By Associated Press - Friday, December 23, 2016

MARION, Ill. (AP) - A school in southern Illinois is rallying to help a custodian who lost his home and three dogs in a deliberately set house fire.

Becky Moss, the principal at Marion Junior High in Marion, says employees and students have collected thousands of dollars and other essentials for school custodian Rusty Mappin.

Moss tells TV station WSIL (https://bit.ly/2i9h8BU ) that Mappin is active in the community, even at school events that don’t involve the junior high.



Police believe multiple fires that occurred Wednesday were arson. A man was arrested for obstructing justice. It’s not known if he’s been linked to the fires.

___

Information from: WSIL-TV, https://www.wsiltv.com

Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.