Amanda Waggoner Selected as 2024 Nebraska Youth Tour Ambassador 

Amanda Waggoner, second from left (see the picture above), a dependent of a member of High West Energy, has been selected as a 2024 Nebraska Ambassador for the Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington D.C. Waggoner attended the Nebraska Rural Electric Assocation 2023 Youth Energy Leadership Camp in July at Camp Comeca near Cozad, Nebraska. There were 36 campers from 18 different member-systems, and Amanda Waggoner represented High West Energy. During camp, NREA picks three students to serve as ambassadors and we are so proud that Waggoner is one of the recipients!  

This camp gathers high school students from Wyoming and Nebraska who are dependents of members of electric cooperatives. Students must be high school freshmen, sophomores, or juniors to attend camp. Activities at energy camp include basketball, volleyball, swimming, team building activities, among others. 

According to NREA’s website, this “camp is set up to give young people a better understanding of the legislative process, electric power generation and the rural electric program. Our goal is to offer a program that challenges participants educationally, recreationally and socially.”  

After students attend youth energy camp, we highly recommend that they attend Youth Tour the following summer. Youth Tour is a paid trip by the electric cooperative to Washington D.C., where students learn about legislation, leadership, and electric cooperatives, while also exploring the nation’s capital.  

Save the date as NREA’s Youth Energy Camp will be held on July 22-26, 2024! This is a great opportunity to learn about the electric industry, cooperatives, leadership, and meet people from surrounding areas. Camp expenses and transportation are provided by High West Energy. Contact Brooke Darden at 307-245-3261 if you or your child is interested in attending the 2024 Youth Energy Camp or 2024 Youth Tour!  

It is National Co-op Month! We are proud to serve you as your local cooperative and we thank you for your membership! High West Energy is also a proud supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are dedicated to serving our communities and bringing awareness to something that affects many of us in different ways. Join us in the fight against breast cancer! 

Board of Directors Votes to Retire $760,000 in Patronage Dividends

High West Energy's Board of Directors recently voted to retire $760,000 in patronage dividends. High West Energy was founded by our members and without our members, we would not be where we are today. Because of this, we want to share in our success. 

Members of cooperatives share in the ownership, construction, maintenance, and growth of the co-op. When you move into a home or establish a business in our service territory, a membership is created, and a patronage dividend is set up in your name. 

At the end of every fiscal year, any funds remaining after expenses have been paid are allocated to each member's patronage capital account based on the electricity they used the previous year. The Board will then determine if the cooperative is financially healthy enough to retire a portion of that capital, which members receive as patronage dividends. 

For all members receiving $50 or less in dividends, the amounts will automatically be applied as a bill credit. Members who are receiving more than $50 have several choices as to how they will get their payout: 

• You can apply the dividend to your bill.
• You can donate your patronage dividends to Operation RoundUp®, an account used to offer financial support to other members in a time of loss or need. 
• You can receive a check for the full amount in the mail. 

If you became a member in 2022, you will get a check automatically unless you call to request one of the other options listed above. 

If you received a dividend in 2022, you will get this year's dividend in the same way you received last year's unless you call to request a change. 

We will automatically credit your patronage dividend to your account if you have a past-due balance. 

If you move, please provide us with your new address so we can continue to refund eligible patronage dividends in the future. In addition, when a member passes away, the patronage account is available for estate retirement. A representative of the estate should contact High West Energy to settle the patronage account. 

To update or change how you receive your patronage dividend, please call 307-245-3261. Members must make their selections no later than Tuesday, October 31.

For more information about patronage dividends, click here! 

Cajun Spiced Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed dried sage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 center cut pork chops

Directions: 

Mix paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sage, and garlic salt on a plate. Liberally coat each pork chop with the spice mixture. 

Heat olive oil and several pumps of non-stick butter-flavored spray in a large skillet over high heat. Place pork chops in the skillet, reducing heat to medium. Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Temperature of meat should reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Recipe is from allrecipes.com. 

Upcoming Events

October 7- Sidney Oktoberfest

October 14- Touch a Truck (Pine Bluffs) 

October 31- Trunk or Treat (Potter, 4 p.m.)

October 31- Trunk or Treat (Pine Bluffs, 5 p.m.)