This Issue: Jan 22, 1998
Rash of car break-ins plagues City of TroyMark Skinner, News EditorDrivers often regard their car as a sanctuary, but one look at the map of Troy kept by Sgt. Benny Scarbrough of the Troy Police Department proves otherwise. It is covered in pins, 62 to be exact, and each one represents a vehicle that has been broken into. The map is kept by Scarbrough, administrative assistant to the chief of police for the Troy Police Department. Since the beginning of December, there have been 62 reported motor vehicle break-ins in Troy, said Scarbrough. "We have noticed a problem with this for some time, and we're now trying to concentrate our efforts to try to prevent this from continuing," Scarbrough said. The thieves take items from cars such as hand held cellular phones, firearms, purses and sound systems, Scarbrough said. Cell phones are one of the most popular targets, Scarbrough said. In many cases, the cars were unlocked. But the thieves target locked cars as well, Scarbrough said. If a car is locked, the thieves break a window to gain access, Scarbrough said. "It's only a matter of seconds to take what you want from that vehicle once you break that window," Scarbrough said. "It does take a little longer to take a sound system out of the dash." Cars have been broken into while parked in driveways as well as apartment and business parking lots. Many of the thefts have occurred on the south side of Troy and in the vicinity of Brundidge Street, Scarbrough said. "Its occurring everywhere, though," Scarbrough said. Many of the victims are Troy State University students living off campus., he said. Teresea Torres, a TSU alumni, said she was watching television with a friend at a house on Smith Street when her car was broken into at 12:30 a.m. The thieves threw a brick through the passenger's side window and took her purse, but left two cell phones and 15 CDs, Torres said. Torres said she heard the thieves run by a window but did not see them. A friend traveling on Brundidge Street nearly hit them, she said. Shaylese Marcum, a sophomore majoring in fashion merchandising, had her car broken into in her driveway on Murphree Street. She said she had pushed her purse partly under the front seat, but it was still visible from the outside. The thieves threw a brick through a window and took the purse, Marcum said. Her mother discovered the theft a little after 9 p.m., Marcum said. Scarbrough said the TPD believes more than one person is involved in the thefts. Rod Anderson, assistant chief of police for the Troy State University Police, said that the outbreak of car break-ins has not spread to the TSU campus. A Oct 10 theft from the Long Hall parking lot may or may not have been related, Anderson said. Scarbrough said gangs are not believed to be involved, but he was not willing to completely rule out gang involvement. He said the crimes were probably more drug related than gang related. No arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation. However some unwanted items discarded by the thieves have been recovered by police and are processed to gather evidence, Scarbrough said. "You are not going to catch someone with a marked car sitting somewhere," Scarbrough said. "Common sense is probably the best rule to use in crime prevention." He offered some suggestions to take away a thieves opportunity to steal. „Don't leave items in plain view in the vehicle. „Don't leave your vehicle unlocked. „Park vehicles in well lighted areas. „Keep a log of the electronic identification numbers on items you keep in your car and store it somewhere else. „Call Police if you see anything suspicious going on around a vehicle. „Report thefts to police. Car alarms are a deterrent, but not everyone has the luxury of a alarm, Scarbrough said. A alarm may reduce the amount of theft, but since the crime only takes seconds by the time anyone reacts to the alarm the theft will be completed, Scarbrough said. Return to the start of the News Section |
New legislation gives students tax breaksKen RoedlThe Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 will give college students an added tax break in 1999. The Hope Scholarship Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit are tax credits designed to help college students and their families. There is also a $400 per child tax credit that will benefit many in Troy State's community. "This legislation is long overdue," said Vickie D. Bowen, Troy H&R Block owner. "Now there is finally something that will help students during tax season. "The important thing for the student to do is keep the a good record of their expenses if they want to get the maximum credit. They must remember that it is their responsibility to keep everything accurate." The Hope Scholarship Credit offers up to a $1500 tax credit per student for first and second year students. The credit will cover tuition and fees paid in 1998. However, the $1,500 is not an automatic credit. The credit covers 100 percent of the first $1,000 paid in tuition and fees and covers 50 percent of the next $1,000. To qualify for the tax credit, students must take at least one-half the normal course load and attend an institution elligible to participate in the U.S. Department of Education student aid programs. A federal or state drug felony conviction disqualifies a student from the credit eligibility. This credit is nonrefundable but does not entitle students to a refund if the credit extends below zero. The credit will cover tuition and fees paid in 1998. The Lifetime Learning credit applies to all students. This credit is also nonrefundable and has a maximum of $1,000. The credit covers 20 percent of fees and tuition paid up to $5,000. It is available students, spouses or dependents. In contrast to the Hope credit, the Lifetime credit is redeemable for an unlimited number of tax years. Another difference is that the credit will not increase as the number of students in a household increases. This credit is available for