Saturday morning it was looking and feeling like fall at the Kiwanis-Butler County Fairgrounds as Pioneer Electric Cooperative held its annual meeting.

“Sometimes it’s too hot, but today it’s almost too cool,” said PEC’s Linda Horn as a brisk autumn breeze swept through the exhibition hall.

Several of the approximately 35 PEC employees on site shuttled those in attendance back and forth via golf carts throughout the morning.

As usual, the colorful Touchstone Energy Balloon was a big draw for those wanting to experience a brief taste of what hot air ballooning is like (with a tether to keep anyone from soaring away). Inside the hall, PEC’s Vicki Russell and Phillip Baker used the Safety Town display to demonstrate the many uses and potential dangers of electricity to the youngsters present.

Older folks took a trip down memory lane via the musical stylings of popular local band Southern Legends, who played classic country and rock ‘n’ roll tunes for the crowd gathered under the big tent.

During the meeting, election winners for Districts 1, 4 and 7 were, respectively, Tommy Thompson, Tom Duncan and John Henry, with each candidate running unopposed and garnering 100 percent of the votes cast in their district.

PEC member Carlos Bennett was the lucky winner of the grand prize of $2,232, an amount equal to the calculated yearly household usage of a Pioneer customer.  Winners of the $78 bill credits included Elizabeth Duke, Helen Purifoy, Doris Fails, Mary Blackburn, Andranette Thompson, Enio Bullard, Gary D. Reed Sr., William Arnold, Wayne Till and Deborah Salter.

“We had approximately 200 of our members register with another 150 or so of their family members tagging along for the fun,” said Casey Rogers, communications specialist for PEC.

“We appreciate everyone who came out on this beautiful fall day.”

Pioneer Electric Cooperative has provided power to the community for 77 years, serving 11,000 members in southeast Alabama.