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| Inside this edition: Guilty pleas in Timothy Piazza hazing case, new Penn State Board of Trustees rules, and why a recent attempt to buy troubled Rock Spring Water Company fell through. Welcome August. |
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 | A photo of Timothy Piazza is displayed next to his father, Jim, outside the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte in March 2018. (Abby Drey / Centre Daily Times) |
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More than seven years after Timothy Piazza was fatally injured at a Penn State fraternity party, two of the party’s planners have pleaded guilty to their involvement in his death, the Centre Daily Times’ Bret Pallotto reports.
Brendan P. Young, 28, the former Beta Theta Pi president, and Daniel Casey, 27, the fraternity’s former vice president and pledge master, each pleaded guilty Tuesday to 14 counts of hazing and one count of recklessly endangering another person — all misdemeanors.
According to the CDT, it indicates “an upcoming end to one of the most sprawling hazing cases ever brought in the United States.”
In February 2017, Piazza, who was 19, became heavily intoxicated during a pledge bid acceptance ceremony at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house, which is located on Penn State’s University Park campus.
He fell multiple times during the night, and prosecutors said fraternity members didn’t call an ambulance until the next morning, the CDT reports.
“As a result of the events planned and implemented under the direction of defendants Young and Casey, all 14 pledges were supplied an excessive amount of alcoholic beverages and instructed to drink them within a dangerously short period of time,” Chief Deputy Attorney Brian Zarallo said during Tuesday’s hearing in Centre County court via Zoom. “Both defendants were aware of the risks of excessive alcohol consumption.”
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
“We are relieved that after almost eight years this matter is close to being behind us so that we can properly grieve the death of our son,” Jim Piazza told the CDT. “We are happy that the defendants finally admitted to both hazing and recklessly endangering our son. While none of this brings him back, it does begin to give us some closure.” |
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NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
“With a time when we’re being challenged to be more transparent, this process would make our elections less transparent.”
—Jay Paterno, a Penn State alumni-elected trustee, on a board proposal that will allow a nominating committee for alumni trustee elections to decide who can be on the ballot for open seats.
The measure, part of a series of changes to the board’s bylaws, ultimately passed in a special meeting Tuesday, with six trustees voting no. |
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» Talks for a Pa. water authority to take over a small system plagued by leaks fell through. What happened?
» Latest Pa. budget leaves embattled child care industry without much-needed funding to boost staffing
» How 9 mistakenly discarded ballots in Luzerne County, Pa., fueled Trump’s 2020 lies about elections
» Court tells governor’s office to reveal more details about why it hired private law firms
» Inside Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s support for private school vouchers
» WATCH: What Pennsylvania’s new $47.6 billion budget means for you |
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A black snake hanging out in Clearfield County, via Don H.
Have a north-central Pennsylvania photo to share? Send it to us by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. |
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Want us to list your event? Send it to us.
» Aug. 2-4: The 72nd Woodsmen Show at Cherry Springs State Park in Potter County features various competitions, including ax throwing, log rolling, and chainsaw carving.
» Aug. 4-10: Demolition derbies, agricultural exhibits, live music, and more highlight the Huntingdon County Fair.
» Aug. 4-10: The 99th annual Union County West End Fair promises visitors will “experience the past as you enjoy the excitement of a traditional old country fair.”
» Aug. 4-10: The Cameron County Fair hosts traditional agricultural exhibits, as well as unique offerings like "redneck games," a nail-driving contest, and a Nerf battle.
» Aug. 5-10: Rides, games, performances, exhibits, and more are on the schedule for the 58th annual Tioga County Fair.
» Aug. 6-10: Find out who has the best dessert, most beautiful baby, and cutest pet at the 50th annual Elk County Fair. |
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