This content was published: April 24, 2007. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Rock Creek Campus re-opened on April 26
Photos and story by James Hill
The Rock Creek Campus re-opened on Thursday, April 26. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office found nothing of significance following a sweep of the area. The sheriff’s office is continuing the investigation.
Many inspections by various groups and agencies have been conducted on the campus since the afternoon of April 24, when the threatening note was found. Those inspections justified the campus re-opening. There is no more information to share concerning the source or motivation for the threat received.
As a precaution, the campus was closed to students on Wednesday, April 25. The reason for the decision was due to the note referencing April 25 as the intended date for the violence to occur. A staff member found the note, which also alluded the Virginia Tech tragedy, in a bathroom on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 24. The note didn’t refer to any specific campus and, thanks to the college’s Public Safety officers and floor monitors, the campus was evacuated in an orderly process. At 5 p.m. on April 24, the Rock Creek Campus was closed as sheriff and public safety officers conducted a thorough sweep of the campus to make sure the facilities were safe.
“In situations like these, the safety of students is our chief concern,” said PCC District President Preston Pulliams. “College staff, faculty and students followed the emergency procedures very well and quickly evacuated the Rock Creek Campus when the decision was made to close. We will continue to be extra observant of the conditions around us at all PCC campuses to make sure students, staff and faculty are safe.”
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »