A bomb threat disrupted business at Carter County Bank’s main branch for about two hours Friday afternoon.
At around 3:30 p.m., someone called the bank’s main switchboard and said a bomb was on the premises at 601 E. Elk Ave.
Authorities were notified, and customers and employees were promptly evacuated from the property. The Lingerfelt Drug and Gift Center next door also was evacuated, and police closed West Elk Avenue to through traffic.
“In a situation like this, the first thing is safety,” Carter County Bank CEO Dale Fair said. “We can replace things, but we cannot replace people.”
Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department brought a bomb-sniffing dog to search the premises, and around 5 p.m. the bank was cleared.
During the evacuation, Elizabethton firefighters manned the sidewalks and made sure pedestrians did not walk into the restricted area around the bank.
The wind blew cold as Elizabethton firefighters waited outside the Jiggy Ray’s Pizzeria for the all-clear to be called. As a friendly gesture, the restaurant supplied pizza to the firefighters, who welcomed the food gratefully.
Engine 7 of the Elizabethton Fire Department was sent to the Village Branch of the Carter County Bank at 800 E. Broad St. That branch, too, was evacuated over concerns that the threat could been directed there. The Village Branch was also swept with a bomb-sniffing dog and was cleared.