College officials announced that a revamp of the Big Spring campus' electrical system will result in a temporary power outage starting Friday and lasting until sometime Monday.

The first step of the upgrade, part of the college's $21.6 million renovation project, will take effect at 5:30 p.m. today when the Web sites for HC and SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf are shut off. Thing go really dark the next day, when the power grid is shut down beginning at 8 a.m.

Dr. Cheryl Sparks, college president, said work on the college's electrical infrastructure will be completed Monday — but the work will come with a catch.

“We won't have any electrical service for those three days,” Sparks said earlier this month, “so we'll have to shut down most of the campus.”

No summer school activities are scheduled for that period, so Sparks said disruptions will be minimized.

“We looked at all different kinds of scenarios and we decided this was the best of our alternatives,” Sparks said.

The Web sites for HC and SWCID will be back up and running “as soon as possbile” Monday, according to information released by HC official Cindy Smith. Howard's athletic Web site —  www.hchawk.com — will not be effected by the shutdown, Smith added.

All power and communication outlets on the Big Spring campus — including telephone, fax and computer networks — will be effected during the power outage.  

Enhanced security will be on campus throughout the outage, Smith noted.

Full electrical service will be restored Monday morning.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience as we strive to improve our campus to better serve the needs of our students and communities,” Smith stated.

For more information, contact Smith at 264-5034 — by this afternoon, of course.

Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it