Parkland College has reopened the satellite campus at 1307 North Mattis Ave., Champaign, after closing earlier Tuesday morning due to a bomb threat. Police said no explosives were found.
According to the college’s website, a credible threat was received and people were encouraged to avoid the area.
Parkland Vice President Kris Young said the campus in Champaign received a bomb threat at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday that officials decided was serious enough to close the facility. Parkland’s main campus was not affected. Young said up to 200 students, faculty and staff are at the smaller campus most mornings.
Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Von Young declared the Parkland College satellite campus safe, and the campus was reopened at approximately 11:00 a.m. An Emergency Ordinance Disposal Team found no threat at the site. Parkland College, the University and the city of Champaign police forces were present at the scene.
Chief Young said the threat came in the form of a telephone call to the college’s switchboard.
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“We did feel that this was something we had to take seriously,” Young said.
At the time of the reopening of the facility, Young could not comment on whether authorities had identified the caller.
The building also houses the Illinois workNet Center, which was where the threat was directed, according to Young. WorkNet is a program that utilizes partnerships and technology to expand realtime access of workforce development resources aimed at individuals, business and workforce professionals, according to the center’s website. The center was closed at the time of the threat, although it was later reopened, allowing all employees to enter the building and return to work.
“Everything went as it was supposed to,” Young said. “We got in contact with all the people we needed to, and the area was evacuated promptly.”
All classes scheduled at Parkland College on Mattis resumed at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday. All classes starting at this time or later, including evening classes, continued as normal. Chief Young said there is an ongoing investigation to find out the identity of the caller.
Photo Editor Wesley Fane and the Associated Press contributed to this article.
