Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

STATE

PSU trustee who fired Paterno to leave board Meningitis kills 1 at West Chester Man charged after dragging puppy

STATE COLLEGE -- The Penn State trustee who fired football coach Joe Paterno over the phone will leave the board when his term ends in June, the university announced Thursday.

John Surma was vice chairman of the Penn State Board of Trustees when he told Paterno that he was being ousted after 46 seasons as head coach on Nov. 9, 2011.

Surma delivered the news shortly after the board voted unanimously to fire the Hall of Fame coach in the wake of the child sex-abuse charges against former Paterno assistant Jerry Sandusky. He then announced Paterno's firing at a late-night news conference, sparking angry demonstrations around Penn State.

WEST CHESTER -- West Chester University sent a letter to the campus community on Thursday about the death of student Sean Casey.

Officials had notified students and staff on Tuesday that Casey had contracted bacterial meningitis. The illness is an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

The university says it's working with Chester County health officials to ensure proper treatment for students who were in close contact with Casey.

HONESDALE -- A northeastern Pennsylvania man is facing charges after he allegedly dragged a puppy behind his vehicle for more than a mile.

Police say 71-year-old Honesdale resident Peter Ivosevic brought the 4-month-old German Shepherd mix to a shelter on Monday with extensive injuries.

Police say a cable tie connected the dog's collar to the bumper of the vehicle. They say they were able to calculate how long it was dragge by tracking blood on the road.

From our wire services.