Overnight, (Saturday night/early Sunday morning) a group of vandals got into the Sedan Schools and done extensive vandalism to the building and contents. The KBI has been called in to investigate. Just to mention a few things that were done.......carpet tore up, windows knocked out, doors broken, all the computers were damaged, in the cafeteria, the refrigerators were knocked over, food spilled everywhere. It was reported that almost every classroom suffered heavy damage, amounting to thousands and thousands of dollars in damages. It is really, really bad.
That is really too bad. Kids just don't think sometimes. The culprits ought to be easy to catch, as one of the kids involved has probably already told someone. It surely was not an adult that committed the crime, as they would not have taken the time to tear up everything, but instead would have been busy loading up things. I remember when I was in school at Sedan three boys broke in one weekend and painted a peace symbol on the American flag in the auditorium. The three were expelled and ended up having to spend their last year in high school at Cedar Vale instead of with the rest of their classmates that they had gone to school with all those years.
That is so sad. There is such a sense of violation!
This has happened at West Elk before. They broke in and did damage and took computers. This was done by two adults from Eureka. I remember getting warrants for them, but don't remember any trial. They must have gotten a plea agreement. The computers that they stole were trashed.
There wasn't anything about this in the Independence paper. Does anyone have any more details?
Today, we have checked the online newspapers of the Wichita Eagle, Ark City Traveler, Winfield Courier and Sedan Times-Star (Breaking News) and didn't find anything. Just a few moments ago, Don checked the websites of KAKE, KOAM, KVOO, KTUL trying to find further information, but he came up empty handed. I don't know if the authorities aren't putting out any info, or what. The info we had yesterday came from two different people that "have an inside track." One of them being a school teacher in Sedan.
If it IS kids.. then they will talk to other kids..and from there it shouldn't be too hard to find anything out.
All it takes is one of them saying to another one....." Hey, Don't tell anyone but do you know what we did last night?"
The rest will be history.
Well, I hate to say it, but this is another sheriff who doesn't tell the media anything. The only thing we can hope for is that the Flint Hills Express will have something since they do the Sedan paper, also.
Independence Reporter
March 21, 2007
PROBE CONTINUES INTO BREAK-IN AT SEDAN SCHOOLS
Sedan--The Sedan Police Department and the Kansas-Oklahoma Multi-Jurisidictional Task Force continue the investigation of the weekend break-in at the Sedan schools.
Sedan Chief of Police Cash Kimball said all four school buildings were damaged when vandals broke into the schools last Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
"We have extensive damage to all the facilities over here," Kimball said. "At this time,I don't have any idea what the dollar amount of the damage would be, but it is extensive." Kimball indicated the auditorium and the gymnasium were heavily damaged.
All four schools in Sedan are constructed in the same complex and Cash said all four received damage.
He said law enforcement officers have conducted interviews, have done a lot of investigation at the crime scene, but still have no suspects.
"We are following up on some leads, and there has been lots of investigation into the break-in," Kimball said.
It finally has made the tv news tonight at 6:00 p.m. on channel 10 (KAKe) I am watching the 10:00 news right now to see if it's on again. Wonder what took so long for it to make news?
Just heard on KAKE @ 10 that the damage done was valued at $50,000. But that the police aren't releasing too much information. So sad for their schools.
I was just down there last week - on the 14th for High School League Music Festival. Such a waste!
I also think that $50,000 will be low - that would cover the trophy case glass and windows and doors, maybe.
Any word on school Monday for Sedan?
What are the plans? options?
All I know about that, is hearsay. I cannot confirm it. I was told this morning that plans are to go ahead and have school this next week in the school building. They hired a group to come in and clean up the mess, The only requirement is for the students to wear regular shoes and NOT flip flops, as the school premises outside the building still have lots of shard glass on them. I don't think that is feasible to get all that cleaned up that is on the outside of the building. To my knowledge, no one has been charged with the vandalism, yet.