WABASHA, Minn — The new school year at Wabasha-Kellogg has been put off until at least Thursday because of a fungal infestation. Classes had been scheduled to begin after Labor Day but not now. Last Monday an overwhelming presence of the common mold spore spergillus penicillium was discovered in elementary classrooms. Superintendent Nels Onstad said a scrub-down company has begun a thorough cleaning:
> Vacuuming and disinfecting horizontal surfaces.
> Extracting water from carpets and disinfecting.
> Ventilating fans, dehumidifiers, and air scrubbers.
Onstad blamed a lack of continuous dehumidification during an unusually wet summer. The school has 900 students through 12th grade. The building was constructed in 1974 on flatland south of town. The site is within a mile of Mississippi backwaters and swamps and across the highway from two shallow lagoons.