Co-op principles serve as our founding tenants
“As a cooperative, PowerSouth is not just one institution,” said Gary Harrison, Board President, at PowerSouth’s annual meeting May 25. “The distribution members serve as supporting pillars in the organization. We share in each other’s accomplishments and respond when another is in need. These and other cooperative principles are the founding tenants of our business.”
Board members celebrated some of PowerSouth’s 2011 successes, including:
• For the first time in company history, PowerSouth employees achieved a full calendar year with no lost-time accidents. The safety achievement represents
365 days — over 1.2 million hours — worked safely by PowerSouth’s more than 500 employees.
• The cost of service to the distribution members, despite the increasing cost of environmental regulation, increased only 2.5 percent — from 75.38 mills per KWH in 2010 to 77.26 mills per KWH in 2011.
• PowerSouth’s total assets grew 5 percent in 2011. Standard and Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investor Services confirmed PowerSouth’s A- financial rating for secured debt, which was instrumental in allowing PowerSouth to secure low interest rates on non-RUS financing.
• Service reliability continued to improve with the additional of five new delivery substations and the addition or upgrade of 50 miles of line in 2011.
• PowerSouth’s units generated 78.6 percent of energy sold. McIntosh Units 4&5 were put into service, adding 448 megawatts of natural gas-fired capacity.
• Demand-response programs continue to gain momentum, with the H2O Plus water heater program reaching the 7,500 installations mark. This represents 6.6 megawatts of controllable load in the winter and 2.4 megawatts in the summer.
“As we forge ahead, I encourage you all to focus on our core mission of serving our members,” said Harrison. “Many things have changed in 70 years, but our mission remains the same. PowerSouth exists to provide wholesale power requirements to the distribution members now and in the future.”
During the meeting, President and CEO Gary Smith honored former board members.
• Jimmy Rogers, City of Opp, service from 2000 to 2011, during which he served on the Nominating, Finance and Audit, Marketing and Industrial Development and Corporate Planning and Power Supply Committees.
• Irvin Wells, Dixie EC, service from 2006 to 2011, during which he served on the Member Relations and Strategic Planning, Marketing and Industrial Development and Engineering and Operations Committees.
• Vernon Baggett, Southern Pine EC, service from 2009 to 2011, during which he served on the Marketing and Economic Development and Member Relations and Strategic Planning Committees.
• Kip Justice, Wiregrass EC, serving from 2009 to 2011, during which he served on the Member Relations and Strategic Planning and Nominating Committees.
• The late James Grimes, City of Elba (presented to his wife Henrietta, and children Lisa and Wynn), service from 1996 to 2011, during which he served on the Member Relations and External Affairs, Member Relations and Strategic Planning, Nominating, Marketing and Industrial Development, Finance and Audit, Engineering and Operations and Executive Committees.
• Steve Harmon, Pioneer EC, serving from 2006 to 2011, during which he served on the Engineering and Operations, Corporate Planning and Power Supply and Finance and Audit Committees.
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Graham elected to board
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Waylon Graham of Wewahitchka, Fla., was elected to the PowerSouth Board of Trustees during the May 25 board meeting.
He represents Gulf Coast EC on PowerSouth’s board, replacing board member Gus Wise.
“It is an honor to serve the members of Gulf Coast EC, as well as PowerSouth, as part of the board of trustees,” Graham said. “I believe strongly in what we do within the cooperative system, and I hope to contribute positively for years to come.”
Graham is a CCD certified trustee on the Gulf Coast EC Board. He has also served as a member of the Lions Club for 25 years, a Port St. Joe Volunteer Fireman for 27 years and member of the Port St. Joe Quarterback Club for 35 years.
Graham received an Associate’s Degree from Chipola Junior College and is a retiree of the International Paper Company. He also served 20 years on the Gulf County School Board.
He has two children — Anthony Waylon Graham and Diane Graham Mack.
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2011 Annual Report published
PowerSouth’s 2011 Annual Report, themed “The Principles behind the Power,” was published in late May, highlighting our accomplishments of the year and plans for the future.
Deloitte and Touche auditors completed the 2011 audit for PowerSouth and subsidiaries, reviewing the related consolidated statements of revenue and expenses and patronage capital and cash flows for year-end 2011 and 2010.
