Ohio widow’s donation of WWII artillery shell spurs neighborhood shutdown as bomb squad called

Ohio widow’s donation of WWII shell spurs shutdown

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A military museum near Columbus, Ohio got more than it bargained for when the widow of a World War II veteran tried to donate an artillery shell.

Officials evacuated six businesses and temporarily shut down a road Thursday as firefighters, police and a bomb squad checked out the 18-inch long shell.

Warren Motts, who runs the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, called firefighters after the 90-year-old woman dropped off the shell.

The woman said her deceased husband had been given the shell as appreciation for his service during World War II and she thought the museum might like it.

Authorities confirmed there was no danger. Motts says the museum will definitely keep the shell.

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, www.dispatch.com