A few Days in The Life of Our Police State

Another bomb scare for Longstreth
By LINDSAY REDDING
Bucks County Courier Times

The faculty, students, and parents of Longstreth Elementary, who were rocked last year by a series of threats, were reeling again after police officials recovered “suspicious packages” Friday.

Neither of the packages was inside the school. On the sidewalk adjacent to the school property was a paper bag containing a soda bottle filled with a white powder.

When called to the scene at 7:16 Friday morning, Warminster police believed that the package was potentially dangerous, so they cordoned off the area and locked down the school.

While investigating, police found a second device, another bottle filled with white powder, just a block from the school.

More:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-10042008-1600618.html


OGHS responds to bomb threat
By BRITTANY BROWN • October 4, 2008

Oak Grove High School responded to a bomb threat Friday that had been written on a bathroom stall weeks ago, officials said.

No explosives were found at the school.

"When you hear bomb threat, those are usually acts that are called in. That was not the case with this situation," Lamar County Schools Superintendent Ben Burnett said. "This was a vague threat written in pencil on the bathroom stall."

Principal Wayne Folkes told a Hattiesburg American reporter on Friday morning the bomb threat was "just a rumor" and that the school was participating in a district-wide security sweep.

The newspaper posted a report on its Web site, hattiesburgamerican.com, that the bomb threat was a rumor, based on what Folkes had said.

But Burnett later Friday sent an e-mail that there was a bomb threat.

More:
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081004/NEWS01/810040303


October 4, 2008
Suspicious Package = Hours of Delays at Lincoln Tunnel

The race to get out of NYC through the Lincoln Tunnel was painful yesterday afternoon into evening as authorities investigated a suspicious package on I-495 West. MyFoxNY reports that the section right have the Weehawken exit was shut down between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. And after it was cleared up, there was another hour or two of residual delays!

The suspicious package was a bottle. It turn out to be harmless, but the AP reports there was another incident on Wednesday when "tunnel traffic was diverted to local roads for several hours due to two bottles filled with an unidentified liquid that were found not to be hazardous."

Besides car traffic being diverted on local NJ streets, all those commuter buses headed from Port Authority through the tunnel were also held. Think about it--being stuck on a Shortline bus for hours. To those people leaving bottles near the tunnel: The traffic karma gods will exact payback.

http://gothamist.com/2008/10/04/suspicious_package_causes_hours_of.php

More:
http://gothamist.com/2008/10/04/suspicious_package_causes_hours_of.php



Published: October 04, 2008 09:46 pm
Student arrested for bomb threat
Laura Wilson - NewsPress

Stillwater police arrested a Stillwater Junior High student Friday morning for making a hoax bomb threat at the school.

The boy, 15, was arrested in connection with one of two bomb threat notes found Thursday at the junior high, said Capt. Ryan McCaghren. Police, who did not release his name, arrested him at the school.

Police identified the boy from surveillance cameras in the school and interviewed him and several witnesses, McCaghren said.

“It showed him in the area where the note was left shortly before the note was found,” he said.

Investigations into three other bomb threat notes left at SJHS Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are ongoing. Police are interviewing students “to try to determine who the suspects are in those,” McCaghren said.

More:
http://www.stillwater-newspress.com/local/local_story_278214610.html



Police investigating bomb threat at Muslim community center

By Patrick George | Sunday, October 5, 2008, 03:40 PM

Austin police detonated a backpack after a man left it at the North Austin Muslim Community Center and claimed it contained explosives.

Earlier today, 46-year-old Azzam Baytie went to the center, Austin’s largest mosque, on North Lamar Boulevard and made threats, police officials said. Baytie claimed he had a gun and a backpack full of bombs. He was taken into custody.

Baytie was charged with criminal trespass and making terroristic threats. Police said he had lived at the center on and off in the past but received a trespass warning several years ago.

More:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2008/10/05/police_investigating_bomb_thre.html




Man Arrested After Suspicious Package Found in North Austin
Last Update: 10/06 11:38 am

Austin Police detonated a suspicious package Sunday afternoon outside the North Austin Muslim Community Center at 11900 North Lamar Blvd.

Some nearby neighbors had to deal with the unnerving experience and said the explosion even shook the ground.

Detectives say this all started when 46-year-old Azzam Baytie, who had previously stayed at the center, exchanged heated words with some members.

Baytie was reportedly ordered off the property, when he dropped a backpack in the parking lot and told center members it was a bomb.


APD arrested Azzam Baytie on the charges of Terroristic Threat and Criminal Trespass. (APD)

More:
http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=c7c0724f-bb22-4060-b825-562447d2e7c2




Bomb Scare Near Woodman's East
Posted: Sunday, October 5, 2008 --- 8:30 p.m.

