Strange things are afoot at Wal-Mart. The word on the street is that the area is closed down and the police are there. Reportedly, at least one radio station is advising people to avoid the area entirely. Anybody know what’s going on? Thanks to Rob for the tip. 12:07pm Update: WINA is reporting that it’s a bomb threat. They say it was called in around 11am after receiving two phone calls (you’d think one would do it), and the building was promptly evacuated. K9 units are now searching the building.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Bomb threats are such a pain in the ass. Even though only 0.00000001% of them turn out to be legit (according to my calculations), you still have to react as though it’s a sure thing.
I hope they catch the fourteen-year old CHS flunkie who did this and make him clean the floor of the Wal-Mart men’s restroom with his tongue.
(off topic)
I would be content with him (or anyone, for that matter) cleaning the men’s room at Barnes and Noble. For such a nice store, it has the absolute worst bathroom in town. It reeks of bodily waste and the urinals look as if no one has touched them in weeks.
WINA has posted a story.
I noticed the cops and people standing around outside as I drove by to get lunch from Taco Bell. I wondered what it was.
From the WINA story “Wal-Mart staff says customers weren’t panicked about being evacuated and some were reluctant to stop their shopping.”
It just goes to show that no one really takes this seriously any more.
And then on that 1,000th time when it’s a real bomb…
There’s stupid idiot pranksters that don’t realize that “crying wolf” kills people too, because people won’t take it seriously when it’s real.
They need to do more than just make them clean a restroom.
This is a true story; I worked at Barnes & Noble when the power went off for the entire Barracks Shopping Center. It was pitch black in there; we had to be really obnoxious to get the customers out of the store. They didn’t want to stop shopping (admittedly this was 3 days before Christmas) although how they could shop in total darkness I don’t know (although you could do some successful shoplifting…). So I can see how people get so hard core about shopping refuse to leave Walmart today.
And, as for the bathrooms, it was one of the jobs we had to do each evening before we could leave. No one wanted to do it. I don’t know what the story is now. (This was when we had the peeker around; we ended up sitting outside the bathroom to make sure that a guy wouldn’t sneak into the ladies’ room and cop a peek. Creepy guy. We never did catch him.)
More likely the bomb threat caller is probably a worker at Walmart or knows someone. The other night we were there and the poor woman who worked the refund section received an obscene call in front of us. She said this was not uncommon, esp. on a Saturday night. She had a bit of a sense of humor about it but it must be depressing and more than a bit creepy.
It was obvious that there was a bomb threat that was taken seriously just driving by the place somewhere around 1 or 2 PM.
There were multiple police cruisers blocking each entrance to the parking lot. An employee of their sister store, Sam’s club, confirmed that there was a bomb threat and told me that they usually only close the store for about 15 minutes (ok, that might be a slight exageration) in response to bomb threats but that this time the store had already been closed much longer.
According to WINA, the store reopened around 3PM after being searched using a bomb sniffing dog from richmond. No bombs were found.
what if he is a WAHS, or an AHS or, god forbid, a Tandem kid? flippant comments like this, automatically blaming CHS for this kind of thing, even if it is a joke, is irresponsible and ignorant.
No, that’s not possible. All WAHS, AHS and Tandem kids are good, but all CHS kids are bad. Naturally, it would have to be a CHS kid.
That wasn’t what the poster meant. Of course the building was evacuated and the police were there. It was taken seriously but the attitude of the shoppers not wanting to leave was the point. “Yeah, sure there’s a bomb.” 99/1000 times there isn’t. But with all the false calls, folks get apathic and would rather continue shopping. They feel its inconvient if they have to come back or god forbid, do their shopping somewhere else.
Same reason its hard to clear a building out during *any* emergency. But let something happen and citizens will be outraged that WalMart and the police didn’t get the building cleared out.
I don’t live in CVille anymore — I’ve moved to State College, PA (I work at Penn State now).
Anyway, yesterday there was a bomb threat at our Wal-Mart, too. It seems like a curious coincidence. I wonder if this happened at any other Wal-Marts in college towns?