Preliminary Tests of Lundgren's Home Negative for Anthrax
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We hear today, and as we just reported -- that preliminary testing at Ottilie Lundgren's home in Oxford, Connecticut has so far turned up no traces of anthrax in her personal mail. The 94-year-old Lundgren died Wednesday of inhalation anthrax, and how she got it has been a mystery from the start. As we say, the governor of Connecticut plans a news conference that will begin momentarily. It is a mystery, but they're -- preliminary tests are showing no evidence, as we said, in that woman's mail. We're awaiting word from the governor on test results at the state capitol in Hartford. CNN's Michael Okwu joins us now in Oxford, where Ottilie Lundgren lived. Michael, what are you learning, what are you hearing there?</s>MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well I, just like you, Judy, was hearing this also from Eileen O'Connor that the mail -- preliminary test results show that the mail has come back negative in her home. We're hoping that when the governor speaks, of course, as you mentioned, at 1:00 this afternoon -- just any moment now -- and of course we will go to that -- that he will clarify for us whether or not these results also regard, or actually refer to the rest of the home. Now, we know that investigators have been there for more than 48 hours at this point, and so they have taken a number of tests. It could be -- could be -- that these initial test results refer to the fist set of samples that were taken. So that remains to be seen. Of course, Ottilie Lundgren died of inhalation anthrax on Wednesday morning, six days after she went to the hospital complaining about respiratory problems. It is, of course, Judy, a perplexing case. State police blocked access to Lundgren's remote home here in a wooded section of Oxford as investigators combed through her house inch by inch. They are also taking a very close look at the neighborhood around her, and specifically the church that she frequented. People at the beauty salon that she went to on a fairly regular basis have told us that representative from the CDC were on their way to that location. So whether they were going to be going there simply to conduct some interviews, or also to conduct some further tests at that location remains to be seen. Now, of course the governor is also going to be formalizing the -- essentially, the results of tests that were taken at two postal facilities that, essentially, distribute mail to this particular community. Postal facilities at Wallingford, Connecticut and Seymour, Connecticut. We are told by postal authorities that they will be watching the governor's press conference, just momentarily, on a big-screen television. They are taking that as a very good sign. And of course that seems to indicate, again, that Eileen O'Connor's information was quite accurate. We also understand that at 7:00 this evening, Judy, that there will be a town meeting. Area residents from Oxford, Derby and surrounding areas here will be at a community center where they will be talking to health officials and hopefully having most of their questions answered -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: Michael, I don't know whether you've had time or an opportunity to talk to any of the people in that area; but I just wonder what they're saying about all this.</s>OKWU: Well, off and on we've been able to have an opportunity to speak to some people. And first they were very unhappy, of course, that Ottilie Lundgren, who was a long-time resident of this community, died. And, of course, they're shocked and surprised that something like this has come to this very sleepy, very quiet, very bucolic community. We know that, although people seem to be going through their routine -- their daily routine -- that it really belies a very deep concern that they have. Hospital officials have told us that since the news about Ottilie Lundgren become public, they have started receiving many more calls than they normally get about people experiencing respiratory problems. And they say it's perfectly legitimate if people are not feeling well to go to the hospital or to call their doctors and to make sure they are fine. But they do not suspect that anybody else has anthrax -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: All right, CNN's Michael Okwu reporting from Ottilie Lundgren's hometown in Oxford, Connecticut.