Co-ops light the midway at state fair

NASHVILLE – Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative lineman Nick Gipson flipped a ceremonial switch to light the midway at the 2018 Tennessee State Fair on Friday, Sept. 7, in Nashville.

Attendees of the opening ceremony heard from legislators and elected officials, including Nashville Mayor David Briley and David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association.

“The theme for this year’s fair is ‘The Heart of Tennessee,’ and over the next 10 days this will be a celebration of our state’s unique culture, art, music and food,” said Callis. “You can also find the heart of Tennessee in the 2,600 electric co-op employees across the state. Their work keeps the lights on, our cell phones charged and the computers running. Their time, effort and sacrifices make civilized life possible for the rest of us.”

“For more than 150 years, the fair has been a celebration of rural Tennessee life,” says David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “It is where World War I hero Sgt. Alvin York showed his prize Hereford and generations have marked the beginning of autumn. It is an honor for Tennessee’s electric co-ops to be a part of this great event.”