STATE COLLEGE — The Nittany Lion shrine at Penn State is getting a makeover.

The much-photographed statue of the school’s mascot will soon be surrounded by a stone plaza instead of mulch.

The Centre Daily Times reported Thursday that the site will also have better lighting, a new sidewalk and steps made of stone from Mount Nittany.

University trustees approved the project last week.

The improvements are the gift from the Class of 2012.

Officials hope the changes will make the site more accessible at times like graduation and football games, when lines to take pictures can be dozens of people deep.

A Penn State spokesman says work is expected to run from March to August. The total cost isn’t yet known.

Charter school evaluation rejectedPHILADELPHIA — Federal education officials have rejected Pennsylvania’s request to measure charter school achievement using more lenient criteria.The U.S. Department of Education notified state officials that charter schools must be assessed the same way as traditional schools.The issue surfaced in September when the state’s latest standardized test scores were released. For the first time, charter schools were treated as districts, not individual schools.That made it easier for charters to reach a federal benchmark known as “adequate yearly progress,” or AYP.About 59 percent of charters made AYP under the new method. Only 37 percent of charters would have made AYP without it.A letter from federal officials released Wednesday orders Pennsylvania to re-evaluate charter schools’ AYP status using the old standard.

Ban on feeding deer proposedCHAMBERSBURG — A Penn State veterinarian is proposing a ban on salt licks and feed stations for wild deer in Pennsylvania following the commonwealth’s first case of a fatal deer disease.David Wolfgang of the College of Agricultural Sciences told The Chambersburg Public Opinion that deer obviously congregate at such stations, and that’s bad enough.But he said droppings from animals infected with Chronic Wasting Disease could get into the soil and pose a danger for years.Wolfgang is a member of the state’s Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force.He said the best control programs try to keep the deer population in good balance with forest resources, keep captive deer fenced-in — and farmers adhering to strict monitoring programs — and call on hunters to report sick deer immediately.

Legionnaire’s breakout growsPITTSBURGH — A fifth case of Legionnaire’s disease has been linked to the water supply at one of Pittsburgh’s Veterans Affairs hospitals.VA spokesman Dave Cowgill would not disclose Thursday whether the most recent patient has recovered or remains hospitalized, citing privacy laws.Water restrictions have been imposed at the 146-bed University Drive campus facility since the outbreak was discovered on Nov. 16.Officials said last week that four patients who developed pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria had been successfully treated and discharged.Cowgill said that the fifth patient likely contracted the illness before officials finished cleaning the water distribution system.

1 count dropped vs. ex-lawmaker SCRANTON — A federal judge has dropped one of eight counts against a retired northeastern Pennsylvania lawmaker charged in a corruption case.The judge on Wednesday dismissed a bribery count against former state Sen. Raphael Musto because it was filed after the statute of limitations expired.The 83-year-old Democrat from Pittston still faces two counts of fraud, three counts of bribery and two counts of making false statements to investigators.Authorities allege he received about $40,000 in cash and free building renovations in exchange for supporting state funding for development projects.

Symphony will do Jackson concertPITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has announced a concert featuring pop star Michael Jackson’s music.“The Music of Michael Jackson” will be presented on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 7:30 p.m. in Pittsburgh.The orchestra will be led by conductor Brent Havens, who has arranged several symphonic rock programs.The Michael Jackson concert will feature lead vocalist James Delisco and an amplified band.