Friday, November 30, 2007
Murderer
escapes from
Erie County
Prison
By Aeriale Cooksey-Kramer
staff ivriter
aaks 101 (a psu.cdu
A 53-year-old man escaped from the State
Correctional Institution at Albion Sunday.
Malcolm Kysor was serving a life sentence
at the prison before his escape.
It began with a large gray trash barrel.
Charles Robertson, a farmer collecting
garbage cans
of scraps for
his hogs. was
making his
way to the cot--
rectional insti
taboo as was
his schedule
every day. The
leftover food
that the prison
threw
Robertson
used to feed
his animals. As
Malcolm Kysor's mugshot
pulled the yellow. 32-gallon cans out of the
Department of Corrections' truck, and that
was when he noticed another trash can, a
gray. larger one hidden in the hack. Not only
was the color different, it weighed 40-gal
lons instead of the regular 32-gallons, and it
was stark empty.
Robertson didn't think too much of the
other trashcan until two hours later. when
three men from the D. 0.0 were standing at
his front door. They were on the search for
Kysor, a convicted murderer.
Numerous officers made a search through
Robertson's truck, and around the area
where he exchanged the trash barrels and the
perimeter around his house. Kysor was last
seen loading the food scraps on the D. 0.0
truck, and that was around 3 p.m. Sunday
afternoon. Officers concluded, by finding a
piece of cardboard from another trash can.
that Kysor had another convict hold the
cardboard above Kysor's head and then pile
excess garbage on top of him.
Security measures that were taken at the
prison included thorough vehicle checks in
all the cars that drove in and out of the prison
grounds, as well as thorough searches
amongst the prison grounds and the sur
rounding area.
Campus security at Behrend is not the
slightest bit worried about the escapee trav
eling through the area. "The prison is
approximately 30 miles from (Behrend), and
the person who escaped has no links to this
place whatsoever. There is no information
that he is coming here, or knows anybody
here. In this particular case, we are not tak
ing any precautions." Police Chief for the
Behrend campus, Jim Amann, replied.
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Student expressions
Mike Sharkey/THE BEHREND BEACON
Behrend student Amanda Kinross shares an original piece of poetry at Thursday night's Mic
Night at the Studio Theatre. Students shared poetry. music, and other original works.
Proposed increase in PA gas taxes angers students
By Matthew Schwabenbauer
assistant news editor
mjss3B7 (a psu.edu
Pennsylvania gas prices may soon he increasing by
one cent per gallon, in order to repair damage to
underground fuel tanks. The raise comes in light of a
$lOO million loan the state borrowed from the
Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund five
years ago. Mark S. Schweiker, the acting governor at
the time used the money to fill holes in the state budg
et. The loan is to he repaid with interest in 2014, and
since the loan has been taken out less than a third of it
has been repaid.
One of the ways the fund receives income is through
a fuel pump tax, which is currently set at 1.1 cents per
gallon. The fund's board has proposed raising this tax
to two cents per gallon, as a way of paying off the
unpaid loan. Ultimately, this means a $5O million per
year increase in the gas tax, which comes out to nine
dollars per household. Gov. Ed Rendell is opposed to
the increase and has asked the board to overturn it's
decision.
This tax is a large concern to Behrend students,
many of which are commuters. With gas prices already
at such a high cost, even the smallest increase is a large
expense. According to Behrend freshman Shane
Eazor, "Gas prices are already at an all-time high.
College students don't have very much money to
begin with and usually spend most of it on gas any
way. There is no reason to put more money in the
pockets of the oil companies when they are already
taking so much."
"All this is, is price gouging," claims Behrend fresh
Students favor the new, longer Thanksgiving break
By Rachel Reeves •
copy editor
rcrsos7@psiLedu
Students at Penn State enjoyed a longer than usual
Thanksgiving break this fall semester.
Previously at Penn State, vacations for the fall
semester were set up quite differently. There would be
a long weekend in October for fall break, and students
would have a study day, and three or four days to get
off campus and visit home. Then students would
receive two weekdays off for Thanksgiving break,
giving them just a four-day vacation. This system is
still standard procedure at most universities.
However, for this fall semester the University
A Penn State Behrend Student Publication
man Shane Appel. "Gas prices have gotten to a point
where they are borderline thievery. An idea to increase
them any more is just ridiculous."
