Water main break sends Mt. Hope students home early

Students at Mt. Hope High School were treated to a short day Tuesday after a nearby water main break forced the school's closure.

Students were dismissed at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after reports of the break on Chestnut Street, just east of Redic Court, Superintendent Mario Andrade's office confirmed. There was no threat of flooding in the school or danger to the students. Classes were canceled when Bristol County Water Authority needed to turn off water to the neighborhood, including the high school.

Workers from Bristol County Water Authority were digging near the corner of Chestnut Street and Metacom Avenue just after 11:30, working to fix the break that sent a stream of water flowing down Chestnut. Much of the flooding occurred underneath the top layer of concrete on the road, seeming to push the road surface up along the side of Chestnut. In some spots, the road surface was nearly even with the sidewalk.