FRANKLIN COUNTY — Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District #196 will be closed today due to a bomb threat. This is the fourth such threat made to an area school in the last week, with one arrest made Friday in connection with a bomb threat Thursday to the Hamilton County Junior/Senior High School.

Hamilton County State’s Attorney Justin Hood announced Friday that a 15-year-old juvenile male is being held in the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of Class 1 felony making a terrorist threat and Class 4 felony disorderly conduct.

The teen was arrested Friday by McLeansboro City Police, with the assistance of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, the Secretary of State Police, and the Illinois State Police.

Thursday’s bomb threat to the Hamilton County school came after two consecutive days of bomb threats made to the Mt. Vernon Township High School which resulted in the Jefferson County School being evacuated both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Law enforcement is still investigating the bomb threats to MVTHS.

At approximately 7:20 p.m. Sunday, a phone call was received by the Franklin County Central Dispatch Center indicating a bomb threat against Sesser-Valier school on Monday, February 22nd.

School officials and law enforcement officers met Sunday evening to discuss the threat, and their response.

Illinois Secretary of State investigators, along with their trained K-9s and a team of school staff members, conducted a thorough sweep of the school facility late Sunday night. They did not find any bomb, incendiary device, or suspicious item.However, in the interest of the safety of the school community, school was closed Monday to allow law enforcement officers time to investigate the matter and take appropriate action to ensure the safety of the community.

Anyone with information regarding today’s threat to Sesser-Valier is encouraged to contact the Sesser Police Department at (618) 625-2341 or (618) 724-2424.