Deloitte’s responsibility was to express an opinion on PowerSouth’s consolidated financial statements based on their audits. The audit included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in PowerSouth’s financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
“Financial audits exist in part to bring credibility to financial statements,” said Rick Kyle, PowerSouth Director of Financial Operations. “The financial statements fairly represent PowerSouth’s position and performance to interested parties such as our members, banks, bond holders and anyone else who may have an interest in ensuring PowerSouth’s financial statements are stated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.”
The 2011 Annual Report is accessible via our website, www.powersouth.com, under the Newsroom/Publications tab. Individuals wanting a printed copy of the report may contact Christi Scruggs, PowerSouth Print Communications Coordinator, at (334) 427-3734 or via email at christi.scruggs@powersouth.com.
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Life is similar to a walk on the beach
As a sophomore in college, I contracted what my doctor called Glandular Fever. I lost weight and ended up weighing about 125 pounds before I finally leveled off. For a number of years afterward, I had trouble gaining weight, regardless of what I ate. I would eat two double cheeseburgers, chips and candy bars at the Smoke House Pool Room in downtown Florence. I would eat two Whoppers and fries at Burger King. Yet, I still had trouble gaining weight and graduated college weighing only about 160 pounds.
But that is no longer the case. My metabolism has changed. A couple of months ago I was over 200 pounds. After a number of lectures from my doctor, I finally decided to find an exercise program. I now walk about two and half miles every morning, and I have lost about 12 pounds.
Weekdays, I walk around my neighborhood. We spend many weekends at Perdido Key, where I walk on the beach. My dog, Gus Mayer (I am an experienced talker, and he is a fine listener), and I like the serenity and beauty of the beach.
I usually start walking to the east watching the sun rise above the horizon. Last week, there was a particularly beautiful sunrise. The sun appeared to be a half circle of fire sitting on the horizon. Sunbeams reached out of the sun and gave the long thin clouds a golden background, contrasted by a darker crimson front. Gus even wagged his tail when I told him about it.
The sky to the south and west was still dark blue, and the Gulf even a deeper blue in the distance. The water near the shore was already turning a transparent, emerald green and the water in front was like a golden mirror with the reflection of the sunrise.
The white foam of waves lapped around my feet before running back into the Gulf. Sea shells washed up during the night lay at the edge of the water line.
Remnants of earlier fun were also on the beach. Beer cans, water bottles and other forms of garbage were left where people enjoyed the beach. There was also an assortment of kids’ sand buckets and shovels, broken beach chairs and umbrellas. It makes you wonder how people can have so little regard for the beauty of nature.
As I reached the halfway point, I turned away from the sun, now well above the horizon. My footprints marked my path down the beach. I saw the alignment of my feet and the length of my stride. However, the surf had started washing over my footprints, and in the distance, my footprints were completely washed away. There was no evidence that I had walked down the beach.
As I walked back toward the condo, I thought it ironic how similar life is to a walk on the beach. Every life is unique — like a sunrise or a shellfish in the sea. As we approach the final turn in our lives — and regardless of our age, we are all approaching that turn — we often think about how long our lives will be remembered before our memories are washed away by time like footprints washed away by the surf. Do we think about what we can do for others, how can we help others, how we can contribute to society and how the world will be better for us being here?
Will our lives be remembered like a sunrise lighting the skies, starting the day, bringing beauty to a dark morning? Or will our lives be forgotten like the trash on the beach? What will we be remembered for and how long will we be remembered? It is really up to us. Are you ready for the challenge?
I hope you enjoy every sunrise and have a great month.
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Co-op energy efficiency loan program approved by PowerSouth board
Qualifying cooperative members wanting to make energy efficiency upgrades to their homes can soon get funding through their local electric cooperative and PowerSouth’s residential energy efficiency financing program.
The program will facilitate the installation of energy-efficient upgrades for heat pumps and home weatherization. Operational guidelines for the program and the agreement provided by Regions Bank were approved by PowerSouth’s board of trustees at their February board meeting.
Through the program, Regions Bank will provide financing — guaranteed by PowerSouth — for specific energy efficiency modifications for residential customers. The interest rate for any loan made under the program with a maximum term of five years will be 5.99 percent. The interest rate for any weatherization loan made under the program with a maximum term of 10 years that includes a heat pump installation will be 8.99 percent. Regions may, from time to time, change the applicable interest rate for new loans made under the program.
Following the installation of efficiency measures, the distribution co-op will issue a final inspection. Regions will then issue payment to the contractor(s).
