The Shadow
Welcome back, Shadowers! Last week, we cracked open the Pandora’s box of DOGE’s chainsaw-style efficiency efforts. The Shadow Facebook group took the discussion and ran with it—complete with lively debates and some popcorn-worthy showdowns. But at its core, the conversation mattered because it highlights just how quickly our national consciousness is flooding our own backyards.
That said, whether you like it or not, as a nation, we didn’t elect this administration to continue the previous business as usual—we sent them in to do housekeeping. So let them clean. Now, having said that, all ya’all know what happens when we ignore the “how” part of this cleaning. Last year in the Highlands was a perfect example of power left unchecked, resulting in several folks losing at the ballot box because of it.
I encouraged the discussion as, ultimately, it’s important to our community’s health. The right to vocalize your concerns is the very definition of what it means to be an American. But along with that comes a fine line between civic engagement and tearing down your neighbor. That kind of division does nothing but stir the pot and poison the well. So let me pull you out of the no-win trenches of the Western Front for a minute: Remember, national politics is a blood-sport reality TV show that we commoners end up as collateral damage. We can’t really do anything about it other than gawk at it on the idiot box. But hold yer horses; we actually have more power than you think. We have the power to change our local issues and our community and make a difference where it actually counts. Real power starts locally.
Let’s start off with the current elephant in the room—the Carbon Monoxide (CO) situation at Covington Middle School (CMS.)
As you know, CMS has been hard hit with several gas, CO, and other dangerous safety issues for months, perhaps even longer. From an Oct 4, 2024 gas leak, an Oct 9th HVAC issue that “attempted to start, releasing a small amount of gas,” a Jan 14, 2025 gas leak near but not inside of CMS; a Jan 16 report of a gas leak, allegedly pointing back to an industrial source, and finally, the Jan 31 CO situation which caused the evacuation of CMS. This doesn’t count the untold number of parent reports of their children coming home with headaches, lethargy, and nausea over the past year.
While we appreciate that the AHPS board and administration are working overtime to keep us informed on the evolving investigations, from the parent’s perspective, it’s not enough. The Virginian Review has interviewed several teachers and parents on the matter. Teachers have been shy about coming forward. Many parents think the school has known about the issues since the opening of the CMS building back up as a middle school. They feel like they haven’t gotten a truthful answer from authorities and apparently, feel like the administrators are simply trying to cover their own behinds.
Do you think there’s any truth to the parent’s concerns? Let’s look at some facts so you can make up your own mind.
On Feb 1, 2025, AHPS released their assessment of the situation, indicating only that an evacuation had happened, and have hauled out the word “appreciative” so many times over the past few weeks, one would think we were in a pep rally.
That same day, the City of Covington’s Dept of Safety released their statement, “Several staff members and students who reported feeling ill were treated on the scene and released by EMS responders. One AHPS central staff member was transported to the hospital and later released.”
Then, on Feb 5, in a document issued as a “Distribute on a need-to-know basis,” the Virginia Department of Health stated, “Approximately 15 individuals were transported to a local hospital after exposure to the unknown gas.”
So which number is it? None, one, or fifteen people were transported to the hospital with elevated CO levels? Actually, it doesn’t matter. Stay with me.
Dr. Michele Ballou, a retired pulmonologist, wrote in regarding the February 18th edition of The Shadow, explaining that science—not disinformation—dictates how carbon monoxide (CO) is processed in the body. She states that CO has a half-life of 4-6 hours in normal air, meaning it clears entirely within 22-33 hours. Testing on or after February 3rd could not detect exposure from January 31st. “We need to let science guide our approach to medical issues and not promote disinformation,” Ballou emphasized.
I thank Dr. Ballou for her expert assessment, which is medically correct. However, in my professional investigative journalistic opinion, it is the lack of accurate information that is causing the problems. For example, does Dr. Ballou’s assessment take into account the official VDH report confirming elevated CO levels in multiple people on Jan 31, with approximately 15 being taken to the hospital? She also assumes there was no ongoing or prolonged exposure and dismisses the possibility of chronic low-level CO exposure before January 31st.
And the VDH investigation was expanded. VDH reported on Feb 19, “…approximately 60 reports relating to elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels in the Covington/ Alleghany area have been received so far by the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD) since the initial Covington Middle School event on 1.31.25.”
