A 50-foot tall radio tower is in danger of falling at the LaSalle County Emergency Management Agency building. Director Connie Brooks has been explaining to County Board committees it’ll cost about $30,000 to replace. She’s asking for emergency spending approval.
Brooks says the tower is anchored to the building and was built by a contractor who didn’t know much about towers. Tower professionals she’s spoken to recently tell her there should be an independently standing tower.
A new one would be ten feet taller and provide room to space out antennas on the way up. Brooks says the current tower was built from five 10′ sections. The tower companies she’s contacted would use three 20′ sections.
To keep the current tower from falling eastward onto four air conditioners and a generator, a rope is tied from halfway up the tower to an old county truck.
An old LaSalle County truck serves as an anchor to keep an antenna tower from falling.