Centre Daily Times (Sunday)
Nittany Lion Inn operator to get Historic Preservation Award
Gary Brandeis couldn’t help but laugh when asked just how much has changed at the Nittany Lion Inn. Brandeis — CEO of Scholar Hotels, which reopened the historic hotel in 2024 — spearheaded an extensive renovation that sought to modernize the...
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State College reviews plan to replace low-income housing
State College officials heard plans Tuesday afternoon for a development planned for where a low-income, senior housing complex has stood for decades. The borough’s design review board received a presentation from Tony Fruchtl, of PennTerra...
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10 of Centre County’s biggest development projects in 2026
Driving through Centre County, it doesn’t take long to encounter construction fencing, excavation sites or other signs of development. In 2025, a long-awaited regional park opened, downtown State College buildings were demolished to make way for new...
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How to help nonprofit provide beds for Centre County kids
A nonprofit that has delivered hundreds of beds to children in need across central Pennsylvania recently expanded to Centre County, where organizers hope to draw more volunteers to help with growing demand. Laura Orndorf established the Lock Haven...
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Redevelopment of building could displace low-income tenants
Residents who live in Arnold Addison Court, an 89-unit lowincome apartment building in downtown State College, were notified earlier this month that their leases will end in November 2026. What comes next for the tenants, who are all 62 years or older,...
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State College man, WWII pilot receives top honor
John F. Homan, a World War II bomber pilot, spent the better part of his life insisting he was no hero. Others flew the same missions, he told his children. Others showed more bravery, sacrificed more or paid the ultimate price, he told others. But,...
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With Rockview closing, lawmaker presses PA about next steps
State lawmakers from Centre County have continued their push for clarity about the future of Rockview state prison and its property as the facility heads into what could be its final seven weeks . State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, said in a...
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Local nonprofits share their greatest needs
From funding uncertainty to increased demand for services, 2025 has been a challenging year for many Centre County nonprofits. With the arrival of the season of giving, there are many ways to help. We asked local nonprofits to share information about...
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Light Up Night kicks off holiday season in State College
State College kicked off the holiday season Thursday night with reindeer, trolley rides, hot cocoa and more during the annual Light Up Night celebration. Held on South Allen Street and Fraser Street’s MLK Plaza, Santa was the star of the Downtown...
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Centre Film Festival continues to grow and stay true to mission
The Centre Film Festival returns next week for its seventh annual “celebration of film and conversation.” Stretching across five venues, the festival will showcase about 300 films, facilitate conversations with viewers and filmmakers, host award...
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‘Mike the Mailman’ delivers memoir about Penn State career
Mike Herr spends his retirement days playing tennis and poker, tending to his landscaping or sitting on his front porch, attending Penn State sports events and spending time with his family. But even after nearly 10 years of retirement, he’s still...
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Shutdown strands 9K SNAP recipients, strains food banks
Nearly 9,000 lower-income Centre County residents will lose access to federal food assistance dollars Saturday, Nov. 1 unless Congress ends the federal shutdown. The pause of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is likely to squeeze...
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Are more flights on their way to State College?
Centre County took a step forward Tuesday morning in its aim to expand flights and air service in the area. More than 130 business owners and community leaders gathered inside the State College airport’s maintenance hangar for the Air Service Summit,...
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Former CDT sports editor Ron Bracken dies at 81
Ron Bracken, a longtime Centre County sports reporter and a founding member of the Centre County Sports Hall of Fame, died Monday. He was 81. Born in Port Matilda, he was a 1961 graduate of Bald Eagle Area School District and very proud of it. He...
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Hayrides, scary movies and more: Your guide to fall events
Fall has arrived in central Pennsylvania, and with it comes the changing of the leaves, a crispness in the air and a myriad of autumnthemed events. From fall festivals and craft fairs to spooky movies, celebrations for pumpkins and more, October is...
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Centre County’s new Community Services Building open
After about four years of planning and construction, Centre County’s $30 million transformation of a former nursing home into the Community Services Building is complete, with more than 100 staff members getting familiar with their new spaces. The...
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Board sees outdoor recreation options for Centre County jail
The board that oversees Centre County’s jail was presented Thursday with seven options to improve recreation opportunities for people incarcerated there, ranging from the simple and relatively inexpensive to the complex and costly. It was the latest...
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What’s included in State College’s updated zoning ordinance?
The State College borough council will soon see a significantly updated zoning ordinance draft years in the making that aims to create more housing opportunities while still preserving the character of State College. The borough’s planning commission...
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Judge vacates murder conviction of State College man
Centre County’s top judge on Thursday vacated the firstdegree murder conviction of a State College man who has served more than 40 years of a life sentence for a killing he says he didn’t commit. Centre County President Judge Jonathan Grine granted...
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Area fire companies raise funds to save lives
What comes to mind when you think about your local fire department? Maybe not online vehicle raffles, pay-to-play Bingo or summer carnivals — but that’s the reality for volunteer fire companies in and around Centre County that rely on fundraisers to...
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Bellefonte senior crowned 2025 Grange Fair Queen
A rising senior at the Bellefonte Area School District was crowned the queen of the 151st Grange Fair during a coronation ceremony Wednesday evening. Grace Novosel, of Howard, is the 2025 Centre County Grange Fair Queen. The daughter of Michael and...
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How Centre County residents are responding to ICE fears
Since reclaiming the White House, President Donald Trump has made sweeping changes to immigration policy, sending the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into hyperdrive. In response, a wave of uncertainty, protests and community...
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UNDERSTANDING JAMES FRANKLIN
James Franklin sat at the table in his secondfloor office, taking a moment to think. He had already spent the better part of the last hour talking about his childhood and his parents. Franklin looked out the window that sits above Penn State...
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Host families make Centre County feel like home to Spikes players
Summer nights in State College can typically be marked by the sounds of fireworks exploding above Medlar Field at Lubrano Park after yet another State College Spikes baseball game. Players from around the country trek to Centre County each summer as a...
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County’s first humane society officer is meeting ‘a big need’
From a herd of 150 rabbits to a miniature donkey named Waffles, Mark Rusnak has seen it all in his short time as the humane society police officer in Centre County. Rusnak, who investigates potential cases of animal cruelty and neglect, estimates that...
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Centre County welcomes thousands for two-festival weekend
Festival weekend is back in Centre County, with thousands pouring into the area for live music, local food, and art. The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in downtown State College kicked off Wednesday with Children and Youth Day, while the...
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Who won and lost in Trump’s tax bill
Business investors and wealthy Americans are among the biggest winners in President Donald Trump’s tax bill. