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.
Friendship is an unincorporated community in Brown Township, Ripley County, Indiana, United States. Twice a year, the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association holds major shoots here. During the months of June and September (2nd full weekend through the 3rd full weekend), to coincide with the NMLRA shoots, Friendship hosts Indiana's most distinctive open air flea market event. Vendors from around the country, but especially from the "tri-state" area of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana participate. The flea market is in two sections, one in town and the other on the other side of the Walter Cline gun range. Laughery Creek runs beside the town. On February 3, 1837, a post office named Harts Mill was established, with Hiram A. Hart as the first postmaster. On July 5, 1849, William Hart laid out the village, and establish the settlement's name for his family. On January 14, 1868, Friendship was the new name for the post office. WPA files state that the postmaster thought that the locals were quietly friendly, although others say it was so named because Friendship built the settlement.