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.
Helena is an unincorporated community in southeastern Andrew County, Missouri. It is located about twelve miles northeast of St. Joseph and is part of the St. Joseph, MO–KS Metropolitan Statistical Area. Helena has a park, an Elementary School, two Churches, and a Community Center.