By Tanner Mauk and Travis Small

On Wednesday, April 16, a light pole fell during strong winds and damaged an unoccupied car in the AHS parking lot. . AHS Principal Heather McKay said that the incident happened between 3 and 3:30 p.m. in the AHS north lot. McKay also said that by around 5 p.m. on Wednesday the shattered glass was all cleaned up, the car was moved, and the power was shut off to the light. Cones were also set up around the light pole for safety.

Val Stickler, the guidance counselor for Washington Elementary, is the owner of the car. She was attending the weekly teacher inservice when the pole flattened the 2013 Ford Fiesta. Stickler’s reaction to the pole on her car is different than you might imagine:  “I was surprised but yet not surprised. I wasn’t mad at all and was glad that nobody was hurt.” The Ford Fiesta is said to be totaled and was taken to the Atlantic Community School bus barn. Stickler was then given a school vehicle to drive.

AHS art teacher Pat Wiederien said  she was looking out the window a few hours before the accident happened. She could see the flags from the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church across the road blowing. She said to her students, “Look how windy it is outside. Even the light pole is swaying.” History teacher Terry Hinzman also noticed light poles swaying so he moved his truck after fourth period to where it couldn’t be damaged by a falling light pole. He thought to do so because he heard of past experiences of light pole boxes falling from the wind onto cars.

The pole remains in the parking lot surrounded by cones and will remain this way until the students leave for their three-day weekend.