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Storms, power outages close Southern for week
BP Staff
January 31, 2009
2 MIN READ TIME

Storms, power outages close Southern for week

Storms, power outages close Southern for week
BP Staff
January 31, 2009

A major ice and snow storm that hit Louisville, Ky., Tuesday and Wednesday has left most of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary without electricity and forced officials to cancel classes.

The seminary and its undergraduate school, Boyce College, lost power around 1 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 28, and officials cancelled classes for the remainder of the week. Students were urged to find off-campus housing, and those who couldn't were placed in some of the few on-campus locations that have electricity: single males in Carver Hall, single females in Boyce Chapel and married couples and families in Heritage Hall.

Downed power lines from the storm left more than 500,000 homes and businesses across Kentucky and Southern Indiana without power.

"Most every tree on our campus has received some damage," said Andy Vincent, the seminary's associate vice president of auxiliary enterprises.

The only seminary buildings with power as of Thursday were the Grinstead Apartments, Carver Hall, Rankin Hall and a portion of the Springdale Apartments.

"Everything else is totally out," Vincent said. "Seminary officials have been in touch with the Louisville Gas and Electric Company, but we have no idea when it will be fixed."

One local apartment complex has offered to house families in its vacant units. In addition, faculty and other members of the seminary community have opened their homes to students without power.

"We are appreciative to the faculty and staff who are really responding to this situation," said Lawrence Smith, the seminary's vice president for community relations. "Several area churches are also helping us out."

Seminary chef Jim Whaley has led efforts to feed all students remaining on campus. Vincent estimated that the seminary fed 300 people at dinner Wednesday and 200 at lunch Thursday.

(EDITOR'S NOTE – Based on reporting by David Roach and Garrett Wishall, writers for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.)