LONDON, Ky. (LEX 18) — For the second time in a month, it was a back-to-school event for the students and staff in Laurel County. Until this morning, schools across the county had been closed following the September 7th shooting incident on Interstate 75.
“It’s scary. We’ve been staying in the home, not allowing the kids to go outside just to be cautious,” said Precious Taylor after dropping her child off at North Laurel High School.
Mike Black is in his 18th year as the principal here, and his own kids came through this school, so he’s very aware of the mission and responsibility to the students and their parents.
“Students’ safety is our #1 priority. There’s always a little apprehension when something like this is going on,” Mr. Black said. “For the most part the community was ready to get back to normal, and part of that is school,” he continued.
Black said, and it was visible, that there would be added police presence in and around the school, and the after-school activities and team practices have been altered to increase safety.
“We had indoor practices yesterday and we’ll do the same today, then go day by day,” He explained. “The district staff has been meeting with law enforcement, and hope to open back up more and more each day,” he added.
Jacqueline Wilson brought her kids to work with her for the last 6 days while the London district remained closed.
“Not everyone has that luxury, so that’s why I’m a little more on edge today,” she said. “A lot of parents will be on edge until the kids get home today. But I’m confident they have measures in place to make it safe.”
Hours after opening the school, law enforcement held a joint press conference with Governor Andy Beshear a few miles away. They wanted to make everyone aware that the search would be expanded to include more of the city and its neighborhoods, rather than limiting things to the Daniel Boone National Forest, where the focus of this search has been for the first 10 days.
