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Inspectors Say McCracken County High School Is Safe

mccrackencountyschools.org

Building inspectors contracted through McCracken County Public Schools say concerns raised at last week’s school board meeting about the safety of the newly-completed McCracken County High School are without merit.

Bacon, Farmer and Workman Engineering and Testing Vice President Ronald Bacon said the school has passed a battery of tests.

“We’ve been out there pretty much on a daily basis since they broke ground,” Bacon said. “We’ve got boxes and boxes of inspection reports and this thing’s been watched. Special inspections required by the building code are very detailed.”

Worker's Freedom Coalition, based out of Grand Haven, Mich., is the group claiming the school is unsafe. Coalition spokesman Will Randolph said Lamar Construction had uncertified welders on the job, which led to shoddy construction, causing a partially-assembled frame to collapse in 2011 . Bacon said none of the steel involved in the initial collapse remains at the site, and the 2011 collapse was caused by high winds.

MCPS released a statement saying they have complete confidence in the building's integrity.

The consolidated high school opens its doors August 9.

John Null is the host and creator of Left of the Dial. From 2013-2016, he also served as a reporter in the WKMS newsroom.
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