Daily Herald Offices Evacuated Over Suspicious Letters
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Suspicious letters sent to the Daily Herald forced the newspaper to evacuate its building in Arlington Heights on Wednesday.
An executive at the paper said powder or dust was found Wednesday morning in letters in the 4th floor mailroom at the Daily Herald.
According to the Daily Herald, the white envelopes ere addressed to employees, and discovered around 7 a.m. in a bin picked up at the local post office. The employee who handled the envelopes was quarantined as a precaution, but was in good condition.
At first, the paper evacuated only the 4th floor, but police and fire officials ordered the entire building cleared around 9 a.m. A hazardous materials team planned to enter the building to retrieve the envelopes.
A reporter for the newspaper said it's been determined the letters were a prank.
Daily Herald Exec VP, Bob Haddock Jr. says the incident was not a real threat. He believes the letters in question were just generic/promotional mailings that contained what he described as "glittery stuff."
The evacuation lasted approximately 2 and a half hours.