Bomb scare

I beg everyone’s pardon.  I tried my utmost to post the headline and other information of this report from our local gazette.  Sorrily, I am more familiar with the machinations of earlier, more simple sorts of publications than this new electronic variety, and a plethora of extraneous litterings kept cluttering my copy.  Following, is the very best I am able to offer:

Staff Report 11:19 PM Wednesday, August 10, 2011

HARVEYSBURG - Authorities from both Warren and Butler counties Wednesday night were called on a suspicious package, which prompted the evacuation of several homes.

About 20 homes were evacuated during the investigation, but no explosives were found, according to Local 12 WRKC.

I offer this only because it brings to mind an earlier report from the same publication with striking similarities:

Geocaching scavenger hunt causes bomb scare

A geocaching scavenger hunt caused the evacuation of residents and businesses Wednesday night as a bomb squad investigated a "suspicious package." The intersection of Main and Elm streets in Monroe was a bustle of activity while Monroe police and fire crews and the Butler County Sheriff's Office Bomb Unit responded to the Monroe Historical Society, 10 Elm St., where a resident reported at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday that suspicious-looking subjects left a package outside the building.

"Police did find a package. It was in some bushes and covered with duct tape," said Monroe dispatcher Mike McKinney.

The Butler County Sheriff's Office Bomb Unit took a digital X-ray of the cylinder, which revealed a notebook and small trinkets typically left by people on geocaching scavenger hunts.

Monroe police Chief Greg Homer said what the resident saw was the "tail end" of activity of someone in the dark leaving something in the bushes.

"They didn't see the person write their name in the notebook and leave a souvenir," Homer said.

After determining the package was a geocaching prize, the police also signed the notebook, left a toy badge as a souvenir and put it back in place, he said.

Ann Mort of the Middletown Convention and Visitors Bureau contacted police to tell them geocaching prizes have been placed throughout the area to bring people to Butler County.

The entire block around the building at Elm and Main streets was evacuated for about two hours.