Residential customers participating in the program will receive loan statements directly from Regions. In addition, Regions will coordinate all collections processes.
“After 90 days, the loan is in default and PowerSouth will pay the loan off to Regions,” says Mike Majors, PowerSouth Member Services Coordinator. “The program has been designed where our distribution members should not have any collections costs.”
“The types of energy efficiency improvements funded by this program are very specific,” said Debbie Marcum, PowerSouth Member Services Manager. “We want to be sure when a consumer gets funding for improvements they are doing just that — improving their energy usage. This program will be a benefit for the end consumer through energy savings as well as a competitive rate for the loan and no guarantee necessary on the user’s part.”
To qualify for a loan, members must own their dwelling and receive electric service from a PowerSouth distribution member for at least one year. A positive payment history and credit history, a minimum FICO score of 625 and a social security number or tax identification number is also necessary. An energy audit will be conducted by the distribution member offering the loan prior to loan finalization.
For approved projects, the minimum loan available is $2,000. For approved weatherization improvements the maximum loan available under the program is $10,000. Approved projects that include heat pump installations offer a maximum loan amount of $20,000.
For more information about the energy efficiency financing program and a list of program qualifications, please contact Marcum at (334) 427-3374 or via email at debbie.marcum@powersouth.com.
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2012 strategic planning June 28-29
Board members and executive management will gather later this month for PowerSouth’s annual strategic planning sessions.
Dr. Larry Makovich, Managing Director and Head of Cambridge Energy Research Associates’ (CERA) gas and power group will serve as guest speaker to kick-off the session on June 28. He will provide an overview of current and potential impacts to utilities and PowerSouth specifically.
Brent Peinhardt, Principal and President of Vantage Associates will serve as planning facilitator.
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U.S. forecasters predict average
2012 Atlantic hurricane season
The hurricane season officially started June 1 and ends Nov. 30, and several forecasting teams are predicting a mild Atlantic season.
According to Bill Read, Director of the National Hurricane Center, sea surface temperatures are forecast to be cooler than last year. His comments came less than a month before major forecasters are expected to begin unveiling their predictions for the hurricane season.
Read did not make specific forecasts on the number of hurricanes he expected, but he did say that preliminary reports suggest water temperatures could be less conducive this year for hurricane formation. He further stated that forecast models suggest that there is less of a chance of the La Niña phenomenon, which fosters hurricane formation.
As always, safety is PowerSouth’s number-one priority. Forecasters predict an average season for 2012, yet it is important to be prepared in case a storm hits.
“There are a lot of things to consider before, during and after a hurricane, and advance preparation is very beneficial,” said Mark Ingram, PowerSouth Communication Manager. “We should all take the threat of a hurricane very seriously to protect ourselves and our property.”
On average, the Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season brings 12.1 tropical storms, with 6.4 of those strengthening into hurricanes. The region is still in the midst of a multi-decade busy period. 2011 saw 19 tropical storms, with seven growing into hurricanes, including three major ones.
During 2011, Irene was the only hurricane to hit the U.S. and the first since Hurricane Ike struck southeastern Texas in 2008.
Changes made to hurricane scale
Weather watchers may notice a few small changes when the National Hurricane Center begins issuing its advisories this year. Forecasters made small tweaks to the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity to fix a long-standing problem that arises from rounding.
The scale divides hurricanes into five categories based on wind speed measured in five-knot increments. For public advisories, knots are converted to miles per hour and kilometers per hour, rounded to the nearest five mph or five kph.
That created problems when storms neared the threshold dividing the categories. Because of rounding, it was possible for a storm to fall into Category 4 when measured by knots and Category 3 when measured in miles or kilometers per hour.
To fix that, small adjustments in thresholds were made to categories 3 through 5, while categories 1 and 2 were left unchanged. The revised Saffir-Simpson Scale: Category 1: 74-95 mph; Category 2: 96-110 mph; Category 3: 111-129 mph; Category 4: 130-156 mph; and Category 5: 157 mph or higher.
For more information about this hurricane season, as well as what to do before, during and after the storm, please visit the Storm Center section of PowerSouth’s website at www.powersouth.com/storm_center
Sources: Harriet McLeod and Jane Sutton, Reuters
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Co-ops viewed positively in recent survey
A recent study by the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) and Consumer Federation of America indicates Americans are demonstrating a greater understanding of the co-op business model — a positive note during the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives.
