Vandals flood HHS classroom

By Randy Hanson

Vandals have taken some of the joy out of a new school year.

A janitor at Hudson High School found water running from a hose into a window well at 7:45 a.m. Thursday.

A police report says it appeared that the water had been running all night. It had trickled into the building, covering the floor of Room 117 and an adjoining room.

In a subsequent inspection of the high school, officials also found damage to vents, light sensors and an air-conditioning unit on the roof of the building. The vandals pushed over the air-conditioning unit and threw pipes that were on the roof onto the ground, according to the police report.

Several roof drains were uncovered and filled with rocks.

The vandals also smashed a light over the rear entrance to the school and one on the southeast side of the building.

Many water hoses on the north side of the school were cut and a power box outlet was broken, the report says.

The hose put in the window well had been connected to drinking bubbler used by the school's football team. The bubbler pipe also was broken, according to the police report.

Police believe the vandalism occurred between 10:30 p.m. and midnight Wednesday, Aug. 18. It appears that the vandals tried to get into the school through a back entrance, but were unsuccessful, according to the police report.

"The intent was to cause damage," Police Chief Richard Trende said.

School Superintendent Ronald Bernth didn't return a phone call asking for comment on the vandalism before this edition of the Star-Observer went to press.

The police report says the school is compiling a list of the things damaged, including replacement costs.