Man arrested in fire case not currently enrolled at K-State

Patrick Scahill, 20, who was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated arson and felony murder for allegedly setting a fire that killed post-doctoral researcher Vasanta Pallem last Wednesday night, is not currently enrolled at K-State, according to Julie Hunt, academic adviser for the university’s open option program. Scahill had been previously enrolled at K-State in the open option program. Virginia Griese, 19, who was also arrested and faces the same charges as Scahill, is currently enrolled as a biology major.

Pallem, 34, who died from smoke inhalation after emergency responders rushed her to Mercy Regional Health Center, was remembered at a memorial service Monday at Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home in Manhattan. She was a researcher in the chemical engineering department.

According to a news release from the university, K-State is providing support for those affected by Pallem’s death as well as for students displaced by the fire. The release states all the students that lived in the building are staying in hotels or with friends.

Brigadier General to visit campus

K-State graduate and U.S. Army Brigadier General Mark Stammer will visit the university Feb. 20-22, according to a K-State news release. Stammer, the first adult education master’s degree graduate from K-State’s Ft. Leavenworth program to become a general officer in the Army, will speak to ROTC and security studies classes and meet with veterans attending K-State.

Registration open for university’s Next Big Thing

K-State’s annual business idea competition, the Next Big Thing, is now accepting registration. A news release from the university said students in all majors are welcome to compete, with registration closing March 15.

The competition awards more than $20,000 in prize money each year. In its five years of existence at K-State, winning ideas have included a bicycle rental service, a catering company and food separators designed to segregate ingredients effectively in a commercial kitchen line.

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