Nearly one-third of Americans (29 percent) surveyed say they belong to a consumer cooperative, and 72 percent of Americans think cooperatives such as credit unions and rural electric co-ops are “helpful to consumers” with only 11 percent saying they are “unhelpful.”
The survey was administered to a representative sample of 1,008 adult Americans.
“This survey illustrates that the 29,000 cooperatives in this country offer a much-needed alternative that consumers appreciate,” said Liz Bailey, NCBA Interim President and CEO. “At a time when the entire business community is focused on demonstrating shared value and social responsibility, it’s gratifying to know that Americans continue to place their trust in member-owned, democratically governed cooperative business enterprises.”
Survey respondents rated consumer cooperatives more highly than for-profit businesses on measures of quality and service. Cooperatives outranked for-profits in several areas. (See chart below.)
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President begrudgingly acknowledges coal
In a move that set social media abuzz in mid May, President Obama changed his campaign’s website to include a reference to clean coal technology. According to a report from the Washington Times, “Under the heading ‘President Obama’s approach to energy independence,’ an entire section on the campaign website was altered from ‘fuel efficiency’ to ‘clean coal.’ The sections now appear as: oil, natural gas, clean coal, biofuels, wind, solar and nuclear.”
Only a week before this change, the president’s language on energy issues came under fire from a number of members of Congress, including Rep. Ed Whitfield (KY) and Sen. Rob Portman (OH).
“This administration has been openly in the business of putting coal out of business,” Whitfield said. “And for the president to run around talking about an ‘all of the above’ energy policy, even on his campaign website, and to not mention coal as an important energy sector is unbelievable to me.”
Portman added that the president is “out of touch [with Ohio’s] needs.”
While an administration spokesperson countered that the president has consistently supported clean coal technology, recent EPA regulations such as Utility MACT, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), and greenhouse gas restrictions tell a different story. Such regulations have forced the closure of a number of coal-fired power plants and threaten to shutter dozens more, causing many to wonder when the president will deliver on his campaign promise to truly support an all-of-the-above approach to American energy.
“Adding a section to his campaign website is a feeble step toward putting all of America’s energy sources on the table, but it is certainly welcome,” said Lance Brown, Executive Director of the Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy (PACE). “Unfortunately, words don’t keep America’s lights on and factories running.”
According to a recent report by the American Legislative Exchange Council, the Utility MACT rule alone could require retrofits at 753 power generating units, forcing the early retirement of up to 15 gigawatts of generation capacity at a cost of up to $170 billion to energy customers and the loss of more than one million U.S. jobs.
Source: PACE email blast, May 17, 2012
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EPA agrees to delay effluent guidelines
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to delay proposing new effluent guidelines and standards for wastewater discharges from coal-burning power plants until Nov. 20. It won’t issue a final rule until April 28, 2014, under an extension of a consent decree.
To settle a suit by two environmental groups, the EPA previously agreed to propose the effluent guidelines by July 23 and issue a final rule by Jan. 31, 2014.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has encouraged EPA to consider alternative regulatory approaches to reduce the financial burden of the rules on state and municipal governments that own public power facilities or that purchase power from other utilities subject to the Clean Water Act rules. The rule comes at a critical time for many small utilities, especially not-for-profit utilities that must pass on whatever costs the EPA imposes.
NRECA has asked that the EPA consult with member cooperatives and other small entities regarding the rules. Statutes such as the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and recent executive orders “direct the EPA, as a matter of good public policy, to minimize the economic burden of meeting environmental requirements, and to minimize the federal presence by consulting with state and local governments when developing national standards,” they said.
Source: Public Power Weekly, May 28, 2012
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How can you minimize the access people have to your information?
You may be able to easily identify people who could, legitimately or not, gain physical access to your home or office computer, but identifying the people who could gain remote access to your computer becomes much more difficult. As long as you have a computer and connect it to a network, you are vulnerable to someone or something else accessing or corrupting your information; however, you can develop habits that make it more difficult.
• Lock your computer when you are away from it. Even if you only step away from your computer for a few minutes, it’s enough time for someone else to destroy or corrupt your information. Locking your computer prevents another person from being able to simply sit down at your computer and access all of your information. Sometimes the threats to your information aren’t from other people but from natural or technological causes. Although there is no way to control or prevent these problems, you can prepare for them and try to minimize the damage.
