The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

October 29, 2008

Bomb threat empties Sharon elementary school

By Courtney Anderson

SHARON — A bomb threat Wednesday morning led authorities to evacuate West Hill Elementary School in Sharon.

Police Chief Mike Menster said a call came into the Mercer County 911 center shortly after 9 a.m. saying that there were explosives at the school.

Sharon City School District has an emergency protocol that was put into place immediately, Menster said.

Police went to the school and students and staff were evacuated as a precaution, he said.

They went to First United Methodist Church on Silver Street, where Menster said the children were entertained with stories and singing. Police accompanied the evacuees, he said.

Bomb-detection dogs from the Mercer County Sheriff’s office and New Castle police swept the building and did not find any explosives, Menster said.

When police were confident the building was secure, students and staff were allowed back in the building, Menster said. The normal school day routine was resumed about 11:30 a.m., he said.

“The school district had a plan in place for incidents like this and it worked very well,” said Menster, who was at the scene.

Menster said the incident is still under investigation.

He said it was too early to speculate if the threat, particularly due to its timing, was related to an armed robbery about 9:30 a.m. at the Medicine Shoppe, 1020 E. State St.

The Herald was unable to reach school administrators Wednesday for comment.

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