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Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009

Bomb threat shortens school day for students in Twiggs

An e-mailed bomb threat sent to Twiggs County High School Friday led to an early dismissal for students at the system’s three schools.

An e-mail was sent to Twiggs County High School principal Michael Overstreet at 8:05 a.m. Friday. In it, someone using a fictitious name claimed that the school would be blown up at 1:30 p.m.

Bomb-sniffing dogs from Robins Air Force Base, Chatham County and Baldwin County didn’t find any explosive devices in the school. No one was injured in the incident.

Levi Rozier, the school system’s police chief, said law-enforcement officers have three or four suspects.

While most threats are typically made by phone, the e-mail claimed “this is not a joke,” which led authorities to take it more seriously, Rozier said.

School officials, emergency management and local law enforcement officers decided to dismiss classes.

“Because it was so long to sweep the building and the parking lot, it would’ve disrupted the school day,” Rozier said. “It’s better to be safe.”

Shortly after 9 a.m., the high school, along with the middle school that adjoins the Jeffersonville building at 375 Watson Drive, was evacuated.

Parents were called and buses ran early. Nearby students at Jeffersonville Elementary were also dismissed for the day.

It was the first bomb threat in Twiggs in at least five years, Rozier said.

He theorized that possible motives for the threat could have included a black history program at the high school scheduled for Friday morning.

Also, the Twiggs County school superintendent, Franklin Perry, was fired earlier this week by the school board, and Perry was serving his last day.

If a student was involved, he or she would face expulsion, Rozier said.

To contact writer Julie Hubbard, call 744-4331.