Posted 4:28 am Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Anthrax Scare in Big Sandy
By MALENA OGLES
Staff Writer
BIG SANDY -- Employees were evacuated from the Strategic Fulfillment Group, a mail service group, in Upshur County for several hours Sunday while law enforcement agencies investigated an unknown substance found in an envelope.
Staff Writer
BIG SANDY -- Employees were evacuated from the Strategic Fulfillment Group, a mail service group, in Upshur County for several hours Sunday while law enforcement agencies investigated an unknown substance found in an envelope.
"An automated machine opened the envelope the substance fell out and everybody got scared," Sgt. Scott Randell with the Big Sandy Police Department said Monday.
Big Sandy officials confirmed that the substance was not anthrax or narcotics but added that they have not yet identified the substance.
Police said the automated machine opened the letter at around 10 a.m. Officials immediately evacuated the nearly 30 employees from the 140,000 square foot facility on Texas Highway 155. Employees were allowed to return to work at around 4 p.m. that day.
Big Sandy police, with the help of the local fire department, Upshur County Emergency Management coordinator and the Hawkins Police Department secured the scene.
Randell said he and an investigator from the U.S. Postal Service will be investigating the case.
