In the Courts

Authorities: Bomb threats at Ohio, West Virginia schools not credible

PARKERSBURG -- Frontier Local School District was among school systems in Ohio receiving email messages sent to principals Sunday about explosives being placed in school buildings, according to a release from Washington County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mark Warden.

In Wood County, a release said schools have been made aware of similar reports in several West Virginia counties. Local officials have been in contact with West Virginia Homeland Security in Charleston, the release said.

No explosives have been found and the threats are not considered credible in either situation, according to information from school officials, the sheriff's office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The emails Frontier Local received were supposedly issued by a Russian terrorist organization, according to Beth Brown, superintendent of Frontier Local Schools, who contacted the sheriff's office.

School Resource Officer and Deputy Michael Harlow and Brody, a police dog, searched all involved schools and there was no indication of explosives present in any of the locations, Warden's release said.

Representatives from Marietta, Fort Frye and Belpre schools said they received no threats, but were aware of the situation.

The press release from Wood County Schools said the district was made aware of a viral threat being made about schools throughout the United States. School systems in Texas, California, Ohio and several counties in West Virginia have received messages.

No credible threat exists at this time to any local schools, the Wood County release said.

The threats were reported to the FBI, which said there was no indication the threats are credible.