High Tension Towers Topple in Milwaukee...

[theshadow]

...and the FBI has been contacted as sabotage is believed to be responsible according to WTMJ-TV, the NBC affiliate. American Transmission Company, the firm that handles the lines for WE Energies reported that bolts (no number given) were missing. Since the weather was calm, this is thought to be cause. 17,000 customers are without power, and power is out at Mitchell International Airport. Emergency generators are supplying power for minimal lighting and the air traffic control, and planes can land. Outgoing planes are grounded because the baggage checking and other security devices are down.

[Gman]

1. Right Wing domestic terrorists strike again

wanna bet?

[Kimber Scott]

2. We had a rash of big transformer fires here this summer and a smaller

transformer for a mall caught fire the other day. I always wonder if it's all just a "test" for a massive black out.

[Syncronaut Seven]

19. Transformer fires are caused by overloads

No investment in infrastructure + overloaded circuits = Many transformer fires. No conspiracy here.

Now, That said, where I live we have had nearly 20 radio tower fires in the last 6 months. There's even video of the perp. No arrest yet.

[Kimber Scott]

21. According to the utility company at the time of the fires that was not the

case. Now, I haven't followed up on it, but they could have been trying to cover their own butts for not spending the money on upgrades when they needed to, but it seemed the cause was left at "unknown."

[jazzfan]

3. What the?

These people will stop at nothing.

[aquart]

12. At the moment, we have NO idea who "these people" are.

So keep the torches and the tar and feathers back for a moment.

[classof56]

27. Welcome to DU...

from another jazz fan. Keep saying the mantra:

DEFEAT BUSH!!

[Ruby Romaine]

4. link?

[theshadow]

5. Sorry, no link...

.... and CNN and MSNBC don't have it yet either. This was just carried on the local station, complete with live video. It looks like it was one tower.

[Moderator]

6. Your friendly moderator has a link

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/9880024.htm

[Ruby Romaine]

7. no mention of terraists-

interesting how tv & radio can get away with spreading panic for rovepublicans!

[Moderator]

8. If this turns out to be just wires down

this thread will be locked. Also it is not a good idea to post announcements of things seen on t.v. in LBN anyway.
Waiting for a link is always the best practice.

[theshadow]

9. Ladies and gentlemen...

.... the AP story from Duluth refered to the original outage, the cause of which was not made public until just before I posted the original message. I saw the live video of a tower down, along with the "breaking news" from WE Energies and ATC about notifying the FBI. And I know about waiting for a link, but I thought it was important enough- and adequately verified- to post.

[Eloriel]

22. Is that a new policy?

Or something the mods dreamed up. (I think I need to go read the current LBN Rules for Posting.)

That never used to be the case. If it is a new policy, I personally don't care for it. I WANT to see breaking news here in LBN -- I WANT to know when CNN or MSNBC or some other news source has just announced an earthquake or a plane crash or other big doin's well before any link is available.

Now, if ya'll want to do something positive, get rid of the celeb deaths from LBN. No, make that celeb news in general.

And yes, I know this discussion is preferrably done in Ask Admin.

[Eloriel]

23. Nope, not in there

Thousands of people use the DU Latest Breaking News forum as their primary source for news. Please do not "dilute" the forum by starting threads that are not news.

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[54anickel]

10. "Since the weather was calm"? Yeah, but it was pretty dang breezy

last night. Nothing on the local channel websites yet either. HA, but Duluth has a story - go figure. Can't get to the airport's site or webcam (no power for that non-essential stuff I suppose).

[theshadow]

11. Link (Updated Info)

And it's so stupid... the local Milwaukee newspaper/NBC station don't have it, but Duluth does (again).

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/breaking_news/9880024.htm

[Ruby Romaine]

13. bolts missing? maybe it's from hiring cheap non-union labor!?

[crossroads]

14. You got that right!

:eyes:

[mbperrin]

17. Just saw this...no new info, but maybe the story is spreading...

Transmission Tower Falls, Thousands Without Power

http://www.cbs58.com/cbsdata.cgi?_dhweb=form&_lt23r=home&kv=headlinenews.headlinenew_id=6068

Milwaukee -- About 17-thousand WE Energies customers were without power Saturday night.
Mitchell International Airport had to use its backup generator and security screening equipment was shut down by the outage. (a little more, really short story)

[no one in particular]

15. Sounds similar to a story from last year...

"Alleged power line saboteur arrested"

http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/02/transmission.tampering.ap/

[burrowowl]

24. Ah! A few loose bolts!

Where is the loctite?

[uncle ray]

16. realize that

no matter how closely they guard power plants, etc. as long as we have the shitty electrical grid that allowed the giant east coast blackout, any five year old has the capability to take down a major chunk of the system. ANYBODY can make towers fall almost anywhere they so chose. nothing but nuts and bolts holding them to their footings, remove 3 of every four bolts, and wait for a moderately windy day...

[Viking12]

20. Decentralized, Distributed Utilities

The only way to be terra-safe (on more than one level).

[BiggJawn]

18. Power outage here, too last night.

A "Transformer fire" caused by a-get THIS-"Errant Squirrel" knocked out juice to most of West Lafayette for almost 8 hours.

the lights blinked in my shop just before 5, and when I came up 1/2 an hour later, it was bedlam...Traffic snarls, and I'll just BET the thrift store had a 63CM Bianchi sitting there for $12....

[fortyfeetunder]

25. Oh #*$()&,!!!

I'm traveling there in a few days...I hope this was an isolated event and not a harbinger for things to come.

What I do know is a certain Iraqi official was supposed to visit Milwaukee this week for a conference but that trip was cancelled....

[Ima]

26. CNN

I live close to one of the towers with missing bolts. We went to see it and DH said they could have used another kind of bolt that can't be undone without a special tool. It would cost $5.oo per tower.

[Karenina]

28. Ah, capitalism!