A local hiker became alarmed and called authorities Monday evening upon discovering a tub containing unknown substances along a hiking trail southeast of the Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical crews were dispatched to the area, which is about 300 yards from the Nature Center’s main building. According to Division Chief Rob Kort, a large plastic tub was found to contain several glass jars filled with an unknown substance.
Hazmat crews conducted tests, and the Olathe Bomb Squad was later called for assistance.
Another area resident, Jeanette Kekahbah, was running with a friend on a trail in the area about 9:30 p.m. when she said she heard some sort of explosion. Lawrence Police Sgt. Michael McLaren said the Olathe crews had detonated a briefcase found with the items as a precautionary measure, though it was determined the briefcase was not an explosive device.
McLaren said the chemicals and items found in the plastic tub were ingredients for a meth lab.
Kort says the hiker did the right thing by contacting authorities. He urged anyone who may find something that seems to be out of place to call authorities.
Comments
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RogueThrill (anonymous) says…
It's probably urine from some neck-beards World of Warcraft marathon.
lawrenceguy40 (anonymous) says…
File under - Olin's campaign for LPD Bomb Squad....
Jeremy (anonymous) says…
Lawrenceguy, If you had a scanner you would have heard Cort call for the bomb squad, not the cops.
Hoots (anonymous) says…
I wouldn't want my name posted as to the one that turned them in. Meth-Heads are crazy as crap from what we see everywhere. I wouldn't have talked to the LJ-World and have given them my name...no way...no how.
artichokeheart (anonymous) says…
Reread.The woman quoted is not the person who found the meth she is another hiker who was in the area after the bomb squad arrived.
snap_pop_no_crackle (anonymous) says…
Next on the O'dude's make-it-legal list?
artichokeheart (anonymous) says…
I guess the poor sap who forgot his brief case is SOL.
beerguy (anonymous) says…
When I was working the last football game, we had to call in a cooler sitting near a transformer. The bomb squad x-rayed it and then made bets on what kind of crappy beer was inside.
greenlid79 (anonymous) says…
@snap-pop Did you just compare the potential legality of crystal meth to that of marijuana??? Phhhbbththth! Are you rootin' for one or the other?
FarneyMac (Pádraig O'Connell) says…
Somehow, a Missourian got lost on a Lawrence hiking trail...
gccs14r (anonymous) says…
Yeah, probably some meth-head from Springfield (that may be redundant) went for a walk and ended up here before he came down.
brujablanco (anonymous) says…
yup, meth heads are crazy alright.
jocknavals (anonymous) says…
i vote for weed...back in '69 when a weed farmer left 11 grand in a paper sack in the union bookstore, they didn't have to call in an expensive bomb squad...the bookstore employee, at closing, just opened the sack and looked in.
GmaD321 (anonymous) says…
The people who left this stuff there are potentially dangerous to anyone who might see them when they are dumping it. People who do meth are certifiably crazy and the fear of being caught coupled with the paranoia that goes along with doing the drug and sleep deprivation are a recipe for tragedy.
Parents-keep your kids out of that park unless an adult is with them. Hike in groups. Stay out of there after dark.
shepdog (anonymous) says…
Nothing for nothing here but what are you doing on that trail at 9:30??? Wasn't it pitch black??? A little common sense!!!
connected (anonymous) says…
Shep there were three of us, two happen to be female so apply your grand common sense here. We also had three dogs. Three cell phones. Multiple flashlights. And I personally have a collection of walking sticks. They're quite handy for clearing spider webs, deflecting rabid animals and shep, since you deem me so daft, you can provide the additional uses yourself.
What we're doing on the trail at 9:30 is called exercise. We value our health.and, more common sense, maintaining a high level of physical fitness requires effort.
All three of us have children. All three of us are loving, responsible parents. We tend to the needs of our kids before we think of ourselves. With your superior mastery of common sense, you know this means we exercise when our schedules permit and on the night in question, yes by golly, 9:30pm is the correct answer!
I have travelled half way around this planet several times and made a couple dozen trips to the UK & Europe for business. I crossed the Indian sub-continent and walked the length of London's High Street at 3:00am - alone.
So here in the land of the free and the home of the brave, shep, you want to suggest I'm stupid for exercising in a public park in my own neighborhood in a college town located in the heartland of America?
Oh, but it was after dark, so you want to tell me I was doing something wrong? Wrong is your pitch black. There are things such as the moon, stars, street lamps, etc., that cast light in the sun's absence. It's well worth getting up from the couch, turning off the tv and taking a walk around the block to see for yourself.
And I'm going to finish up by asking what's accomplished by sitting in our living rooms from the moment the sun drops below the horizon & keeping ourselves in our little sheet-rocked particle-board cages until dawn?
Obesity. Cardiovascular disease. Diabetes. Empty neighborhood parks would become ultra-convenient illegal activity open-air ampitheaters. Do we really want to trade in our Neighborhood Watch signs for ones that read Neighborhood NOT Watching, Crime Welcome?
shepdog (anonymous) says…
Well excuuuuuse me. That trail is heavily wooded and I doubt has very little natural light. Wouldn't it make more sense!!! and a little safer to walk around the neighborhood. Sometimes if you invite trouble you find it!!!
nuby (anonymous) says…
I feel like nobody in this community gives a darn about the residents and neighborhoods on the east side of town. If this occurred in a park on the west side of town there would be much more media/political attention given. I feel like our neighborhoods are a dumping ground for everything the west side does not want, including apartment complexes and the homeless shelter. I see our City Commission shot down the idea of an apartment complex going in at Clinton Parkway and Wakarusa but they have no problem approving more apartments on the east side. I'm trying to raise a family and provided them with a good, safe home. I live in a nice house, although it is not on the west side, and it is heartbreaking to hear a realtor tell me that we had better get out of the Prairie Park neighborhood right away because our property values are only going to continue to decrease because the city is going to allow section 8 apartments and the homeless shelter to be put in. We are looking at selling our house for a little more than what we paid for it 7 years ago. And I will tell you we have maintained and done improvements to our home. I suppose all the west siders are going to say we should just suck it up and take one for the team.
connected (anonymous) says…
Shep maybe I'm a lifetime NRA cardholder with my CCW. You don't know, do you?
Bugger off, slander someone else.
rookeree (anonymous) says…
I just wish I was out on that trail with Jeanette Kekahbah - she's an amazing person and sadly we've lost touch....
rookeree (anonymous) says…
I think I'm Connected but only One-Way