RACINE — The lights on Racine's iconic WRJN radio tower have been dark for nearly two months, prompting questions from concerned and curious neighbors.
The more than 300-foot tower sits prominently in the middle of Racine and is somewhat of a landmark, which means the outage isn't going unnoticed.
Watch: Progress is being made to restore the WRJN tower lights as residents notice outage
"We get calls from the neighbors all the time. 'Your tower lights are out,'" said Chris Moreau, WRJN president.
Paula O'Brien-Slaastad, who lives across the street from the tower, first noticed the missing lights about two months ago.
"I said, 'Shouldn't that tower have a light on it?" O'Brien-Slaastad said. "And then I thought, 'I'm gonna have to call FAA and find out.'"
The Federal Aviation Administration is aware of the outage, and pilots flying in the area are being notified through a Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM, that has been active since August 28.
The NOTAM is currently in place until November 28 while WRJN works to repair the tower following what appears to be lightning damage.
"That thing gets hit by lightning several times a year," Moreau said.
As the tower was built in 1947, the repair will also come with some upgrades, including LED lights, which Moreau said will be "even brighter and easier to maintain."
"They’re being manufactured right now to fit the specs of this tower," Moreau said. "With everything as far as shipping and wiring and electronics, we don’t know how long it’ll take."
For Moreau, the tower holds personal significance beyond its practical purpose. He remembers watching the tower's lights as a kid.
"I would sit in my room at night, and I could see from my bedroom window the tower beacon flashing on and off," he said. "And the magic of radio for a kid, who's seen that tower beacon flash and send out the sound, it fascinated me."
Now, he's ready to see it return.
"I’m anxious for it to come back. I can’t wait to see what the new LED light is gonna look like from my mom and dad’s old house," he said.
O'Brien-Slaastad also misses the familiar sight.
"Looking at the stars ... and then you're like, 'Wait a minute, there's something else in the sky that's, you know, not there right now," she said.
If repairs are not completed by November 28, WRJN will need to notify the FAA to extend the NOTAM.
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