MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — A scary situation at a Muskegon Heights school turned out to be a false alarm.
Staff at Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary heard what they described as a loud boom and thought they saw smoke around noon Tuesday, according to the District's superintendent.
As they searched for the source, staff evacuated students to a nearby church as a precaution.
It turns out, the boom had been produced by a large chunk of plaster in the auditorium that had broken free and released a cloud of dust witnesses mistook for smoke.
The auditorium was closed for repairs at the time, meaning, the District said, no students or staff members were in any danger.
"I'm glad that everybody followed the procedures," Superintendent Dr. Arnetta Thompson related. "I'm glad that we involved the correct people and that we were able to keep all of our students and staff safe. So I commend Principal Marble… and the assistant superintendent for their leadership during that little trying time."
The Muskegon Heights Fire Department seemed to agree.
On Facebook, it credited students and staff, who it said 'flawlessly' followed established emergency procedures.
Repairs to the auditorium were waiting on state approval at the time of publication, according to the superintendent's office.
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