Weekend storm damages church steeple

<br>MCALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ A violent thunderstorm has destroyed a steeple on a 1940s church. <br><br>The steeple of St. John's Catholic Church toppled onto a sidewalk and street Sunday. Authorities

Monday, May 13th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MCALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ A violent thunderstorm has destroyed a steeple on a 1940s church.

The steeple of St. John's Catholic Church toppled onto a sidewalk and street Sunday. Authorities were unsure whether lightning struck the steeple or if wind caused the damage.

The church was built more than a half-century ago and held its first mass on Christmas Eve 1948, said church secretary Diane Willis.

Heavy lightning caused power outages in other parts of the McAlester area as the storm swept through Sunday.

About 100 homes in nearby Krebs and 60 houses near Arpelar were without power, said Frank Phillips of AEP/PSO.