Purdue issues updates to traffic disruptions on West Lafayette campus

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University has issued a new list of traffic and parking disruptions on the West Lafayette campus.

1. The gravel A parking lot west of the Police Department building (TERY) was to close today due to construction and reopen in late August.

2. Nimitz Drive was to close today between Martin Jischke Drive and Gates Drive, next to the Discovery Learning Center construction site, and reopen July 7. Martin Jischke Drive next to the site was to reopen today, allowing traffic on it to reach Harrison Street, though traffic there has lane restrictions.

3. The roughly triangular grassy area west of the Mechanical Engineering Building was to receive fencing today in preparation for excavation in the following days as part of the ME Utilities site project. The area is between Purdue Mall and the Engineering Administration Building.

Construction and traffic impact maps are available at www.purdue.edu/physicalfacilities/

ALERT: West Lafayette motorists should avoid parts of Russell Street due to gas leak

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue police are urging people to avoid Russell Street east of Wiley Hall after a contractor working in the area hit a gas line.

Purdue police and fire departments responded to the initial call, and Vectren is currently at the scene to repair the gas line. Wiley Hall and residences at 452 and 501 Russell Street have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, said Purdue interim police chief John Cox.

Purdue employees, students can receive discount from AT&T

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University has partnered with AT&T to provide discount phone services to university students and employees.

AT&T will offer a 20 percent discount on regular basic plans for cellular phones and personal digital assistants, including Blackberries. The discounts will be available to those at the West Lafayette campus and Purdue’s Calumet, Fort Wayne and North Central campuses. The discounts do not apply to upgrades and cannot be used with other offers, but Purdue students and employees with existing AT&T accounts may be eligible.

“We are always looking for ways to benefit not only our students but also our faculty and staff, and this is one way we found that we can help,” said Gerry McCartney, Purdue’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “Every little bit helps, especially for the students, so we hope a lot of them use this.”

Purdue students and employees can register for the discount through the ITaP Shopping Web page, http://www.itap.purdue.edu/shopping/ATT. Those who wish to order also can visit AT&T stores in their areas, which are listed on that Web site. Those receiving the discount must have a valid Purdue e-mail address and the appropriate Foundation Account Number. For students, that is 2523574. For employees, it is 2016767.

To find a local, authorized AT&T store, go to http://www.wireless.att.com/find-a-store/

Purdue police seek suspect in attempted fraternity house burglary

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University police are seeking a man in connection with a Thursday (June 12) morning attempted burglary at the Zeta Psi fraternity house, 950 David Ross Road.

The attempt is the second such incident reported in the last two days. Police investigated a burglary reported about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday (June 11) at the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity house at 417 Waldron St.

A man was confronted in the houses in both incidents, said Purdue Police Lt. Fred Davis. However, the suspect descriptions vary slightly.

In Thursday’s attempted burglary, a resident was preparing to leave for work around 5:30 a.m. and met a stranger in the hallway, according to a police report. The resident told police the man said he was looking for someone in the house. The man left the building through the front door, and the resident followed him and noticed a large blue duffel bag at the top of the stairs.

“The bag contained tools that the resident believes belong to the fraternity,” Davis said. “The resident looked around the house and didn’t notice anything else missing.”

The suspect is described as a bald white male in his late 20s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 210-220 pounds. He was wearing a gray T-shirt and jean shorts, and drove away in a gray or light blue, possibly early 1990s, mid-sized van with two windows on the passenger side and double doors in the back, Davis said.

In Wednesday’s burglary at the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity house, a witness reported seeing an unknown man in the house around 8:40 a.m. Sometime after the man left, residents noticed several items - including a camera, a watch and a jar of change - were missing from their rooms. The suspect was described as a white, balding male with a goatee, 30-40 years old, about 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds. He was wearing a blue button-up, collared shirt and khaki shorts and left in a blue woodgrain-patterned truck, Davis said.

Anyone with information about these cases or who has seen suspicious activity in the area is asked to contact the Purdue Police Department at (765) 494-8221 or the anonymous tip line at (765) 496-3784.

Purdue groups to hold memorial service for earthquake victims

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Members of the Purdue University community will gather at 7 p.m. June 12 to remember the victims of the earthquake that occurred in China’s Sichuan province last month.

The memorial service will be held at University Church, 320 North St., West Lafayette. The date marks the one-month anniversary of the earthquake. The service is open to the public.
As of Wednesday (June 4), the death toll stood at 69,019, with more than 370,000 injured and more than 18,000 reported missing.

Assistant Dean of Students Sue Wilder, who is helping organize the service, said there are strong ties between Purdue and the people of China. Last year Purdue hosted more than 800 Chinese students, and more than 200 Purdue students participated in study abroad programs in China.

Purdue University Religious Leaders, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, the Greater Lafayette Chinese Alliance Church and Office of the Dean of Students are sponsoring the memorial service.

Parking during the service will be available in the Grant Street Parking Garage.

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