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Highlands Today

Another Envelope Found At Hospital

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: April 4, 2009

SEBRING - Law enforcement was back at Florida Hospital Heartland Division Friday morning when another envelope of white powder was found.

By 8:30 a.m., the Highlands County Sheriff's Office had crime scene tape around the parking lot directly across from the hospital's main entrance. As it turns out, the envelope appears to be a leftover from Thursday's scare, according to Cathy Albritton, hospital spokesperson.

"It's all clear," Albritton said at 10 a.m.

Members of the Highlands County Emergency Management team arrived and bagged the envelope before taking it off-site. The crime scene tape started to be removed around 9:30.

Unlike Thursday, the hospital did not go on lockdown and operations continued as they normally would. The only inconvenience was parking.

"We had to direct some of our patients and some of our guests to park in another parking area," Albritton said. "Everyone was most understanding."

Tests on the suspicious powder found in the envelopes Thursday came back negative for anthrax.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at (863) 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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