An unusual find at Woodman's on Madison's eastside Sunday night.

Madison police tell N-B-C-15 news that a bus driver came upon what appeared to be an old army grenade near the car wash at Woodman's.

Police called in the bomb squad and closed off Milwaukee Street near the East transfer point.

The grenade was removed by the bomb squad and no other devices were found in the area.

More:
http://www.nbc15.com/news/headlines/30497634.html




Broad Street Closes For Suspicious Package
Sunday, Oct 05, 2008 - 10:25 PM Updated: 06:20 AM

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A suspicious package caused a road closing late Sunday, but traffic was back to normal Monday morning, NBC 4 reported.

Crews were called to the Wendy's on the West Side and closed West Broad Street or U.S. Route 40 a little after 10 p.m. The closing was from Franklinton Square, which is east of Interstate 70, to North Central Avenue and lasted for about 50 minutes.

CPD's fire and bomb squad were called to investigate. A robot investigated the suitcase that was ultimately found to contain papers.

More:
http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-10-05-0018.html




Nearly 200 Georgetown students were diagnosed with a highly contagious virus last week, prompting administrators to take widespread measures to contain the spreading illness. The outbreak began when students checked into the hospital with symptoms of what appeared to be food poisoning - including vomiting, diarrhea, fever and headache. The number of infected students increased throughout the week, and the D.C. Department of Health determined that almost all had the norovirus, which is usually spread through fecal matter and vomit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Maren Paslick, a sophomore at Georgetown, fled the campus last weekend to avoid contracting the virus. Her roommate was hospitalized Tuesday morning after she reported several of the symptoms. "My parents are scared," Paslick said. "They wanted me to come home." She added, "When we discovered what it really was - that is was contagious - there was definite panic." Georgetown's only dining hall, Leo J. O'Donovan Hall, was initially thought to be the virus' point of origin. Georgetown officials closed the area on Wednesday for thorough inspection and sanitation before reopening it for dinner the next evening. Rhiannon Petras, a Georgetown freshman from Illinois, had dinner at O'Donovan's Thursday night and described the meal as "depressing."

"Everything is brought to you. No one is allowed to touch anything," Petras said. "You walk in and they make you sanitize your hands. Then you swipe your card; they make you sanitize your hands. It's so sterile." Throughout the week, Georgetown officials made statements and held press conferences to respond to the crisis and keep the campus informed of the university's actions. The school provided electrolyte drinks and added money to all students' school debit cards so they could do additional loads of laundry. GW's student-run emergency response team, EMeRG, traveled to the campus to assist Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Students, who had been working overtime to aid sick students. Noroviruses are viruses that cause gastroenteritis, more commonly known as the stomach flu, according to the CDCP. Paslick and other Georgetown students with sick roommates were told that the virus is contagious up to two weeks after recovery. On the second floor of Harbin Hall, where Petras lives, three students were hospitalized. In Paslick's sophomore residence hall, five on her floor were sick, including one of the goalies on her soccer team.

In neighboring Foggy Bottom, GW took precautions to stop the virus from reaching students. The University posted a campus advisory Friday informing students of the Georgetown outbreak and designated precautions to avoid disease transmission. The Department of Health recommended that students frequently wash their hands and use hand sanitizer to prevent the continued spread of the virus. Matt Menkes, a Georgetown freshman from Toronto, was hospitalized Wednesday and released soon after, but he said he is confident that his university has already seen the worst of the epidemic. "At this point if you don't have it, you probably won't get it," he said Friday. Georgetown officials said Friday in a news release that the number of students reporting symptoms has decreased, but sanitation efforts would remain in place for several more days.)

More:
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?lang=eng&edis=EP-20081006-18758-USA





Bomb threat ends homecoming dance
Associated Press
7:25 AM CDT, October 5, 2008

PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Police in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge say a bomb threat forced the evacuation of Maine South High School's homecoming dance.

After receiving word of the threat, police and fire officials were sent to the school Saturday evening.

Police said there were no immediate indications that the threat was legitimate, but students and staff were forced to evacuate for their safety. Authorities then began a sweep of the gymnasium and other areas of the school.

The dance was halted about 45 minutes after it started at 7 p.m. and did not resume.

More:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-homecoming-bombth,0,4722268.story


Store evacuated after bomb threat
By MARK I. JOHNSON
Staff Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- A Daytona Beach Home Depot was evacuated Sunday evening after someone called saying there was a bomb in the West International Speedway home improvement center. It turned out to be a hoax.

