By Justin Juozapavicius, Associated Press
NEWKIRK, Okla. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announcement that it was conducting biosecurity drills in the Oklahoma farming town of Newkirk was tucked among the local weekly newspaper’s classified ads.
The notice mentioned a “low level outdoor release of inert chemical and biological simulant materials” and directed people to a science-heavy website explaining why the agency chose the community.
The Newkirk Herald Journal thought it should be front-page news, and its subsequent article sent shockwaves through the town of about 2,300 people, leaving them wondering, “Why here?” and questioning the government’s assurances about the safety of the chemicals it plans to use during tests that will gauge how authorities might respond to a bioterror event.
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