2 I THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2010 Police investigating 'suspicious fire' The State College Police Department is investigating a sus picious fire that caused minor damage to a garage at 3:07 am. Monday at a 221 S. Gill St. home, the State College Police Department said. Police did not give a value to the damage, but said they are currently investigating it as arson. Police: Hospitalized man struck nurse A male who was hospitalized for drug and alcohol related reasons struck a nurse at 1:02 a.m. Monday at the Mount Nittany Medical Center, the State College Police Department said. Police did not say if the nurse suffered any injuries but said they will file charges against the man. Rendell rallies for highway funding HARRISBURG Gov. Ed Rendell is trying to drive home the dire condition of Pennsylvania's highways, bridges and mass transit systems. Rendell testified before the state Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday, and blitzed committee members with photos of deteriorating bridges and highways in their dis tricts. He warned them that those problems will not get fixed without new money, and said that failure to act in the next couple months would mean missing next summer's con struction season, too. The governor is presenting lawmakers with a variety of ideas about how to raise more money, including an increase in the gas tax. He also says he will undertake a cross-state bus trip in August to illustrate the problem. Death row inmate to get new trial WILKES-BARRE A Georgia man sentenced to death in the 1983 slaying of a hitchhiker in Pennsylvania is getting a new trial next year. A northeastern Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday set a March 2011 trial date for 58-year-old James Lincoln Strong. His 1984 conviction in the death of John Henry Strock was overturned by the state Supreme Court because prosecutors failed to dis close an agreement with his co-defendant. Authorities say Strong and another man were hitchhiking when John Henry Strock picked them up in August 1983. Co defendant James Alexander testified that Strong later shot and killed Strock in a wooded area off the side of the road. The conviction was overturned in 2000 after prosecutors acknowledged discussing a more lenient sentence with Alexander in return for his cooperation. Pa. boy dies after falling off cliff MUIR BEACH, Calif. Officials say a 17-year-old Pennsylvania boy was trying to get a better view of the Pacific Ocean when he he plunged 400 feet to his death from a cliff south of Muir Beach. Golden Gate National Recreation Area spokeswoman Alexandra Picayet says Andrew Leonard Hicks Jr. fell around I p.m. Monday. Family members told investigators he had taken a seat at the edge of the cliff at a particularly scenic spot along a coastal trail. He was repositioning himself when he apparent ly fell. His younger brother, who was with him, ran back to alert other family members. Picavet says Hicks' father climbed down to where his son had fallen and rescuers were called, but the boy could not be resuscitated. The family was visiting from West Chester, Pa., which is about 25 miles west of Philadelphia. Investigation ordered in brutality claim HARRISBURG Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson has ordered the city's police department to investigate a brutality claim stemming from a fight outside a nightclub. Thompson said Tuesday she wants an investigation into claims by a man who said officers beat and used a stun gun on him Sunday after using pepper spray to disperse a crowd fol lowing a fight. Justin Barnes says he was beaten and hit with a stun gun because he bumped into an officer while, blinded by pepper spray and asked for responding officers' badge numbers. Police say he poked an officer in the chest and screamed at police before resisting arrest. Correction: An article - Mural attracts art lovers" on page 1 of Tuesday's Daily Collegian incorrectly stated the final location of the mural. The mural will be located on Calder Way between South Allen Street and Kelly Alley. 4 - - ItFollow us on Twitter for up-to-the-moment news www.twitter.com/dailycollegian Coll6gian Collegian Inc. James Building. 123 S. Burrowes St., University Park. PA 16801-3882 The Daily Collegian Online, which can be found at www.psucollegian.com, is updat ed daily with the information published in the print edition. It also contains expand ed coverage, longer versions of some stories and letters, Web-only features and pre vious stories from our archives. 