MOUNT VERNON — The 9-1-1 dispatching equipment damaged in a lightning strike at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office on June 27 will be replaced at a cost of $91,000.

According to Knox County EMA/9-1-1 Director Brian Hess, some of the equipment knocked out in the strike was nine years old, “borderline antiquated” by industry standards, according to Hess.

The insurance estimate to repair the equipment would cover at least $44,000 of the $91,000 cost of replacing the equipment with the latest technology.

melissa.raines@mountvernonnews.com