Wanda English Burnett - Editor

The safety of students at Milan schools is top priority as was evidenced when personnel took the threat of a bomb seriously last Friday.

“I was alerted by the high school principal about 1:00 on Friday,” began Milan School Superintendent Andrew Jackson, adding, “Police were called and the students were evacuated with everything going according to plan.”

Jackson said the threat was written on a restroom wall saying the bomb would go off on 2-2-07 at 2:30 p.m. “We looked at the tape (surveillance) outside the restroom and we’re pretty confident who the suspect(s) could be.”

The school was thoroughly searched with the Indiana State Police Bomb Squad and other state troopers along with Sheriff Tom Grills and Town Marshal Gary Skaggs participating.

The students were dismissed at 3:06 as usual, according to Jackson. A letter was sent home with the students explaining what had happened. “I would rather parents know first hand than to hear it from a source that might not be accurate,” Jackson told the Osgood Journal Monday morning. The letter read in part, “The safety of our children is of utmost importance. These types of threats are taken very seriously.” The investigation into this matter will continue and when the perpetrators are discovered, they will be dealt with in a most severe manner. They will face penalties from the school and also from the judicial system.”

Saying this is the first time he’s ever had to enact the safety policy for evacuation due to a bomb threat, Jackson said everything went according to plan and he praised the staff and police for their help. Jackson has been a School Safety Specialist since 1999 and noted that “the training paid off.”

Sgt. Noel Houze Jr. of the Indiana State Police, Versailles Post, noted that the investigation is ongoing.