Latest news with #StateCollegeAreaHighSchool
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man allegedly planning State High shooting told friends months prior
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Braeden Phillips, the man arrested and accused of planning an attack on State College High School was in court Wednesday. A preliminary hearing was held over Zoom after a storm left widespread power outages Tuesday that included the Centre County Courthouse. When police arrested Phillips, potentially thwarting a school shooting, they applauded the community member that alerted them to his alleged planned attack. They said this highlighted the importance of, 'If you see something, say something.' But at Wednesday's hearing, the courts learned more about how many teens and young adults close to Phillips could have said something sooner. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Arrest made over 'planning an attack' on State College Area High School According to four different witnesses, all somehow involved with Phillips' friend group, the 20-year-old first mentioned a 'plan' to commit a shooting at state high back in February, when he took a Glock pistol to a friend's house. That friend told the court that the gun was a 'switch gun,' or a pistol modified to be turned into a machine gun. The State College Police Department investigating Phillips said law enforcement found ammunition commonly used with assault rifles when they searched Phillips' home, but did not find the gun. All four of the teens and young adults who took the stand said that, for months, they thought Phillips was joking. They said when they realized he wasn't, they were too afraid of retaliation from not only Phillips, but other adults like the police and school officials, to report it. But when one of the witnesses told his parents in March about the plan, the allegations still went unreported to police. Phillips continued to discuss his plans with these friends, they told the judge. They said he discussed who he planned to shoot and even asked his friends who they would shoot if they had the opportunity. Defense argued that bail should be set for Phillips. His lawyers said there was never actually a plan to commit the shooting. While police recovered a BB gun designed to look like a Glock, the defense said that the lack of a real gun is evidence of the lack of a plan to actually attack the school. But the Commonwealth argued that because the gun hasn't been found, Phillips could still have access to it. The judge denied bail again. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Two State High students to present 'Belt Buddy' project for a chance to win $6,000 prize
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Two State College Area High School students came up with an idea to encourage drivers to use seatbelts more, and now they are competing for a $6,000 prize. The competition is through the PennDOT Innovations Challenge. This year, students were asked to develop a cost-effective, innovative solution to help PennDOT more effectively increase motorist awareness of seat belt safety. Kali Nicolas and Maya Toyokawa submitted their idea called 'Belt Buddy.' This is proposed as a mobile app that tracks your seatbelt usage. The app would detect seat belt chimes to determine if the occupants are belted in. 'We want to encourage drivers to get people that are in their car as well as passengers to wear their seat belts more,' Toyokawa said. The two students presented their idea and were selected as the winners in the Clearfield-based, nine-county region. The app would also have a point system and remind users of their streak of wearing a seat belt. The two students say this can create an opportunity for friendly competition. 'This can help people encourage their friends to wear seatbelts. So not only is the app encouraging it, but it's encouraging other people to tell other people to wear their seatbelt,' Nicolas said. 'It seems like we need an app for almost anything these days. But they took it a step further by bringing the competition aspect to it. They want the results to be visible to friends, and they want you to be able to see your friends' results so you can compete just like people compete to get their steps in,' Safety Press Officer for PennDOT District 2, Steve Harmic said. On average, more than 350 unrestrained fatalities occur on Pennsylvania's roadways annually. And as new drivers, the two students are pushing their peers to buckle up. 'When you start driving, it's not just yourself that you're driving, but anyone that's in the car, you are responsible for as well. So, you want to make sure that they're safe,' Toyokawa said. The two will present their 'Belt Buddy' project to the PennDOT Secretary and a panel of judges on April 30 for a chance to win the $6,000 prize. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
