Downtown power fails again

Power to portions of downtown failed Thursday after a tree branch on Washington St. tripped a fuse when it came in contact with an electrical line.

City crews had to replace the fuse and trim the branch from the power line.

Businesses along two blocks of Main St. — Marion Dry Cleaning and Laundry, Marion Auto Supply, Flaming’s Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning, Central National Bank, Arlie’s Collision Specialists, and Lanning Pharmacy among them — had no electricity from 10:30 to 11:35 a.m.

The fuse was on a section of old 2400-volt electrical lines the city has been working for years to replace. When power surges, fuses trip and shut off sections of power.

“It’s like a fuse in your house; it gets kicked out,” city administrator Roger Holter said.