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The Linn County Courthouse was closed Monday after an early
morning anthrax scare, which proved to be a hoax in the end.
Around 6:15 a.m., a custodian found a note on an outside
door noting the presence of envelopes containing anthrax inside and outside the
courthouse. The message on the note claimed there were 10 other envelopes inside
the building, local media sources reported.
“The note indicated that anthrax was in envelopes in the
courthouse,” Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller said.
Just one person, a clerk, was in the building when the note
was found, but that person got out safely.
Following the note, all 29-court hearings were canceled for
the day. Members of the Linn-Benton Haz-Mat team, Army National Guard, FBI and
the Department of Homeland Security were called to investigate the scene and
identify the substance.
Only two envelopes connected to the note were found, one
slid under a door and the other left with the note outside.
The investigators took the envelopes to a mobile testing
center, where results indicated the substance was not anthrax, but something
resembling granulated white sugar. A portion of the substance was taken to the
FBI lab in Portland
for further testing.
There are no suspects in the case, but authorities said a
criminal investigation is underway. Those involved could face felony charges.
The courthouse is expected to reopen Tuesday morning.
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