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Sheriff: out-of-state bomb threat prompted Pine County courthouse lockdown; board backs single-entry screening pilot
Summary
Sheriff Nelson told commissioners a 2:20 a.m. bomb threat traced to an out-of-state caller prompted a courthouse lockdown and prompted a shift to single-point entry; investigators say the threat level dropped after tracing the call; the board agreed to continue the screening pilot and revisit costs and policy in July.
Board Chair opened the meeting and the board heard a detailed account from Sheriff Nelson of a bomb threat that arrived on the county administrative line about 2:20 a.m. Monday, prompting deputies to clear buildings and enact a courthouse lockdown. "It was about 2:20 in the morning. Dispatch received a bomb threat," Nelson said, describing early morning checks of doors and garbage cans and a coordinated response with the state fusion center.
Nelson said deputies moved screening equipment to establish a single point of entry at the main courthouse and instituted hard lockdowns at remote county buildings. He credited deputies, security staff and operations crews for adapting quickly: "Everything moved down there seamlessly," he said, and investigators by about 11:00 a.m. had determined the call originated from an out-of-state number, which reduced the assessed level of risk.
Why it matters: single-point screening changes courthouse operations and staffing and creates ongoing policy questions about who must be screened, how often and how to measure throughput and cost. Nelson told the board the exercise exposed strengths and some communication gaps and suggested continuing the screening as a pilot to gather hard numbers on staffing needs, daily throughput and policy scenarios.
Board reaction and next steps: Commissioners signaled support for continuing the screening as a pilot for roughly a month so staff can collect counts and employee feedback and produce cost estimates. Nelson and staff said they will return with more precise numbers, policy recommendations (for example, whether staff carrying items to cars need repeated screening), and any needed equipment adjustments at the July meeting.
The board did not take an immediate formal vote to make the pilot permanent; commissioners instructed staff to keep the staffing in place and report back with data and policy options at the first July meeting.
