BREAKING: Authorities Clear Threat That Shuts Down Ames Post Office for 2 Hours

Updated 5:30 p.m. April 22

An abandoned suitcase found in the lobby of the Kellogg Avenue post office shut down the downtown post office and all roads leading to it Monday afternoon.

Employees called police about 3 p.m. after noticing the bag sitting near a roll-out kiosk, said Ames Police CMDR. Geoff Huff.

"The fact that it was an unattended bag is what made it suspicious," Huff said.

Postal employees evacuated the building and the State Fire Marshal's Bureau of Arson and Explosives also responded. Once the bag was found not to be a threat officers eventually opened the bag and found papers inside.

The police department now has the bag and will try to identify the owner.

Update, 5:20 p.m.

Authorities have cleared a threat that shut down the Ames post office for two hours this afternoon.

A "suspicious bag" was found in the post office lobby. The bag was a suitcase and when authorities opened it they found papers inside.

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Ames police and fire have surrounded the Ames Post Office after receiving a report of a suspicious bag, KCCI Channel 8 reports.

Emergency crews were called to the post office, 525 Kellogg Ave., at 3:15 p.m. Monday, the article said. The post office has since been evacuated.

According to KCCI, the State Fire Marshall's Office bomb squad was also called to the scene.

Stick with Ames Patch for updates on this story.