Tower Falls At McAlester Prison

Associated Press

McALESTER, Oklahoma. (AP) -- A repeater radio tower has toppled at a southeastern Oklahoma prison, limiting the facility's long-range communication capability and threatening a nearby building.

The McAlester News-Capital reports that no injuries were reported after the tower collapsed on Friday morning at the Jackie Brannon Correctional Center.

Ricky Haywood, the prison's chief of security, says it's not clear what caused the tower to fall. The tower stands behind the prison's central transport building and officials say that building could be in danger.

Haywood says the tower is used by the prison and the nearby Oklahoma State Penitentiary for long-range radio communications. For the time being, Haywood says the prisons will have only short-distance radio communication capability.