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Ho 86 Low 63 . tHr7 High 87 . t _. Courtesy of Campus Weather Service Leaders react to Kagan Local leaders on both sides of the political divide had varying opinions on the Senate Judiciary Committee's decision to approve Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. Anthony Christina, vice chairman for the Penn State College Republicans, said the group opposed the decision because of Kagan's lack of judicial experience and her stance on the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which concerns an individual's right to bear arms. The committee approved the nominee 13-6, sending the issue to the full Senate where the final deci sion will be made. Like many issues being addressed in Washington, Kagan's nomination to the court has divided leaders along party lines. While most Republicans on the committee voted against the appointment of Kagan, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., voted in favor of Kagan. While the College Republicans felt it was important to be willing to break with party lines, Christina (sophomore-political science and history) said they do not agree with Graham's decision. "Sen. Graham has always been an Bomb On May 5, about 500 people were Wednesday, someone called univer- From Page 1. evacuated from Atherton Hall dur- city officials to claim the box, which any unattended package left on ing finals week as a result of a suspi- alleviated the authority's concerns, campus, but she said the wires pro- cious device found in a first floor jan- Powers said. truding from the meter led officials itor's closet. A man met with police behind Old to use even greater caution with this The object then was a water bottle Main to claim the device. package. with wires protruding from it. Police did not release the man's This is the second case of the The Centre County Bomb Squad name Centre County Bomb Squad being later determined it to be safe after called in for a suspicious package carefully investigating the then-sus- Inmates From Page 1 Penn State students "flood" Centre Peace's showroom, as the summer comes to a close and stu dents look to furnish their new homes at a reasonable cost, Brewer said. The revenue produced from the showroom sales allows Centre Peace to continue providing inmates with opportunities to hone their interpersonal and work skills. Shaw said these skills can give inmates a leg up on other job seek ers when they get out of jail and start a new life. Centre Peace founder Marie Hamilton devoted her life to helping OPP From Page 1 "Eco-Action and Beyond Coal are not waiting," he said. "We want a completely new type of energy source." Nagy said he thought the meeting went well, adding that OPP was respectful of the students' views. But he said he hopes everyone keeps talking so shutting down the steam plant goes from an idea to reality Webster's From Page 1 Wilgus, but could not specify the exact locations out of concern for interfering with negotiations. "We don't want to subvert any thing that they're doing," Alessandrine said. "Anything that I know was told to me in confidence and that's where it's going to have to stay until they reach some kind of agreement." psucullcgian.cum Alessandrine said there are multi ple locations Meder-Wilgus is con sidering as possibilities at the moment. Scuba From Page 1 diving seems to attract many fami lies. "[Diving] works extremely well for families," Best said. "It's routine ly a family vacation for them. [There are] families that continue to do that even after the children leave and get married, which is pretty special from that point." Though Penn State has programs and classes students can take, Best said he still has some students who come to Sunken Treasure Scuba Center to become certified. Graduate student Erika Roach is one Penn State student who is cur rently in the process of becoming certified at Sunken Treasure. Elizabeth Murphy Alex Weisler ....Jared Shanker Katie Sullivan ....Edgar Ramirez Kevin CIO Laura Nichols Chris Zook Bill Landis ....Andrew Robinson Heather Schmelzlen Jenna Ekdahl Steph Witt "My whole family is [certified], and we're going on a trip scuba div ing, so I figured I should get certified for that," Roach (graduate-agrono my) said. "It's going well. It's really Kelsey Thompson Alissa Nemzer ....Julia Brondani ....Brittany Thrush ..Danielle Meyers LOCAL By Paul Osolnick COLLEGIAN STAFF WRfTER Alex Brandon/Associated Press Kagan will now face the Senate. independent thinker and maverick," Christina said. "However, we disagree with his support for Kagan." Rob Ghormoz, president of the Penn State College Democrats, said Sen. Graham's approval of Kagan shows his true character as a per son who cares about a person's qual ifications, regardless of party "I think he really did a great being found on campus in less than picious device. three months. After the PSUTXT alert when out inmates get that leg up on life "I wouldn't have dedicated 33 years of my life to this if I didn't absolutely believe we have to stop thinking that just incarcerating someone is going to be helpful for them," Hamilton said. Brewster said studies have shown that programs like Centre Peace have a noticeable effect on inmates' lives after they're released. Penn State student groups volun teer with the organization, which Brewer said has been invaluable to the organization and has taught stu dents a lesson or two as well. Brewster said Centre Peace has some inmates who were former Penn State students something he said is especially disappointing. "I can't tell you how many times Paige Cross, also representing Eco-Action, said an idea came up at the meeting for students from all groups interested in the steam plant issue to draft a statement of their vision for Penn State's sustainable future. Cross (junior-nutritional sci ences) said this statement would unite everyone