Lineman rodeo tests skills The 2017 Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas Lineman’s Rodeo was held Saturday, April 1, at the Arkansas State University at Newport campus.
Linemen from four of Arkansas’ electric cooperatives displayed their skills at the event and enjoyed some friendly competition. Participants from North Arkansas Electric Cooperative included William Thompson, Dusty Denton, Ethan Pierce, Chris Tomlinson, Dustin Ray and Joey Burk. Petit Jean Electric Cooperative was represented by Daniel Gardner, Cody Love and James Berry. Woodruff Electric Cooperative’s team included Wil Glover, Josh Armstrong, Kerry Crump, Ed Webb, Michael McGowen and Quinton Brown. Apprentice entries included: Eric Jones and Colton McDonald of Woodruff Electric, Chance Schueren of First Electric and Justin Smith of Petit Jean Electric.
Results and winners 
Apprentice Events:
Egg race: 1. Justin Smith 2. Chance Schueren 3. Colton McDonald
Pole top rescue: 1. Chance Schueren 2. Justin Smith 3. Eric Jones
100-Amp switch change out: 1. Chance Schueren 2. Eric Jones 3. Colton McDonald
Champion apprentice: 1. Chance Schueren 2. Eric Jones 3. Colton McDonald
Team events: 
Egg race: 1. Gardner, Love, Berry 2. Tomlinson, Ray, Burk 3. Thompson, Denton, Pierce Hurtman
Rescue: 1. Gardner, Love, Berry 2. Glover, Armstrong, Crump 3. Webb, McGowen, Brown
600-amp switch change-out: 1. Gardner, Love, Berry 2. Glover, Armstrong, Crump 3. Tomlinson, Ray, Burke
Champion teams: 1. Gardner, Love, Berry 2. Glover, Armstrong, Crump 3. Tomlinson, Ray, Burke
Please make room for roadside crews
When the power goes out, so do your electric co-op’s line crews. Lineworkers are the first to respond after an outage occurs, and they work tirelessly to restore power to the communities we serve.
If you’re traveling and see one of our crews on the side of the road, we kindly ask that you move over, if possible, and give them a little extra space to work. We deeply care about the safety of all, and this extra precaution ensures just that.
If you approach a crew while traveling on a two-lane road, moving over to the next lane might not be an option. In this case, we simply ask that you slow down when approaching roadside crews. If you approach a crew while traveling on a four-lane road, and safety and traffic conditions allow, we ask that you move over into the far lane.
Not only is this a courtesy, but in Arkansas, it is the law. According to a news release issued by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (ASHTD), Act 579 of 2013 requires drivers to move over not only for emergency vehicles, but also for vehicles owned by the ASHTD and its contractors, as well as utility vehicles, tow trucks or authorized vehicles displaying, blue, red, amber, white or green lights that are flashing, revolving or rotating.
There’s plenty of room for all. Let’s work together to keep everyone safe on our local roadways.