Perspectives
Putting the Effective in Enforcement
Effective enforcement is not a new concept, nor is it something that the Mississippi Damage Prevention Council (MDPC) dreamed up. The U.S. Congress, reacting to national tragedies involving underground utilities, and armed with statistics showing more than 30% of all damages to underground facilities are caused by third parties (excavation damage), has determined to make [...]
Are We a Team or Not?
by Dr. Larry Cole You are four independent companies: (1) the one call system, (2) locator, (3) excavator, and (4) utility. So are you a team or not? Regardless of how you answer that question, participants at a recent focus group at the TX811 Summit advanced the notion that the stakeholders could do a lot [...]
Publisher’s Perspective: Vol. 5, Issue 2
Recently while speaking to a group of stakeholders concerning protecting our vital underground infrastructure, the topic of amending the current “dig law” to include fair and effective enforcement was discussed. While listening to this discussion, I was reminded of a John Saxe poem from days long since passed. It was six men of Indostan to [...]
The Doctor Is In: The Magic in Caring
I was at the Kendall Inn in Borne, Texas having a drink with a business associate. A certain gentleman, we’ll call him John, is a stable fixture at the bar. He’s a local rancher who lost his wife to cancer a few years ago and the bar is his social outlet. He told us that [...]
Pipelines: Your Quiet Neighbor
Millions of people all across the country share the same neighbor. This neighbor does not intrude where it’s not wanted and simply goes about its business helping all of us every day. Pipelines are the energy lifelines of many of our daily activities, from driving our children to school or heating our homes, to buying [...]
The Doctor is In, Volume 5, Issue 1
Are You the Elephant in the Room? As you know, elephants are large animals. Consequently, they are readily seen when in the room. Yet, while they can bring pleasure to those of us who visit them in their habitats, they can also be very destructive. What do people see when they look at you? About [...]
Me & Dillard, Volume 5, Issue 1
Even if it wasn’t an uncommonly cold and snowy winter, going swimming in the Hood-N-Pile in the middle of February might seem a bit extreme to the uninitiated. Aunt Beulah always told me that those older kids were going to keep me in trouble and that I needed to find kids my own age to [...]
MDPC Update, Volume 5, Issue 1
The Mississippi Damage Prevention Council (MDPC) Board met on April 7 to review established goals for 2011 – 2012. The board is made up of the following stakeholder groups and representatives: Mississippi Rural Water – Kevin Hand Mississippi 811 – Sam Johnson Natural Gas Distribution – John McDill Transportation – Mark McConnell Insuranc – Virginia [...]
Me and Dillard, Volume 4, Issue 4
The aroma of hot biscuits, ham, and gravy woke me up. I looked out the window and couldn’t see anything but a whole lot of dark. There wasn’t a clock where I slept, so I got up and went to the gravy. Aunt Beulah knew something about making biscuits and gravy, and even though I [...]
Pay it forward in Mississippi
by Shad Sims Atmos Energy Several years ago I was traveling on company business, and after the meetings were done for the day and dinner was over, I returned to my hotel room, switched on the TV, and proceeded to settle in for the evening. It had been a long day. I was looking forward [...]
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