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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Backpack sparks bomb scare

Washington state troopers and Capitol campus grounds staff stand near a manhole to a tunnel where a suspicious backpack was found Friday in Olympia. The package was deemed harmless. (Associated Press)
Associated Press

OLYMPIA – A suspicious backpack found in a tunnel under a manhole on the Capitol campus sparked a bomb scare, but the package was quickly deemed harmless, containing only a six-pack of beer and some clothing.

The Washington State Patrol was notified Friday morning by Capitol grounds employees, who found the backpack after they noticed the manhole was ajar.

A bomb squad truck arrived and removed the backpack. Inside was a six-pack of Old Milwaukee beer and some clothing, Washington State Patrol Sgt. Jason Hicks said. A portion of a road near the manhole was briefly shut down while the bomb squad retrieved the package.

Hicks said three bomb-sniffing dogs were going through the tunnels that spread underneath the state Capitol to ensure there’s nothing else down there.