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Lawsuit alleges Penn State put sensitive gov info at risk

Plus: DCED supports injunction against DuBois to halt payments to suspended city manager Suplizio

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September 7, 2023
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Inside this edition: Whistleblower lawsuit alleges that Penn State put sensitive government information at risk, DCED supports injunction against DuBois, and why Spotlight PA is fighting to unseal lobbyist communications with the legislature.
WHISTLEBLOWER LAWSUIT

A whistleblower lawsuit against Penn State alleges that the Applied Research Lab, which conducts research and development primarily for the U.S. Navy, has not sufficiently protected sensitive government information, according to a report from the Centre Daily Times

Allegations made by Matthew Decker, who worked as chief information officer for ARL, include that the university intentionally falsified compliance reports and used an unsecure cloud service, the CDT reports.

“Sensitive government research and national security information is at the very least at risk,” according to the lawsuit.

The October 2022 lawsuit was just made public last week. The federal judge who unsealed it found “the government presented no exigent circumstances to warrant keeping the lawsuit shielded from the public,” the CDT reported.

“Penn State is dedicated to compliance and takes its compliance obligations, including, its cybersecurity obligations, under federal government contracts very seriously,” university spokesperson Wyatt DuBois wrote in a statement to the Centre Daily Times. “The university has allocated significant resources to maintain compliance with these and other federal requirements. Penn State has worked and continues to work cooperatively and collaboratively with the government to address any questions.”

NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
“Counties will have to reschedule more than 9,000 polling places in about six months, when they are typically contracted a year or more in advance. With that also comes the responsibilities of notifying residents of any changes and rescheduling thousands of poll workers for the 2024 primary.”

— John Buffone, a spokesperson for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said of proposed legislation that would move the Pennsylvania primary from April to March
📝 FROM SPOTLIGHT PA
» WATCH: A free panel on how Penn State handles misconduct

» Pennsylvania removes email database of public employees


» Pa. election 2023: A complete guide to the candidates for state Supreme Court

» Pa. election 2023: A complete guide to the candidates for Commonwealth and Superior Courts


» Inside Spotlight PA’s fight to unseal lobbyist communications with the legislature

» Bill to move Pa.’s spring primary earlier would put time crunch on election officials

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept. 14: Live panel in Pittsburgh on incarceration and mental health
Oct. 5: Spotlight PA headlines its first-ever Philly Story Fest
Oct. 11: Spotlight PA and Color & Culture present “Path to Equity” summit
VISIT THE PENN STATE TRANSPARENCY TRACKER
📷 LOCAL GEM
A butterfly lands on some milkweed, via Suzie M.

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📰 IN OTHER NEWS
» NCPA: Williamsport YMCA child care center ordered to close
» CDT: New EMS training facility to ‘meet a critical need’ in Centre County

» SC: State College seeks feedback for mobility plan
» WPSU: Northern PA food bank sees increased demand
» Courier Express: DCED supports injunction imposed on DuBois 
» WTAJ: NASA releases first image of air pollution over Pennsylvania
» WJAC: Resident challenges use of PSU student voter addresses
📅 EVENTS
Want us to list your event? Send it to us.

» Sept. 7: Bluey’s Big Play makes its Penn State debut at Eisenhower Auditorium.

» Sept. 7: Local talent performs in Live United in Music III, which benefits the Lycoming County United Way.

» Sept. 7-9: Sock & Buskin Theatre Company presents Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap at the Boal Barn Playhouse in Boalsburg.


» Sept. 9: The fourth annual Fall Music & Art Fest takes over downtown Bradford.

» Sept. 12: The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State hosts Move Mix Festival, a free community event.
🧩 THE PUZZLER
An anagram is a word, phrase, or name formed by rearranging the letters of another. For example, “spotlight” also forms “stoplight.”

Decode the anagram and send your answer to talkofthetown@spotlightpa.org. We’ll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA State College swag.

 
K I S S
 
Good luck!

Last week’s answer: Bake

Congrats to Cindy W., who will receive Spotlight PA State College swag. Others who answered correctly: Tayler W., Coache, Tish M., Susan N., Michael T., Amy Z., Elizabeth B., Leslie B., Jeffrey F., Keith S., and Leann T.
Do you have events, community shoutouts, questions about our region, or tips on stories that we should pursue? Email our team.
 
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