SANDY LAKE, STONEBORO AREA
School chief says letter not a threat
By Michael Roknick
Herald Business Editor
Lakeview School District is trying to soothe nerves about a letter the district received in early September that contained a white powdery substance.
Dr. Paulette Savolskis, schools superintendent, said this morning the district planned to send a note home to parents today, explaining what happened and assuring them that health officials say there is no evidence the powder contained anthrax.
The middle school received a letter postmarked from St. Petersburg, Fla., during the first week of September, before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The letter was opened in the middle school office and was thrown away and forgotten until recent reports of powdery material containing anthrax being mailed to media offices in New York and Florida and to government offices in Washington, Dr. Savolskis said.
School officials notified the FBI and the state Health Department. The FBI interviewed the principal by phone.
"The FBI felt that since the letter was received so long ago, that if it had anthrax we would already had seen symptoms,'' Dr. Savolskis said.
Two of the three employees who were in the office when the letter was opened have been examined by their doctors and tested for anthrax. Test results show they do not have the disease, she said.
The third employee contacted a doctor who determined that since the other two employees tested negative for anthrax and the employee had no symptoms, there was no need for testing, Dr. Savolskis said.
None of the employees is taking Cipro, the antibiotic which treats anthrax, she added. Along with the letter to parents, school officials planned to talk with employees today to reassure them.
"I just want everyone to know that the FBI has said to us because the incident occurred so long ago they don't feel it was any type of safety issue or danger or concern and that our children are safe,'' Dr. Savolskis said.
|