Texting Ban to Take Effect in March

/in /by

As of March 8th Pennsylvania motorists can be pulled over for sending a text message while behind the wheel.  When he signed the texting ban into law this week, Governor Tom Corbett urged Pennsylvanians to ‘drive now, text later.’  “There is no text message in the world that is worth the value of a human life,” Corbett says.

While the data cannot be broken down specifically to text messages, Pennsylvania saw nearly 14,000 distracted driving crashes in 2010.  Almost 1,100 were blamed on the operation of hand-held cell phones.

“We have been advocating for a no texting law in all 50 states,” says AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Jenny Robinson.  “With Pennsylvania taking effect, that brings it up to 35, so we’ve got 15 to go.”

This could get you a $50 fine, after March 8th.

State Senator Tommy Tomlinson (R-Bucks) was the prime sponsor of SB 314, which has been repeatedly amended over the past several months.  But, Tomlinson is pleased with the final product.  “Distracted driving is dangerous, and texting is deadly,” Tomlinson says.  He still anticipates the House will take up separate legislation to address the issue of talking on hand-held cell phones while driving.

Pennsylvania’s new texting-while-driving ban will be a primary offense, which means it can be the sole reason for a traffic stop.  Violators will be slapped with a $50 fine, but will be spared from having points added to their license.  Police will also be prohibited from confiscating an offender’s wireless device.

Farm Bureau Asks Milk Marketing Board to Keep Premium in Place

/in /by

Dairy farmers are asking for some more breathing room.   The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau has told the Milk Marketing Board that severe weather has affected crops used to feed dairy cows. 

They want the current over order premium price to stay at $2.15 per hundredweight for the six months starting in January.  Mark O’Neill of the Farm Bureau says they’re also asking the board to maintain the current premium price add on for fuel costs.

 O’Neill says a wet spring, dry summer, then Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee affected the crops used for dairy feed and that’s expected to impact production costs for farmers.   Crops did not get planted on time in some areas.  When the hurricane and flooding hit, some of those crops were damaged and others could not be harvested because of the weather.

O’Neill says even though the price dairy farmers are receiving for milk is pretty good right now, the cost of producing it is at historically high levels. He says the devastating weather has made feed much more expensive and the situation is expected to continue into next year.

O’Neill says a lot of farmers say the weather is the worst they’ve experienced in their lifetime or in three or four decades. He says all of the weather factors have hurt the bottom line of those who produce feed stock to sell on the open market as well as dairy farmers who were trying to produce feed for their own livestock.

If the Milk Marketing Board approves the requests, consumers would see no price change for milk as a result of the action.

Child Sex Abuse Scandal Sparks Investigation of Penn State University

/in /by

Problems are compounding for officials at Penn State amid the child sexual abuse scandal involving a former assistant football coach.   The U. S. Department of Education will look at whether Penn State University failed to comply with the Clery Act in regard to allegations of sex offenses on campus involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. 

Under the act, a college or university is required to disclose the number of criminal offenses on campus that are reported each year. It also requires a school to issue a timely warning if a reported crime represents a threat to the campus community. 

The investigation will be conducted by the Office of Federal Student Aid and as it proceeds, the Office of Civil Rights will assess whether further investigation or enforcement action is warranted.

Interim Coach Addresses Media

/in /by

Barely 12-hours after the Penn State Board of Trustees ousted football coach Joe Paterno, his replacement was thrust into the media spotlight.  Interim coach Tom Bradley says he takes the job with mixed emotions.  “I grieve for the victims, I grieve for the families,” Bradley said as he made note of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal that has rocked the entire PSU community.  “I think you should know where our team is toward this whole issue, it’s toward those children, toward their families.  Our thoughts and our prayers are with them.” 

Bradley played for Penn State in the late 1970s, and had served on Joe Paterno’s staff ever since.  As a defensive coach he used to work under Jerry Sandusky, but Bradley declined to comment on that relationship due to the ongoing investigation. 

Bradley did say that Joe Paterno has meant more to him than any person besides his own father:  tombradley-joepa

Penn State has three more games on the 2011 schedule, and is still in the running to play in the first Big Ten Championship Game on December 3rd.  This Saturday’s contest against Nebraska is the final home game of the season.

Paterno Fired, Spanier Out

/in /by

It took just five days for the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal to rock Penn State University to its core.  Just after 10 o’clock Wednesday night, the announcement came that Graham Spanier was out as PSU president and Joe Paterno was relieved of his duties as head football coach.  “These decisions were made after careful deliberations and in the best interests of the university as a whole,” said Board of Trustees Vice Chairman John Surma. 

