SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTED IN PEABODY HALL
Temple Police banned the guest of a student from campus after they received a report of a sexual assault March 24 in Peabody Hall.
An 18-year-old female student was assaulted by a 22-year-old male on Feb. 13, according to Temple Police. The man, who was identified, is not associated with Temple.
Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said the man touched the student inappropriately and then attempted to continue sexual contact, but failed. He added the student does not want further involvement from Temple Police.
-Julie Christie
REC CENTERS WILL RECEIVE CITY FUNDING THIS SUMMER
The 8th and Diamond, Amos, Penrose and MLK recreation centers are still waiting on funding from Mayor Jim Kenney’s $600 million proposal for parks, recreation centers and public libraries.
Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for Kenney, said in an email that money from the proposal will be part of the 2017 fiscal year, which begins this July.
The Penrose Recreation Center on 12th Street and West Susquehanna Avenue had its monthly event meeting on March 23 to talk about fundraising and highlight community involvement.
Judy Newton, a 20-year-old community member at the meeting, said city funding would bring additional volunteers and structure to Penrose and other centers’ activities.
“More people would come in without the [recreation center] problems,” she said. “We don’t have enough resources or enough hands, and doing more for the kids will bring more of the community out.”
Jeff Murray, a volunteer at the MLK Recreation Center, is behind Kenney’s proposal. He agreed that Philadelphia’s public spaces need to be updated.
He added, however, he is confident the funding will arrive later this year.
“We have organizations and discussion groups that have sat down with [Kenney] and I know that’s one of his main goals. It’s to improve the city,” he said.
-Dominic Barone
UNIVERSITY FORMS TEXTILE RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP
Temple was selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to be a partner in a $75 million national research institute dedicated to U.S. textile manufacturing uses.
Temple Now reported the partnership was established with the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, a resource center for industry and government agencies for the development of new fabrics, fibers and materials.
The insititute is comprised of 31 academic institutions and 16 industry partners, like Nike and Microsoft. Twenty-six startup incubators and venture capital groups have also committed support to the cause.
The research includes prototyping new materials for new uses spanning from everyday consumer products to protective armor as well as healthcare and architecture.
Many Temple faculty members will participate in this research effort.
-Dominic Barone
TU FLIGHT ADDITION OF NIGHT TIME VAN
Flight, the newest shuttle service for Temple, is adding a temporary vehicle in response to an increase in demand.
“It’s experiencing almost double the demand,” said Student Body President Ryan Rinaldi. “That’s why we added the van temporarily until a permanent fix is made next semester.”
The vehicle is called the Temple Express, and it picks up at the Tech Center every half-an-hour from 6:30 p.m. to midnight. It debuted yesterday and will run through the end of the semester.
Rinaldi said Flight provides an average of 3,900 rides during a full week, or about 550 rides per day. He expects those numbers to rise during finals week.
-Dominic Barone
SEN. SANDERS TO HOLD RALLY AT LIACOURAS CENTER
Sen. Bernie Sanders is holding a rally at the Liacouras Center tomorrow. The event is free to attend, but admission is on a first-come-first-serve basis. Doors open at 5 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to sign up at go.berniesanders.com.
-Lian Parsons
JUDGE POSTPONES COSBY CASE IN CALIFORNIA
A California judge postponed Bill Cosby’s deposition in a lawsuit indefinitely as a result of the comedian’s ongoing criminal case in Montgomery County.
Judge Craig Kaplan said the deposition would violate Cosby’s right to not incriminate himself, Reuters reported.
The lawsuit in California comes from Judy Huth, who accuses Cosby of sexually assaulting her when she was 15 years old at the Playboy Mansion in 1974.
Former Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Dmitry Gorin told Reuters the delay in California could lead to similar situations in other lawsuits taking place around the country, including one in Massachusetts, where eight women are suing Cosby for slander.
The delay in Cosby’s California deposition will not stop the depositions from other witnesses, including Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine.
-Julie Christie
