On Wednesday, June 22, Governor Branstad signed into law a bill addressing one of his key legislative priorities of the last two years - the “Connect Every Acre” bill.  House File 655 encourages the expansion of high-speed broadband internet.  IAMU has been generally supportive of broadband expansion in the state and was registered in support of the Governor’s broadband bill.  

by the American Public Power Association

Don Miller, electric superintendent at Carlisle Municipal Electric Utility in Carlisle, Iowa, received an American Public Power Association Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award at the Association’s national conference in Minneapolis, Minn. This award recognizes managers of small utilities serving fewer than 2,500 meters. These managers have a very small staff and must assume multiple roles. The seven hats they must wear are: planning and design, administration, public relations, field supervision, accounting, human resources, and community leadership. Miller is one of eight winners in 2015.

Miller has been with the City of Carlisle for more than 22 years. He is directly involved in undergrounding electrical lines and making sure the lines are in place for any new construction. He replaced the utility’s outdated meter system to allow for more accurate billing. Miller is on the front lines with customers, answering their questions, and he is a champion of electrical safety.

One of the most commonly used pieces of equipment in any shop is the abrasive wheel grinder. These machines are used to remove excess or to shape metal. The grinder may be a bench mounted or on a pedestal and will use a straight wheel. These types of wheels are designed to be used on the periphery only. Some grinders may also be outfitted with wire wheels or buffing wheels.

On Wednesday June 24th, nearly 90 golfers will step up to the tee at the 2015 Golfin' Fore Safety outing at Amana Colonies Golf Course.  The annual event is a fundraiser fro IAMU's JT&S Department, and this year we've seen tremendous support from a number of companies who've signed on as sponsors.  We'd like to take this opportunity to extend a warm THANK YOU to the following companies and organizations!

by Jim Wolfe, IAMU Electric Services Coordinator

I had the opportunity to travel to Minneapolis this year for the 2015 APPA National Conference & Public Power Expo. This was great due to the fact that it was not a very long drive from Ankeny. Many representatives from our member utilities also made the trip. This was my first National Convention and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My position requires me to focus on safety and training issues and not necessarily on major items that public utilities have to deal with every day.

Citizens of Tipton, Iowa will be marking a BIG birthday on July 2nd through the 5th.  The city in eastern Iowa turns 175 years old this year.  

The celebration begins on the evening of July 2nd with the Mayor's Picnic.  A wide variety of activities will take place through the weekend including parades and a concert featuring the 80's music of "Hairball".  For complete details on the Tipton 175th Anniversary CLICK HERE.

by EMC Insurance

A well-maintained sprinkler system can reduce average property losses during a fire by one-third to two-thirds, according to the National Fire Protection Association. “The key word in that statement is well-maintained,” stresses EMC Senior Engineer Randal Dejmal, who checks sprinkler systems every time he completes a site inspection.  CLICK HERE to visit the EMC website to read the whole story.