a live line.

At the annual health fair, Texas County Memorial Hospital provided a Multi-Chem Profile lab test for only $30, blood pressure checks were provided by Texas County Home Health of the Ozarks, and these agencies and others were on hand to provide educational services, home health and assisted living facility information, education on Veterans’ benefits, health and wellness information, WIC program details, oral health education, 988 information, and education on smoking cessation.

The Licking Rural Fire Department served a delicious breakfast to many, and IECA provided a free bag lunch to those attending, including a hamburger, chips, an oatmeal pie and a drink.

IECA provided a service tent where you could learn about rebates, look at unclaimed capital credits, and check out the SmartHub account management tool. You could even get your photo taken in a lineman’s bucket.

An area was set up where kids could register for the bicycle drawings and those under eight could enter a coloring contest to win a Buddy Bear or compete in kids’ games.

Winners of $50,00 electric credits included: Michael Goforth, Licking; Ronald/Janice Pruett, Rolla; Dottie Perryman, Raymondville; Roger Lindsey, Cabool; Rickey/Velma Scott, Edgar Springs; Aaron St. John, Licking; Loretta Friend, Licking; Eugene/Beverly Millsap, Salem; Peggy Tripi, Licking; Virginia Cottrell, Edgar Springs; Kimberly Sherrill, Licking; Mitch Lakes, Salem; Diane Rotz, Eunice; Donald Moore, Salem; Angela Keller, Houston; John Bailey, Licking; Jeffrey Scott, Licking; Timothy Tippit, Licking; Bob/Dorothy Craft, St James; and Gloria Tefft, Rolla.

Winners of $100 electric credits were: Anthony Todaro, Licking; Cory Clark/Lana Brown, Houston; Sandra Rodabaugh, Licking; Carolyn Paschal, Licking; Crystal Keller, Success; Leonia Livingston, Licking; Johnna Cook, Licking; Mike/Twila Jones, Rolla; Alonzo/Patsy Kersey, Salem; and Helania/Mike Wulff, Salem.

Four $250 electric credits were awarded: Perry Snider, Licking; Thomas/Rosalie Scott, Licking; Wesley/Catherine Wallace, Licking; and Allan/Janice Foster, Mountain Grove.

The two recipients of $500 electric credits were: Clayton Hancock, Bucyrus; and Faith Baptist, Houston.

Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative, the transmission cooperative which brings power to Intercounty Electric Cooperative, gave out $100 cash to the following winners: Ben/Regina Walker, Mountain Grove; Jerry Trout, Licking; Deborah Seydlitz, Licking; and John Prewett, Salem.

Bicycles were given away to a boy and girl in each of three different age groups. Jasper Poynter (5) and Huntlee Duncan (4), Aaryan Helms (8) and Eva Cechura (6), and Christian Runion (12) and Gabriella Scheets (10) were the bicycle winners.

Taking home Buddy Bears for their efforts in the coloring contest were Olivia Douglas (8) and Stella Boothe (5).

Photos in photo galleries by Katey Wesley and Shari Harris