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SWCC to re-open today; Creston Hospital treating minor injuries

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April 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Officials with Southwestern Community College in Creston say classes will resume there today (Wednesday), four days after an EF2 tornado damaged the campus and other parts of town. Terri Higgins, director of marketing and enrollment management, told the Des Moines Register, that the main road leading to the school had been closed and the school had been without power. Most of that road was opened at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, and power was restored Tuesday morning. Higgins said all classes will be held, but some locations have been moved because of the damage.

Three of the four dormitories on campus sustained damage during the storm, forcing 165 students to find accommodations elsewhere, such as a local motel, while others are staying with residents who volunteered to open up their homes. Damage to the college’s facilities were estimated to be in the millions of dollars, according to Higgins. Creston’s Fire Chief Todd Jackson told the Register all streets in the community would be reopened by this morning. Power was restored to most of the town by Tuesday afternoon.

Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston, which lost its roof in the storm and sustained other structural damage, is still only able to treat minor injuries, but officials hope to expand coverage by a little later in the week. No deaths or life-threatening injuries were reported from the tornado, one of five in Iowa on Saturday, along with strong winds and thunderstorms in many other parts of the state.