by George Gramlich

There was quite a stir Tuesday, when employees at the First State Bank of Colorado office at 3 Bassick Lane noticed a white powdery substance leaking from a letter they had just picked up at the U.S. Post Office across the street. The letter was addressed to the bank and had a return address from California on it. It also contained a check. Nothing else was in the letter.
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office was notified, and Deputy Schoch was dispatched to the bank. He confirmed there was a suspicious powdery substance in the letter. Arriving Custer County Under Sheriff Chris Barr ordered the bank building and the Post Office closed and quarantined until a hazmat unit could come and clear both buildings. All employees and customers (including Deputy Schoch) were ordered to remain in the buildings.
Various Custer County agencies arrived on the scene; the Custer County Office of Emergency Management and multiple units from the Wet Mountain Fire Protection District. Custer County Posse members blocked both sides of Bassick Lane and the Colorado State Patrol Hazmat team from Colorado Springs was summoned. The bank office’s front entrance was blocked off with yellow tape.
The United States Postal Inspector for this region was notified.
Two units from the Colorado State Patrol Hazmat team finally arrived on the scene in a few hours.
The Hazmat team, donning white, totally enclosed hazmat outfits, de-contaminated the people with chlorine based wipes and cleared both buildings (one person was required to change into a type suit to be de-contaminated). The letter’s contents were analyzed at the scene and with the preliminary results indicating that the powder was a crushed medication. The letter was turned over to the Postal Inspector
for further action.
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office contacted the letter sender via phone. Under Sheriff Barr stated that the woman told the Custer County Sheriff’s Office that somehow her foot medication got into the envelope with the check for the bank. It is unknown at this time if she will be charged with any crime.
Both buildings were re-opened in the afternoon.