In a statement, Spanier called it an honor to serve Penn State for 16 years as president.  Spanier says he was stunned to learn that any predatory act might have occurred in a university facility.  “The acts of no one person should define this university.  Penn State is defined by the traditions, loyalty and integrity of hundreds of thousands of students, alumni and employees,” the statement continued.

Joe Paterno

Joe Paterno

84-year-old Coach Joe Paterno had been at Penn State for 61-years.  In his 46-years as head coach, he racked up 409-victories, more than any other coach in Division I college football history.  Paterno’s complete statement reads:

“I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case.  I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.

I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.

That’s why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.

This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life.  With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.

My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.”

The Penn State Board of Trustees has named Dr. Rodney Erickson as the interim president.  Erickson previously served as vice president and provost.  Long-time Paterno assistant coach Tom Bradley has been named interim head football coach.  The Penn State football team plays host to Nebraska this Saturday.  It is their final home game of the season.

Paterno to Retire, Corbett to Address PSU Board

/in /by

 

Joe Paterno

Joe Paterno

His 46th season at the helm of the Penn State football program will be Joe Paterno’s last.  The 84-year-old, Hall of Fame coach released this statement today:

I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case.  I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.  I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.

That’s why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.

This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life.  With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.  My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.

The news broke as Governor Tom Corbett was wrapping up a news conference at which he signed a new texting while driving ban in the Keystone State.  On the way out the door, Corbett said it was unfortunate this is happening under the cloud of the Sandusky sex abuse scandal. 

Gov. Corbett is in a unique position in that he was Attorney General at the time the grand jury investigation began in 2009.  As governor, he’s currently a key player on the Penn State Board of Trustees.  While Corbett is withholding many of his thoughts on the details of the investigation until after he’s had the chance to address the board at Friday’s regularly scheduled meeting, he does say they must act swiftly and firmly.  “Penn State’s a great university, we know that,” Corbett explains.  “Something not very good happened.  We have to maintain that they’re a great university and take the bull by the horn, and fix it.” 

Corbett was responsible for implementing the Child Predator Unit in the Attorney General’s Office, and he did not mince words when talking about child sex abuse on Wednesday.  “He who preys on a child is the worst type of person in the world as far as I am concerned.” 

Gov. Tom Corbett

Gov. Corbett talks to the media about Penn State and Joe Paterno.

Advocates Hope Scandal Serves as Wake-up Call

/in /by

One-time Penn State coaching icon Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually assaulting young boys for more than a decade, and two university officials are charged with perjury and failure to report.  Head coach Joe Paterno’s weekly news conference was canceled on Tuesday, only fueling the speculation that he could be removed from the post he’s held for 46 years.

Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance Director of Training Tina Phillips was shocked and horrified when she first learned of the scandal.  “My heart goes out to the victims and their families,” she says, adding that that anyone can report the suspicion of child abuse.  “To do so all you need to do is contact ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313,they’re there 24-hours a day, seven days a week.”    

The Penn State Board of Trustees has already announced its intention to form a task force to review the university’s policies and procedures concerning the safety of children.  The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape has already reached out to PSU to offer its assistance and expertise.  “it’s just critical that they have the experts of child sexual abuse at the table when that is formed,” says PCAR CEO Delilah Rumburg.  “I hope that the good that comes from this is that it is a wake-up call to every adult in communities throughout the commonwealth, or anywhere else, that we have the responsibility to protect our children.”

Paterno’s Weekly News Conference Nixed

/in /by

Roughly an hour before Coach Joe Paterno’s weekly news conference was to begin, word came down that the plug had been pulled.  This comes as news media from far and wide raise questions in the wake of the sex abuse scandal surrounding former PSU coaching icon Jerry Sandusky.  Paterno also missed Tuesday afternoon’s Big Ten coaches’ teleconference. 

The statement from Penn State Athletics read: “Due to the on-going legal circumstances centered around the recent allegations and charges, we have determined that today’s press conference cannot be held and will not be re-scheduled.”

An earlier advisory from Penn State Athletics read: “Media planning to attend Tuesday’s Penn State Football weekly teleconference are advised that that primary focus of the teleconference is to answer questions related to Penn State’s Senior Day game with Nebraska this Saturday. Head coach Joe Paterno and any Penn State Football student-athletes in attendance will be answering questions about the Nebraska game, Penn State’s season thus far and other topics related to the current college football season.”

