Posted on 09/11/2002 11:26:44 AM PDT by chance33_98
State offices evacuated
The Rhodes office tower is evacuated after dogs detect scent of explosives at a van parked at the loading dock. The bomb squad is on the scene. A suspect is in custody. More details soon.
Sounds about normal for government workers.
State Office Tower Evacuated Suspect In Custody
POSTED: 2:22 p.m. EDT September 11, 2002 UPDATED: 2:48 p.m. EDT September 11, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The 41-story James A. Rhodes State Office Tower that houses the Ohio Supreme Court and other state agencies was evacuated Wednesday after dogs detected a scent of explosives in a van at a loading dock, the State Highway Patrol said.
Patrol spokesman Lt. John Born said a male suspect was in custody.
No explosives were immediately found in the van, but the scent was detected three times by a dog, Born said.
The van was parked at a loading dock in the rear of the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower, across the street from the Statehouse.
Gov. Bob Taft was in his office in the 32-story Vern Riffe Center for the Government and the Arts, one block away from the Rhodes tower, said Joe Andrews, Taft's spokesman.
He would not say whether security was increased around the governor.
Police cars cordoned off the street in front of the Rhodes building in the city's downtown.
About 4,000 state employees work in the building. Born said the evacuation.
The building was named after former Gov. James A. Rhodes, a Republican who served four terms. He died last year. The Riffe center is named after former House Speaker Vern Riffe.
The Rhodes Tower is a STATE office building, not federal. If you have ever had occation to deal with some of our state and county employees, you might see the humor in BSOD's comment.
Or he recently fertilized his lawn.
I do notice them every time I go to an airport or call the IRS for information or deal with the EPA or OSHA. Wonderful group. Most would starve to death in the private arena. Sorry, I have dealt with too many place keepers to have much respect for the average government employee.
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