A weekend fire destroyed an old grade school building in Rankin. The 3-story brick building in the 200-block of N. Johnson Street alerted area fire departments about 4 am Saturday. The cause wasn’t immediately known. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters from Rankin, Hoopeston and Cissna Park answered the call. The Illinois State Fire Marshall is investigating. The run-down building had been targeted for clean-up by the Rankin Village Board and the Vermilion County Public Health Department. Residents and village officials had concerns about public safety. The building’s owner had been fined after he was found guilty of a village ordinance violation concerning the condition of the building.

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