Utility company provides local phone number

(McAlester-AP) -- McAlester area residents who are still without electricity again have a local telephone number to call to report problems.

American Electric Power-P-S-O has set up the local telephone number to operate through today.

City Manager Randy Green asked for the local number after a flood of calls to the city's police department jammed the phone lines.

Green says the city is providing temporary office space for the A-E-P-P-S-O employee who is answering the calls.

Utility spokesman Frank Phillips says the company is still encouraging customers to report problems by calling a toll-free number that's available.

The local number is 423-2452, good through 5:00 p-m.

Toll free number to report outages is 1-888-218-3919.

To report weatherheads or boxes restored 1-888-216-3523