Austin police shut down city block over jar of pickled okra


In this day and age, it's certainly better to be safe than sorry, but the Austin Police Department might be feeling a little foolish after solving this particular mystery.
The police received reports of a suspicious package downtown around 11 a.m., prompting them to close an entire block near the interstate, The Statesman reports. The bomb squad was called in to investigate the suspect brown bag in the middle of the road.
What was inside? A jar of pickled okra.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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