May 8, 2024|
Photo – Campbell County fire fighters prepare to enter courthouse – Courtesy Campbell County Fire Department
Mysterious packages of white powder were sent to two Wyoming courthouses recently. Carbon County officials are on alert in case a similar incident occurs here.
Earlier this month, both the Campbell and Natrona County Courthouses received suspicious letters containing white powder and a note indicating the substance is hazardous.
The Wyoming National Guard responded to the scenes and tested both white powders using specialized equipment and found that the substances posed no danger.
According to Wyoming National Guard Public Affairs, initial tests for chemical and biological warfare agents came back negative. Further confirmation tests were conducted at the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory to ensure comprehensive analysis. The state lab ran tests on the sample using Time Resolved Fluorescence and Polymerase Chain Reaction. The substance was plated, and no growth was observed. Taken together, the state lab’s findings give further confirmation of a negative result for biological agents.
At Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Carbon County Health Officer Dr. Duane Ables said that an investigation confirmed that the envelopes did not contain a toxic substance. Dr. Ables told the board that the letters originated from an Idaho prison.
Dr. Ables said Carbon County Emergency Manager Lenny Layman was notified about the incidents in Natrona and Campbell Counties. The county health officer instructed the board not to open any letters from Idaho prisons.
If someone opens a letter containing a white powder, Dr. Ables said they should gently place the envelope down, call the police, and take a shower. Dr. Ables said removing the powder residue as quickly as possible will help you avoid getting infected.
The Campbell County Fire Department issued a media release saying that on Wednesday, May 1st, at 10:58am, they were dispatched to the Campbell County Courthouse for suspected hazardous materials exposure. Gillette Police Department personnel on scene advised that the Courthouse had been evacuated and that 10 people had been exposed to an unknown substance. One person at the original scene was transported to Campbell County Health for precautionary evaluation.
The following day, on Thursday May 2nd, the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying that at 11:45am, the Hall of Justice building, located at 201 North David Street, was closed for the remainder of the day due to an active investigation.
Later that same day, the Natrona County sheriff said, “Out of an abundance of caution, the Hall of Justice was evacuated and closed due to a report of a suspicious package.” The report was thoroughly investigated, and it has been determined that there is no threat to the public.
Both incidents were investigated by the Wyoming National Guard which indicated that neither envelope contained toxic materials.
Carbon County has not been targeted in the same manner as Natrona and Campbell Counties.
