Christian County Public Schools, HCC and MSU closed Monday

The school system will provide lunches, and the resource centers will be open to assist students and community members.

In the aftermath of the region’s storm damage, students of Christian County Public Schools will not attend classes Monday, and the campuses of Hopkinsville Community College and Murray State University will be closed. 

While students have the day off, CCPS staff members will report to their schools from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the district announced in a press release. 

Meals and resources offered

The school system will provide meals and other services, district officials said in a press release. 

“Monday allows us to reset and focus on the welfare, the feeding and the resources for our families and community in the wake of the storm carnage,” said Superintendent Chris Bentzel. “I am humbled by the generosity and active-care our community consistently provides each other in times of need.”

Students will be able to pick up a lunch at any school — except Pembroke, South Christian and Crofton elementary schools — between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

In addition, meals will be available at these five satellite bus distribution points:

  • LaFayette (at the four-way stop)
  • Old Lacy school
  • Crofton Elementary
  • Old Pembroke school
  • Oak Grove Community Center

Family Resource and Youth Service Centers will provide sundries, supplies and services for students and the communities they serve at most of the county’s public schools from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are three alternate sites:

  • Crofton students can go to Sinking Fork Elementary.
  • South Christian students can go to Christian County Middle School.
  • Pembroke students can go to Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. 

Schools collecting, distributing relief items

The school system is also collecting storm relief items to help people affected by the storms.

Anyone wanting to donate materials for Christian County communities can drop off donations at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School’s gym between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Residents affected by the storms can pick up relief materials at the MLK gym from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Relief materials for communities in adjacent counties (including Mayfield and Dawson Springs) can be left at Gateway Academy at the brown garage door outside the industrial maintenance classroom. 

3 elementary schools affected by storms

Pembroke Elementary School will remain closed for five days to make repairs to damages caused by the storm. 

South Christian and Crofton elementary schools did not sustain damages, but both schools are without power. They will reopen when power is restored. 

Utility outages close HCC, Murray State

All Hopkinsville Community College campuses will be closed Monday because phone and internet services are down, according to a press release. 

Murray State University’s main campus is closed until further notice because of a power outage, WKMS reported. 

Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.