Published Saturday, December 19, 2009

Meriwether evacuates 5 schools after telephone bomb threats

The Newnan Times-Herald

Five Meriwether County schools were evacuated Friday afternoon after receiving telephoned bomb threats, according to Martha Ann Todd, assistant superintendent for School Improvement for the Meriwether County Schools.

Todd said bomb threats were received at Unity Elementary in Luthersville, George E. Washington Elementary in Woodbury, Manchester Middle School, Manchester High School and Greenville High School.

After the threats were received, authorities were notified and the Meriwether County Sheriff's Office led a search of the threatened schools. Local police departments in affected municipalities were also investigating, Todd said.

Once the threats were received, the schools followed established emergency procedures and evacuated students from the schools, moving them to previously designated areas to wait until the threats could be assessed and dealt with, Todd said.

Most evacuated students were held on buses until they could be safely returned to their schools and sent home as usual. Many students were likely to be delayed going home by the action.

By 3 p.m. Friday, some schools had been cleared of any bomb threat and students were being returned to follow normal end-of-day schedules, according to Todd. Searches of the remaining schools were still under way at 3 p.m.

Friday was the last day of school for Meriwether County students and teachers before Christmas break. Todd was not aware of who made the threats and said law enforcement agencies were conducting a thorough investigation of all circumstances surrounding the incident.