Marion Worker Fixing Paper Jam Gets Attacked By Bat

MARION (CBS) - The Marion Town House is well over 100 years old, and an historic treasure, but it's got a rather spooky problem: a large population of bats. Hundreds of them have taken up residence in the attic.

"The majority of bats are in the conference room here in the attic above the ceiling here," says Marion Selectman Chair Jody Dickerson.

Dickerson says the problem was discovered when a town worker tried to fix a paper jam in the copy machine and paid the price.

"As she opened the drawer to remove the jammed paper, unknown to her a bat scratched her or bit her in the hand," Dickerson says. The bat tested negative for rabies.

Once the bats find a good spot for a home, they can be tough to get rid of. The town has called in a wildlife expert to humanely get rid of the colony.

"They have been working on the building putting a netting on the outside where they believe they have been coming in, allowing the bats to fly out, but it will not allow them to fly back in," Dickerson says.