The following is a brief of the story. For the full version, see the Wednesday, Nov. 19 print edition of the BDN.

In a special meeting held Tuesday at Blackwater’s Depot Community Building, AmerenUE representatives were on hand to address power outage concerns with area town leaders. Representatives from Bunceton, Pilot Grove and Blackwater inquired about the power outages that have occurred in their communities over the past year. AmerenUE also discussed details of a grant awarded to the City of Blackwater that will be used for planting trees and providing other landscaping in the downtown area.

Blackwater received a $2,945 grant to help beautify its downtown area. The grant was funded through the Ameren Environmental Connections program, which provides grants for selected projects that enhance the environment that Ameren companies serve.

Addressing service issues, AmerenUE representatives discussed a new project designed to boost reliability in portions of Cooper and Saline County. The company has begun a $1.6 million project to improve electric service reliability for customers in several Cooper and Saline County communities.

The project involves rebuilding 17 miles of 34,500-volt power lines extending from an AmerenUE facility on Hwy. 5 near Bunceton through Pilot Grove to Blackwater.

Along with the new power lines, Ameren crews will install improved lightning protection, as lightning strikes have been identified as a major cause of power outages in the areas.