Storm Lake authorities once again cordoned off a street and evacuated several businesses when a suspicious package was reported near a fuel pump. The Storm Lake Police, Fire and Street Departments, Buena Vista County Emergency Medical Services, The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office, Star Energy and RentAll staff all responded to the scene at Star Energy at about 2:02 p.m. Tuesday. When authorities arrived, they located a black case sitting between two diesel fuel pumps with no one around it. A check with Star Energy confirmed it was not their property and the surrounding streets were blocked off, businesses near the pumps were evacuated and others nearby monitored. Bomb technicians were brought in to x-ray the bag, and it was determined no threatening materials were inside. Streets were reopened again at approximately 8:19 p.m. Anyone with information as to who may have left the black case at the Star Energy site is asked to contact the Storm Lake Police Department at 712-732-8010. A similar situation occurred on Tuesday, Jan. 15, when a 17-year-old Storm Lake resident walked off the icy lake, onto a roadway, dropped a backpack and a cell phone then told a passerby that he was “trying to change the world.” The backpack was found to be safe.