interested in the issue a better solution than not working together. And the student body president agreed. University Park Undergraduate "Wherever she goes it's going to take some work," Alessandrine said. While the DSCID has assisted with negotiations and financing for a new location, Alessandrine said the final decision is on Webster's. "Anything that we can do to help facilitate, we're here to do that," Alessandrine said. "At the end of the day the two parties have to come to some agreement that both are com fortable with to move forward." Alessandrine said the DSCID is concerned with not only assuring that Webster's "lands on their feet," but also making sure the 128 S. Allen St. property owners are able to fill their lot. fun. You have to put a lot of work into it, but it's not very hard. Seeing all the fish underwater [is my favorite part] because they're not really scary they actually kind of follow you around." Scuba diving in not just a recre ational activity. Penn State has a science diving program, said Lee Kump, the pro gram's chairman. He said the scuba program "trains students to do research underwater." "Fbr a lot of the students, they're science majors, and they're maybe thinking of going into oceanography, or as a graduate student [they're] incorporating scuba diving into part of their research," Kump said. Though the program has many scientific-minded students, Timothy White the university dive safety officer said the program attracts people from other majors, as well. As part of the science diving pro gram, Kump said there are two THE DAILY COLLEGIAN thing," Ghormoz (senior-political science) said. "He stood up and made the point that, while it may hurt his re-election, he has to do what he feels is right. I think people should act as they believe and not according to when their election year is." Ghormoz said the College Democrats believe President Barack Obama chose well when he nominated Kagan. "We think she is obviously very qualified," Ghormoz said. "If you look at her resume and her positions, I think she has had as much experience as anyone inside the courtroom. I trust President Obama wouldn't put anyone on the short list if they didn't have the experience." Ghormoz said he believes Kagan will receive final approval from the Senate a vote that would send her to the Supreme Court. "I think Republicans will come across and vote for her," Ghormoz said. "It shouldn't be a Republican or Democrat decision... is she a liber al, is she a conservative. It should be whether she is going to act accord ing to the laws of our constitution. I hope some Republicans see that. I have faith it will be a bi-partisan decision." To e-mail reporter: prosoo4@psu.edu To e-mail reporter: bwmsl47@psu.edu I've heard, 'Well I was just going to sell enough weed to get through the next semester,' Brewster said. "And then they're in jail for six months or a year with possession or intent to deliver," Brewer said. Brewster said the Penn State stu dents who make contributions and volunteer tirelessly for the organiza tion are making a bigger impact than they know. "The wardens have often said they could tell a difference in the inmates when they started going to go to Centre Peace," Hamilton said. " And there's the constant stream of families expressing how much [Centre Peace] has helped their family member." To e-mail reporter: bwmsl47@psu.edu Association (UPUA) President Christian Ragland, who also attend ed the meeting, said the steam plant is an issue many students along with school leaders are passionate about. Ragland said teamwork is key. "We have to work together and work to be a bigger voice," Ragland (senior-political science) said. "If we join together for a cause, for more efficient green operations at this campus, it would be a better move ment if more students were involved." "We've offered our help," Alessandrine said. "They thanked us for the offer and we'll see if the phone rings." But as the 128 S. Allen St. location comes to a close, the store's final day has been pushed back to Aug. 2. Alessandrine said the extension of time is "encouraging." Meder-Wilgus can use the extra time to finish some of the things she wanted to before the store's closing date. "We're glad to see that is going to happen," Alessandrine said. "Every little bit helps." To e-mail reporter: prosoo4@psu.edu classes that incorporate field trips the Coral Reef Systems class that goes to the Bahamas and the Prehistory of Florida class. "We go down to Florida and col lect Ice Age fossils to try to recon struct what the Ice Age environ ment was like in North Florida," Kump said. "The first time we went down to the Santa Fe River we col lected several hundred fossil sam ples, many of which were museum worthy" Mario Machado, who participates in science diving, said White told him about the program. "It's probably one of the best things I've done with my college career," Machado (senior-biological anthropology) said. "It's been an amazing experience. Without the scientific aspect, it's just personal enjoyment. But being able to do something scientific gives it more meaning and more purpose." To e-mail reporter: krlslo6@psu.edu
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