Local/National News
LOCAL NEWS
ERIE
Herbert Jones Jr. was ar
rested on Wednesday after a
warrant was issued for his
arrest for open lewdness.
Police say Jones committed
the act at the Blasco Library
around 12:25 p.m. on Jan.
20.
Library employees spotted
Jones committing the act
and escorted him out of the
library.
Police found Jones by
using information that Jones
had given the library to
apply for a library card.
When Jones failed to re
port to court for his court
hearing earlier this month,
an arrest warrant was is
sued.
ERIE
An agreement between
Erie mayor Joe Sinnott and
the firefighter’s union was
made on Wednesday, which
resulted in six firefighting
companies staying open.
This ends the long-de
bated issue between Sinnott
and the union, which agreed
to convert dual fire compa
nies into single companies,
a request that firefighters
made.
CRAWFORD
31-year old Paul McCarl
was killed Wednesday
morning while traveling east
of Meadville.
McCarl was driving a 1999
Honda Civic coupe traveling
south on Maplewood Road
at around 4:45 a.m. when
his car went off the east side
of the road and hit a culvert,
forcing the car to roll.
McCarl had one passen
ger, Jessica Fosburg, who
4H&S takeiT fo' Meadville
Medical Center to be treated
tbr iftioderafe injuries.
McCarl was also taken to
Meadville Medical Center,
where he was pronounced
dead.
Penn State
Behrend
Police Reports
- Behrend Police recieved
a report that a vehicle was
vandalized in the Lawrence
Parking Lot at 11:00 a.m. on
Sunday, Mar. 21.
- A theft in Junker was
reported on Sunday at 5:20
p.m.
NATIONAL HEALTH
Democrats face violent opposition, vandalism at capital
Democrats in Washington expected opposition
to the passing of the health care bill on Sunday,
but nothing like this.
According to reports, at least 10 Democrats
have faced vandalism and threats since Sunday.
In three states, windows to Democratic offices
have been smashed. One lawmaker had a coffin
placed on his lawn, while Congressional phone
lines have been clogged with threatening and
hate-filled messages. Democrats are calling on
Republicans to condemn these violent acts.
“I’ve made statements that I understand peo
ple are angry, but violence and threats are inap
propriate and irresponsible,” said Republican
Minority Leader John Boehner “If people are
angry, they ought to register to vote and get in
volved in a campaign.”
Violent protests allegedly started on Sunday
by the Tea Party after the health care bill be
came law after several months filled with heated
debate. African American Democrats have re
ported racial slurs being shouted at them, while
an openly gay House member faced protestors’
shouts of anti-gay slurs.
In Alabama, a blogger created a “window war”
that has kept track of the recent incidents of
vandalism against Democratic politicians across
the nation.
On the same website, a message was left for
Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak, whose vote
helped Democrats pass the bill, stating “there
are millions of people across the country who
wish you ill, and all of those thoughts projected
1. Pirate Idlled In
Somalia by private
security team
MOGADISHU, Somalia -
One pirate was killed and sev
eral others were detained on
Wednesday during a failed at-
tack on a Panamanian-flagged
cargo ship.
Pirates in at least three ships,
tried to attack the vessel. A pri
vate security team on-board the
vessel opened fire onto the pi
rate ships.
When the European Union
Naval Force was called in to as-
ECONOMY
Blockbuster video nears bankruptcy
The well-known movie rental company
Blockbuster is fighting to keep its business
alive with today’s mail-in and order-over
the-Internet movie companies such as Net
flix. And, according to reports, it will be a
: long road, with the company over $1 billion
in debt.
Blockbuster, which is on the brink of fil
ing for bankruptcy, has tried to outdo its
competitors recently by coming out first
with a new way to deliver movies: Mobile
movies.
These new movies will now be offered on
T-mobile’s new HTC HD2 smart phone,
and will soon be offered on the Android
and Windows Mobile phones.
Blockbuster has also made a new agree
ment with the movie studio Warner Bros.,
which is owned by the Time Warner Com
pany. This would give Blockbuster the
chance to offer that studio’s new releases
one month earlier than its competitors,
such as Netflix and Coinstar’s $1 movie
rental Redboxes, according to CNN.Money.
