Woman charged with making bomb threat at Mercer Co. Courthouse

MERCER, PA. — A Sharpsville woman is charged with making a bomb threat that resulted in the temporary closure of the Mercer County Courthouse today.

Deputies from the county sheriff’s office investigated the incident and with assistance from the county’s MIS department were able to track the call. About 11:15 a.m., deputies arrested Margie Small at her Sharpsville home. She is charged with making terroristic threats and harassment and was taken to county jail. Her arraignment is pending. The courthouse reopened to the public at 1 p.m. and resumed normal service, said Jeff Greenburg, county public information officer.

At 9 a.m. Monday, a courthouse employee received a phone call from a woman making threats against judges and indicating that a bomb was in the courthouse, Greenburg said. The employee relayed the information to the sheriff’s office.

The courthouse was evacuated shortly thereafter. Bomb-sniffing dog units from the sheriff’s office, New Castle Police and Beaver County Sheriff’s Office searched the courthouse for explosives and found none.