Friday, August 29, 2008
PRCC cancels classes on Tuesday

     POPLARVILLE - Pearl River Community College will extend the Labor Day holiday by one day due to the threat from Tropical Storm Gustav.
      Classes will not meet Tuesday on the Poplarville campus, at the Forrest County Center in Hattiesburg or at the Hancock Center in Waveland. Administrative offices will be closed.
      “We’re doing that primarily because of the uncertainty,” said Dr. William Lewis, PRCC president.
      The National Hurricane Center expects Gustav to strengthen into a hurricane as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico. Landfall could be anywhere between the Florida Panhandle and Texas late Monday or early Tuesday.
      The Mississippi Department of Health has placed PRCC on alert as a possible special needs shelter site, another reason for closing on Tuesday, Lewis said. Crosby Hall and the Nursing Building are designated as special needs shelters.
      “We are hopeful that we can return to normal operations on Wednesday,” Lewis said.
      Students, faculty and staff should monitor the PRCC website for schedule information. Information will also be provided through the college’s Emergency Mass Notification System and media outlets in South Mississippi.
      Students were notified Thursday that all residence halls will close at 10 p.m. today. Women’s and men’s soccer games against East Mississippi Community College will be played as scheduled at 5 and 7 p.m. today.