• Protect your computer against power surges and brief outages. Aside from providing outlets to plug in your computer and all of its peripherals, some power strips protect your computer against power surges. Many power strips now advertise compensation if they do not effectively protect your computer. Power strips alone will not protect you from power outages, but there are products that do offer an uninterruptible power supply when there are power surges or outages. During a lightning storm or construction work that increases the odds of power surges, consider shutting your computer down and unplugging it from all power sources.
• Back up all of your data. Whether or not you take steps to protect yourself, there will always be a possibility that something will happen to destroy your data. You have probably already experienced this at least once— losing one or more files due to an accident, a virus or worm, a natural event, or a problem with your equipment. Regularly backing up your data on a CD or network reduces the stress and other negative consequences that result from losing important information.
Source: National Cyber Security Alliance and US-Computer Emergency Readiness Team
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Employee Buzz:
Service Anniversaries
Victor Wyatt
Economic Development
35 years, Jun 15
Bennie Vick
Lowman Plant
35 years, Jun 20
Lane Taylor
Lowman Plant
35 years, Jun 20
Lonnie Loper
Lowman Plant
34 years, Jun 5
Ceil Smith
West Central Transmission Line O&M
34 years, Jun 16
Jay Farrington
T&D Planning & Reliability
33 years, Jun 4
Robby Hunt
Lowman Plant
33 years, Jun 4
Robert Meyer
Power Supply
32 years, Jun 2
Norma King
Business & Financial Applications
32 years, Jun 16
Kenny Lee
Substation O&M
32 years, Jun 30
Sammy Hogg
T&D Engineering & Construction
31 years, Jun 22
Joyce Sightler
Transmission Planning & Engineering
30 years, Jun 7
Keith Lynch
Substation O&M
29 years, Jun 13
John Shaw
Bulk Power Services
26 years, Jun 16
Ralph Gunter
Energy Control
26 years, Jun 22
John Twitty
Transmission Engineering & Construction
26 years, Jun 30
Paige Culbreth
Financial Planning
25 years, Jun 8
James Sutton
Building Maintenance
25 years, Jun 29
Ronda Kirkland
Central Generation
24 years, Jun 6
Jim Kelley
Transmission Planning & Engineering
23 years, Jun 19
Julie O'Connor
Energy Management Systems
23 years, Jun 19
Lisa Williamson
Human Resources
22 years, Jun 25
Beth Woodard
Legal & Corporate Affairs
21 years, Jun 3
Bryan Pansing
Lowman Plant
20 years, Jun 1
Randy Grimes
McIntosh Plant
20 years, Jun 29
Veronica Wallace
Engineering Records
19 years, Jun 16
Keith Castleberry
Telecommunications
18 years, Jun 28
David Purvis
McIntosh Plant
14 years, Jun 1
Kim Arrington
Fuels Department
13 years, Jun 7
Andrew Thrash
Lowman Plant
13 years, Jun 21
Russell Keith
Lowman Plant
13 years, Jun 21
Heather Anderson
Accounting
12 years, Jun 5
Carol Page
Purchasing
12 years, Jun 12
Jamie Hawkins
Metering
11 years, Jun 11
Michael Hattaway
T&D Construction
10 years, Jun 3
Paul Dubose
Energy Management Systems
9 years, Jun 9
Doyle Wayne Mills
T&D Facilities
8 years, Jun 28
Casey Jackson
Metering
6 years, Jun 26
Chris Caraway
Warehouse
5 years, Jun 4
Penny Nichols
Lowman Plant
5 years, Jun 25
Sherry Criswell
Lowman Plant
5 years, Jun 25
Chris Flood
Video Coordinator
4 years, Jun 9
Taylor Williams
Economic Development
3 years, Jun 1
Ed Gardner
Economic Development
2 years, Jun 1
Scotty Moseley
T&D Support
2 years, Jun 14
Josh Blackburn
Substation O&M
2 years, Jun 28
Al Mosley
Lowman Plant
1 years, Jun 13
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Birthdays
- June 3
- Steven King
- June 4
- Tammy Foley
- Brett Mack
- Marcus Pugh
- Mitch Pugh
- June 5
- Julie O'Connor
- Chris Powell
- June 7
- Marvin Hicks
- Darrell Lathan
- Shannon Wilkerson
- June 8
- Dana Elliott
- June 10
- Larry Curry
- Gary Goldman
- June 11
- George Rhodes
- Scott Rogers
- June 12
- Greig Foshee
- June 13
- Jay Farrington
- June 14
- Paige Culbreth
- Jeremy Hardy
- Stanley Poole
- June 15
- Mark Elmore
- Andy Parnell
- June 17
- Joe Boyd
- Josh Mullen
- June 19
- Kim Johns
- June 20
- Daryl Beck
- Michael Dauphin
- Eric Hicks
- Emily Smith
- June 22
- Dewayne Foshee
- Will McVay
- June 23
- Travis Martin
- June 24
- Seth Hammett
- June 25
- Derrick Johnson
- Phillip Spivey
- June 27
- Michael Blackledge
- Tim Hattaway
- June 28
- Chad Henderson
- June 29
- Bob Little
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Living the Principle: Angela Nelson
By Jay Thomas, Editor of The Opp News
PowerSouth employee, Angela Nelson, has written a book about Fleeta School and how her family ties into it.
