Wolf vs. Corbett: 5 Issues They’ll Tussle Over Between Now And November

Map of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The campaigns for Gov. Tom Corbett and Democratic challenger Tom Wolf traded shots over education funding, natural gas drilling and other issues before Wolf won his party’s nomination.

Voters can expect a lot more of that before Nov. 4.

“I think it’s going to be a long, grueling contest, in which both candidates are going to have to defend an awful lot about their records,” said G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

Corbett has had lower approval ratings than Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell had at the same points in their first terms. In a January poll from Franklin & Marshall College, 23 percent of registered Pennsylvania voters said Corbett was doing an “excellent” or “good” job as governor.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/politics/ci_25828929/wolf-v-corbett-5-issues-theyll-tussle-over

State College Residents Looking To Put Up New Statue Of Joe Paterno

Counties constituting the Happy Valley Region of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s approaching two years since Penn State, in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, took down the Joe Paterno statue and carted the likeness of the legendary football coach off into nearby Beaver Stadium.

The university has been tight-lipped since then about what became of the statue, and hasn’t said much more than that publicly about how it plans to treat Paterno’s legacy moving forward.

Tired of waiting, several State College residents say they are moving forward with plans to bring their own statue of the man to downtown State College.

“This is something we can do on our own schedule,” said Ted Sebastianelli, a candidate for the Penn State board of trustees and one of the locals behind an effort to create a new Paterno statue. “We don’t have to wait.”

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2014/04/23/4147421/group-looking-to-put-up-new-statue.html?sp=/99/264/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

State College Police: Criminal Activity Down Again On State Patty’s Day

Counties constituting the Happy Valley Region of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

STATE COLLEGE, PA — Police activity on the Penn State student-created drinking holiday State Patty’s Day was down for the third consecutive year, State College police Lt. Bradley Smail said Sunday.

Police said late Sunday that initial numbers indicate total crime was down 47 percent and arrests decreased 61 percent. Smail said the activity was more in line with a typical football weekend than the normally damaging day of drinking.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of destructive behavior,” Smail said anecdotally, in comparison to previous years.

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2014/03/02/4064212/state-college-police-criminal.html#storylink=cpy

Keystone Krunch: Pennsylvania May Not Be In The Super Bowl But Its Snacks Will Be The Life Of Many Parties

Although the Steelers and Eagles didn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year, Pennsylvania and Penn State will still be represented on game day — on your plate.

Penn State experts have had a hand in developing, or evolving, many of the Keystone State’s famous finger foods.

While Nittany Lion alumni will represent Penn State on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium, Pennsylvania food industries’ wares will be served at Super Bowl parties nationwide. Companies from around the commonwealth — referred to as the snack-food belt — supply many of the Sunday afternoon munchies enjoyed while calling plays from the couch.

If your potato chips are from Utz, Middleswarth, Martin’s, Snyder’s of Hanover or Snyder of Berlin — just to name a few — the snack came from some region of Pennsylvania.

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2014/02/01/4013019/keystone-krunch-pa-may-not-be.html#storylink=cpy

It’s Official: Penn State Hires James Franklin As Football Coach

Counties constituting the Happy Valley Region of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The new Penn State football coach is coming home, in a sense.

James Franklin, who grew up in the Philly suburbs, will be leading the Nittany Lions when they open their 2014 season in Ireland’s Croke Park.

A news release on Penn State’s athletics website indicates that Franklin, who has led a stunning building project at Vanderbilt, will be announced today as the Lions’ 16th head coach in program history. (Technically, he is the fifth since November of 2011 when counting interim leaders).

Franklin, who turns 42 next month, also is the first permanent African-American head football ever at Penn State.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/sports/20140111/its-official-penn-state-hires-james-franklin-as-football-coach

Penn State Football: Assistant Coach Larry Johnson To Oversee Nittany Lions During Search For Bill O’Brien’s Replacement

Counties constituting the Happy Valley Region of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State assistant coach Larry Johnson has agreed to oversee the team as the university searches for Bill O’Brien’s successor, the Centre Daily Times has learned.

A Penn State source said Johnson, who coaches defensive linemen, will work with the players currently on the roster and will maintain contact with recruits, and said the university will move quickly to name the next Nittany Lions head coach.

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2014/01/01/3966060/penn-state-football-assistant.html#storylink=cpy

Penn State Extension Nutrition Links: Teaching People How To Eat Better For Less!

