News briefs
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Originally published 02:49 p.m., July 10, 2008
Updated 02:49 p.m., July 10, 2008
FEMA money for co-op
Lyon-Coffey Rural Electric Cooperative will receive $82,772 in emergency funds in relation to the December 2007 winter storms that hit the state. The money comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
More than $52 million is being distributed to 20 cooperatives and 24 municipal utilities to help with recovery costs.
Meter unread for 13 years
HUTCHINSON — An electric meter that stood at the Reno County Landfill for 15 years without ever being read has finally been noticed.
So now, the county must shell out almost $10,000 to make up for lost payments, although the figure would have been much more had the county paid for power recorded by the meter since 1993.
Records used by Westar Energy showed five meters at the landfill, while there was a sixth meter near the landfill’s scale house. Westar spokeswoman Erin Mahoney cited “human error on our part” for the snafu.
Contractually, the county said it had to consider only three years’ of payments. Westar figured the cost for the shortened span would be about $14,000 but was willing to settle for around $9,600, and the county agreed.