“I was searching on land deeds on my great grandfather, David Franklin Colquett to find out when he moved to Covington County from Crenshaw County,” she said. “I found that he bought land across from Sweetwater Church in 1909. In 1912, I found a deed where he and his brother-in-law, G.B. Morgan along with their wives, deeded two acres of land to the State of Alabama for the purpose of a school in District 31.”
She said the deed stated this land was for a school, due to the Act of Legislature of Alabama, which was approved March 2, 1907. The 1907 act was a revision to the 1903 act.
The acts state that if practicable, a public school must be within two and a half miles of every child, provided that no district has fewer than 15 children of school age. A district should have three trustees. Schools must be open at least five months of the year. This school was built on the dirt road which is called Colquett Road. The school that was built was called Fleeta.
“My great grandfather had a sister named Fleeta, which he was very close to,” she said. “Could this possibly be how the school got its name? Several of the teachers boarded at my great grandfather’s house.”
Also, Nelson has used some previous historical books about Covington County in her own book, including a book by Gus and Ruby Bryan Book Covington County History 1821 - 1976.
“The forerunner of the Fleeta School was a one-room building located at Spurlintown on the Opp-Elba Highway, about three miles north of Opp. It was probably about 1893. In 1896 or 1897, the building was moved to the site of the present Sweet Water Church, a mile or so to the west. The original building served until about 1910, when a new two-room building was constructed. This building served adequately until in the early 1920’s when it became necessary to use the church as a classroom. Then in 1924, another room was added to the school building, making it a three-room school. It remained a three room school until 1936 when the present brick building was constructed about a mile west of the Sweet Water site.”
Nelson said her desire to pen a book about Fleeta School came after her father and uncle’s death and her desire to make sure the history was not forgotten.
“I had talked to my father about Fleeta School before his death in August 2010,” she said. “After his death, I started asking questions about Fleeta School to my Uncle David, until his death seven months later. At that time, I realized that this history would be forgotten if I did not write some of the information that they had given me.”
She said the number of “Old Fleeta School” students are quickly dwindling, so she felt time was a factor.
“My father’s sister, Annie Jo Colquett Farmer, has told me several stories of the school,” she said. “My father’s first cousin, Willodean Gilchrist Bailey, has shared her knowledge with me about the school. Also, Foyl Hudgens shared his memories to me about the school. They told me that students of all ages attended. Several students would have to be dismissed from school to help their family on their farms. Because of this, sometimes students would be in their teens and only be in the young school grades.”
She has also learned through her research that in the 1920s, Fleeta had both a girls and boys basketball team.
After 1936, when the new Fleeta School opened in its present location, several families lived in the vacated school on Colquett Road. Eventually, the old school was torn down, and a new house was built where the school was once located.
Nelson said she got her title from what her dad, Morgan Colquett, always called the school he attended on Colquett Road, Old Fleeta School.
Living the Principle’ is dedicated to recognizing PowerSouth employees who embody Cooperative Principle #7: Concern for Community. If you’d like to nominate someone to be featured in this recurring series, please contact a member of the Powerlines editorial staff.
