OCR Text |
Show North Sanpete School District Superintendent Dennis Mower consoled faculty and students evacuated following a bomb threat last Wednesday at North Sanpete High School in Mt. Pleasant. A similar bomb scare occurred almost simultaneously at the districts middle school in Moroni. A joint investigation is being conducted by the Sanpete Sheriffs Office and Mt. Pleasant Police Department to determine the identity of a young male caller who alerted faculty at both schools that explosives were in the buildings. A search by law enforcement officers and trained explosives dogs failed to locate any bombs. MT. PLEASANT, UTAH Volume 102 84647 - March 2, 1994 Number Nine Price $.50 Schools taken hostage by prank bomb threat . MT. PLEASAN- T- North Sanpete High and Middle School students were back in class last Thursday after Wednesday afternoon bomb threats forced evacuation at both locations. An investigation, coordinated between the Sanpete County Sheriffs office and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department is underway to determine the identity and motive of what sounded like a young male who called the high school around 1:45 p.m. saying "Theres a bomb in the school," then hung up. The incident was repeated five or ten minutes later when the middle school received the same threat. About a dozen officers from the Sheriffs Department and Ephraim, Fairview and Mt. Pleasant police departments converged at the high school within minutes of the call. Mt. Pleasant Police Chief Kay Larsen took charge of the scene with additional back-u- p from Central Utah Correctional Facility officers who brought an explosive-sniffin- g dog. school district administrators following the anonymous bomb threat. Teachers were informed about the "fire drill" over the schools intercom and students were given a explanation of which exit to use. A student reported they were told to leave personal belongings, According to Mt. Pleasant including coats and books, in their lockers and on their desks, Police Chief Kay Larsen, approxneedwith the understanding that they were man 40 hours imately ' the ed to respond to and ultimately would be allowed to clear the building following the building after the drill. The building was not secured bomb threat at the high school. until about 6:30 that night. Central Utah Correctional Members of the girls basketball team were upset because they Facility canine officers and members of the SWAT team convened needed to practice for Thursdays at the scene following an "orderly state tournament in Cedar City. evacuation." Girls softball tryouts scheduled Chief Larsen said he met with for Wednesday afternoon had to the high school principal and be postponed; some of the girls had brought their mitts to school and had stored them in then-lockers- . Local officers searched the building following the evacuation and found nothing out of place, Chief Larsen commented. A second search with the dog team was unable to locate any explosives. Middle school Sanpete County Sheriff Wallace Buchanan was in charge of the episode at the middle school, assisted by three deputies, Moroni Police Chief Emil Cluff, and four members of Sanpete Search and Rescue who helped with crowd and traffic control and blocked off streets. Evacuation of the middle school was orderly and without incident, noted Principal Phil Johnson who said the process took about five minutes. The fire alarm wasnt triggered so student panic could be avoided. Each teacher was personally informed of the situation, then classes were dismissed one at a time. Students were instructed to place their books in their lockers, get their coats and leave the building. They stood outside with teachers until buses arrived to take them home. re-ent- er , i More time MANT- I- Legislation is pending, and presumed to be passed before the end of this legislative session, lengthening candidates, filing dates for the upcoming November elections, according to Sanpete County Clerk Kristine F. Christiansen. If passed, the new filing period would change from March 10 through 17, to March 7 through 17. . Those planning to run in y races will have the option to either file with the county clerks office for the county in which they reside, or with the Lieutenant Governors office. Further information will be available through Ms. Christiansen at because they, themselves, can set off a bomb. He also mentioned that the youngsters shouldnt have gone to their lockers before leaving the building and says he would like to hold training classes for school personnel and students. North Sanpete School District Assistant Superintendent James Thornton said that the Board of Education is offering a minimum reward of $200 for information on the callers identity; the amount could increase depending A search began in the band upon the quality of the tip. He room where instruments are taken stressed that informants identities home at night and brought back would be completely anonymous. A meeting is scheduled tomorin the morning. Nothing was found during the search which row with district principals to continued until 8 p.m. when all establish bomb-threprocedures. classrooms and lockers had been Thornton said they may ask checked. experts to be included in a follow-up BuchanSheriff to meeting. According All in all, the episode had no an and CUCF Officer John Christensen, they could only monetary impact upon the school report that nothing was found, district, he said; however, the which doesnt mean it was "all cost to state law enforcement clear." At that point, it was up to would be substantial. Should a suspect be appreschool officials to make the judgment call on whether or not to hended in the investigation he would face local felony charges hold classes. Sheriff Buchanan added that and possible involvement through fire alarms, light switches, or any the Federal Office of Alcohol, other electronic devices should Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), never be used in these situations according to Chief Larsen. Johnson described the evacuation as "professional." Accompanied by officers, teachers who volunteered were the briefly allowed to school to secure classrooms and check for anything out of the ordinary. Sheriff Buchanan requested a dog and handler from the Salt Lake City Bomb Squad, which were flown down by the Civil Air Patrol and arrived at about 4:20 p.m. er at Jt v'Z rJSsSCSSsdSSch. . Vn'-:,- , .f ?'h th J. t v- - y x. multi-count- 835-213- 1. Weather news MT. PLEASAN- T- The Weather Station reports that for the week Feb. 21 through Feb. 27, the low temperature was six degrees on Feb. 23 and a high of 60 degrees was reached Feb. 25. Precipitation included 1.5" of snow Feb. 21 which equalled .06", 1" of snow Feb. 22, which equalled .05", and .15" of rain and snow Feb. 27 for a total of .26" total. (Weather reading taken at 9 p.m.) Wind was generally north or northwesterly to southeast at 19 mph Feb. 22, 13 mph Feb. 26, and 14 mph Feb. 27. ch r . a ? An explosives sniffing dog and canine officers from Central Utah Correctional Facility were called last Wednesday to investigate a bomb threat at North Sanpete High School. A similar team conducted a search at the districts middle school in Moroni. An investigation is continuing to determine the cause of a fire which broke out about 8:22 p.m. Feb. 21 and completely destroyed the historic Wales elementary school. The school, which i was built in 1908 had been remodeled and was being used as a summer home. A total of 25 volunteers from Moroni, Fountain Green, and Ephraim fire departments responded |