Tuesdays, February 5 – March 12, 5pm-6:30pm

Phoenixville Civic Center, 123 Main St., Phoenixville

Call to register: Dolores Winston 610-933-7728 ext.1

Come for a series of lessons and activities on various topics to help you care and feed your family a healthy diet on a limited budget.  Learn how to prepare low-cost, quick meals.  Develop new cooking and food safety skills.  Try new nutritious foods.  Participants of the Eat Smart Move More program will receive a certificate, cookbook, stretch band for exercising, food thermometer and tote bag upon completion.

Penn State Punishment: 112 Wins Vacated, 4-Year Bowl Ban, $60 Million Fine, Lost Scholarships

English: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) logo. Source: http://www1.ncaa.org/eprise/main/Public/mlp/promotions_special_events/pe_web/promo_manual/memos/identity.pdf Converted by User:King of Hearts from :Image:National Collegiate Athletic Association logo.png using Inkscape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA slammed Penn State for the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal today with an unprecedented series of penalties, including a $60 million fine and the loss of all the school’s victories from 1998-2011, knocking Joe Paterno from his spot as major college football’s winningest coach.

Other sanctions include a four-year ban on postseason games that will prevent Penn State from playing for the Big Ten title, the loss of 20 scholarships per year over four years and five years’ probation. The NCAA also said that any current or incoming football players are free to immediately transfer and compete at another school.

NCAA President Mark Emmert announced the staggering sanctions at a news conference in Indianapolis. Though the NCAA stopped short of imposing the “death penalty” — shutting down the Nittany Lions‘ program completely. But the punishment is so severe, it’s more like a slow-death penalty.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=402015

RIP Joe Pa

Joe Paterno has passed away.  We offer our sincere sympathy to the Paterno family.

Our hope is that despite recent events, Joe Paterno will be remembered for all the good he did and not for a lapse in judgement.  To err is human; to forgive, divine.

WE ARE…PENN STATE!

Second Mile Charity To Close

Second Mile has decided to throw in the towel due to founder Jerry Sandusky‘s involvement in the Penn State Child Sex Abuse Scandal.  The charity has decided to transfer their programs to other non-profit organizations according to CEO, David Woodle.

Moody’s Investors Service Reviewing Penn State Bond Rating For Possible Downgrade

More bad news for Happy Valley!

Due to the charges against Jerry Sandusky, a major credit agency is reviewing Penn State’s Aa1 bond rating for a possible downgrade.  Moody’s Investors Service stated on Friday they have put Penn State’s bond rating under review due to the damage of the university’s reputation by the child sexual abuse scandal.

Moody’s will assess things like lawsuits brought against the university, enrollment decline, loss of donations and any change in the university’s status with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Needless to say, this action could negatively impact Penn State and the university’s ability to recover from the scandal.  Penn State is a major employer in Pennsylvania.  According to Wikipedia,”The university is now the largest in Pennsylvania, and in 2003, it was credited with having the second-largest impact on the state economy of any organization, generating an economic effect of over $17 billion on a budget of $2.5 billion.”

Penn State Child Abuse Scandal Fallout Continues

The fallout at Penn State continues.

In addition to Jerry Sandusky, JoePa, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Mike McQueary and Graham Spanier, you can add Second Mile charity CEO Jack Raykovitz to the growing cast of characters.  Mr. Raykovitz resigned Sunday after 28 years at the helm.  So far all the victims were boys in the Second Mile program.  Second Mile has retained Philadelphia law firm Archer & Greiner as its counsel.

Mike McQueary, on paid administrative leave, is apparently consulting with the Harrisburg law firm of Strokoff and Cowden, who specialize in employment law.  McQueary received death threats and is reportedly in hiding.  

McQueary is being handled differently than the others because he is a witness in the case and he also may fall under Pennsylvania’s whistleblower law.  The law includes protection for the whistleblower against firing, demotion or punishment.  McQueary’s status under this law is still being determined.

Penn State Football

Congraulations to Joe and his team for winning the Capital One Bowl in a come from behind victory (late field goal) over LSU 19-17.  You may remember this as the Citrus Bowl in days gone by.

It’s a happy day in Happy Valley!

WE ARE!!!   PENN STATE!!!

Update On PSU Student Death

The toxicology report for 18 year old Latrobe native, Joseph Dado came back twice the normal limit for blood alcohol. 

Joseph Dado died September 20th after falling 15 feet down a stairwell on his way home from attending several fraternity parties on the PSU Main Campus in State College. 

Police are looking into who furnished the minor with alcohol.