Borough paves way to demolish Houston school after earthquake

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) –
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly has declared a middle school damaged by an earthquake to be a fire and health hazard, paving the way for potential demolition. The Tuesday announcement came after workers found that Houston Middle School in the Anchorage suburb of Big Lake was far more damaged than officials had initially thought. The building suffered substantial damage after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in November 2018. Though the school district previously approved a repair plan, the newly discovered damage made demolishing the facility the less risky option. The ordinance to declare the school a hazard passed by a 6-1 vote.