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Suspicious Package Closes Courthouse

Authorities evacuated the Hamilton County courthouse Tuesday morning because of a suspicious item.

Courthouse officials say the building was evacuated at about 8:30 a.m.  Sheriff's official Jim Knapp said something "didn't look right" during a security screening. A bomb-sniffing dog was brought to the item and authorities then evacuated the courthouse based on its response.

Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil says the suspicious item was later identified as a glass container of perfume shaped like a World War Two grenade.

The scene was announced secure around noon.  The courthouse was closed for the rest of the day.

The woman who brought the bottle into the courthouse was questioned, but not publicly identified.  She was not charged.

Bill Rinehart started his radio career as a disc jockey in 1990. In 1994, he made the jump into journalism and has been reporting and delivering news on the radio ever since.