By Erica Solvig and Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Technicians from Tetra Tech EM of Illinois take core soil samples from the football field at Kings on Wednesday. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

DEERFIELD TWP. - Orange gates and padlocks block off the George G. King Memorial Stadium on the Kings junior-senior high campus.

Practice and game fields as well as a garden area near the junior high entrance are also closed.

Potentially dangerous levels of lead are the culprit.

"I don't know what they're going to find - that's why it's closed," said Kings Schools superintendent Chuck Mason.

As 1,600 junior and senior high students returned to classes Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started sampling 100 additional locations around the 63-acre campus, site of a former sport shooting range.Two of nine samples taken earlier had higher-than-acceptable levels of lead.

New results are expected in one or two weeks.

Warren County Health Commissioner George Reed said Wednesday it was still too early to determine what risk - if any - the soil might pose.

"I'm not really worried," said 15-year-old Camille Thomen-Brown, a sophomore cross-country runner.

The district sent letters home to parents Wednesday.

The women's soccer game slated for Wednesday was canceled because of the closed fields. Junior high football practices have been moved to the north end of the campus.

Kings football coach Andy Olds said he is disappointed that his team, rated first in Division II-VI in this week's Enquirer preseason coaches poll, might be homeless. Officials were talking with area schools and owners of nearby Galbreath Field about using those fields for home games.

"My reaction is a wait and see," said Matt Warye, a father of two whose son is in junior high. "Until someone confirms we have a major illness, we're certainly not panicking."

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com and mclark@enquirer.com