Not even thirty minutes into first period February 2nd, an explosion occurred in the Ag shop at the high school. The cause of the explosion was a spark igniting a used oil barrel. A fire then broke out in the shop and the school was efficiently evacuated. All staff and students made it out safely and followed the evacuation plan to the respective safe spots. Students and staff were all dispersed within an hour. When asked to recount the story of the fire, Briggs Runge, a first period Ag student, said, “Trevor (Werdel) and I were cutting a piece of metal with a chop saw and all I heard was a ‘Boom!’. We turned around and there was big fireballs flying everywhere. We ran for fire extinguishers and pulled the alarm, but it was too late so we got out.” Both Runge and Werdel were in the Ag shop when the fire started and noted that they felt prepared with the fire safety skills Mr. Ketelhut taught them. They were able to get out safely after attempting to put out the fire. “We’re just glad everyone made it out safe,” the pair agreed.
As of February 16th, the staff and students of Miller are attending classes at the local Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and St. Lawrence Community churches. The class schedules remain the same, but some high school staff members and students travel between churches for certain periods. Some classes, such as agriculture or physical education, are having to find creative ways to continue learning. The Miller School District appreciates the generous donations of money, books, and supplies from community members, schools, and people throughout South Dakota. All the donations and support has helped immensely, making our school able to start classes again. High school classes will continue for the rest of the semester in the churches. Plans for future events, such as prom and graduation which are normally held at the school, are still in the works.
The boy’s and girl’s basketball seasons are still in full swing. Sunshine Bible Academy has opened their doors and allowed both teams to use their facilities for home games and practices. Teams are also practicing at the Wessington and Ree Heights gyms. Wrestling practices have all been moved to Highmore. Wrestling regions, previously scheduled to happen the 19th of February in Miller, were moved to Wagner.