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City of Adair warns about unusual substances that may appear in mailboxes

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December 19th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Adair, Iowa) – Officials with the City of Adair, Wednesday, posted a warning on social media, with regard to a toxic substance that was found in a mail box. The City posted images of a plastic, sandwich type container with the words “Mercury hazard” written on it. Inside the container was what appeared to be a folded paper towel, and a brown bottle with the word “Mercury” scribbled on it.(Photos below are from the City of Adair’s Facebook page)
Authorities says if anyone finds one of these or any other substance please do not touch them! Call the Police Department immediately. They advised also that you should NOT bring the item inside your home. Instead, you should leave it alone and contact the Police Department.
And, if anyone in the Adair area has has a motion sensitive camera (such as a Ring device) attached to their house, especially in the 800 block of Adair St., and it captured suspicious activity, you’re being asked to show the camera footage from Wednesday with Police. The hope is that authorities can can identify who the subject was, and/or what vehicle may have been involved in leaving the substance in the mail box.
Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater told KJAN News Emergency Management Coordinator Jeremy Cooper contacted the Council Bluffs Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team to handle the substance, which will be safely disposed of by the Metro Waste Authority.