By Ron Brown
 
October 28, 2009
 
WILLIAMS, Ore. -- Kids at Williams Elementary School got the day off Wednesday, thanks to a power outage that blanked out more than 900 Pacific Power customers in the Applegate Valley.
 
The outage began shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday night when a car knocked down a power pole in front of the school.
 
Power crews worked all night to restore service, but school officials were forced to turn back buses and staff before dawn.
 
"Typically, on something like that, of course, they're gonna have to replace the pole. They're gonna have to replace some of the conductors that's been damaged. And if there were other pieces of equipment, like transformers, they'd be replacing those also," Pacific Power Spokesman Monte Mendenhall said.
 
The driver of the car, 50-year-old Kylene Halliday was treated and released from Three Rivers Hospital in Grants Pass.
 
Dispatchers say the car was tangled in wires following the wreck and some of the wires kept the pole from falling down.