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Bomb inspectors checked out a suspicious package outside U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer’s Lincoln office Wednesday morning, hours before FBI agents said they found a letter filled with poison addressed to President Barack Obama.
A Fischer staffer saw a bag of what turned out to be trash about 8:30 a.m. at 440 N. Eighth St. in the Haymarket, found two envelopes along with a metal can inside and called authorities.
"With what’s been going on in Boston and with ricin being found addressed for another senator, we tell our staff to be cautious,” said Dusty Vaughan, Fischer’s state director.
“When they saw it was a package and they had no idea how it got there, we decided to call authorities and let them deal with it.”
An inspector determined the bag was full of garbage. Bill Moody, the city's chief fire inspector, said he’s fine with sending inspectors out to check out suspicious packages that turn out to be harmless.
“That’s OK. We’d rather go check it out than have somebody not report it. This happens after a major incident in the country.”
Moody said his office hasn’t received a glut of calls after two bombs exploded Monday near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 170.
The FBI said Wednesday there is no indication of a connection between the letter sent to Obama and the bombing. The letter was postmarked April 8, before the marathon.
U.S. Capitol police also were investigating the discovery of at least three suspicious packages in Senate office buildings.
In one case, police sealed off a hearing room at the Hart Office Building, where Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, were testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Fischer, a member of the committee, was also there.
In another, officers advised Sen. Joe Manchin and aides not to board an elevator because suspicious packages had been found on several floors of the Hart Building.
"They just told me there's something suspicious and they're looking into it," Manchin said.
The FBI said the letters to Obama and Wicker were undergoing further testing. Preliminary testing can be unreliable, showing false positives for ricin.
Around the Capitol there was an increased police presence Wednesday. Outside, many public garbage cans were emptied and turned on their side. Yet public tours of the building continued as usual.
Bomb inspectors checked out a suspicious package outside U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer’s Lincoln office Wednesday morning, hours before FBI agents said they found a letter filled with poison addressed to President Barack Obama.
A Fischer staffer saw a bag of what turned out to be trash about 8:30 a.m. at 440 N. Eighth St. in the Haymarket, found two envelopes along with a metal can inside and called authorities.
"With what’s been going on in Boston and with ricin being found addressed for another senator, we tell our staff to be cautious,” said Dusty Vaughan, Fischer’s state director.
“When they saw it was a package and they had no idea how it got there, we decided to call authorities and let them deal with it.”
An inspector determined the bag was full of garbage. Bill Moody, the city's chief fire inspector, said he’s fine with sending inspectors out to check out suspicious packages that turn out to be harmless.
“That’s OK. We’d rather go check it out than have somebody not report it. This happens after a major incident in the country.”
Moody said his office hasn’t received a glut of calls after two bombs exploded Monday near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 170.
The FBI said Wednesday there is no indication of a connection between the letter sent to Obama and the bombing. The letter was postmarked April 8, before the marathon.
U.S. Capitol police also were investigating the discovery of at least three suspicious packages in Senate office buildings.
In one case, police sealed off a hearing room at the Hart Office Building, where Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, were testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Fischer, a member of the committee, was also there.
In another, officers advised Sen. Joe Manchin and aides not to board an elevator because suspicious packages had been found on several floors of the Hart Building.
"They just told me there's something suspicious and they're looking into it," Manchin said.
The FBI said the letters to Obama and Wicker were undergoing further testing. Preliminary testing can be unreliable, showing false positives for ricin.
Around the Capitol there was an increased police presence Wednesday. Outside, many public garbage cans were emptied and turned on their side. Yet public tours of the building continued as usual.