NEWS
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
HeRMIsTOnHeRald.COM • A9
BMCC lifts mask mandate ahead of fall term BMCC president
to start Sept. 7
By ANTONIO SIERRA
sTaFF WRITeR
PENDLETON — No
mask, no vaccine, no
problem.
In light of the state lift-
ing its mask mandate July
1, Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College elected to make
masks optional for students
and staff ahead of the return
to in-person classes in the fall
term.
David
Shellberg
is
BMCC’s chief operating offi-
cer and the chair of the col-
lege’s emergency response
team, which has been pro-
viding the college with rec-
ommendations on its reopen-
ing policy. He said the group
decided to lift its own mask
rules because it wanted to
align its policy with the
state and local governments,
where masks are no longer
required.
Despite an overall drop in
cases across the state, Uma-
tilla County has continued
to struggle with COVID-
19. Over the past several
weeks, the county reported
several days where the daily
case rate was comparable to
the Portland metro counties.
The county’s vaccination
rate is mired in the low 40s,
even as the state as a whole
is now reporting a 70% rate.
Although Morrow and Baker
counties’ vaccination rates
are slightly better, they are
also well below the state
average.
Shelberg said the team
took the region’s COVID-
19 struggles under consid-
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Hearld
A sign on the door of Morrow Hall at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton advises
visitors of the college’s mask requirements on June 23, 2021. The college dropped its mask
requirement on Wednesday, July 7, in an effort to more closely align with state guidelines.
eration, but members also
wanted to align their policy
with what other community
colleges across the state were
doing.
While BMCC’s fall term
doesn’t start until Sept. 22,
the college’s new mask pol-
icy went into effect almost
immediately, on Wednesday,
July 7. While masks are no
longer a requirement, Shell-
berg said Blue Mountain will
not discourage students who
choose to continue wearing
them.
“If it makes you feel com-
fortable, that’s fine,” he said.
Whether to keep a mask
mandate in place has been
an question that every higher
education institution is try-
ing to answer. According to
Oregon Public Broadcasting,
Oregon State University is
opting to drop its own mask
mandate while the Univer-
sity of Oregon and Portland
State University will retain
their mask policy.
But regardless of their
decision, every four-year
public university in the state is
requiring students to receive
the vaccine before returning
to in-person classes. Shell-
berg said BMCC will have
no such requirement.
He added that just
because BMCC was lift-
ing its COVID-19 restric-
tions didn’t mean the col-
lege was no longer taking
the virus seriously, nor did
it relieve students and staff
from the responsibility of
keeping themselves or oth-
ers safe. Shellberg said peo-
ple who attend or work for
BMCC will still be expected
to self-monitor their health
before coming to school and
will be expected to stay away
from campus if they’re sick.
report on July 6 that there
were improvised explo-
sive devices in a shed on
a property on Shoemake
Road, which is just outside
of the Boardman city limits,
according to a press release.
The report said one of the
men suspected of making the
explosives was on the scene.
When police arrived,
they saw a man throw three
objects into a field. An Ore-
gon State Police bomb squad
out of Pendleton later deter-
mined the objects were dan-
gerous destructive devices
and made the devices safe,
the press release said.
Police interviewed the
man in the field until another
man arrived, the press
release said. They eventually
arrested Adrian Lee Ahu-
mada, 37, of Boardman, and
Brenden Kane Strickland,
19, of Clarkston, Washing-
ton, on three felony counts
each of unlawfully making
and possessing destructive
devices. Their preliminary
bail is $60,000 each.
— EO Media Group
IN BRIEF
Two arrested on
charges related
to explosives
BOARDMAN — Police
arrested two men outside of
Boardman Tuesday, July 6,
on charges related to making
and handling explosives.
The Boardman Police
Department received a
will be required to meet
with a mentor or coach
and a small group of board
PENDLETON — The members.
start date and salary are set
Although
Brown-
for Blue Mountain Com- ing won’t start working
munity College’s eighth for Blue Mountain full
president.
time until September, his
Having announced his contract starts Aug. 1 to
hiring in June, the BMCC account for some college
Board of Education unani- business. Interim Presi-
mously voted to approve a dent Connie Green told the
board that Brown-
contract with Mark
ing has agreed to
Browning at a
take leave from
Wednesday, July 7,
his current job to
meeting. Currently
attend an adminis-
the vice president
trative conference
of college relations
in Oregon. During
at West Idaho Col-
lege,
Browning
that time, BMCC
Browning
will begin working
will pay Browning
$617 per day.
full-time at Blue
Green said she will
Mountain Sept. 7. The col-
lege will pay Browning meet with Browning on
$161,000 per year for his a weekly basis during the
services.
transition process to catch
Calling in to the virtual him up on the college’s
meeting, Browning said he operations.
When Browning takes
was “absolutely thrilled
and tickled” to secure the the helm Sept. 7, it will be
job and was excited to get the first time Blue Moun-
tain has had a permanent
to work.
The contract, which president since February,
was negotiated between when former President
Browning and board Chair Dennis Bailey-Fougnier
Jane Hill, also includes an resigned abruptly, citing
expansive benefits pack- personal health issues.
age. Besides health insur-
Blue Mountain Commu-
ance for Browning, his nity College has endured a
spouse and a dependent, he tumultuous 2021, includ-
receives 20 days of vaca- ing multiple rounds of
tion per year, a $500 per layoffs, an administrative
month expense stipend and reorganization and a sig-
a vehicle and gas card for nificant decrease in student
college business. Addi- enrollment intensified by
tionally, Browning will the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hill led the board
get free access to the col-
lege’s weight room, ath- through the presidential
letic facilities and home search process and one of
games for seven years after her last acts as chair was to
approve Browning’s con-
his employment ends.
A first-time college tract. Afterward, the board
president,
Browning unanimously voted to shift
agreed to several training Hill to vice chair and ele-
provisions. For his first vate board member Don
year on the job, Browning Rice to chair.
By ANTONIO SIERRA
sTaFF WRITeR
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