undergraduate, graduate and professional courses at an eligible educational institution. There is no requirement that a student be enrolled at least half time. The Lifetime credit will only cover expenses paid after June 30, 1998. The $400 per child tax credit will benefit families with children younger than age 17. Families must earn between $18,000 and $110,000 a year to be elliglible. The credit will increase to $500 beginning in 1999. All of these credits do have limitations. A couple cannot claim the credits if they are married and don't file a joint return. The credit does not apply for fees associated with room and board and nonacademic fees , such as student activity, athletic, insurance fees and expenses not related to the student's course of instruction. The credit also does not apply to expenses covered by educational assistance that is not included in the parent's income or the student's income. A dependent cannot claim the credit. But person who claims the student on their return may take the credit. Joint returns with a gross income between $80,000 and $100,000 and single returns with $40,000 to $50,000 will receive a lower credit. No credit will be given above these limits. A person may not take both credits for the same student, however, they can take the Hope credit for one student and the Lifetime Learning credit for another. Return to the start of the News Section |
Newspath brings national news to TSU-TVAmy Alexander, Staff WriterThe news gathering service called CBS Newspath on Campus became available to Troy State University students in November. CBS Newspath on Campus is a new program available to colleges and universities that offer broadcast journalism courses. It allows students and professors to obtain the same information used by professional journalists. "CBS Newspath on Campus will have a dramatic impact on the way TSU students experience the news gathering process and will create another practical element to the curriculum of our department," said James Clower, the director of the Department of Radio and Television at TSU. "It also provides an example of good reporting." Newspath sends out stories hourly via satellite. By visiting the Newspath website, the anchors and directors are able to find out the the times the stories they air will be sent, said Sanders. TSU-TV mainly uses news stories from the 9 a.m. news feed because the satellite is also used by other departments on campus, he said. Newspath allows TSU students to report breaking local news stories, just like the local CBS affiliate station, WAKA in Montgomery. Jeff Sanders, news anchor for TSU TV, said the station uses national, regional and local news, feature packages, sports previews and weather maps provided by Newspath in its broadcasts. Because of Newspath, student reporters and anchors may have their packages viewed on national TV. Sanders said if TSU TV covered a breaking news story, it could be carried by CBS affiliates in Alabama or across the nation. The expenses of the program are paid for by the CBS Foundation. "Through CBS Newspath on Campus, our network is investing in the next generation of journalism professionals," said Andrew Heyward, the president of CBS News. In the future, the program plans to involve the CBS staff in on-line dialogues. Each month there will be a new "Guest Correspondent". Return to the start of the News Section |
Human Services offers career daySpecial to the TropThe Department of Human Services is sponsoring an Education/Career Day on Jan. 22, 1998. The event will be held in Ball Rooms A and B in the Adams Center from 8 a.m. until noon. Faculty from master's degree programs in rehabilitation from Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, recruiters from private non-profit facilities, such as community mental health and supported employment, and the State of Alabama Departments such as the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Rehabilitation will be participating in the Education/Career Day. Human Service fields are expanding. Opportunities for immediate employment and graduate education for persons with rehabilitation, social work, human services and related educational backgrounds such a psychology, and nursing currently exist, and will increase in the future. If you are interested, stop by the Ball Rooms A and B of the Adams Center on Jan. 22, 1998 and talk about possible future opportunities. Return to the start of the News Section |
TSU students arrested for Brundidge robberyFrom Staff ReportsTwo Troy State University students have been charged with robbery first degree for the armed hold up of a Brundidge woman. Kelvin Lamar Moore, 18, and Frank Joseph Edward Dees, 24, both of Prichard, were arrested Jan. 17 for the robbery of Trina Davis,27, of Brundidge, said Moses Davenport, Brundidge police chief. The robbery occured at the Social Cafe and Lounge on Highway 10 east of Brundidge on Jan 17, between 11:15 and 11:30 p.m., Davenport said. Davis was robbed at gunpoint while she was sitting in her car in the parking lot, Davenport said. The suspects were taken into custody by two Brundidge after a chase Police Officers, Lee Tew and Jeff Bundy, Davenport said. The police pursuit began after Moore's and Dees' car passed Tew's parking place doing more than 60 miles per hour, Davenport said. During the pursuit Tew encountered Davis driving to the police station. She told Tew that she had been robbed, Davenport said. Davis provided descriptions of the robbers, the weapon used, and a partial license plate number, the chief said. Moore and Dees bail was set at $7,500 each. Return to the start of the News Section |
