Welcome to this week’s edition of cell tower industry news, created by Jarad Matula and brought to you by Towercrews.net.
Couple sues American Tower
One couple in West Virginia is mad as hell and not going to to take it anymore. They filed a lawsuit against American Tower and their next door neighbor citing “private nuisance.” Apparently American Tower struck a deal with their next door neighbor to build a whopping 305-foot tower on their property. The couple were unaware of the deal until construction began and a blinking light on their property line began incessantly blinking, disturbing them at night. They are seeking halt of the tower construction altogether, as well as compensatory damages and attorney fees. This seems incredibly silly, but people’s tower complaints seem to be taken more seriously than complaints about other things, so we’ll see as the story develops.
$50K tower damage
When a severe storm tears through an area, towers are likely targets to take intense damage given their height and similarity to a lightning rod. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened in Columbia County, N.Y.. Three weeks ago a storm hit the county and lightning struck the area’s main cell tower, causing more than $50,000 worth of damage to the equipment on the tower.
For those tech heads out there, Columbia County 911 Director Rob Lopez details what had to be replaced. “One of the main things damaged was our dispatch consoles’ backroom equipment (Motorola 5500),” according to Lopez. “We lost nine (digital audio processor) modules, four (console processor) modules and one dual DAP module.” A linear polling engine, extender and several voice cards were also damaged. Fortunately, everything was covered by insurance and will be replaced soon, though Lopez added that the area has had to “limp along” as far as connectivity and coverage.
Tower data could prove man’s innocence
While we too often hear about the invasion of privacy technology and cellular tracking, there are also ways in which it can be useful. A suspected highway shooter in Kansas City, Mo., claims that cell tower data could prove his innocence. According to the man, he was using his phone at the time the shooting occurred, and claims that tower data can show how close he was to a certain tower and prove the physical impossibility of his being at the scene of the shooting.
The interesting nature of this case doesn’t stop there. The story says the “day of the sixth shooting.” Think about it. This means there were five previous shootings he is potentially tied to, but the sixth one wasn’t him. That’s apparently where he draws the line on accused murder. It’s just strange. In most cases I’d say use the tower data, prove the guy’s innocence, have a 21st Century “Shawshank Redemption” moment. But, if the guy’s already guilty of five, should time and money be spent to research his innocence of the sixth?
Another tower related death
A man in Brookhaven, Miss., fell to his death while working on a water tower. It may not be a cell tower, but tower climbers of all types share the pain of the loss. They know the job is not easy no matter what the structure is you’re climbing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the climber’s friends and family.
Regional/local tower news
- Covington, Ga., denies cell tower despite possible lawsuit.
- TFD, WFD rescued an ill climber from a tower in Tallahassee, Fla.
- Lookout Mountain, Tenn., steps closer to new cell tower near town hall.
- Waterbury, Conn., residents fight cell tower proposal.
- Ashfield, Mass., cell tower hearing moved to October.
- Roanoke, Va., city council approves Franklin Road cell tower.
- SBA Communications eyes school property as cell tower site in Canal Winchester, Ohio.
- Lebanon Township, N.J., might get tough on overdue cell tower rent.
- Neighbors in Crown Point, Ill., don’t want cell tower in backyard.
- Verizon sues Cape Elizabeth, Maine, over denial of cell tower.
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