Public utilities provide electric, gas, water or telephone service to customers in a specified area. Utilities have a duty to provide safe and adequate service on reasonable terms to anyone who lives within the service area on without discriminating between customers. Because most utilities operate in near monopolistic conditions, they can be heavily regulated by local, state, and federal authorities. Generally, the local and state agencies are called Public Service Commissions (PSC) or Public Utility Commissions (PUC). Municipal Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives may be unregulated though.
Oblong is a village in Crawford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,580 at the 2000 census. One of its claims to fame is being the only town with its name in the world; proclaiming this to the world with its town sign, "The Only Oblong Welcomes You. " Another is that it is the home of the Illinois Oil Field Museum and Resource Center at Oblong, Illinois, a collection of early oilfield artifacts from the early days of the industry in the Illinois Basin and a resource center featuring a collection of early oil field records and resource books. Oblong also boasts the largest nighttime marching band parade competition in the state of Illinois. The annual parade caps off the Oblong "Fall Follies" fall festival and the event is attended each year by large crowds of people from all around the surrounding areas. Oblong was originally a crossroads, notable only for its general store, owned by Henry Peck. The store featured a prominent sign, "Hen. Peck" and people of the area referred to the crossroads as "Henpeck. " When the village decided to incorporate, it was decided that Henpeck would be a terrible name for their fair village. While surveying the area in conjunction with the incorporation, a rectangular prairie was identified on the outskirts of the community - and thus, Oblong was born. Another claim to fame is that of a prominent headline in the Chicago Tribune - "Oblong Man Marries Normal Woman" - referring to the matrimony of a man from Oblong, Illinois and woman from Normal, Illinois. Oblong has one public four year high school and one public grade school (K-8th). In athletics, Oblong High School's teams are nicknamed the "Panthers" for boys and "Lady Panthers" for the girls. Oblong Grade School touts "Tigers" as the nickname for its athletic teams. The Oblong high school football team hasnt made the playoffs since current head coach Gary Plummer was playing on the team.