CONYNGHAM, PA — A historic artifact discovery prompted an emergency response Thursday afternoon after homeowners cleaning out a Main Street residence uncovered a live, Civil War-era cannonball containing active explosive powder.
The Conyngham Borough Police Department responded to the residence and immediately secured the area near the intersection of Main Street and Sugarloaf Avenue. Out of an abundance of caution, local law enforcement requested specialized assistance from the Scranton Police Bomb Squad and a Military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to safely handle and transport the ordnance.
The active police operation altered afternoon dismissal procedures for the nearby Hazleton Area School District. District officials alerted families that students assigned to bus stops along Main Street, Sugarloaf Avenue, and Walnut Street were held at Valley Elementary/Middle School until parents could pick them up directly.
EOD technicians successfully rendered the ordnance safe and removed the live cannonball from the property without incident or injury, allowing normal traffic and neighborhood operations to resume later Thursday.
