Latest news with #AHPS
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Covington Middle School faces ongoing delays following carbon monoxide leak
COVINGTON, Va. (WFRX) – Covington Middle School continues to delay the return of students and staff after a carbon monoxide investigation that caused an evacuation on January 31. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Covington Emergency Services, and local first responders confirmed that a gas oven and a ventilation system were not working to standards leading to the release of carbon monoxide. The oven and ventilation system were removed from the school, and the board of supervisors hired independent contractors to assess the building before students and staff return. 'All of those involved are working to be very thorough, and we appreciate the patience and grace of our students, staff, and community,' said AHPS leaders Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson. 'Important Information' on the main page, AHPS features 'CMS January 31 FAQ and other Documents.' Of particular interest is 'Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the January 31st Evacuation.' The document is updated regularly as part of AHPS' efforts to keep the community informed. Questions can be submitted to AHPSinfo@ 'We thank our community for its support as we continue to move forward with our investigations. We appreciate the support and help,' Halterman and Snead-Johnson said. Students will continue remote instruction until the school is cleared to open. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tree branch falls on Callaghan Elementary School bus, no injuries reported
COVINGTON, Va. (WFXR) — Alleghany Highlands Public Schools has reported that a school bus was damaged by a falling tree branch on February 6. AHPS officials said that around 9:25 a.m. on Thursday, a school bus carrying students on its way to Callaghan Elementary was hit by a large branch that fell from a tree near the intersection of Natural Well Road and East Morris Hill Road. Campbell County School bus involved in crash, minor injuries reported No injuries have currently been reported. 'The incident was reported immediately, and all protocols of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools were properly followed. AHPS staff responded immediately following these protocols. As is also the practice of AHPS, families were notified.' The school said the bus only sustained minor damage and is still safe for use. For more information, you can visit or their Facebook at AHPublicSchools and Instagram at ahpublicschools. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Covington Middle School moves to virtual learning while building assessed for safety
ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS, Va. (WFXR) – Alleghany Highlands Public Schools has announced Covington Middle School is moving to virtual learning while the building is assessed for safety after a malfunctioning exhaust system was discovered in January. School officials have released the following statement to families and staff, 'Dear Families and Staff, We are writing to provide you with the latest update regarding the situation at Covington Middle School. We are providing you with regular updates to make sure everyone has accurate information. We have worked tirelessly to address the situation at CMS since it was first brought to our attention on Friday, January 31. The Alleghany Highlands Public Schools Division now plans to implement virtual learning for CMS students so that a thorough assessment of potential safety concerns at the school can continue. No other school is affected. As you know, the school has been closed since a concern was reported to administrators on January 31. It was later discovered that an oven in the cafeteria kitchen and an exhaust system was not functioning properly, causing carbon monoxide to be released. ORIGINAL STORY | 'Unrecognizable odor' causes Covington Middle School to evacuate While the school has been closed, AHPS administrators have been in discussions about the safety of students and staff while also meeting their instructional needs. As a result, virtual learning will be implemented for a short period, beginning Monday, February 10. Chromebooks will be distributed to students for online learning, and AHPS instructional leaders are planning for the continuation of learning. More information on Chromebooks will be released soon. AHPS is also making arrangements for CMS students to pick up meals. Information on meals can be found here: AHPS CMS Meal Pick-Up Schedule. In the meantime, AHPS is bringing in contractors to assess the CMS building. A primary focus will be an environmental study, along with inspections of the mechanical and engineering systems. The natural gas oven has been removed from the building and a gas line has been capped. Our investigation found that the ventilation hood system that would normally exhaust fumes to the outside was not operating properly, causing carbon monoxide to be released and detected in the kitchen and cafeteria. Even though an extensive investigation occurred at CMS on January 31, this was not detected until the afternoon of Sunday, February 2. Those responding to the situation included the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), the Covington and Alleghany County emergency managers and their teams, an independent vendor, the gas utility company, and numerous AHPS staff members. Crews have remained at the school this week to continue with the assessment. VDEM and local first responders have declared CMS free of carbon monoxide and natural gas. However, AHPS wants to take every step possible to ensure the safety of students and staff before they are welcomed back to the building. We will not resume in-person learning until we are 100 percent sure the building is safe. As a reminder, several resources are available on the AHPS website, at These include the AHPSinfo@ email account that is being used to assist with related questions and to collect information individuals may wish to share with the division. It is the function of the Virginia Department of Health to assess public health situations, and the agency is in contact with LewisGale Hospital-Alleghany Alleghany and AHPS leaders. Division leadership initiated contact with VDH and is very grateful for the agency's support. We will continue to provide updates on this situation at Please note that the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page is updated routinely, and we have added information from Johns Hopkins University to support you in locating health information. Thank you for your continued attention and support. As always, we want our students to receive a quality educational experience in a safe and welcoming learning environment.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Unrecognizable odor' causes Covington Middle School to evacuate
COVINGTON, Va. (WFXR) — Students at Covington Middle School were evacuated on January 31 after an odor was detected throughout the school. According to school officials, around 2:15 p.m. on Friday, an 'unrecognizable odor' was detected prompting an orderly evacuation of students and staff as a safety precaution. 'We are very, very pleased by the swift action of many community members to cooperate and help us get our students home under unusual circumstances,' said Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, leaders of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools. Flu-like illnesses force three schools into multiple-day closures The decision was advised by the Covington Department of Public Works and students were relocated to the Covington Recreation Center near the school. The origin of the odor remains under investigation. 'Our staff will always prioritize student safety. We are thankful for our community's trust and understanding especially when we must take action to evacuate while also messaging families about details surrounding situations like these. We work diligently to keep students safe, and families informed,' Halterman and Snead-Johnson added. AHPS families are encouraged to monitor AHPS communications which are updated on Facebook at AHPublicSchools and Instagram at ahpublicschools. You can also find information at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
