- In Cumby, the city is currently without water service. A statement from the City of Cumby says that bottled water is available at the city’s maintenance barn. Cumby has been struggling with its water system since last Wednesday (Jan. 17), in part as a result of damage caused by hard freezes during the period of extreme cold earlier this month. Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom issued an emergency disaster declaration for the city last Thursday (Jan. 18). Cumby has suffered multiple interruptions in its water service over the past week. This morning, Cumby is once again without water.
- Also in Cumby, the Cumby Independent School District has issued a statement regarding yesterday’s evacuation of Cumby High School. A bad smell prompted school district officials to evacuate the school out of caution yesterday. Atmos Energy staff checked the school for gas leaks and did not find any. This morning, the Hopkins County Fire Marshal is conducting walk-throughs of the school as a precaution. The statement said one of the school’s HVAC units was malfunctioning and was emitting low levels of carbon monoxide, which is odorless. The statement reported some students and staff reported not feeling well and that those students and staff were “checked out.” Cumby ISD Superintendent Shelly Slaughter told Tyler TV station KLTV yesterday that the smell from “a chemical cleaning supply” in one of the classrooms. However, the statement from the district this morning described the problem with the HVAC unit and did not mention cleaning products.
