Storm traps 100 students at SW Minn. school
A winter storm roared into Minnesota on Monday, trapping at least 100 students in their school, closing roads in the southern and southwestern part of the state and prompting the governor to activate the National Guard.
About 100 students were spending the night at their high school in Westbrook in southwestern Minnesota because school officials said the blizzard conditions made it unsafe to send them to their homes in rural areas.
Schools across south-central Minnesota were dismissed early or in some cases, never opened, because of the winter storm.
Westbrook Principal Bill Richards, who has had the job for 32 years, said the school has long had plans for when the weather made the roads impassable, but it hasn't had to use them since the mid-1980s.
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He said the students were safe and their parents had been informed. The students had tacos and sodas for dinner and a local hospital was providing any needed medications.
"We're having a great time," he said. The students were watching movies, playing basketball and catching up on their homework.
Richards said the plan was for the students to eventually sleep on wrestling mats with sleeping bags and blankets donated by people who live in town, but he doubted he would get much rest.
"I plan on being up all night," he said.
The snow was expected to taper off Monday night, but the weather service was forecasting wind chills of nearly 20 below zero to develop in southwestern Minnesota and continue into Tuesday morning.
Earlier Monday, officials closed state highways in south-central and southwestern parts of the state due to the storm. Some snowplows were taken off the roads.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty activated the Guard on Monday afternoon to help affected counties with providing shelter and other services. Armories in Olivia, Marshall, and St. James were opened for stranded travelers.
A blizzard warning was also in effect for northwest Minnesota until early evening and for western and south-central areas through midnight.