But this may not be enough.
According to Michael Pachter, a Block
buster analyst, believes that the company
needs a huge revamp of it’s system.
“Blockbuster is trying to keep itself from
bleeding to death, but they’re putting on a
lot of Band-Aids.” he said.
Besides having profitless stores, Block
buster can blame most of its losses from
ERIC PEIRCE
asst, news editor
on you will materialize into something that’s not
very good for you.”
Yet this is not the only act of non-face-to-face
confrontation.
James Clybum, a South Carolina representa
tive and strong Democratic supporter, has re
cieved both a fax to his office with a picture of a
noose drawn on it and threatening telephone
calls to his home. “We’re giving aid and comfort
to these people, and this stuff gets ratcheted up,”
Clyde said. “We in this Congress have got to
come together in a bipartisan way and tamp this
foolishness down. It doesn’t make sense. That’s
not what a democracy is all about.”
While the acts of these protestors are pro
tected under the first Amendment, James Leach,
who is associated with the National Endowment
for the Humanities, stated “that does not mean
they are totally justified.”
New York Representative Anthony Weiner
confirmed that a letter that contained an un
known powder and threatening letter was deliv
ered to his district office located in Queens. He
was told later that initial tests of the substance
found that it was not a biological agent, but fur
ther tests are still being carried out to confirm
what the substance really was.
While Democrats seem to be the main target
of protestors, Republicans are not being left out
of the violence.
A Representative in the House of Congress,
Republican Eric Cantor, confirmed that a bullet
was fired through a window at his campaign of
fice in Richmond, VA., on Thursday.
Florida Representative Ginny Brown-Waite,
also a Republican, was also drawn into the vio-
World News
sist, they found that one of the
pirates had died as a result
from a gunshot wound.
In the same area, two ships
were hijacked the day before
the attack on the Panamanian
ship.
2. British airline
takes away travel
perks for workers
LONDON, England -
The internationally known
British Airways decided on
Wednesday to strip cabin crew
ERIC PEIRCE
asst, news editor
the major debt it handled back in 2004
from the media conglemerate Viacom. At
that time, Blockbuster’s deal with Viacom
included paying $5 per-share dividends to
Viacom’s shareholders, which added up to
a price tag of $1 billion.
At first, Blockbuster thought it could
members of their travel perks.
This would apply to those who
are participating in a strike
against the airline. These perks
include both free and heavily
discounted airline travel.
BA Chief Executive Willie
Walsh had threatened to take
this action last week during
strikes, since discounted air
travel is a perk that the com
pany can take away at anyone’s
discretion .
3. Over 100 alleged
terrorists are cap
tured
WIKI
Blockbuster stores face closing if the company can't get rid of its $ 1 billion debt.
lent protests, when a death threat was recieved
on her district’s office voicemail. Capitol police
and the local sheriff’s office are currently inves
tigating.
handle the debt since it was making profits
of about $5OO million a year, but deciding
to cancel late fees ate up whatever profits
they had.
So now, the once profitable company
must find a way to keep up in the ever-ad
vancing movie market.
Protestors have taken violent steps in response to the health care bill passing.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia
Over 100 people were ar
rested on Wednesday after
being accused of planning at
tacks against both police forces
and oil installations.
Over a five month period, 113
were arrested in connection
with preparing to attack police
officers and carry out suicide
bomb missions.
About 47 were Saudis, 51
were Yemenis , one Somali, one
Bandgladeshi, and one Eritean
made up those who were ar
rested.
Security officials have con
cern of terrorist groups merg
ing.
James Leach said “Are we one people
together with rival thoughts, or are we
from within?”
BEACON ONLINE
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behrendbeacon.com, is your
online source for campus
news.
Constantly updated with
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lege: notification of impor
tant events about to begin,
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pus, or developments not
yet released to students by
the college.
The site also offers an RSS
feed, links to Erie resources,
and Behrend students’
blogs.
QUOTE OF
THE WEEK
j “I found there was only one ]
1 way to look thin: hang out j
| with fat people.” !
-Rodney Dangerfield
FACT OF THE WEEK
r—————— -
I I
/ \
! A cricket’s ears are located !
j just above the knee on their j
front legs
www.mentaifloss.com
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