This article is by Harold Reutter from The Independent.com:An accordion inside a box turned out to be the suspicious package that resulted in the evacuation of approximately 900 students and staff members from Walnut Middle School Wednesday afternoon.

Capt. Robert Falldorf of the Grand Island Police Department said a staff member spotted the box in the band room, but could not recall seeing it there before. Falldorf said the staff member did not think the box looked like it held any kind of band instrument. He said the Grand Island Public Schools safety officer was contacted, with that person agreeing that Walnut Middle School should be evacuated as a precaution. Falldorf said all students and staff walked to Grand Island Senior High, which is just a few blocks north of Walnut.

Falldorf said the call to the Grand Island Police Department came in at about 1:50 p.m. He said the Nebraska State Patrol was then contacted, with the Grand Island Fire Department also responding to the scene. Falldorf said the State Patrol brought a canine unit, although he did not know whether the dog was used to help determine that the package was harmless.

He said the State Patrol bomb unit determined that they could open the latches on the box, which is when the accordion was discovered inside.Falldorf said he believed the incident was handled properly, with school staff responding appropriately when seeing a package of undetermined origin and whose contents are completely unknown.

Falldorf said that he is sure that school officials will review the incident as a matter of routine to make sure all the right protocols were followed.Law enforcement and the fire department blocked all entrances and exits to Walnut Middle School because they did not want any parents mistakenly trying to get to the school to pick up their children, Falldorf said. Parents of Walnut students were informed that they were to pick up their children from Grand Island Senior High.

Jack Sheard, GIPS communications coordinator, said Walnut parents were allowed to pick up their children as though Wednesday was an early out day. Students had to sign out to show school officials that they were either riding home with a parent, walking home or riding the bus.

Falldorf said that GIPS middle schools dismiss earlier than Grand Island Senior High, which he thought would minimize any traffic congestion at the high school. Sheard said that all Walnut after-school events for Wednesday were canceled. Students will return to Walnut on Thursday as part of their regular schedule.