Sixers draft Lavoy Allen

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Former men’s basketball power forward Lavoy Allen has played his entire basketball career in Pennsylvania. He now has a chance to continue playing in his home state on the professional level.

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Allen with the 50th overall pick in the NBA draft tonight.

Allen was born in Morrisville, PA and attended Pennsbury high school in Bucks County. Allen finished his career at Temple as the Owls’ all-time leading rebounder (1,147) to go along with the third highest blocked shots total in school history (213) and the eighth highest win total (98).

Allen becomes the second Temple athlete to be drafted by a professional Philadelphia sports team this year; the Philadelphia Eagles drafted former Owls’ safety Jaiquawn Jarrett in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL draft in April.

Baseball coach Rob Valli resigns

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After six years without a winning season, Rob Valli resigned as the head coach of the baseball team today, according to a statement from Temple athletics. Valli leaves Temple with a 112-206 record with the Owls. In his last season with the Owls, the team went 24-29 overall, but went 4-20 in the Atlantic Ten Conference, which put them in last place in conference play. Temple will begin a new search for its coach

Arrest made in shooting of PSU student

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Jeffrey Little, the 20-year-old resident of 2100 block of North Marvine Street sought in the murder of Penn State Abington student Mohan Varughese, was arrested this morning, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Philadelphia Police Department released Little’s information yesterday, issuing an arrest warrant.

Varughese, who was slated to graduate one week ago today, was shot and killed while visiting his girlfriend on the 2200 block of North Camac Street on May 9.

Driver in Megabus accident, which left sophomore dead, charged

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When the driver of a Toronto-bound Megabus made a wrong turn in New York on Sept. 11, 2010, four passengers were left dead. Among them was Kevin Coffey, a 19-year-old sophomore international business major.

The driver, John Tomaszewki, 60, reportedly made a wrong turn and drove the bus into a railroad bridge that was shorter than the double-decker bus.

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Tomaszewski has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and that he entered a not-guilty plea through his attorney.

Will more money for Temple mean less money for public welfare?

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The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today that House Republicans are looking to give Pennsylvania’s education system, which includes Temple and the three other state-related universities, more money – at the expense of the Department of Public Welfare.

A half a billion dollars could be taken from the department and “redistributed” to state education, according to the report. The state-related universities would receive 75 percent of what they receive now in state appropriation funds rather than the approximate 50 percent cut Gov. Corbett is proposing.

A lot of arguments against Gov. Corbett’s cuts to education and funding of the correctional system were that he had it backwards: To stay out of trouble, children need a quality education first. Where do you think possible cuts to the Department of Public Welfare to make up for lost education funds stand in this situation?

Male shot dead north of Main Campus

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An attempted robbery and killing of a male occurred on the 2200 block of North Camac Street at approximately 5:12 p.m., tonight, a TU Alert states.

The victim was shot and killed by an unknown male with a black revolver, who later fled eastbound on Susquehanna Avenue.

NBC Philadelphia is one of a few news outlets to later report that the victim was a 23-year-old Penn State University student visiting his girlfriend’s house. Other news outlets have said he is also a former Temple student.

The man was identified by friends as Mohan Varughese, according to multiple news outlets.

The attacker reportedly attempted to steal the victim’s motorcycle, but soon after shot the victim three times before fleeing.

The unidentified shooter is described as being “an unknown black male, approximately 6 feet tall, with a bald head and wearing black hooded sweatshirt and black nylon sweatpants.”

The alert was released at around 6 p.m. and instructed students to avoid the area.

Check Broad & Cecil and temple-news.com for updates and more information as made available.

Updated at 11:18 p.m.

TUH lung-transplant program to temporarily inactivate

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Temple University Hospital will be temporarily inactivating its lung-transplant program later this month, the Inquirer reports.

Effective May 27, the hospital will stop doing lung-transplant programs until a new surgeon is hired, said Rebecca Harmon, director of public relations of Temple University Health System, to the Inquirer.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health cited the lung-transplant program for having higher-than-expected deaths after transplants, in August, the article says.

TUH Chief Executive Officer Sandy Gomberg is quoted as saying the program has improved since the registry report, which tracks patient survival rates, and that she hopes to have it continue within a year.

The 28 patients on TUH’s waiting list for lung transplants have reportedly been notified of the change.

To read the full report, click here.

Workers strike outside Pearson and McGonigle

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Workers in the Philadelphia Carpenter’s Union marched in strike outside Pearson and McGonigle halls, currently under construction, today.

The union is in strike against “all General Building Contractor Association Members and Interior Finish Contractor Association Members,” according to PhilaCarpenter.org.

A worker confirmed that the carpenters are currently not under contract, after their last one expired April 30.

The union has been striking against the associations since May 1 and no negotiations have been scheduled, said an announcement on the website.

Carpenter Jack McMonigle said the strike was not against Temple.

“Temple’s been great for the unions,” McMonigle said. “We’re just striking [the GBCA and IFCA].”