CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's bomb squad were sent to a Goodwill store on Albermarle Road Wednesday afternoon after a tear gas grenade was discovered by an employee inside a donation bin.
"As soon as he walked in with it, I knew immediately, 'okay, yes, he's got a grenade, am I going to have to evacuate this building," said assistant manager Craig Warner who spent several years in the air force and was trained to recognize hazardous materials.
Warner said he checked to grenade to make sure it was safe before calling police. "The pin was still in the handle, so it was completely safe," said Warner. "I didn't smell anything leaking out." Police couldn't determine who the grenade belonged to.
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/15441692/detail.html
KC police checking out suspicious package (Missouri)
Thu, Feb. 28, 2008
Kansas City police are inspecting a suspicious package found in the middle of the street near 24th Street and Topping Avenue this morning.
Police were alerted to a box containing wires and batteries about 10 a.m. Officers requested the bomb squad and a bomb robot. Police said they did not receive any threats associated with the package. Police reopened Topping about 11:35 a.m. but kept 24th Street closed.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/509530.html
Fire crews have put out a major blaze following an explosion at one of the UK's largest gas terminals. Crews were called to a "very large-scale incident" at the Bacton gas terminal in Norfolk shortly before 6pm on Thursday.
The fire broke out in a wastewater treatment plant within the Shell UK site, which brings natural gas ashore from the North Sea. Shell UK confirmed that the fire was out and said the plant had been shut down safely.
Incident commander Richard Herrell, of Norfolk Fire Service, said: "There are inherent hazards in the petroleum industry. We've accounted for them and brought the fire under control in a very quick time. Everyone is safe and well. It has run like clockwork. We have a well- rehearsed plan between the emergency services and this has been shown to work." He said 40 people were evacuated from the site following the incident, which was attended by more than 50 firefighters.
The cause of the blaze is unknown and a full investigation, which will involve the police and Health and Safety Executive, will be launched, he said. A Shell spokeswoman said: "The regulatory authorities have been informed. There is no threat to the health of personnel at the site. "The incident will be investigated by Shell and the relevant authorities as is normal under these circumstances. "Shell would like to thank the emergency services and our personnel for their prompt action in extinguishing this fire so quickly."
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5g1hsC_lNwTV0qBSAQ2QGG_vzKWpg
Swedish police arrest 3 in alleged terror
February 28, 2008
STOCKHOLM, Sweden: Swedish police say three men have been arrested in Stockholm on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts and financing terror organizations.
The SAPO security police says the arrests were part of a coordinated operation with Norwegian authorities. Earlier Thursday, Norwegian police said they had arrested three people in Oslo on suspicion of financing terror.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/28/europe/EU-GEN-Sweden-Terror-Arrests.php
Sabotage suspected in disruption at Milorganite plant (Wisconsin)
Posted: Feb. 27, 2008
Milwaukee police are investigating the apparently intentional disruption of Milorganite fertilizer production this week at the Jones Island sewage treatment plant. Six of 12 sewage sludge dryers used in Milorganite production had to be shut down Tuesday morning after the incident, said John Jankowski, contract compliance officer with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Those dryers remained out of service Wednesday.
The incident occurred just four days before a new contractor is to take over operations of MMSD's facilities. United Water Services Milwaukee, the district's current operating contractor, started an internal investigation Tuesday, which included questioning employees. The company decided to contact police Wednesday morning, Jankowski said.
Around 8:43 a.m. Tuesday, monitors showed temperatures plummeting inside a dryer on the south side of the sludge drying and dewatering facility, Jankowski said. United Water employees subsequently found that the manually operated valve for a cold water pipe to that dryer had been opened. The pipe serves a water-spraying system that is only to be used to quickly reduce temperatures inside the bus-sized dryer in case of an emergency, such as an uncontrolled flame.
Sludge in each of the dryers is heated to 200 degrees to kill any pathogens. Each dryer is a spinning steel drum equipped with the emergency sprinkling system. "This was not an equipment failure," Jankowski said. "The valve was opened intentionally."
Excerpted