Semester conversion still a mystery to some facultyMark Skinner, News EditorWith the clock ticking toward the statewide conversion to the semester system, work continues at Troy State University. The issue of how area five pre-professional courses like nursing will be handled is creating friction between two and four year schools, Keith Sessions, Alabama Articulation assistant director said. These are classes taken during the last part of the sophomore year to prepare for transferring to a four year program, Sessions said. Four year schools want each course in their schedule to be articulated separately so they can set the area five courses, Sessions said. Two year schools want generic courses for the entire state, he said. A task force is working with enhanced disciplinary and pre-professional committees to create recommendations on how to handle area five, Sessions said. Schools will have to make concessions on classes when schedules between schools differ, Sessions said. "Right now it looks like a standardized system with some leeway for schools," Sessions said. "Every school has its own desires, and they don't want their programs to be affected. It's all a give or take thing." The committee's report is due April 1. Areas 1-4 are pretty much set the way they are going to be, Sessions said. Dr. Owen C. Elder, TSU provost, is working with the deans to make sure any TSU general studies classes that haven't been approved will have an opportunity for approval, Sessions said. He said hopefully all of TSU general studies classes will be approved in within the next two to three months. The plan is for 60 to 64 hours of general studies to be acceptable for transfer students, Sessions said. "The whole purpose of this is to make everyone treat the two year schools like a four year student," Sessions said. Plans are being made for TSU faculty to attend a Datatel Users Group meeting on March 26-29 in Fairfax, Va. "Dr. Patterson has indicated that it would be good for some of us to go and attend that, and I have made the necessary arrangements to do that," Debbie Fortune, director of Institutional Research, said. One of the special topics scheduled to be covered at this year's meeting is quarter to semester conversion, Fortune said. Also, a new version of the Datatel software will be previewed, she said. The conference is attended by universities around the country that use Datatel software to share ideas and information on the product. "The networking opportunities are tremendous," Fortune said."You get the benefits of seeing all of your Datatel experts, the technical people that work with the company as well as the day to day users who use the product." People who attend the meeting will be expected to bring back information and share it with the other system users, Fortune said. Participants in the conference will be expected to use their travel allotments for the trip. The entire TSU system uses the Datatel system, she said. A rough draft of a new faculty publication is being assembled using the information gathered by a survey of the TSU faculty, Donna Clark-Schubert, assistant professor of journalism, said. Over half of the respondents to the survey said they wanted to learn more about the semester transition, Schubert said. Dr. Angela Roling, director of Grants and Contracts, said Institutional Effectiveness is putting together luncheons this quarter that will cover how to use Institutional Effectiveness' fact book, survey test results, articulation and general studies update. If these luncheons are successful, sessions on semester conversion topics like transfer credits and degree audits could be held in the spring, Roling said. Roling requested that ten members of the conversion committee attend a conference on semester conversion to be held at Troy State University's Dothan branch. The conference is intended to promote a dialogue between schools, Roling said. Return to the start of the News Section |
SGA UpdateEleven new senators were elected to the Troy State University Student Government Association on Jan. 12. Ashley Calhoun-At Large Shea Eagerton-At Large Stacy Gantt-At Large Mary Beth Morris-At Large Amanda Sellers-At Large Jeff Whitehead-At Large Haley Culver-Clements Hall JenniferMullins-Cowart Hall Heather Hines- Hamil Hall Will West- Alumni Hall Jennifer Varvil- School of Business Return to the start of the News Section |
Campus police incident reportJan. 10: Suspicious person: A suspicious person was reported at the Library's outside steps at 3:45 p.m. Police investigated and found he was a TSU-TV employee. Jan. 11: Traffic stop: A ticket was issued at the Natatorium at 12:45 a.m. for improper turning, reckless driving and driving on the grass. Theft of property: Mens clothing was stolen from the Clements Hall laundry room at 1:20 p.m. Jan 12: Automobile accident: There was a two vehicle accident in the Phi Mu parking lot at 10:30 a.m. There were no injuries. Automobile accident: A student in a TSU vehicle was in a accident in driveway around the Quad in front of Pace Hall at 10:55 a.m. There were no injuries. Jan. 13: A ambulance was called after a student complained of heart problems in Clements Hall. The student was checked and found to be okay. The student was not transported to the hospital. Jan. 14: Theft of property: A plastic bank for coins, coins and baseball mitt were stolen from Alumni Hall at 1:16 p.m. Jan. 16: Traffic stop: A vehicle was stopped at Academy and Elm Street at 7:58 p.m. No ticket was issued. Jan. 17: Theft of property: A flag in front of Cowart Hall was stolen at 1:40 p.m. Assault: Two males were fighting in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon parking lot at 3:51 a.m. One was injured and transported by private vehicle to the hospital. The assault was reported at 6 a.m. No arrests were made. Jan. 19: Harassing communications: A woman received a nonthreatening phone call from someone she didn't know at midnight at the Alpha Delta Pi House. She was instructed to report any other incidents to the police. Jan. 20: Theft of property/burglary: A Sony Playstation, games, chemistry book, mythology book, fundamentals of speech, money, clothing and gold charm necklace were stolen from Alumni Hall at midnight. Criminal mischief: A car's door lock was damaged in the Sigma Chi parking lot at midnight. Return to the start of the News Section |