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System Summary & Quick Facts
System Summary
May 2012
System peak (unadjusted):
1,656 megawatts — May 27
Minimum temperature: 60 degrees
Maximum temperature: 97 degrees
Average temperature: 79 degrees
Gantt rainfall: 5.66 inches for the month
Quick Facts
April 2012
Average Cost of Service — 74.93 M/KWh
Average Cost of Service YTD — 74.42 M/KWh
CP Demand Billed — 1,498,746
CP Demand Billed YTD — 6,683,171
MWh Sold — 556,636
MWh Sold YTD — 2,336,683
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Congratulations
Congratulations to Debbie Marcum (Member Services), who was named outstanding alumna at Lurleen B. Wallace (LBW) Community College in Andalusia. She graduated from LBW in 1985.
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Comings and goings
Welcome to Chelsea Moseley, Work Study in the Business Development Division, effective May 7.
Welcome to Dorothy D. Smith, Storekeeper at the Lowman Plant, effective April 16.
Welcome back to Josh Dunn, Engineering Intern at Central Generation, effective May 7; James Hogg, Engineering Intern in the Power Delivery Division, May 14; Levi Sasser, Work Study in the Procurement Services Department, effective April 24; and James Robert Yant, Co-op Engineer at Central Generation, effective May 14.
Good-bye and good luck to Caleb Cochran, Co-op Engineer at Central Generation, effective May 10.
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Promotions
Congratulations to Jennifer Kelley on her promotion to Department Secretary in the Human Resources Department, effective May 1. She was previously Administrative Clerk.
Congratulations to Tommy Kervin on his promotion to System Operator I in the Energy Control Center, effective April 29. He was previously System Operator II.
Congratulations to Lisa Senn on her promotion to Human Resources Assistant in the Human Resources Department, effective May 1. She was previously Division Secretary.
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Safety First: Telecommunications
PowerSouth’s Telecommunications department recorded seven consecutive safe working years on May 12.
“To engage in an effective safety program, all of us must respect our work environment and practice safety in every job we do,” said Vice President of Power Delivery Larry Avery. “Reaching this milestone is evidence that you respect safety not only for yourself but also for your coworkers.”
During the past year, the department’s 17 employees worked 38,230 hours with no lost-time injuries, and they have logged 262,708 total hours since the last lost-time injury occurred.
“PowerSouth employees demonstrate a superior level of safety, as evidenced by this remarkable safety achievement,” says Buddy Manring, PowerSouth Safety Manager. “Reaching seven years without a lost-time accident proves PowerSouth employees’ commitment to one another’s safety, and they deserve much praise for accomplishing this feat.”
PowerSouth plans to maintain a safe work environment for all employees in the coming years and regards the Telecommunications department’s dedication to safety as a victory for the whole company.
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Co-op Kids
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Congratulations to Joshua Douglass (above right), son of Vivian Douglass (Human Resources). Joshua graduated from the Alabama Police Academy in Selma on April 12. He received the Academic Award and the PT Award. He is employed as a Probation and Parole Officer in Tuscaloosa.
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Josh Huggins (above), son of Rick (Bulk Power) and Sandy Neal (Communications), recently visited China as part of Auburn University’s Symphonic Band. The Band performed concerts in various cities including Beijing and Shanghai.
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Congratulations to Taylor Wright (above), son of Kim Johns (Legal and Corporate Affairs). Taylor graduated from Auburn May 6.
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Congratulations to Chase Arrington (above), son of Kim Arrington (Fuels). He graduated from Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy on May 8. He received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Chase is engaged to Donna Schwinn of Decatur who also graduated May 8 with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. They are both employed with Rite Aid and live in Chattanooga, Tenn.
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Congratulations to Greg Bush (Lines Technician) and his wife, Kriston, on the birth of their daughter, Kynlee Rae Bush (above) on May 9. Kynlee weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces. She was welcomed home by two-year-old big sister, Chloe.
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Congratulations to Cindy Bozeman (Accounting) on the birth of her grandson, Eli Brooks Hart (above), May 9. Eli weighed 7 pounds, 15.5 ounces and was 20 inches in length. Proud parents are Daniel and Jodi Hart. Eli was welcomed home by big sister, Cali.
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Congratulations to Kayla and Ryan Mitchell (left), children of Michael Mitchell (Telecommunications). Ryan won the Academic Award, Top Math Award, Top Reading Award,Top 4-H Reporter and Presidential Award at Straughn Elementary’s Award’s Day. Kayla received an award for being among the top five in eighth grade, Math Team member, winner at the county math tournament, Top Reading Award, Top 4-Her, Most Intellectual and Most Likely to Succeed at Straughn Middle School.
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