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District addresses debris falling from Bobcat Stadium

Posted at 8:58 PM, Jan 15, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-15 23:52:41-05

REFUGIO, Texas — Bobcat Stadium in Refugio is beginning to crumble.
Large chunks of debris are falling from it, which has forced school officials to close it temporarily.
District officials said the stadium's age and the beating it took from Hurricane Harvey are to blame.
"Hurricane Harvey caused widespread devastation across our district to all of our facilities," Refugio ISD Superintedent Melissa Gonzales said.
It took almost three year's for the high school to reopen it's gym after Harvey holding their first basketball game last week since 2017.
Now Bobcat Stadium is showing it's age -- built in the 1950s -- chunks of cinder block are now crashing to the ground. A temporary fence has been placed around the problem areas.
"We ask the community to respect that and take notice that there are dangerous situations that could arise," Gonzales said.
The field -- which has relatively new turf installed -- will still be functional. Track and field practiced as scheduled today.
The stadium will be closed to the public, however students can use parts of the stadium if supervised by a school official.
Gonzales said they should receive a report from a structural engineer detailing the extent of the damage. She said it will be up to the school board to decide what's next.
"We are just coming off the completion of a bond project and I just don't think our taxpayers and our community are prepared for another one at this time," she said. "We are still reeling from Hurricane Harvey and making a comeback with those repairs so it wouldn't be feasible at this time."