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Security Remains Tight At Wheeling Park High School

Extra safety precautions were put in place at Wheeling Park High School on Wednesday morning after a threat of violence was made against the school via an anonymous message found in a restroom on Monday.

Students entering the school in the morning had to pass through a metal detector, and all bags were searched. The process caused some delay in the start of the school day as students were being let off the buses one bus at a time to then enter the school.

Ohio County Schools officials have not released details of the threat, but have been taking measures to assure the safety of the students and staff.

School officials said there was added traffic congestion at the high school Wednesday due to parents attending the National Honor Society induction ceremony for students, and that may have slowed the process of getting people into the school.

Ohio County School Superintendent Kim Miller said the security process was another means of keeping students, staff and visitors safe in the wake of the alleged threat.

“There was an increased law enforcement presence today at Wheeling Park High School due to an apparent threat discovered Monday in one of the school’s bathrooms. Safety measures implemented at Wheeling Park High School slowed the bus drop off process at the school and the arrival of students at other schools. Delays may continue throughout the remainder of the week, but these precautions are being taken in the best interest of our students’ safety. The safety of our students is the ultimate priority of Ohio County Schools,” Miller said on Wednesday.

Prior to the start of the National Honor Society ceremony, WPHS Principal Amy Minch thanked everyone for their patience.

“We will tolerate inconvenience when it comes to the safety of our students. We worked closely with all law enforcement putting safeguards in place as all threats at our school are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.” Minch said.

She said she spent time assuring parents of their children’s safety.

“When asked by parents if it is safe to send students to school today, my response….today, I feel very safe at WPHS. But please know, that every day we take measures to ensure student safety. And just to give you some statistics from this morning, the sheriff’s department reported that we had nearly 1,800 people checked going through two doors in about 70 minutes. Thank you to all of the law enforcement and school personnel that worked so efficiently.”

The Ohio County Sheriff’s Department and West Virginia State Police continue to be involved in the investigation and security measures.

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