Military‑grade explosives discovered during cleanup at Mount Vernon business

A routine building cleanup at CH Tool & Die took an unexpected turn on Feb. 13 when workers discovered four military transport canisters containing 40‑millimeter high‑explosive anti‑aircraft rounds.

The company contacted the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, which secured the scene and brought in specialized assistance. After reviewing photos of the canisters, the Columbus Bomb Squad and the Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were called to handle removal. The agencies transported the rounds to a gravel pit near Brinkhaven, where they were safely detonated.

The sheriff’s office noted that this is not the first time old or forgotten explosives have surfaced locally. In recent months, deputies responded to a Mount Vernon home where railroad torpedoes—small signaling charges once used by rail workers—were found in an inherited toolbox. Those items were taken by the bomb squad for controlled disposal off‑site.

Officials urge residents and business owners to use caution when cleaning out older buildings, storage areas, or inherited property. Many of the explosive devices discovered in Knox County have been decades old and forgotten until someone unexpectedly comes across them.