The evacuation, which sent an unknown number of customers and employees out into the pouring rain, was prompted by a telephone call shortly before 7 p.m. Police said the male caller, using racial slurs and profanity, told store personnel there was an pipe bomb in the building.

A sheriff's bomb dog was called in to assist in the search, but no device was located.

<snip>

Daytona Beach police Sgt. Dave Snowden said officers are looking into whether an altercation between a customer and store employees earlier in the day might be related to the threat.

More:
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/EastVolusia/evlEAST02100608.htm


Bomb threat closes EAHS
By Audrey LaFave
POSTED: October 6, 2008

ESCANABA - Over the weekend, Escanaba High School received a bomb threat specifically for today. Police were notified and school was cancelled, according to a press release from Superintendent Tom Smith.

Escanaba Public Safety officers are investigating, and the department's bomb dog searched the school and found nothing. The investigation is ongoing.

School officials said due to the nature of the threat and their concern for the safety of students and staff, the high school building was closed today. They also said they are looking for the individual responsible for the threat. If it is a student, he/she would face expulsion if caught.

Because the Friday evening threat was specific to today, the school will probably reopen Tuesday, Smith said this morning.

During a two-week period in October 2007, Escanaba received two bomb threats and Bark River-Harris had one. In April 2007, Stephenson High School was closed due to a bomb threat. In 2006, Escanaba and Bark River-Harris were also targets of bomb threats, as well as Manistique Schools.

More:
http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/506956.html?nav=5003




Health officials on the Navajo Nation have issued a plague warning for residents on the reservation. The Navajo Area Indian Health Service confirmed Friday that a Fort Defiance resident tested positive for plague. Officials said the patient is being treated and is doing fine. Floyd Thompson, executive officer for the Navajo area IHS, said the positive diagnosis probably is not an isolated case. Thompson said health officials are making efforts to alert surrounding communities and doing epidemiology work to identify the source. Plague is caused by bacteria from infected rodents and is spread by fleas that have come in contact with the rodents. Thompson said outbreaks of plague typically occur during the warm months when animals are more active.)

More:
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?lang=eng&edis=EP-20081007-18764-USA






Police: Auburn freshman campus bomb threat unfounded
RRSTAR.COM STAFF REPORTS
Posted Oct 06, 2008 @ 01:05 PM

ROCKFORD —

Rockford police have determined a bomb threat at Auburn High School’s Freshman Campus this morning was false.

A caller dialed 911 at 10:32 a.m. claiming a bomb was on the freshman campus.

After searching the school, police and school staff announced that school was safe.

Classes were not disrupted during the search, including the special needs classes which take place in the wing where the caller directed the threat.

More:
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1272961537/Police-Auburn-freshman-campus-bomb-threat-unfounded



Millions of dead fish are washing on shore along parts of the Neuse River. The fish turned up along Smith and Browns creeks in Pamlico County. Fish kills this time of year are usually blamed on warm weather but folks who live along the creek say there’s more to it this time. Maryann Hartmeyer said, “We’ve never had a fish kill on this creek before.” She has lived along a stretch of Brown’s Creek for nine years but this is not the view she moved here for. “The creek was just covered with fish especially against the banks they would blow against the banks and they were just thick all over this creek,” she said. The NC Division of Water Quality says lower levels of dissolved oxygen are likely to blame for the millions of dead fish but it’s not necessarily something to be concerned about. But Lower Neuse Riverkeeper Larry Baldwin says numbers like these are not normal. “Fish kills are a natural phenomenon but not to this magnitude,” said Baldwin. This creek is a tributary of the Neuse River; a river that has seen 15 reported fish kills this year, six more than a year ago. Baldwin says nutrients that get into the water can contribute to the problem and development along the river where natural vegetation is being removed could be making thing worse. Baldwin explained, “To the right side here you see lots of vegetation, you see trees you see lower shrubs these things are all protecting the shore line. The other side you see some trees here and there but you don’t see that vegetative barrier.” Just how big a factor, if any, pollution from nutrients plays a in these fish kills is uncertain but Baldwin says this and others this summer need to serve as a wake up call. The NC Division of Water Quality said the Neuse is a nutrient sensitive river but their indications do not show any algae blooms, a contributing factor to some fish kills. )

More:
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?lang=eng&edis=BH-20081007-18767-USA



Pipe Bomb Blown Up In Neighborhood
Posted: Oct 6, 2008 05:36 PM
Updated: Oct 7, 2008 01:16 AM

COLORADO SPRINGS - Police blow up a pipe bomb in a northeast Colorado Springs neighborhood. Two District 11 schools nearby kept kids inside, but were never on lockdown. Keller Elementary and Russell Middle Schools are about half-a-mile from where the pipe bomb was found, in the 3800 block of Surrey Lane.

