State offices evacuated because of suspicious powder

About 50 people were evacuated from the secretary of state's office Tuesday after an employee reported a suspicious powder fell from an envelope.

"Let me guess: anthrax," a passerby noted to employees milling around outside the building.

Administrative Assistant Becky Brotherton noticed a white powder on her clothes and hands after opening a couple pieces of mail Tuesday. While she found barely any powder in the envelope, a "dusting" was on her desk, hands and clothes.

"I feel like it's just nothing," Brotherton said. "I probably wouldn't have seen it if I hadn't been wearing black. I thought about brushing it off and not saying anything. But at this point with everybody scared, I felt I had to say something."

Co-workers described the substance as "like powdered sugar, but not slick."

Sofi Henderson, mail room supervisor, said the office processes about 1,200 pieces of mail per day and a powder had never spilled from an envelope before.

"I've been nervous," she said. "I was kind of waiting for something like this to happen because we are a government agency."

The envelope was removed and Carson City fire crews disinfected the building.