Bowlus trustees gave LaHarpe Telephone permission to erect a tower atop the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. USD 257 board members gave the go ahead to New Wave Broadband, a division of the LaHarpe business, at their meeting Monday afternoon. IOLA students will help observe Veterans Day this November. Veterans Day activities at the schools have been minimal in the past. Students will be given flags from donors which they will place around the town square for people to see at the parade.
At a Sept. 22 meeting David Lee of LaHarpe Telephone presented the idea of placing the tower atop the Bowlus. At that meeting Bowlus trustees said they would feel more comfortable if Lee and Bowlus executive director Susan Raines would work out an insurance agreement first.
Lee’s father, Harry Lee, owner of the company, and Raines checked into the insurance and liability.
“If something were to happen to the tower his company would cover it and what isn’t covered will be insured by our company,” Raines said.
Lee said the tower will provide fixed wireless internet service to a range of five to six miles.
The tower will be 12 to 20 feet tall. New Wave is putting up another tower on the water tower on Miller Road. Lee said he would like to have it up by the end of November or early December.
“This is something worth celebrating and acknowledging,” Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn said.
The last forum about building new schools will be at McKinley Elementary School at 7 p.m. Thursday. School officials will be on hand to answer any questions before the election on Nov. 4.
Board OKs tower to be atop Bowlus
