Volga Postmaster Wanda Swartos, left, talks with law enforcement officers following a bomb threat to the post office received about 7 a.m. this morning. The area around the post office, seen in the background, was cordoned off, and several houses nearby were evacuated.

Brookings County Sheriff's Department officials say no bomb was found at the Volga post office Friday. But an investigation continues into the case that started at 7 a.m. Friday. That's when authorities were called to the post office, after the Volga postmaster found a note inside indicating that a bomb would go off in the building at a certain time. The post office was secured, and homes were evacuated in the immediate area of the building. Assistant Sheriff Scott Sebring said a South Dakota Highway Patrol officer out of Pierre brought a bomb-sniffing dog to the scene. The trooper and his canine partner cleared the post office and a truck parked nearby, and Sebring said nothing suspicious was found.

After processing the scene with photos and fingerprinting, investigators released it back to the U.S. Postal Service to go on with daily business. Streets were opened back up, allowing residents to return to their homes at about noon Friday.

Sebring said the incident remains under investigation by the sheriff's office and the state Division of Criminal Investigation. Brookings County Sheriff Marty Stanwick said the U.S. Postal Inspector will also assist with the case. Stanwick explained that, if caught, whoever made the bomb threat will likely face federal charges. "We don't take this as a prank. I don't think whoever did this realizes the seriousness (of the crime)." The sheriff said while there was a good outcome to Friday's events, with no blast and no injuries, the bomb threat wasted a lot of time and resources.

Residents were evacuated from nearby homes until the existence of the bomb could be determined.

Postmaster Wanda Swartos said the threat also delayed Friday mail delivery in the Volga area. "Carriers took what mail we could get ready. It'll be very late today, but everyone should get their mail."

Also assisting at the scene on Friday were the Brookings Police Department, Brookings County Emergency Management and the Volga Fire Department.

Anyone with information about this case can contact the sheriff's office at 696-8300 , or contact Brookings Area Crime Stoppers anonymously by visiting www.brookingsareacrimestoppers .com or by calling 692-STOP (7867).

Contact Jill Fier at jfier@brookingsregister .com.