Downtown Vinita Businesses Back To Work After Evacuating Due To Threats

Employees of some downtown Vinita businesses are back to work Tuesday, after some were forced to evacuate during Monday’s threats to downtown and the high school.  

Students at Vinita High School were back in the classroom Tuesday, one day after a sea of law enforcement vehicles surrounded the building while it was on lockdown because of threats.  

Related Story: Vinita Students Back In Class After Threats To School; Campus Police To Continue Investigation

Cathy Cordray's grandson, Zach, goes to the high school and she was able to text with him to make sure he was OK.  

"It scared me so bad. You know my first impression was, I need to go help him, but you know we saw the police officers and everybody going by,” Cordray said.  

Cordray works as a hairstylist downtown and was at her home near the school as the events unfolded Monday.   

"My sister and my girlfriend Debbie were at my house and we were all praying and just thanking God that these kids were safe after all this thing was over with,” Cordray said.  

Cordray said she was thankful for the response from law enforcement, and the teachers who kept things calm inside the school.   

"It was very impressive, and I want to say thank you to all of the people that were involved in that,” Cordray said.  

Her colleague Roni Grimmett was at work when roads were blocked off downtown, and law enforcement responded to the threats made there.  

"I yelled out the front door, silly me, and I said 'Hey, what's going on anyway?' And he said, 'Ma'am I'm going to need you to evacuate, we've had a bomb threat,’” Grimmett said.  

Grimmett said she was right in the middle of a perm when she and her client evacuated.  

"I was holding the perm solution in my hand, about to put it on her hair, and he said, 'Ma'am, I don't want to have to dig you out if this building explodes,'” Grimmett said. “And so, my client's eyes got great big and she said, 'Roni can you do me next week?'" 

Other businesses, like Goodfella's Pizzeria, Evergreen Wellness and McDonald's also evacuated while the post office and city hall were closed.  

The Craig County Sheriff's Office said Vinita Public Schools Campus Police are leading the investigation. That department, along with Vinita Police, have not returned phone calls to News On 6, so it is unclear right now if law enforcement has made any arrests or if they are looking for a suspect.