SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP, ALLEN COUNTY, Ohio (WLIO) - Last Friday’s intense windstorm caused significant damage to trees and homes and also damaged a historic and beloved Shawnee symbol.
On the roof of Shawnee Middle School sits a 100-year-old light tower that was constructed with the building in 1926. During the windstorm, Shawnee Superintendent Don Diglia noticed broken plexiglass in the parking lot. Diglia looked up and saw that it had come from the light tower. He also observed the structure and the hanging light swinging as the wind caused the tower to shift.
The movement raised safety concerns, resulting in adjusted arrival and dismissal patterns for the middle school. Diglia said the goal is to remove the tower from the roof on Wednesday, pending crew availability. He also said the district plans to preserve the community-loved tower.
"At the moment, it would probably be unlikely to put it back in place because we're going to have to take the base down that it's on right now, and I think it's more important now that we preserve it for future generations and maybe having it displayed somewhere inside. And with a little bit of luck, hopefully we have a new building to replace this building very soon so we're able to show that off in a very predominant place," says Don Diglia, Superintendent, Shawnee Local Schools.
As a precaution, the main doors to the original 1926 school building remain closed.
