Rural Missouri - August 2020 - 5

Missouri
RURAL

Volume 73 | AUGUST 2020 | Number 8
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Jim McCarty, editor
jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop
Paul Newton, managing editor
pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
Heather Berry, associate editor
hberry@ruralmissouri.coop
Megan Backes, creative director
mbackes@ruralmissouri.coop
Zach Smith, field editor
zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop
Angie Jones-Wheeler, co-op page designer
ADVERTISING:
Mary Davis, production manager
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
Editorial:
Rural Missouri
P.O. Box 1645, Jefferson City, MO 65102
573-659-3423
info@ruralmissouri.coop
www.ruralmissouri.coop
Advertising:
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
573-659-3400
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American MainStreet Publications;
611 S. Congress St., Suite 504; Austin, TX 78704
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Postmasters: Send address changes to Rural Missouri, P.O. Box 1645, Jefferson City, MO 65102.
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Advertising standards: Advertising published in
Rural Missouri is accepted on the premise that
the merchandise and services offered are accurately described and sold to customers at the advertised price. Rural Missouri and Missouri's electric cooperatives do not endorse any products or
services advertised herein. Advertising that does
not conform to these standards or that is deceptive or misleading is never knowingly accepted by
this publication.
Rural Missouri (ISSN 0164-8578) (USPS 473000) is published monthly by the Association
of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, 2722 E.
McCarty Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101, Caleb
Jones, CEO/executive vice president. Individual
subscription rate: $10 per year or $22 for three
years, taxes and postage included. Group rate for
members of participating RECs $2.22, plus taxes
and postage, paid from equity accruing to the
member. Delivery as specified by subscriber. If not
specified, delivery will be by periodical class mail
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paid at Jefferson City, MO, and additional mailing
offices. Copyright 2020, Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives. Call for reprint rights.

Circulation of this issue: 569,759

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RM | PERSPECTIVES

Safety is no accident
by Caleb Jones
cjones@amec.coop

rowing up with
the local sheriff
as your father,
you get used
to helping out. I can't
tell you how many times
I have seen my dad,
Kenny, pull over to help
someone. It didn't matter if we were headed to
football practice or home
from church, you could
Co-Mo Connect's Carl Pettigrew helped a crash victim to
pretty much bet if somesafety after her truck nose-dived off a bridge.
one was on the side of
give back whenever possible.
the road, we would check on them.
This giving back doesn't end on the
I always thought it was because
roads. Electric co-op employees also
my dad was in law enforcement. I now
go into classrooms to teach power line
realize it was because he cared about
safety. We offer this safety training
his community.
because often times in rural areas the
If you've been following Rural Misonly person around to help you is you.
souri this summer you've probably
I often wonder if these safety mesnoticed an increase in lifesaving elecsages are being received. Recently, my
tric co-op employees. These include
Aunt Sue sent me a note about how
White River Valley's David Byrne, who
our efforts saved a life.
saved a man from drowning, and the
Chase Goldinger, a 2020 high
dramatic rescue by Southwest Elecschool graduate from the Hannibal
tric's Kurtis Brown of two people when
area, was driving a tractor on a rural
their truck caught fire.
road when he popped over a hill into
The latest involved Co-Mo Conthe path of an oncoming car. He
nect's Carl Pettigrew. Carl saw a truck
made the quick decision to steer off
that was being winched nose-dive off
the road. While he avoided a head-on
a bridge. He pulled over and rushed to
collision, he struck a pole. The power
help the crash victim up a hill to safelines fell on the tractor's hood.
ty, then called 911 and flagged traffic.
When the accident happened,
There are several reasons for these
Chase flashed back to an elementary
happy endings to what could have
school power line safety presentation
been tragedies. First, every electric
put on by his electric co-op, Missouri
co-op employee receives first-aid
Rural Electric. He remembered the
training.
lesson and stayed in place until help
Another reason is because co-op
arrived. His clear thinking saved him
employees travel rural roads where
from possible electrocution.
the only fellow travelers may be a
We are proud of our employees and
farmer or a white-tailed deer. Over the
the work they do to keep members
years, co-op employees have found
safe. We are equally proud of memthemselves in the right place at the
bers like Chase who pay attention so
right time.
that doing the right thing in a crisis
But there's a more important reais second nature. Safety, as we like to
son for the lifesaving. All the training
say, is no accident.
in the world wouldn't do much good

if they weren't ready and willing to
Jones is the executive vice president
lend a hand. These co-op employees
and CEO of the Association of Missouri
live and work in the communities they
Electric Cooperatives.
serve. It's second nature for them to
AUGUST 2020 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP

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Rural Missouri - August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - August 2020