United school threats made from outside Ohio

Staff report

HANOVERTON

Columbiana County authorities are investigating two threats made at United Local Schools, one of which forced evacuation of the district’s school building

According to The Vindicator’s broadcast partner 21 WFMJ-TV, a detective investigating the threats said authorities have traced two threatening phone calls to an out-of-state location. Authorities would not reveal from which state the calls originated.

Superintendent Steve Viscounte told the TV station the first threat came in Tuesday night. Someone left a threatening message on the high school secretary’s voice mail about 7 p.m.

As a precaution, Viscounte said some students were kept on buses outside the school Wednesday morning. Students who already were inside the building were moved to the auditorium as police searched the building, which houses students from elementary school to high school.

Nothing was found and classes resumed. A second, similar call was received later Wednesday morning. This time, the school was evacuated.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office, and Winona and Hanoverton fire departments were all called to the scene. Bomb-sniffing dogs from Youngstown and Kent were also called to search the school, the TV station reported. Nothing was found.