On Thursday, repair crews arrived at Don Phillips Field in the Jessieville School District to begin the process of disassembling the stadium light poles that were damaged by the powerful tornado that struck the area on Monday. The safety of the crew and the community was the top priority as the team worked to carefully remove the damaged poles, three of which were bent in half by the EF1 tornado that had winds reaching over 100 mph.
The tornado, which struck at 2:38 p.m. on Monday, caused significant damage to the field and surrounding area. In addition to the bent light poles, the bleachers and press box were also damaged and will need to be repaired. Despite the destruction, no injuries were reported.
District Superintendent Melissa Speers will hold a news conference at 2:30 p.m. on Friday in front of the school’s rock building near the campus entrance to provide updates on the damage caused by the tornado and to discuss the plans for repairing and rebuilding the field. The community is invited to attend the conference and to show their support for the school and its students.
In the aftermath of the tornado, the school district and community have come together to support one another and to begin the process of recovery. As a sign of hope and resilience, a “Prayer of Gratitude” will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the same location where the news conference will be held. All members of the community are invited to attend and to come together in solidarity and thanksgiving.
The Jessieville School District has been working to make necessary repairs to its campus following a recent incident that left several light poles damaged. Chief of Police Paul Riley announced on Thursday that the damaged light poles represented the last significant area on campus that was deemed unsafe. In order to ensure the safety of students and staff, the school district has been working to repair the light poles as a priority.
Riley explained that a large crane arrived on Wednesday afternoon in preparation for the repair work, which began on Thursday morning. Of the four light poles on campus, three had been knocked over, while the fourth appeared to have suffered some structural damage. The extent of the damage to the fourth pole would be assessed further on Thursday.
The repair process is expected to take several days, with Riley noting that the team is taking things “moment by moment.” Safety is the top concern, and the school district will take as long as necessary to ensure that the campus is safe for students and staff.
To remove the damaged light poles, a boom crane was being used to make the necessary cable connections. The larger crane would then hoist the poles up and remove them from the campus. Once the poles were removed, they would be disassembled on the ground and placed onto a trailer for transportation away from the school.
According to a statement from the school, the installation of new lights for the football field will be delayed to a later date as part of a separate phase of the project. This decision was made in response to the recent storm that caused extensive damage to the school’s facilities, including the football field, which was named after the football coach in 2007 after the team’s undefeated 15-0 season. The field sustained damage to the concession stand, scoreboard, bleachers, and track under construction. The band building on campus, located below the field, also experienced significant roof damage, leading to water entering the building. Some parts of the elementary school and cafeteria suffered minor exterior damage as well.
Due to the recent storm, the school district dismissed classes on Tuesday and implemented Alternative Methods of Instruction for the rest of the week in order to assess the damage and allow time for cleaning up the campus. The school officials stated that their primary focus is on ensuring the safety of the buildings before students return to in-person learning on Monday. It is currently unclear when the new lights for the football field will be installed, as this decision will likely be reassessed in the future. The process of phasing in the new lighting system may be adjusted as needed.