State officials have committed their support to Bethel following a fire at the Kilbuck campus that destroyed one school and damaged another along with a set of dorms.
Gov. Bill Walker, Bethel Rep. Bob Herron and Sen. Lyman Hoffman announced their pledge to the community and Lower Kuskokwim School District in a press release Wednesday.
The governor is visiting Bethel tomorrow morning to meet with local officials and students and to tour the fire site.
Meanwhile, Herron and Hoffman are standing by, waiting to assist once they receive a list of needs from the community and those affected by the fire.
“The school district, the teachers, the students, the parents of immersion, the community has to figure out– people are willing to help us, but what do we want? And while we’re figuring that out, we have to go through a grieving process,” said Herron.
The officials talked with LKSD leaders on Wednesday to discuss the current situation and plans moving forward.
Herron and Hoffman hold personal ties with Kilbuck. Herron’s wife and three children attended the school, and Hoffman graduated from the campus.
The city continues working on its disaster proclamation, asking the governor to declare a state of emergency and to allocate recovery funds.
Anna Rose MacArthur is a reporter at KYUK in Bethel.
