ADAMS -- A University of Minnesota science lab inspector uncovered a possibly dangerous situation in a Southland Public Schools classroom Wednesday.

According to a Mower County Sheriff's Office report, the inspector was making a routine visit to the school to check for possibly dangerous chemicals and compounds.

When the inspector discovered methyl ethyl ketone or "MEK" had crystallized in its container, he immediately notified Adams Police Chief Gordon Briggs.

The police chief, who is also the Adams emergency management director, put a plan in motion that involved the Adams Volunteer Fire Department and Adams Area Ambulance Service as well as school officials.

The discovery took place and classes were allowed to continue without incident, according to reports.

The St. Paul bomb squad was notified and sent a crew to the Adams school to collect the crystallized and highly-volatile chemical and remove it for proper disposal.

By 6 p.m. Wednesday, the chemical was gone from the school building and the other chemicals in the science lab declared safe for proper handling and use.

The crystallization process apparently took place naturally over a period of time when the MEK was not used.

UM science lab inspectors routinely visit Minnesota schools to inspect chemical used in classroom experiments.

Suspect sought

Austin police are investigating a report of a teenager who exposed himself to a woman.

The 70-year-old woman told an investigator she was walking home from Sterling State Bank of Austin near 3:23 p.m. Wednesday, according to an Austin Police Department report.

A boy described by the woman as a 13- or 14-year-old white male walking a dog came upon the woman and pleasantries were exchanged.

As the woman proceeded to walk in the 400 block of 14th Street NW, the boy and his dog approached the woman from behind and the teenager exposed himself.

Afterwards, the boy and his dog left the area and the woman went to an apartment in the neighborhood and called the Austin Police Department.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 437-9400.