In Sep. 4-10 issue
By Greg Wells
Times Journal Managing Editor

RUSSELL SPRINGS - There were some loud noises, which concerned officials at the Russell County Middle School, which lead to an inspection resulted in children being moved from a classroom and immediate shoring up of the roof's truss system.

“There are about six 2x4s that had twisted or popped,” said Superintended Scott Pierce. “If this had happened at midnight we may never have known about it.”

He explained that there was no discernable change in the ceiling or in the roof.

“There was never any chance of the ceiling or the roof collapsing,” he added.

But he said they preferred to be protective of the children and will not be allowing children back in the classroom in that area, while more work is done and a structural engineer was called in to inspect the situation, and get to the bottom of the cause.

He said the old timbers that snapped are not supporting the new roof of the school, nor are those bearing any significant load.

“We’re trying to figure out why they did that,” Pierce said.

He said some specialists called in from a local construction company said it could possibly have been a delayed effect of the earthquake earlier this year.

Those studs have been replaced now with steel support columns for the time being, Pierce said, adding that they are far stronger than the lumber was when it was new.

They have detected no other changes anywhere in the original or the new sections of the building, but the engineer was to be doing an inspection Wednesday to make sure there are no problems.