Copiah-Lincoln Community College students and employees will becelebrating longer weekends this summer, thanks to a Thursdayafternoon decision by the Board of Trustees.

“The students like it,” said College President Ronnie Nettles.”They’re here a little bit longer but they’re not in class onFriday.”

The new schedule would lengthen class hours on Monday throughThursday, but students would have Friday off during the summerterm.

In addition, Nettles said, office hours would be extended to7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday so officepersonnel can go home by 12:30 p.m. on Fridays.

“I think we’ll find there are also cost savings on energy fordoing this,” Nettles said. “Maybe by the end of the summer we’llknow how much.

In the end, the move is a win-win situation for everyone,officials said.

“This is good for our employees and it benefits the college,”Nettles said.

Meanwhile, the board also approved an interlocal agreement withCopiah County to apply for a grant that would pay for anemergency-response radio system that would reach the entire county.Co-Lin’s share in the contribution is $1,904.76, which will gotoward the grant match funds.

“We wanted to incorporate Co-Lin on this, because hopefully thiswill improve communications throughout the county,” said CopiahCounty Chancery Clerk Steve Amos, adding that currently the systemwould only reach Copiah County, but in the future there is apossibility of having surrounding counties involved as well.

The board also discussed recent tests conducted on the newemergency siren system set up on campus. Nettles said the systemhas a few minor problems, but that it looks like it will be a greathelp once it is set up completely.

“It’s made to allow different tones and audio announcements fordifferent emergency situations,” Nettles said, adding that the mainfocus is emergency weather conditions. “We can use it for otheremergencies like intruders on campus, too. It will give us a lot offlexibility once we get the glitches worked out.”

The system cost the school around $20,000, and hopefully will beable to be connected with Copiah County’s emergency siren system aswell, officials said.

The school is also waiting for more information from thegovernment as to how much the state’s economic stimulus funds willaffect community colleges in general, but especially Co-Lin.

“We still don’t have any idea how the stimulus will come out,”Nettles said. “We anticipate we’ll have more information in thelast days of the legislative session.”