Picking up the pieces: Recovery begins for Meridian Elementary School devastated by storm damage

kAm{2C86 49F?<D @7 E96 C@@7 @7 E96 ``\J62C\@=5 >2:? D49@@= 3F:=5:?8 925 366? C:AA65 2H2J[ 6IA@D:?8 E96 4=2DDC@@>D :?D:56 E@ 6IE6?D:G6 H2E6C 52>286 7C@> 962GJ C2:?D E92E 244@>A2?:65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^96C2=5\C6G:6H]4@>^?6HD^DE2E6\C68:@?2=^H62E96C^2CE:4=60_45735_f\ce6_\d_f`\g5gd\b4f_h`2b2bag]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE96 DE@C>]k^2mk^Am

kAm|6C:5:2? $FA6C:?E6?56?E $92?6 v@C5@? D2:5 92C5\H@C<:?8 DE277 925 368F? DH66A:?8 4@F?E=6DD 82==@?D @7 H2E6C @FE @7 E96 3F:=5:?8 :? E96 H2<6 @7 E96 DE@C> (65?6D52J ?:89E[ 3FE 96 D2:5 E96 D42=6 @7 E96 56DECF4E:@? H2D D@36C:?8]k^Am

kAmpD 7@C E96 6?5 @7 DF>>6C 2?5 E96 DE2CE @7 D49@@= 282:?[ 96 925 8C2G6 5@F3ED E92E H@F=5 8@ 29625 :? E96 $@FE9 {6H:D $EC66E 6=6>6?E2CJ 3F:=5:?8]k^Am

kAm“x H@F=5 E9:?< E96 AC@DA64E @7 36:?8 :? E96 3F:=5:?8 :? EH@ >@?E9D 7C@> ?@H H@F=5 36 C2E96C @AE:>:DE:4[” D2:5 v@C5@?[ ca]k^Am

kAm“x 5@?’E D66 E92E 92AA6?:?8[ 2?5 D@ @?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D H6’C6 5@:?8 :D 3C2:?DE@C>:?8 H92E E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 D49@@= J62C :D 8@:?8 E@ =@@< =:<6] qFE H6 H@?’E <?@H E92E F?E:= H6 <?@H E96 7F== 6IE6?E @7 E96 52>286 2?5 H92E\2== DJDE6>D 2C6 8@:?8 E@ ?665 E@ 36 C6A2:C65]”k^Am

kAmpC49:E64ED H6C6 @? D46?6 %9FCD52J >@C?:?8 E@ 368:? >2<:?8 E92E 52>286 2DD6DD>6?E 2D H@C< 4C6HD 2:565 3J 2 9F86 4C2?6 >256 E6>A@C2CJ C6A2:CD E@ ECJ 2?5 DE@A >@C6 H2E6C 7C@> k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^96C2=5\C6G:6H]4@>^?6HD^=@42=^H62E96C^2CE:4=602h666gga\d22d\cfeb\3e72\62hddb32_bfe]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm4@>:?8 DE@C>Dk^2m 7=@@5:?8 @FE E96 3F:=5:?8 2== @G6C 282:?]k^Am

kAm%96 D46?6 2== 2C@F?5 E96 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@=’D ?6:893@C9@@5 H2D @?6 @7 D>2D965 2?5 D42EE6C65 EC66 3C2?496D 2?5 E@AA=65 EC66Dj @?6 >2DD:G6 49F?< @7 E96 D49@@=’D C:AA65 2A2CE C@@7 H2D DE:== ;2>>65 :? E96 FAA6C 3C2?496D @7 2 3C@<6? EC66 :? 2 7C@?E J2C5 24C@DD 7C@> E96 D49@@= A2C<:?8 =@E]k^Am

kAmv@C5@? D2:5 96 H2D 962CE6?65 3J E96 C6DA@?D6 @7 E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ H:E9 A6@A=6 @776C:?8 E@ 96=A H:E9 E96 4=62?\FA] “p?5 E96C6’D 23@FE EH@ 5@K6? A6@A=6 E92E x 42? D66 C:89E 96C6 :? E96 DFCC@F?5:?8 9@>6D E92E 92G6 366? 27764E65 E96>D6=G6D E92E 2C6 2=D@ 96=A:?8 H:E9 4=62?\FA[” 96 25565]k^Am

kAm%96 DFA6C:?E6?56?E D2:5 E96 8@@5 ?6HD H2D E92E ?@3@5J 925 366? 9FCE 2?5 9:D >6DD286 E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ H2D E92E 96=A 7@C E96 3C@<6? D49@@= H2D @? E96 H2J] “(6’C6 8@??2 H@C< 2D 92C5 2D H6 42? E@ >2<6 DFC6 6G6CJE9:?8 :D 324< 2D :E H2D[” 96 25565]k^Am

kAmp $F>>6C r2>A 36:?8 9@DE65 2E E96 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= 92D ?@H 366? 42?46=65]k^Am

k9C ^m