Bomb Scare at Santa Barbara County Courthouse a False Alarm

The roads around the Santa Barbara County downtown courthouse were closed for just over an hour starting at 12:30 p.m. today while the Sheriff’s bomb squad maneuvered toward a black bag that had been left on the grass near the corner of Figueroa and Santa Barbara streets.

The squad’s remote-controlled robot retrieved the bag, which turned out to contain art and school supplies. The area was open again by 2 p.m.