Sikeston Wal-Mart evacuated

Standard Democrat

SIKESTON, Mo. -- With the threat of terrorist attacks on the minds of many Americans, anything suspicious is being taken seriously, as was the case Sunday in Sikeston.

At about 8 p.m. the Sikeston Department of Public Safety received a report that a large box was seen dropped from an airplane onto the roof of the Wal-Mart store at 1303 W. Main St.

The plane, according to DPS director Drew Juden, was a private twin-engine plane, not a crop-duster.

Wal-Mart was evacuated while officers made entry onto the roof through the layaway department in the store.

While officers searched the roof, Sikeston Aviation was contacted to help track the plane.

Juden said nothing was found on the roof of the building or the surrounding area.

Wal-Mart was reopened after about an hour.

The pilot was later discovered to be from Cordova, Tenn. It was not clear why the plane was not following its flight pattern, but the act was determined to not be terrorist-related.

This is not the only area incident that has people on edge.

In Butler County, a woman opened a letter in a long dark yellow envelope Thursday. She said there was a really bad odor and it made her eyes burn. She thought the letter was suspicious and called authorities.

However, anthrax has been ruled out in that case.

"There was no material inside the envelope," said FBI agent Pete Krusing of the St. Louis office. "There was nothing to test."

Krusing said he had no explanation for why the woman reacted to the letter the way she did, except that it might be panic.

"We've had reports of a man who didn't even open a letter but said his lips went numb," Krusing said.

The Daily American Republic contributed to this report.