Bomb threat disrupts Columbia's count

Last updated: November 5, 2024 - 9:20pm


Columbia County elections chief Matthew Repasky directs Roaring Creek poll workers on where to hand off their ballots while the county's Main Street Annex is evacuated due to a bomb threat on Tuesday night. (Press Enterprise/M.J. Mahon)

UPDATE 9:20 P.M.: County officials have returned to the vote counting site, and expect to have counting resume by 10 p.m.

 

ORIGINAL STORY 9:05 P.M.

BLOOMSBURG — A bomb threat emailed to officials at Columbia County's Main Street County Annex has disrupted vote counting on election night, officials say.

But it's not going to stop the count, said Columbia County Chief Clerk Dave Witchey.

"We are counting tonight, until 1 a.m., until 2 a.m., we're going to count until whenever," he said."

It was one of a series of bomb threats that swept across Pennsylvania counties on Tuesday night, with counties from Centre to Clearfield to Chester all reporting similar threats, according to NBC 10 Philadelphia and WTAJ.

In Columbia County, elections chief Matthew Repasky received an email with a bomb threat around 7 p.m. After showing it to county sheriff's department employees and other county officials, they made the decision to evacuate the building and call in Bloomsburg University's bomb-sniffing dog to seek out any potentially dangers.

County Commissioner Dean Brewer and Attorney Anthony McDonald stayed inside the courthouse annex with the ballots to ensure they weren't tampered with.

Witchey said that once the bomb-sniffing dog clears the former bank building at 11 W. Main St., which houses many of Columbia County's offices, counting would resume. While the dog investigated, county officials were temporarily storing the ballots being delivered in the courthouse next door.

We'll have more on the bomb threat, along with election results, in Wednesday's Press Enterprise

For all breaking news alerts and updates, follow us on Twitter.


Last Updated: March 25, 2025 - 9:08am

BLOOMSBURG — Police took three people into custody while serving a search warrant from the Columbia County Drug...

READ MORE »

Last Updated: March 12, 2025 - 11:06am

HARRISBURG — A federal judge has denied Commonwealth University’s request that she either overturn a $3.9 million...

READ MORE »

Last Updated: February 19, 2025 - 10:42am

BERWICK – A tractor-trailer accident here has shut down Route 11 after causing major damage to power lines,...

READ MORE »

Advertisement