(Chatham, VA) –  An electronic bomb threat arrived to the Pittsylvania County Administration building Thursday afternoon, prompting evacuations and traffic diversions.  A wave of bomb threats emailed to hundreds of schools, businesses and government buildings across the U.S. triggered searches, evacuations and fear — but there were no signs of explosives, and authorities said the scare appeared to be a crude extortion attempt.

 

Employees of the Administration building as well as other businesses in close proximity were evacuated for over an hour as authorities from the Pittsylvania County Sherriff’s Office and the Chatham Police Department conducted a search of the facility before an all clear was given.

 

The threat mirrored other threats both regionally as well as nationally.  Pittsylvania County Sherriff’s Office Captain Corey Webb said security would be higher at the administration building for the next few days.