• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

BTC closing for the day

Blackhawk Technical College's main campus is closing for the rest of the day after workers cut into a power line.

Day and evening classes are canceled at the main campus. All activities, including the culinary arts program’s meals scheduled for lunch and this evening, have been canceled, said spokesman Len Walker.

BTC's administration building on the main campus has closed as well.

BTC satellite campuses remain open. Classes will go on as scheduled in Beloit and Monroe, the Aviation Center at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport and the Center for Transportation Studies on Highway 14 northwest of Janesville, Walker said.

Parts of the main campus's instructional building are losing heat because of the power outage, Walker said, so “to ensure student safety in this cold weather, we’ve decided to close.”

Officials are optimistic that the damage can be repaired in time for Friday morning classes, but Walker urged students and staff to check news reports in the morning to make sure.

BTC was also experiencing problems with its telephone system this morning, probably because of the large volume of calls as staff and students made arrangements to leave, Walker said.

The power line was damaged shortly after 7:30 a.m. during excavation for a new campus well. Initial reports that a transformer had exploded were incorrect.

“I want to be clear: There’s no state of emergency here. There have been no explosions. It’s just a power outage,” Walker said.