Gas prices have undeniably skyrocketed recently. A
few weeks ago. the prices were hovering just under
three dollars. Inexplicably. they jumped to $3.15 and
sometimes even higher over the past week. If this gas
tax were enacted. Pennsylvania's price-gap between
its neighboring states would become even larger.
Currently. all of the surrounding states have lower gas
prices.
Even if the gas tax were enacted, there is little proof
it will have much of an effect. According to state con
sultants, the Underground Storage Tank
Indemnification Fund will be empty by 2015, even if
the $lOO million loan were repaid. Senate Republicans
have lashed out at the administration, claiming that all
they are trying to do is enact a stealth tax increase.
The fund is managed by the state Insurance
Department. According to the Insurance Department,
there is currently money left in the fund, but they
claim the tax increase is still necessary. Officials claim
it would be bad policy to leave the loan unpaid,
because it will increase "projected" deficits. The fund
board is consulted by the Milliman Co., which esti
mates that the fund currently has a deficit of $374 mil
lion, and projects the deficit to be $1 billion in a
decade.
"The gas companies don't need any more of our
money," says Behrend freshman Matt Kirkpatrick.
"They are already one of the biggest industries in the
world so there is no reason for them to receive our tax
dollars on top of that."
Registrar decided to remove the fall break, but give
students an entire week off for Thanksgiving.
Although initially students felt that three months is a
long time to go without a break. most feel that it was
worth the long week in November.
For most students the long break meant getting
things accomplished and out of the way, and also hav
ing time to relax with family and friends. "I got so
much done," says Erin Cafferty, Behrend student. She
mentioned catching up in her Biology class, relaxing
with her family, and stocking up on supplies again.
She even had time to help sheet-rock a room in her
parents' nearly completed new house.
Melanie Brewer, another Behrend student, was able
to help cook for Thanksgiving, which had been close
Students concerned
over lack of lights
on Jordan Road
By Michelle Quail
.ctuff writer
111145(H)I psi! cdti
Jordan Road is the busy passage everyone drives on to use
the main entrance of campus. and some are bothered that it
does not have lights. The dark and bumpy road appm - Hith
has become a concern of many Behrend students, especialk
the ones who intend to walk on the road at night.
For those who are seeking answers. Directorid
Maintenance John Ream sheds some light on the Hsue.
"Pedestrian safety is a large concern of ours. II thew is
something we can do to improve safety we certainly want
do it. - he says. The first time Ream heard complaints about
Jordan Road. they were front faculty members who were
surprised that students were walking along the road instead
of using the paths. Ream claims Jordan Road is a concern
of his, not because of a lack of lighting. but because students
tend to travel along the narrow road with the cars lie say s
Jordan Road was never intended as a pedestrian w alkw \
Last year after hearing concerns of the faculty. he found the
best approach was to put signs on many of the walkways
reminding people to use the paths. and not the main road for
transportation. He says most of the walkways intersecting
Jordan Road have these signs. "As far as lighting goes. - lie
explains "we do have lighting close to the end of the walk
ways that make the road visible at night. - Ream does not
know of any injuries of students or faculty due to a lack of
lighting on Jordan Road.
Sophomore Behrend student Jon Lamanna says he %\ alks
on Jordan Road a couple nights a week. Lamanna is con
cerned with both a lack of lighting on the road. and the speed
of cars that pass through the steep hill. "I think there should
be a sidewalk along the road. and also more lighting. - he
said. "I always look both ways when crossing. hut you can
never tell if cars are coming from behind the peak of the
Lamanna adds, "The walking paths around campus don't
always lead to where we need to go. From University Gate
Apartments, which is where I live. Jordan Road is the
When students pass the Country Fair at the intersec
tion of 1-90. they are reminded of the high gas prices
to impossible during the shorter break. She also was
glad for the opportunity to get in some more work
hours, and make some extra cash. The only downside
was, "It was so hard to come hack fom. After a week.
I was ready to settle down for the holidays. - She was
n't the only student to experience unusually persistent
post-Thanksgiving break blues, but she maintains that
it was well worth it.
For Becky Van Neil, the long break meant being
able to go home. Since her home is in New Jersey. an
eight-hour drive away, a long weekend would not he
worth the trip. If she did manage to get home m :1
four-day vacation, it would mean as much time spent
in the car as spending at home. "If it was just a long
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Vol. LIV No. XIII
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D BEACON