North Panola Superintendent Cedric Richardson issued this  letter to parents and guardians about Monday’s bomb threat to North Panola Jr. High

 

By Myra Bean

At 7:55 Monday morning, a North Panola School District employee received a bomb threat against the North Panola Jr. High School.

Both the Jr. High and Como Elementary were evacuated and students and teachers made their way to the road behind the school.

The temperature at that time was hovering a little over 40 degrees.

Emergency personnel immediately descended upon the school and the K-9 unit was bought in to check each and every room.

Around 9 a.m. the “all clear” message was delivered for the junior high school. The Elementary school’s “all clear” did not come until approximately 9:40 a.m.

Superintendent Cedric Richardson  issued a message to parents and guardians.

“We take actions like this seriously, and will not tolerate any activities that disrupt a safe school environment for our students,” Richardson wrote.

He went on to write that in conjunction with the Panola County Sheriff’s Department, there will be an increased presence of security on Tuesday.

“School and related activities will carry on as usual. We feel there is no danger to students and staff at this time,” Richardson said.

A child did get sick and was transported from the scene by ambulance, according to Como Police Chief Earl Burdette.

He said this was the first threat at the school that he had heard of this year.

Students were also encouraged to come forward with any information they may have about the incident.

Sheriff Dennis Darby said the phone number the call originated from has been sent to ATF in order to track the individual responsible.

Also assisting the school and Sheriff’s Department were the Como Police Department and Mississippi State Troopers.

A Como Elementary teacher accompanies students back to the school from where they were standing for almost an hour in response to the bomb threat.

The Panolian photos by Myra Bean