06/06/2026
In a world where complaints and negativity about businesses often get the spotlight, I want to take a moment to recognize some local companies that truly showed up when we needed them. These companies could have easily added us to a waiting list and told us they'd get to us when they could. Instead, they immediately went into action.
What started as a random power outage at the Collins Home around 8:00 Thursday night turned into a 3:00 a.m. phone call from SWEPCO letting us know electricians would be needed before power could be restored. As a nonprofit organization and venue, with a wedding scheduled for Saturday, going without power simply wasn't an option.
At 8:00 a.m. Friday, we called H&K Electric. After assessing the damage, the news wasn't great—the entire pole, electrical lines, and panel box had been pulled down by a fallen limb.
SWEPCO had replaced the pole overnight. H&K spent the day rebuilding and reconnecting the electrical service. Sparklight quickly responded to repair the damaged internet lines. Once everything was ready, SWEPCO moved quickly to reconnect power. Watching these companies work together so efficiently to get us back up and running by that afternoon was incredible.
Fast forward to event day today. The outage had caused one of our A/C units to shut down, leaving us with no air conditioning in part of the building. One call to Neil at Air Now and he came straight over and had the issue resolved.
To see these local businesses work together, communicate, and make things happen so quickly was amazing. Thank you to SWEPCO, H&K Electric, Sparklight, and Air Now. We are incredibly grateful for the people behind these companies who answer early morning calls, work long hours, and solve problems when it matters most.
It's easy to point out when things go wrong, but this week was a reminder that there are still a lot of good people doing great work in our community. 💚
Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative, H&K Electric, Inc, Air Now Heating & Air Conditioning LLC. Sparklight
