On Friday, Molly Clair and Company will perform for the 86th annual membership meeting of the Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative at the West Plains Civic Center, 110 St. Louis St.
The event begins with registration at 4:30 p.m.
The in-person event will have entertainment, informational displays, hamburgers and hotdogs, and prizes as well as the Kids’ Zone with inflatables and balloon animals, said co-op officials. Musical entertainment will begin at 5:30 p.m. The business meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
The HOEC office will close at 1 p.m. that day.
Informational booths will include area internet providers Associated Electric Cooperative, which will have a Virtual Reality Lineman Experience beginning at 4:30 p.m. Vendors will include Wisper internet provider, Ozarks Healthcare and Ozark Action, with the House Doctor information. HOEC will have energy efficiency information available at the Member Services booth also.
Those who cannot attend the live event can view the livestream of the meeting on the
cooperative’s Facebook page, “Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative, Inc.,” or listen to the live broadcast of the meeting on K-Kountry 95 (95.1) or KSPQ 93.9 The Mountain of Rock.
The difference between a cooperative, such as HOEC, and an investor-owned utility, is that a co-op works for members rather than stockholders, HOEC officials explained, adding as an electric cooperative, the sole mission is to deliver cost-efficient, reliable power to members.
“This local input means those closest to the community know its needs and priorities and help direct where the co-op’s dollars are spent,” said officials. “Every year, HOEC invests funds to make updates to the local systems, which helps maintain reliability and grid resilience. By making these investments in the local system, the co-op can ensure you have reliable power for everyday life. As a co-op, our business model is meant to serve the members and the communities.”
HOEC’s stated mission is to be a leader in delivering cost-efficient, reliable energy with value-added service, which officials say means the co-op is motivated by service to its communities.
“The co-op is now in the 86th year and the focus hasn’t changed since the beginning in 1939,” officials pointed out. “HOEC is fortunate to serve members in parts of six counties in this beautiful area. Thank you for allowing HOEC to serve each of you in Howell, Oregon, Douglas, Ozark, Shannon and Texas counties. We hope you’ll exercise the benefits of your coop membership and join us for the 86th Annual Meeting on Friday, May 2, 2025. We look forward to seeing you!”
