Grapefruit-sized Civil War cannonballs trigger TSA scare at Alabama airport

TSA screeners at Gulf Shores International Airport (JKA) in Alabama found five Civil War-era cannonballs in a passenger’s checked bag, with the largest about the size of a grapefruit. Wrapped in towels, they prompted a security response as officials and local police investigated whether they were inert or active. It later emerged the cannonballs were stolen from Fort Morgan and were being transported in a juvenile’s grandmother’s bag; Fort Morgan personnel chose not to press charges. The incident serves as a reminder not to bring weapons or replicas on planes.