(The Ohio News Network posted the following article on its website on June 8.)
BELLEVILLE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern rail yard is open for business Thursday, after a military-style hand grenade was found Wednesday night on the ledge of a rail car near Bellevue in Erie County.
The rail yard is near State Route 4 in southern Erie County.
Captain Paul Sigsworth from the Erie County Sheriff’s Department tells ONN affiliate WNWO that around 8:11 p.m. they got a call from Norfolk Southern. Crews were inspecting rail cars and spotted what appeared to be a military-style grenade on the ledge of rail car.
“What we do know is the car in question was used earlier in the day to haul trash from New York and New Jersey to an Ottawa County landfill. The trash was removed from the top and we believe the grenade fell to the ledge where it was found,” said Captain Sigsworth.
The bomb squad was called out about 9:30 p.m. to handle the grenade.
The car was isolated in the yard. Capt. Sigsworth said no one was in danger, except for the bomb technicians who retrieved the grenade.
Norfolk Southern confirmed that a worker found “a suspicious device,” but refused to say what was found.
A spokesperson down-played the incident saying that “the yard remained open and they were in business.”
Fortunately, no one got hurt.