WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) and U.S. Senator Kit Bond today sent the following open letter to the citizens of Caruthersville following an announcement that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would approve public assistance for reconstruction of the Caruthersville High School:

 

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Caruthersville:

 

We want to thank you for the perseverance and dedication you have shown through the terrible disaster, the initial clean-up, and the long recovery effort of a direct hit by an F3 tornado.  You have all come together in a way that, to us, exemplifies the idea and very definition of community.

 

So it is with glad hearts that we have learned that the Caruthersville High School will be replaced under the public assistance program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  This is a more than $8 million project which could not have been accomplished without the federal support for reconstruction of the high school.  We are very pleased that the facility is going to be replaced instead of repaired, mainly because of the continuous, unflinching position held by the community of Caruthersville, us, and anyone who has surveyed the damage to the old building that repair is not an option. 

 

We have been proud to work at your sides to get quick action from the federal government when disaster programs needed to be implemented.  Since then, we have focused together on downtown redevelopment and Caruthersville Harbor infrastructure, including federal funds for dredging and the construction of new port roads.  Now, the construction of a new high school means students will no longer have to walk from trailer to trailer.  Classes will not have to share space.  And a critical structure in Caruthersville will be replaced, bringing a renewed pride to this community that we can come back from even the worst circumstances to rebuild our lives, our homes, and especially our schools.

 

We know many of you have worked long, hard hours on this and other rebuilding efforts, but the high school has proven to be the toughest challenge in the recovery from this storm.  We have been proud to fight for this new building by your side, and we will be proud to see this effort through to completion – another signal of a brand new day in Caruthersville, Missouri.

 

Very sincerely,

 

JO ANN EMERSON                  KIT BOND
Member of Congress                   U.S. Senator

 

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