ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 12, 1996 TAG: 9603120068
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Northside High School students went home early Monday because a power outage caused the heat and water to go off.
The school will reopen on schedule today.
The school was closed at 11 a.m. after the temperature dipped into the 50s in some classrooms, and there was no water for cafeteria workers to prepare lunch.
The problem was caused by blown fuses on an American Electric Power line that serves the Roanoke County school and about 50 customers in the North Lakes neighborhood.
Electricity to the school, including power for the water pumps for its boiler, was cut off about 7:30 a.m..
Terry McMahan, district manager for AEP, said fuses sometimes blow because a bird or other animal gets on a line or other equipment. The company plans further checks to determine the cause, he said.
AEP replaced the fuses and restored service in about 50 minutes. But when the power was turned back on, school maintenance workers couldn't reset some circuit breakers for the school's water pumps, said James Gallion, assistant superintendent for schools.
Gallion said it took workers awhile to correct the problem and rewire the breakers.
When it became apparent the problems wouldn't be solved quickly, school officials decided to send the students home because it was such a cold day, Gallion said.
``When the building gets that cold, it takes time for it to heat back up,'' he said.
Power also was cut off to nearby Northside Middle School, but the school didn't have any problem with its water pumps when electricity was restored and the building heated up quickly, Gallion said.
The high school won't have to make up the day because it can use ``banked time'' to offset the lost hours, Gallion said.
LENGTH: Short : 43 linesby CNB