The TLDR version? (Too Long, Didn’t Read): If all that sounded like a science lecture in a foreign language, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Basically, on January 31, 15 people took an unplanned field trip to the hospital, and since then, about 60 others have been tested for elevated CO levels. Here’s the point: remember last week’s Muhammad Ali quote, “Looking at life from a different perspective makes you realize that it’s not the deer that is crossing the road, rather it’s the road that is crossing the forest.”?
Well, boys and girls, put on your lab coats and goggles. Our new research experiment today is, “What if there was a prolonged exposure problem due to plain ole gross negligence?”
Here’s one hypothesis: If you recall, during the Feb 3 AHPS called board meeting, Covington City Building Official Eric Tyree discussed a faulty HVAC Fresh Air Exchanger at CMS, stating, “…and it was under repair when I left [May 2024], and it’s basically been repaired to the point where it’s ready to put back into service now.” Tyree served as Supervisor of Maintenance and Transportation for AHPS from July 19, 2021, to June 10, 2024, when he returned as the Certified Building Official for Covington.
To add to this information, an alert posted on the CMS website over this past weekend stated, “…we are working with contractors to complete an environmental study along with inspections of the mechanical systems in the building.”
Fact: CMS has operated for more than nine months without an operating Fresh Air Exchanger, and the AHPS administration is just now getting around to inspecting it and the HVAC system?
Fact: There’s been a subtle shift in the AHPS’s position on the CO issue. Up to a couple of days ago, AHPS maintained that “The findings of elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels…on and after Monday, Feb. 3, cannot be attributed to the Jan. 31 event.” However, the FAQ on the CMS website now states, “…new reports of carbon monoxide exposure are unlikely to be connected to the investigation at the middle school.“
Well, of course, new reports aren’t related, the kids aren’t in the school!
However, we’ve gone from a “definitely not” to “unlikely” something happened, and that none, errr… one… errr approximately fifteen people were hospitalized, with approximately sixty people with elevated CO levels in the Alleghany/Covington area soon afterward.
Folks, let’s stop pointing fingers at the trees and get to the real issue. However you want to cut this cake, we’ve got a chronic CO problem, and apparently, nobody wants to fess up on the “how” we got here.
At the Feb 17 AHPS Board meeting, the board and administration seemed to be more interested in handing out the nauseating waves of back-patting appreciation for themselves and responding agencies for investigating the “what” happened. “We really appreciate everyone’s patience with the whole situation,” or “…we want to make sure again that we say loudly and clearly how thankful we are to live in a community that people are able to pull together, and we really appreciate everyone else.” Or “…we certainly appreciate the many experts who have given their time to continue to provide us their expertise so graciously…”
Perhaps we should connect the AHPS board and administrators to the Class Dojo app and give them a “Good Job!” emoji every time they do something more than say, “We appreciate ya!”?
I digress. I’m interested in the “HOW.”
One husband of a pregnant teacher employed at CMS, Bobby Buchanan, isn’t being fooled by the extrinsic pats on the back either. He criticized the school system’s response and lack of transparency, particularly around the use of proper personal protective equipment by staff who entered the building. He also suggested that the carbon monoxide readings from the school had been purposely manipulated to lessen the severity of the issue.
So, Shadowers, through all this bally-hoo, I still come back to my baseline question:
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Why have our school administrators and public safety officials, all the way up to the State Fire Marshal, allegedly neglected to require, install, and enforce CO detectors at all AHPS schools like they were required to do back in 2020? Why did it take 10 months to sign off on 14 fire safety violations at the school?
Finally, today’s math pop quiz: what’s 2025-2020? Answer: 5. For five years, our schools have apparently been operating in violation of the Virginia Code. Come on, AHPS board members and administrators, you’re all educated, and ignorance is not a valid excuse. It shouldn’t take 5 years, 75+ sick people, 5 separate CO events in one year alone, and 14 documented Fire Marshal violations to get you to do your job.
Meanwhile, CMS students are still out of school on the virtual learning plan this week.
Well, rats, I’m out of time, out of coffee, with no space left to discuss any new emerging information about alleged violations related to fire safety, our water systems, and more. And thanks to Bonnie Keyser for the wonderful photo of the Humpback Bridge, capturing the beauty of the recent snowstorms. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Steve Jobs quotes. “My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.” So, AHPS, the citizens are giving you a wake-up call. Time for you to do better.
