Friends, family hold parade for retiring SPEC lineman Ira Pickard
Parade for retiring SPEC lineman Ira Pickard By Andrew Wood | February 26, 2021 at 9:54 PM CST - Updated February 26 at 10:32 PM
BUFFALO SPRINGS LAKE, Texas (KCBD) - After 43 years of working power lines, Ira Pickard is calling it a career.
âIra spent 43 years with South Plains Electric Co-Op. While weâre home safe in bed, these linemen are getting us electricity back,â Kirkpatrick said. âFiremen get kudos all the time, (along with) police officers, EMS, health care workers. But, people that keep us comfortable in our lives seldom get any recognition.â
For Iraâs friends and family, a simple goodbye wasnât enough. Instead, his girlfriend reached out to those closest to him to set up a socially-distanced parade that circled around Buffalo Springs Lake. For Pickard, it was a goodbye trip in a fire engine loaned out by his friend, Lubbock Fire Rescueâs Eddie Kirkpatrick.
Southwest Power Pool no longer under energy emergency alert
This includes LP&L and South Plains Electric Co-Op, Inc. Southwest Power Pool is no longer under an energy emergency alert. (Source: KCBD) By KCBD Staff | February 18, 2021 at 12:14 PM CST - Updated February 18 at 12:53 PM
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - As of 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Southwest Power Pool is no longer under an energy emergency alert. This includes LP&L and South Plains Electric Co-Op, Inc.
Due to continuing cold weather, it remains in a period conservative operations until 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 for the entire SPP balancing authority area.
Early Thursday morning, SPP was teetering between a Level 1 and 2, with no rotating outages implemented. However, SPP is still urging all homes and businesses to conserve electricity, but are not directing any interruptions of service at this time.