L.E. Myers linemen using a helicopter to lift them on and off the structures supporting the 28-mile Ameren Missouri Labadie-Bland 345-kV transmission line are making $3 million in “smart grid technology” improvements now through June. Upgrades to the line which runs into the substation north of Owensville off of Highway 19 include fiber optic lines which relay information about outages. Pulleys and dollies are being installed to run the new cables and lines. A Virginia-based High Line Helicopter, a subcontractor to L.E. Myers, lands for refueling at their site along U.S. 50 west of Rosebud on March 8. The helicopter service is able to provide lifts of manpower and equipment of up to 200 feet. Linemen are picked up after completing an installation.