A loud noise rattled Independence and flooded the Buchanan County dispatch center with calls Wednesday afternoon. The explosion was reported at about 4:30 p.m. in the 100-block of Ninth Avenue Southeast in Independence. Independence Police, Independence Fire and Buchanan County Emergency Management responded and found a device in the street, said Darwin Meyer, assistant police chief. No injuries or damage were reported, but people throughout the town reported hearing the sound. Officials from the Iowa Fire Marshal’s office came to the scene and found the device was inert. The device appeared to be handmade, Meyer said. The Independence Police Department is investigating the incident.