UPDATED 1:39 PM- Oneida County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to Golf Course Road in the City of Rome today after a City DPW worker found a suspicious item in the dirt parking area near the Lake Delta dam.

The device was deemed safe by members of the New York State Police Bomb Unit and has been classified as a “Homemade Firework.”

Sheriff Rob Maciol says the device was secured and will be broken down and evaluated by technicians from the State Police and FBI to determine its contents at a later date.

State Police K9’s searched the surrounding area for any other devices, but nothing else was found.

Golf Course Road was closed during the investigation and was re-opened at around 11:00 AM.

The Sheriff’s Office is also looking into reports of local residents hearing what sounded like an explosion sometime between 7:00 and 8:00 Wednesday night.

Investigators are attempting to determine the source of the noise and exact area that it occurred.

If anyone has any information, they're asked to contact Sheriff’s Investigator Justin Copperwheat at (315) 765-2767.

Original story:

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office says Golf Course Road. between Route 46 and Fish Hatchery Road is closed due to a suspicious item being found in the area.

The public is encouraged to stay clear of the area until it is cleared and safe.

Further details will be released at the conclusion of the investigation.

This is a developing story and will bring you more information as it becomes available.

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