Sewer line break prompts school to end early

Sewage backed up at Fulton High School

About 600 high school students were released at 12:30 p.m. Thursday after a sewer line separated, causing sewage to back up at Fulton High School.

Fulton School Superintendent Jacque Cowherd said after it was decided to end the school day, students were assembled based on areas where they lived and were assigned to a special one-time bus route to that area.

"We basically used five school buses to operate a shuttle service to take the kids home," Cowherd said. Students involved included those in grades 9 through 12.

Tim Echelmeier, director of buildings and grounds, said a sewer-line camera was inserted into the sewer line by Hornbuckle Plumbing of Fulton. "We could see where the sewer line had separated in one and perhaps two locations south of the building. All of the damage was outside of the building and underground," Echelmeier said.

Cowherd said the sewer line backed up Thursday morning into a bathroom in the business wing of the building. It caused a strong odor throughout that area of the structure.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.