Suspicious Package-State College, PA

WJAC-TV

[WxMan2000]

The arrival of a suspicious package in State College has closed off part of downtown and summoned the bomb squad.
Announced at top of hour...but local news and radio have not provided ANY additional info since then. Local webcams
showing traffic diversion.

[been_lurking]

We can only hope that local/national newsmedia are showing restraint and don't require a 'gag' order

Maybe the local media are actually "reporters", and they are waiting for facts, which they can't get right away because the area is blocked off!

Are we all so conditioned to receiving endless speculation, analysis, and punditry from the media inlieu of facts that we actually get suspicious when they wait to get the real story?

[EarlyBird]

I work at a university that hosts many Arab people. In fact, I work at that university's chemistry department. So I am very interested in this thread and I don't appreciated your inane remarks.

[OldFriend]

Somebody mad at the football team?

[jws3sticks]

Dear Coach Joe,

Please accept this little present, as our gift to you. Open it, as it has a pretty smell but is a bit dusty!

All our love,

The Alumni Association of Penn State University

[TomServo]

Probably another Mom mailing her son/daughter a package of powdered pudding...

[Paul Atreides]

Maybe it's just a box of soap and deodorant and they plan to give all the peaceniks a bath.

[FlJoePa]

[EarlyBird]

We had our own "suspicious package" at Virginia Tech Thursday pm. Here's a link to the story: http://www.vt.edu/2000/headline.phtml?itemid=429. Part of an effort to sow fear among the most fearful, i.e., university towns filled with liberals?

That link doesn't seem to work. Any more info you can post personally?

[Star Traveler]

This thread has been hijacked by error-ists who care nothing about the reason why it was posted in the first place, and who are demanding that it be diverted it into the realm of gibberish.

Who gives a sh!t about your f&cking football teams?!

Hey, don't get so worried about it. I had to hold my breath for about two hours today... =:-0     I finally started laughing about it once I could start breathing again.

Anthrax Scare? In Lake Oswego, Oregon [Portland]

[MasonPatriot]

Here's the text of the Virginia Tech president's statement on the suspicious package incident we had yesterday: BLACKSBURG, Oct. 12, 2001 -- The bomb-like device found in the Virginia Tech Newman Library yesterday was a well-constructed hoax. University police, state police, and the FBI participated in the investigation yesterday afternoon and evening. This event, in conjunction with recent announcements from state and local authorities, should compel us to have a heightened sense of awareness of our surroundings. Should you see anything suspicious, do not hesitate to immediately contact university officials or the police department. This outrageous and irresponsible interruption has had an impact on the educational and personal lives of Virginia Tech students as well as the rest of the university community. This incident required the combined resources of hundreds of people from law enforcement, specialized technical personnel, university physical plant and many university officials. We condemn this action of the disturbed mind or minds that put our community at risk. Law enforcement will pursue and prosecute the perpetrator(s) to the fullest extent.

[EarlyBird]

Anthrax Scare? In Lake Oswego, Oregon [Portland]

At least your thread maintained your reason for posting it, and wasn't hijacked like this one.

Sometimes I wonder about the people who do this to FreeRepublic threads, are they just idiots or are they trying to post so much clutter that people will not delve into the threads long enough to get the real info.

That is, are they just idiots or useful idiots?

[sharktrager]

And I work for a drug wholesaler and I am seeing first hand what the panic is doing to the country.

[EarlyBird]

Thanks MasonPatriot.

Hoaxes are almost as bad as the real thing. Isn't one of the limits to free speech the act of yelling "Fire!" in a theater when there is no fire?

I think that solid citizens (even those who currently think that their college football teams are the end all to be all) should start forming vigilante groups to ease the pressure from the authorities, who obviously can't handle all of this on their own.

There must be something we can do as a community besides donating money to United Way.

[OWK]

Who gives a sh!t about your f&cking football teams?!

I think you best settle down boy.

[lds23]

You're missing the point. The idea was to try and diffuse the panic a little. Hey, we all get spooked, but it sometimes helps to unwind a bit and take your mind off the fixation. We all hope no-one got hurt, of course, but don't let the terrorists get you down, man.

[Joe 6-pack]

I was the Provost Marshal Operations Officer In Yongsan, Korea during the African Embassy bombings in '98. Of course we (justifiably) went to a heightened state of alert, but it still amazed me how many counter-terrorism experts leapt out of the woodwork...and how many ridiculous "suspicious package," calls we received at the MP station. We dispatched a MWD team to the garrison HQ where a staff SGM had reported a "suspicious package," outside his office door. As this was at a relatively high profile site, I met the team there.

Upon arrival, we observed the "package," to be a tennis ball with the word, "F*CK," written on it with a permanent marker. Of course, we went through the drill, and the dog handler and his Malinois approached the ball. The dog sniffed it, paused, then picked it up in his mouth and turned around with a look that said, "Let's play, Dad!" Priceless. Wish I could have caught it on video. But it also demonstrates how people can abandon common sense and give in to hysteria so easily. When they do, it over-taxes limited resources that are critical in the event of real emergencies...

[GOPJ]

Has anyone posted the handwriting? I have a strange letter and wanted to compare the writing. And do you know waht city State Collegfe is near?

I just heard the same thing -said that handwriting was somewhat similar. (Sorry - I'm typing as I am hearing it)

[Stentor]

And do you know waht city State Collegfe is near?

I think you have to be from PA to realize how funny that question is.

[WxMan2000]

Everybody knows State College is just a hop..skip..and a jump from the sprawling metropolis of Port Matilda...gateway to the west.

Anywho...here's the story from the WTAJ-TV

TENSE SITUATION IN STATE COLLEGE
A tense situation in State College leads to the arrest of a Penn State student. Police say 32 year old Manej Root,
originally from India, walked into the United States Army recruiting office on West College Avenue Friday afternoon.
They say he became disorderly and started wrestling with a recruiter. Police say the suspect made a statement
about a white powder in his book bag and threw the bag on the floor. The facility and surrounding area were evacuated...
A haz-mat team removed the bag and determined it was safe.

[StopGlobalWhining]

This was much adoo about nothing, but it created a monsterous traffic jam on College Ave. between Allen and Atherton that lasted for hours. Apartment dwellers near the Army recruting station were evacuated and word spread that it was a bomb scare.

I left campus at 6 PM and headed to the Outback Steak House for dinner, to meet my wife who it turned out was late as a result of the traffic hassle.

Two of the waitresses we spoke to lived downtown near the Army recruiting station and described the situation. One was in the shower at the time and was terrified to hear loud knocks on her apartment door and police screaming to evacuate.

The most encouraging thing to me was that both these young women were strongly supportive of President Bush and the actions he has taken. Both said they never expected much of him, but were very happy with his performance. One was a senior in Health and Human Development, usually one of the most liberal collections of touchy-feely emotional types, and said she supported Bush all the way. She had voted for algore, but said that now she is happy that Bush is president. The other didn't vote in 2000, but said she was 100% behind Bush.

Notably, our local newspaper, The Centre Daily Times has been silent today on any developments and has no local coverage for Saturday. The Penn State Student newspaper The Daily Collegian has a story from last night concerning this incident.

Overall, sanity prevails among the student body at PSU.