Gary Johnson found the pipe bomb on the street behind an SUV.

"It was laying right down here," says Johnson. "It was probably about two inches round and it was probably about (four inches) long."

Not knowing it was a bomb, Johnson picked up the device and took it a few houses down to his neighbor, a firefighter.

"He goes ‘man put that thing down, it's a pipe bomb' and I go ‘okay buddy,'" says Johnson. "I figured if I didn't know what it was, he'd find out what it was."


More:
http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=9133222



Monday, Oct. 06, 2008
Macon bomb squad responding to suspicious package

The Macon Police Department Bomb Squad and Macon-Bibb County firefighters are responding to a suspicious package in the parking lot outside of the Georgia Department of Revenue office behind the Baconsfield Kroger.

Officials are trying to find out what's in a briefcase that's in between two cars in the parking lot. Baconsfield Drive has been blocked, but other access roads to the center remain open.


More:
http://www.macon.com/149/story/484327.html



Cherokee High student charged in bomb threat
Published 10/06/2008 By Jeff Bobo

ROGERSVILLE — If the 15-year-old Cherokee High School student recently charged with making a false bomb report was looking for some attention, strapping hot dogs with wires to his chest to look like dynamite probably did the trick.

According to a report released by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, a complaint was filed on Sept. 24 alleging that the boy had discussed blowing up Cherokee High School.

Deputy Renee Rogers, who is the CHS student resource officer, stated in her report, “In a classroom full of students (the boy) did discuss having a bomb and blowing up Cherokee High School. (The boy) reportedly advised he had previously strapped hot dogs with wires to his chest/waist area in an effort to look like dynamite.”

According to police, this incident is unrelated to another incident last week at CHS in which a spray painted bomb threat forced a school evacuation.

More:
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9008461




Boehner's (When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking) bomb scare package full of pork
By Eric Schwartzberg
Staff Writer
Monday, October 06, 2008

WEST CHESTER TWP. – A suspicious package found at House Minority Leader John Boehner's office was just filled with pork.

Someone reported the package at the Boehner's district office at 7969 Cincinnati-Dayton Road around 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, according to emergency dispatchers. Postmarked from Georgia, it apparently had a large stain on it, according to Local 12 WKRC.

Police evacuated four employees from the office and two office condos on either side. The Butler County Hazardous Material team was called in to examine the package and discovered it contained bacon.

Boehner spokeswoman Jessica Towhey said Boehner was not in the office at the time of the incident.

More:
http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/10/06/hjn100708bombsquad.html


Student charged with bomb threat at Traip Academy

By JOSH ROSENSON
jrosenson@fosters.com
Article Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2008

KITTERY, Maine — Police charged an R.W. Traip Academy student with terrorizing, following a bomb threat at the school Thursday.

"We interviewed him and he was charged Friday," said Kittery Police Chief Edward F. Strong. Strong said the boy is charged with terrorizing, a felony, and the case will be handled by juvenile authorities.

"We are going to ask for full restitution for any expenses incurred by the school, the Police Department and the Fire Department. These kids (have) got to learn there is going to be consequences to these types of actions," Strong said.

<snip>

It was the third such incident in the past year, with police having identified and charged a boy from one of last year's two threats.


More:
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/GJNEWS_01/710079887/-1/FOSNEWS



Suspicious package closes intersection
By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/07/2008 02:33:26 AM EDT

STAMFORD - Streets around the Bull's Head intersection were shut down for about an hour Monday afternoon while the police bomb squad investigated a suitcase left near the Bank of America branch on Washington Boulevard.

A bank employee called police at about 12:25 p.m., and officers shut down the road, Capt. William Mullin said.

A bomb squad officer X-rayed the suitcase and found no suspicious components, Mullin said. When officers opened the case, they found nothing inside, he said.

<snip>

Sgt. Lou DeRubeis, head of the bomb squad, said police will try to determine whether the suitcase was left deliberately to spur a reaction or just forgotten.


Sgt. Lou DeRubeis and officer Paul Pavia, right, of the Stamford Police Department's bomb squad, talk Monday after determining a suspicious black suitcase was empty in the Bank of America parking lot at Bull's Head in Stamford. (Chris Preovolos/Staff photo)

More:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/norwalkadvocate/news/ci_10656223

Or maybe a lavender?

late 60's and early 70's we had a bomb threat almost every day. A lot of kids called them in to get out of class I think. They would evacuate the school and we would have an hour or two on the lawn.
Then when I started nursing we drilled for bomb threats at the hospital as we had a lot called in there too. What was old is new again.