News : 'The Leaning Tower of Vinton' brings crews to LEC building site

A worker seeks to adjust bolts on the Benton Co. 911 tower, which was leaning 1 degree SSE.

The tower was leaning one degree south-southeast, as determined by surveying crew from RC Systems.

Workers correct the leaning tower problem Friday morning at LEC job site in Vinton.

The tower is straightened by adjust the bolts that secure it to the concrete pillars.

You probably could not tell by looking, but the radio tower that rises above the Benton County Law Enforcement Center has been leaning.

Not much — only a degree to the south-southeast — but enough to cause concerns.

"Its the Leaning Tower of Vinton," said Sheriff Randy Forsyth as he watched workers from Radio Communications correcting the problem.

"We don't know how long it's been leaning," said the sheriff. "Maybe it was caused by the flood, or maybe it has been leaning the whole time.

Workers were correcting the problem by adjusting the large bolts that support the tower.

There are two main concerns about having a tower leaning, said Forsyth.

First, a tower that leans a little will soon be leaning more, as the force of gravity adds uneven weight to the support. Second, excavation crews will be digging near the concrete that supports the tower as they build the foundation for the LEC. That could cause additional pressure.

Workers expect to have the problem solved soon.