August 2026

Electronic Recycling is BACK!

• October 14 – Wautoma Office
  N1519 State Rd 22
• October 15 – Pardeeville Office
  W6290 State Rd 33
• October 16 – Friendship Office
  401 E Lake St

Our highly requested electronic recycling event is back this fall for our member appreciation event to celebrate October being Co-op Month. The events will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day and will be a drive-thru style event. Members are asked to stay in their vehicles, and our employees will remove electronics and place them in the dumpster. We’ll accept up to five items per membership, including one TV or monitor.

To support our seventh cooperative principle (Concern for Community), we’re asking members to bring packs of diapers and wipes to donate to programs in our service area for families in need.

 

 

Introducing our next photo contest theme

We received over 600 photo submissions from members for our theme “birds”. If your photo is featured in our 2027 calendar, we’ll reach out to you and mail you a calendar.

We’re now accepting photos for our next photo contest, featuring a different color for each month of the year. For example, January’s theme will be red, and we’d love to see photos that highlight that color, such as an old red barn, a cardinal, or bright red berries on a tree. Photos submitted for our 2028 calendar can showcase nature, wildlife, plants, sports, community events, and more. Let your creativity shine as you capture the colors that make each month unique!

Here are the colors we’ll feature for each month of our 2028 calendar:

 

 

Memories Made at Youth Leadership Conference

July 14-16, we sponsored four students to attend Youth Leadership Conference (YLC) at UW-Stout. They met students from co-ops across the state, learned about co-ops, participated in fun and engaging sessions, listened to keynote speakers, had plenty of laughs during the hypnotist show, and experienced life on a college campus.

• Briella Brusveen of Cambria
• Kameron Lauritzen of Adams-Friendship
• Karissa Schwoerer of Columbus
• Sophie Kulmann of Nekoosa

Previous ACEC students who served on the 2025 Youth Board, Dillan and Ashton, shared their experience about YLC, how it’s impacted their lives, leadership growth, and memorable experiences and friendships they’ve gained that will last a lifetime.

We’re proud to announce that Briella was elected to the Youth Board, where she will serve with her peers to plan and coordinate the 2027 YLC event. In addition, she will attend Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. next summer with students from across the country.

 

 

Member Survey

Next month, we’ll be conducting an online member satisfaction survey through National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Market Research. Not all members will be contacted via email, but if you are, please consider sharing your feedback on how we are doing.

Responses are confidential, and there are no marketing or sales involved. Emails will show Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative with the reply-to email address in brackets (MarketResearch@NRECA.coop).

All survey results are reviewed and tabulated to give us a better understanding of how our membership feels we are doing. Your feedback helps direct the future of our co-op and it is truly appreciated.

 

 

Bright Ideas

Even If you aren’t contacted for our member survey through NRECA Market Research, we encourage you to share your ideas and feedback on our website by taking our Bright Ideas survey. This survey is available on our website year-round. Currently, we’re seeking feedback from members regarding SmartHub, our online portal for members.

Ready to take our Bright Ideas survey? Click here.

 

 

School Supplies Galore!

We continue to be blown away by the generosity of our communities and staff! Between the monetary donations that were mailed in and the school supplies brought into our Friendship office, we made a substantial impact on three area programs. The success of our Stuff the Bus program is driven by our members. We thank you for your continued support.

School supplies were distributed to Adams-Friendship School District, Pardeeville Lions Club Stuff The Bus, and Waushara County Back-To-School Bash.

Edward and Susan Diethman of Friendship had each of their grandchildren buy a backpack and fill it with school supplies to fully prepare three students for the school year.

Granddaughter Maddy (pictured left) included a sweet and encouraging noteto the student who gets her backpack.

 

 

 

Explore Rebates Available

• Insulation, air sealing, and ventilation.
• Electrical panels and wiring.
• ENERGY STAR® heat pumps, water heaters, and kitchenand laundry appliances.

 

 

Safety Message

School buses are among the safest vehicles on the road, but the greatest risk comes when children are getting on or off the bus. Knowing these safety tips will help keep everyone safe:

• Reduce speed in school zones and near bus stops.
• Stay back at least 10 feet from a school bus.
• Yellow flashing lights: bus is preparing to stop — slow down.
• Red flashing lights + stop arm: bus is loading/unloading — stop and wait until the bus moves again.
• Never pass a stopped bus on an undivided road — it’s illegal in most states.
• Watch for kids who may unexpectedly enter the road, especially near bus stops.

 

 

Recipe

Chicken Spaghetti
Recipe from Rosetta Gruss of Marshall, WI

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 c chicken broth
• 1/2 lb angel hair spaghetti
• 2 c chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/4 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti in the chicken broth until tender.
2. In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, chicken, 1 cup cheese, red pepper, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, soup, onion, and water.
3. Pour mixture into a 9×13 baking dish, and top with the remaining cheese.
4. Bake for 45 minutes. If cheese starts to get dark, cover with foil.