BEATRICE -- A bomb threat made at a business west of Beatrice Tuesday morning prompted a nearly 2-hour lockdown at nearby Homestead National Historical Park.
Just before 7:30 a.m., the Gage County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a business on Southwest 89th Road near West Hickory Road for a bomb threat.
Upon arrival at the scene, deputies interviewed witnesses and learned that a person had called the business and reported a contract employee was possibly coming to the site with a firearm.
Within a few minutes, the deputy and investigator at the plant determined the contract employee was actually working at another plant a half mile away.
A press release stated that deputies made contact with management at the second site and confirmed the employee was working there; however, the employee was behaving normally and there were no concerns involving him.
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Gage County Sheriff’s Office deputies, assisted by two troopers from the Nebraska State Patrol, were able to make contact with the employee outside his workshop and determined he did not bring a firearm with him and he did not have any ill intent toward the facility or his fellow employees.
Deputies notified both businesses there were no criminal violations.
Deputies are investigating the original call reporting the incident.
The threat prompted a lockdown at Homestead National Historical Park, the National Park Service site around 3 miles south of the location of the initial threat.Â
“When we’re notified by local law enforcement that there is a potential risk for danger and their recommendation is for us to lock down the park, that’s what we do,†Homestead park superintendent Betty Boyko said. “What we did was just put a note on the door that said we were on lockdown and for further information to call our number. Employees here were in the building and monitored the cameras for suspicious activity.â€
Boyko said the lockdown went into effect before 8 a.m. Tuesday and was lifted at around 10 a.m.
She added Homestead staff and area law enforcement handled the situation well.
“It certainly provided us with an opportunity to review our emergency response and address certain procedures if there is an imminent threat, but everyone was calm and we’ve discussed these situations in the past,†Boyko said. “Everything went really well and I was impressed with the Gage County Sheriff’s Office for thinking about us and giving us the information.â€