UPDATE (5:00 p.m)- Albany County School District 1 has released a statement regarding this incident.  You can find a full copy of that statement as well as details from Ivinson Memorial Hospital here:

 

UPDATE (2:29 p.m.)-  A spokes person from Ivinson Memorial Hospital has said that the yucca root, which was originally reported to be non-toxic, is actually toxic.  The spokesperson goes on to say that parents of affected children at Linford Elementary School have been contacted and advised to bring the children to Ivinson Memorial Hospital.  Calls made to the Albany County School District by KOWB have not been returned.

15 pre-school aged children were transported from Linford Elementery School to Ivinson Memorial Hospital Tuesday morning after it was said that they had ingested yucca root.

Dee Bott, spokesperson for Ivinson Memorial Hospital, says that the root can be a gastrointestinal irritant.  Yucca is a cactus-like shrub that grows in hot arid climates, and are grown, largely, for their ornamental value.

The parents of 15 pre-school children involved have been contacted, those children were taken to the hospital this morning.  A lockdown of the hospital following the incident was lifted just after noon.

It is believed at this time that the children were given the yucca root as part of an alternative snack-foods program, however that has not been confirmed.

Officials for Albany County School District were not able to be reached at the time of this writing.

We will have more on this story as it develops.

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