March 2026 | A Championship That Matters More to US

While Indiana University celebrated a national football championship, we celebrated a championship that matters even more at SEMO—zero lost-time accidents in 2025. Zero isn’t a number on a scoreboard. Zero means no serious hospital visits. Zero means no funerals. That is a championship worth protecting every single day.

In our line of work, safety is not automatic. Electric and broadband operations are hazardous 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Safety is never something we check off a list. It is a decision our employees make before the first truck rolls and again before they head home at the end of the day. I am proud of our team for the way they look out for one another and for our members. We are not perfect, but we work hard, stay focused, and try every day to do the right thing.

Another reality we all share is taxes. Most of us pay them, and cooperatives are no different. One of the largest expenses we manage each year is property taxes. In 2025, SEMO Electric and GoSEMO Fiber paid $1,348,117 in property taxes—an increase of $81,500 from 2024. That equals about $82.20 per electric meter each year. Those dollars help support schools, counties, and essential public services across the communities we serve. Taxes are simply part of what it takes to operate responsibly and continue delivering reliable electric service and fiber-fast internet. You know the feeling.

As we look ahead, please mark your calendars for our Annual Meeting on May 14, 2026. SEMO Electric Cooperative members—those with electric service—are invited to participate in our drive-thru annual meeting from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo Grounds. Members who attend will receive a $15 bill credit and a gift as our way of saying thank you for being part of the cooperative.

Our annual meeting is a chance to connect, share information, and recognize the people who make this cooperative strong—our members, our employees, and the communities we are proud to serve. More details will be available at gosemo.com and in next month’s issue of Rural Missouri. We look forward to seeing you and continuing to serve you safely and reliably in 2026.

Book of the Month: “You can feel weak in what you’re trying to accomplish when you don’t have a lot of mutually beneficial relationships. You have to let people in; you’re not meant to do it all on your own. Remember, almost everything in life requires some degree of teamwork, whether at work or at home. Find a way to help those that help you. Always acknowledge. When you do that, people reciprocate.” Read Your Mind by Oz Pearlman

Keep pushing foward! Be smart. Act safely.

Vanslyke is general manager and chief executive officer of SEMO Electric Cooperative and GoSEMO Fiber.