Nothing can change a day in a newspaper office more than a power outage.

As this reporter arrived around 8:30 a.m. Oct. 1 to the Parkland Press office, 1633 N. 26th St., South Whitehall Township, I learned the power in the area went out around 7:30 a.m.

After tracking down a PPL electric utility truck driven by Brian Walter, a lineman with the company, the cause of the outage was revealed.

“A squirrel took out the line,” Walter said.

“It climbed on top of the transformer and was electrocuted.”

Walter said when the squirrel climbed onto the transformer in the 1500 block of 28th Street, it tripped the switch before being knocked to the ground.

“The power outage has affected 140 customers in the area,” Walter stated.

Soon, PPL lineman Kyle Bushner flipped the switch at the corner of Walbert Avenue and 25 Street and power was restored to customers around 9:30 a.m.