Toy grenade found in Spirit Lake mailbox

What appeared to be a grenade left in a Spirit Lake mailbox turned out to be a toy, police said. The suspicious item, discovered this morning, prompted police to evacuate several homes and call in a bomb squad from Spokane. “All reports of suspicious activity and potential threats are taken very seriously and are investigated thoroughly to ensure the utmost safety and protection of our citizens,” the Spirit Lake Police Department said on its Facebook page. The Spokane Police Department’s Explosive Disposal Unit was called in for a closer look and determined the item was not a real grenade. It was found in a mailbox east of 12th Avenue between Blackwell and Deleware streets. Nearby homes were evacuated and additional residents were notified via a reverse 911 message to stay inside their homes, police said.