Local News in Brief : School Fields to Reopen

Athletic fields at Rincon Intermediate School in West Covina will reopen next week after officials determined that the mysterious substance that sent 89 students to hospitals on Monday is no longer a threat, a school spokeswoman said.

“We think the best thing for the kids is to put them back into their routine,” said Diane Ho, spokeswoman for the Rowland Unified School District. “The county agriculture and health inspectors have been in the field digging, and haven’t had any problems, so we feel it is safe.”

A late-blooming plant is believed to have been the cause of the allergic reactions, which included itching, blistering and breathing difficulties in some of the children, said Dr. Paul Papanek, a county health department toxicologist.