Hundreds in Ellsworth lose electricity

Starting at 2:34 p.m. today, 1,376 homes and businesses throughout the village of Ellsworth lost electricity, Xcel Energy reported.

“The cause was animal contact — a squirrel — on a piece of equipment,” Xcel spokeswoman Liz Wolf Green said.

Power has not yet been restored, but according to details on Xcel’s website, it is expected to be restored by about 4:04 p.m. today.