Word of Penn State’s woes has even spread to the White House.  During a stop in suburban Philadelphia on Tuesday, President Barack Obama began his comments with an indirect reference to the PSU football program.  “I was told not to mention football at all,” Obama said amid some laughter and a few groans from the audience.  “So I’m not going to say anything about football while I’m here, because I know this is a sensitive subject.”    

While the 84-year-old Joe Paterno is not a target in the ongoing grand jury probe of Jerry Sandusky’s sex abuse allegations, speculation of Paterno’s ouster has already begun.  Just last month, Paterno became the winningest coach in Division I college football history.  He’s been leading the renowned Penn State football program for 46 years.

Drivers, Pedestrians Reminded to Play it Safe with More Traffic at Dusk

/in /by

When many people drive home from work now, it will be in darkness for the first time since last spring.   Drivers will have to adjust to driving more frequently at dusk or in darkness with the switch back to standard time.

Jenny Robinson, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, says pedestrians also have to be careful.  PennDOT stats show two-thirds of pedestrian fatalities happened in darkness last year.    

Robinson reminds pedestrians to cross at intersections or crosswalks, and stay visible. She says drivers need to watch for pedestrians and make sure the headlights on their vehicles are working properly and their windows are clean. She says drivers need to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and be aware of pedestrians who are outside of crosswalks.

Drivers should also watch out for deer.  Robinson says deer crashes peak this time of year. She says deer often cross in groups, so if you see one, you should expect more may be crossing.

PennDOT data shows more than 3,100 people were injured and 43 died in the more than 14,000 deer-strike crashes reported to the agency between 2006 and 2010.

AAA also hopes you put your extra hour over the weekend to good use. This is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week and a recent study shows almost one third of drivers admitted to driving while they were so tired they had trouble staying awake.

Attorney General Speaks Out in Sandusky Sex Abuse Scandal

/in /by
Jerry Sandusky

Jerry Sandusky

The allegations against 67-year-old Jerry Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator at Penn State, span roughly a decade from the late 1990s through 2009.  The 23-page grand jury presentment goes into graphic detail of the alleged sexual assaults of young boys, both while Sandusky was coaching and after his retirement.  Attorney General Linda Kelly says they’ve identified six of the eight young victims discussed in the presentment, all of whom Sandusky met through his involvement in The Second Mile, a charity he founded in 1977.

Equally significant to the sexual assault charges Sandusky faces, Kelly says, are the alleged roles of two school administrators charged with perjury and failure to report.  “Their inaction likely allowed a child predator to continue to victimize children for many many years,” Kelly says. 

Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and Senior Vice President Gary Shultz each face one count of perjury and one count of failure to report.

“This is not a case about football, it’s not a case about universities,” says State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan, “It’s a case about children who have had their innocence stolen from them, and a culture that did nothing to stop it.” 

 

Administrators Arraigned:

Tim Curley

Tim Curley

While Sandusky will be prosecuted in Centre County, where the alleged assaults took place, Curley and Shultz will be prosecuted in Dauphin County, where the alleged perjury took place.  Both were arraigned in a suburban Harrisburg magistrate’s office Monday afternoon. 

Curley’s lawyer, Caroline Roberto, proclaimed her client innocent and says they will vigorously fight the charges in court.  She calls perjury prosecutors’ charge of last resort.  “They charge it when they can’t prove the person did anything wrong.”  Roberto calls the duty to report charge a summary offense, similar to a speeding ticket.  Under the law, Roberto says the duty to report didn’t even apply to the situation at Penn State. 

Gary Shultz

Gary Shultz

The Attorney General’s office disagrees.  “Given the circumstances here, with information that was provided to top administrators about a sexual assault in the locker room, on the Penn State campus, we feel very confident that those administrators are responsible under the law,” says spokesman Nils Frederiksen. 

 

Paterno Not a Target:

Asked about coach Joe Paterno’s grand jury testimony, Attorney General Linda Kelly says the 84-year-old coach has been cooperative and is not a target at this point.  The grand jury report indicates that a grad student who witnessed a sexual assault in 2002 called Paterno to share what he had seen.  “We believe that under the statute he had an obligation to report it to school administrators, and he did that,” Kelly says of Paterno’s involvement.

In a statement, Paterno says he’s shocked and saddened by the allegations contained in the grand jury report.  “I understand that people are upset and angry, but let’s be fair and let the legal process unfold,” the statement reads.  “In the meantime, I would ask all Penn Staters to continue to trust in what that name represents, continue to pursue their lives every day with high ideals and not let these events shake their beliefs nor who they are.” 

Attorney Genral Linda Kelly, Jerry Sandusky

The media gathered en masse at Attorney General Linda Kelly's capitol news conference.