Letters prompt anthrax scare

FOLEY, Ala. - Foley Police responded to several Alabama politician's offices, and several federal courthouses, where packages with a white powder substance were found. The preliminary results from testing came back negative for anthrax, but it sent up red flags across the state.

Monday morning around 9:00, two staff members for Congressman Jo Bonner were inside their office when they reported to authorities first on the suspicious package. Crews arrived on the scene around 10:00 a.m. A HazMat crew followed shortly, including one from Saraland.

Angela Maynor works at Baldwin County Eye Institute. Police evacuated her office as well.

"They came in about 10:30 a.m. and evacuated us. They said that there was a suspicious package in Jo Bonner's office," said Maynor. "They wouldn't even let us go back to lock the door. I told the patients inside that we would call to reschedule them."

Martha Stanford was planning to take her husband to the doctor, but was turned around.

"I guess we will just wait to make an appointment," said Stanford.

"Our field testing will give us some basic indicators. The substance will then have to be sent to the FBI lab for full analysis," said Fire Chief Joey Darby.

Police did not say where the package came from. However, they do say everything is now safe.

This didn't just happen on the Gulf Coast, it happened across the state of Alabama. The FBI said the envelopes containing the white powder substance were sent to five Alabama cities.

The suspicious letters were sent to the offices of U.S. Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, and U.S. Representative Mike Rogers in Montgomery, Birmingham, Mobile and Anniston.

A letter was sent to a federal courthouse in Anninston and another letter was also found at a federal courthouse in Birmingham on Sunday. The Mobile Federal Courthouse also received one of the threatening letters.

The white powder substance has been field screened and the tests have met with negative results. The substance will receive further testing at the laboratories at the Alabama Department of Public Health.

To date, all letters have been postmarked in Alabama and do not appear to have gone outside the state.

The FBI field offices in Mobile and Birmingham are working the matter jointly along with the US Postal Service and the Alabama Department of Public Health.

The FBI has asked anyone with information concerning these letters should contact the local FBI office in Mobile at (251) 438-3674, or the Birmingham office at (205) 326-6166.

The US Postal Inspection Service is offering a $100,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.

CONGRESSMAN JO BONNER STATEMENT ABOUT SUSPICIOUS LETTERS

“On Monday morning, January 4, 2010, my Mobile and Foley congressional offices each reported receipt of suspicious looking letters containing a powdery white substance. Law enforcement was promptly notified and security precautions were undertaken while the contents of these letters were examined.

“Official tests of the two letters have found nothing harmful and my Mobile and Foley offices have since been cleared. My Mobile congressional office at 11 North Water Street, Suite 15290, has reopened, and my office at 1302 North McKenzie Street in Foley will be open for business on Tuesday morning.

“I wish to thank local, state and federal law enforcement officials for their immediate response and am grateful these letters ultimately posed no threat to the public.

“My office is continuing to cooperate with law enforcement as they investigate this incident and others statewide.”