Officials: NIU classes expected to resume Friday after bomb threat

Classes were expected to resume at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb Friday after a bomb threat there and at other colleges in the area, officials said.

The threat was phoned into campus police just before 6 p.m., prompting school officials to evacuate and close all school buildings, the college said in a statement.

Police conducted a building-by-building search, and all evening classes and campus events were canceled - with the exception of the NIU basketball Midnight Madness at the Convocation Center, which was searched first.

"We are taking no chances with the safety of our students, faculty and staff," NIU President Doug Baker said. "We apologize for the inconvenience but clearly must err on the side of caution."

Branch campuses were also closed until they could be searched.