SUICIDAL SQUIRREL SENDS PUPILS HOME

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 5, 1993                   TAG: 9302050292
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
SUICIDAL SQUIRREL SENDS PUPILS HOME
Students at Patrick Henry High School got an unexpected vacation day on Thursday because of a power outage.
Richard Kelly, executive for business with Roanoke schools, said the problem was caused by a squirrel. The furry culprit chewed through the insulation of the main power source to the school.
Appalachian Power Co. spokeswoman Victoria Ratcliff said the critter got to the wire outside the school at 8:34 a.m., a minute before classes began. No homes were affected.
When Apco investigated, school officials were told the problem could not be fixed in a few hours. Kelly said they decided to send the students home because the school had no lights, the phones didn't work and no hot lunches could be served.
Although the school has an emergency generator, Kelly said it wasn't powerful enough to support the entire school for the day.
Power was expected to be restored Thursday night, and Kelly said classes would resume today.
As for the squirrel, Ratcliff said: "They found his dead furry little body nearby."

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB