PSU frat update: AP Headlines, high school football scores HERE

AP PA Headlines 8/25/18

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — A judge is dismissing the most serious charges filed in a pledge’s fatal injuries suffered inside a Penn State fraternity house.  District Judge Carmine Prestia on Friday dismissed charges including involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, saying the evidence is insufficient. But Prestia says six of the seven remaining defendants can be tried on less serious misdemeanor hazing charges.

Tampering, hindering apprehension and obstruction charges were dismissed against the seventh defendant. Two others previously pleaded guilty.  The seven Beta Theta Pi fraternity members were going through another hearing because a county judge reinstated charges previously dismissed by a district judge.  The charges stem from the 2017 death of 19-year-old Tim Piazza of New Jersey.  Piazza died of severe head and abdominal injuries. Authorities say he consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol.

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A former Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania dean alleges he was fired for counseling a secretary who told him she was sexually harassed by the college’s president.  The lawsuit filed Wednesday by former BU College of Business dean Jeffrey Krug says he was fired for helping the secretary pursue a formal complaint against BU President Bashar Hanna.

The Press Enterprise reports the lawsuit also alleges Hanna had been subject to multiple harassment complaints before being hired to lead the university.

The university said in a statement Thursday that Krug’s lawsuit is “baseless” and denied all allegations of harassment and retaliation. The university says “it is not uncommon for employees who have been terminated to seek this type of recourse through legal action.”    The lawsuit seeks unspecified back pay, punitive damages and lawyer fees.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Google has alerted U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey’s office that hackers with ties to a “nation-state” sent phishing emails to old campaign email accounts, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Republican said Friday.  Toomey’s office was notified this week about the attempt to infiltrate email accounts, said spokesman Steve Kelly. He said the dormant accounts hadn’t been used since the end of the 2016 campaign, and the staffers they’re attached to no longer work for Toomey. The nation-state wasn’t identified.

“This underscores the cybersecurity threats our government, campaigns, and elections are currently facing,” he said. “It is essential that Congress impose tough penalties on any entity that undermines our institutions.”

Toomey currently isn’t running for office and the effort would not have affected the upcoming midterm elections.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Features

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton, Smokey Robinson, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Cicely Tyson will be among the speakers at Aretha Franklin’s funeral next week.  Franklin’s rep, Gwendolyn Quinn, says other speakers will include former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, music mogul Clive Davis, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Bishop T.D. Jakes. Michael Eric Dyson, former TV judge Greg Mathis, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones and U.S. Rep Brenda Lawrence are also additional speakers.

Clinton and the Queen of Soul were longtime friends. She sang at both of his inaugurations. Robinson and Franklin grew up together in Detroit.  Franklin died Aug. 16 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 76. Her funeral will be held in Detroit at Greater Grace Temple next Friday.  The Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. will deliver the eulogy. He is pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta.  The performers for the service include Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Faith Hill, Chaka Khan and more.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The family of the late rock star Prince is suing a doctor who prescribed pain pills for him, saying the doctor failed to treat him for opiate addiction and therefore bears responsibility for his death two years ago, their attorney announced Friday.  Prince Rogers Nelson died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl April 15, 2016. Authorities say Dr. Michael Schulenberg admitted prescribing a different opioid to Prince in the days before he died, oxycodone, under his bodyguard’s name to protect the musician’s privacy. Schulenberg has disputed that, although he paid $30,000 to settle a federal civil violation alleging that the drug was prescribed illegally.

The lawsuit filed in Hennepin County District Court this week alleges that Schulenberg and others had “an opportunity and duty during the weeks before Prince’s death to diagnose and treat Prince’s opioid addiction, and to prevent his death. They failed to do so.”  According to the complaint, which was first reported by ABC News.com , Prince’s family seeks unspecified damages in excess of $50,000.

UNDATED (AP) – Comcast and the Fox Networks Group announced they have reached an agreement for the cable carrier to continue to make the Big Ten Network available to its customers.  The companies announced Friday they also agreed Comcast will carry all Big Ten games that are shown on Fox’s all-sports network, FS1.

The standoff between the two companies threatened to leave Comcast customers in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin without cable access to some of their teams’ games.  Xfinity customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia will also continue to get BTN.  Comcast customers outside Big Ten states can access the BTN in a premium package of channels.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Robin Leach, whose voice crystallized the opulent 1980s on TV’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” died Friday. He was 76.  His son, Steven Leach, said he died in Las Vegas, where he made his home.  Leach had a stroke in November while on vacation in Mexico that led to a months-long recovery, much of which he spent at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio before returning to Las Vegas in June. His son said Leach suffered another stroke Monday.

“Champagne wishes and caviar dreams” was Leach’s sign-off at the end of every episode of his syndicated show’s decade-long run that began in 1984.  Celebrities and others took to social media to express condolences and share stories about their interactions with Leach.  “Saddened to hear the news that Robin Leach has passed away,” Celine Dion tweeted. “He was a thoughtful and considerate man, and a great supporter of the entertainment scene in Las Vegas.”  Magician Criss Angel tweeted that he met “Uncle Robin,” as he affectionately referred to Leach, in 2004 and became fast friends.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Sports, Scores & Skeds

TORONTO (AP) — Kendrys Morales homered for the fifth straight game, Billy McKinney hit a two-run shot and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Philadelphia 4-2, handing the slumping Phillies their fifth loss in six games. Ryan Borucki allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings as Toronto won its fourth straight. Scott Kingery hit a solo home run for the Phillies but was also thrown out at home plate in the second. This game was, and all Phillies games are, on 1070AM WKOK, whil our normal programming continues at WKOK.com.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Orlando Arcia’s RBI single with two outs in the 15th inning lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Arcia was mobbed on the field by his teammates after he put an end to the 5-hour, 36-minute contest. Erik Kratz tied the game with a two-run single off Clay Holmes after the Pirates had taken a 6-4 lead in the top of the 15th.

Friday’s Scores – By The Associated Press

Berwick 42, Abington Heights 0

Danville 41, Shikellamy 7 — This game was on WKOK and WKOK.com

Halifax 28, Hamburg 14

Lewisburg 32, Selinsgrove 22 — This game was on Eagle 107 and 100.9 The Valley

Midd-West 43, Marian Catholic 20 (Midd-West’s first game ever)

Mifflinburg 22, Hughesville 7

Montoursville 51, North Penn-Mansfield 6

Mount Carmel 21, Central Columbia 13

Muncy 17, Warrior Run 0

North Schuylkill 42, Loyalsock 21

Panther Valley 28, Columbia-Montour 22

Penns Valley 49, Fairfield 6

Shamokin 34, Milton 33 (Giving Henry Hynoski his first career win with the team)

South Williamsport 25, Montgomery 7

Southern Columbia 56, Bloomsburg 6

Upper Dauphin 40, Schuylkill Valley 21

Williamsport 62, Central Mountain 26

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.