Welcome to the July 2026 edition of Bright Spots. This month, Minnesota electric cooperatives are honoring community heroes, an Iowa co-op is spreading the joy of reading, and Arkansas co-op lineworkers are teaching children with special needs how to fish. Meanwhile, co-ops in Tennessee and Hawaii are engaging with younger members at camps and family fairs.
Have a Bright Spot you’d like to share? Please send your news and photos to Victoria Rocha and Katie Allen.
Minnesota Cooperative Heroes
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The Minnesota Touchstone Energy ® Group recently honored three co-op members with Cooperative Hero Awards for exemplifying the cooperative principle of concern for community. After reviewing 24 entries from 11 co-ops across the state, judges awarded the $1,000 grand prize and two $500 runner-up prizes to members of Lake Region Electric Cooperative, People’s Energy Cooperative and Lake Country Power.
Grand prize winner Grace Grell, a blind childhood cancer survivor, won for her advocacy and work supporting Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. PEC’s Melissa Griggs, whose daughter died of carbon monoxide poisoning, successfully lobbied for a state law mandating detectors in homes. The third recipient, Peggy Stolley, helped a local health center offer free dental services. The winners donated their awards to charity.
Fishing for Smiles
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In Arkansas, First Electric Cooperative and broadband subsidiary Connect2First are making sure children with special needs can enjoy a popular pastime. Recently, the co-ops partnered with the national C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation on its second annual C.A.S.T. a Line with a Lineman for 35 children with special needs. Organizers pair each child with a lineworker for several hours of fishing and outdoor fun at the Jacksonville Game and Fish Pond. The day ends with lunch, an awards ceremony and a fishing equipment giveaway.
“Seeing the smiles on their faces and the excitement they experience is truly priceless, making all the effort worthwhile,” said First Electric’s Stephanie Crouch.
Touch a Truck, Meet a Lineworker
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Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative crews mingled with keiki (children) and their families at the Kaua‘i Police Department’s fifth annual Touch-A-Truck event. Young visitors got up-close looks at a bucket and auger truck as well as lineworker PPE gear. Parents learned about electrical line safety and got tips on disaster planning. Other vehicles on display included a bomb vehicle, fire engine, sanitation truck and police car.
“The event is an opportunity to live our shared value of kuleana, in which we recognize our responsibility to educate, engage and support the people we serve,” said Scott Sato, government affairs and energy services manager at Lihue-based KIUC.
Inspiring a Passion for Books
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Iowa’s Franklin REC has been building and restocking Little Free Libraries in towns throughout its service area. Employees at the Hampton-based co-op built five wooden “library houses” and donated them to various communities. Books come from partnerships between the co-op and other groups, which have resulted in thousands of titles to fill the boxes for years to come.
“Our members of the cooperative and members of the community really came together to ensure our lending libraries were full and ready for new readers to go on the stories' adventures,” said Madison Alert, a communications specialist.
Middle Schoolers Discover “Watt’s Next”
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More than 200 sixth and seventh graders attended the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association’s annual 4-H Electric Camp late last month at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. This year’s theme was “Watt’s Next,” and campers rotated among learning centers, most led by co-op employees, on robotics, electric motors, drones and electric safety. Instructors also came from the Knoxville Utility Board and UT-Knoxville’s engineering college.
“We’re helping spark curiosity and open doors to future educational and career opportunities,” said Laura Beth Laden, TECA member services specialist. “You never know which camper might become tomorrow’s engineer, lineworker or cooperative leader.”
Supporting Local Firefighters
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In Minnesota, electric co-ops donated $2,000 to help volunteer firefighters safely extinguish electric vehicle blazes. Through the Cooperative Contributions program, Dairyland Power Cooperative and MiEnergy Cooperative each donated $1,000 to help the Town of Wilson Fire Dept. buy a fire blanket to safely contain EV fires.
The department provides “an essential service to our rural communities, and helping them access the right equipment is one way we can show appreciation for their commitment to keeping our members and neighbors safe,” said Brian Krambeer, president and CEO of MiEnergy, which has headquarters in Rushford, Minnesota, and Cresco, Iowa.
Classroom Grants for Arizona Educators
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Teachers in Arizona have some extra cash for classroom projects going into the new school year thanks to the Classroom Grants program at Bullhead City-based Mohave Electric Cooperative. MEC awarded grants of $200 each to 18 educators in 11 schools for an array of interactive projects, including butterfly life cycles, building blocks for geometry, and storytelling and journaling to boost reading comprehension.
“Seeing teachers bring their lessons to life is a powerful reminder why supporting education matters,” said Christine Owens, MEC public affairs coordinator. “These grants help create learning experiences that are engaging, hands-on and memorable, sparking creativity, curiosity and meaningful connections in the classroom.”
Trade School Scholarships
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In Georgia, Carroll EMC contributed $25,000 to West Georgia Technical College for the Robert D. Tisinger Scholarship Fund to help students pursuing trade careers. It’s the latest boost from the Carrollton-based co-op to the fund, which has awarded over $200,000 to more than 400 students at WGTC since 2012.
Named for a co-op founder and general counsel, the scholarship keeps alive Tisinger’s “commitment to service and the communities he cared about by supporting students as they further education and training right here in West Georgia,” said Tim Martin, the co-op’s president and CEO.
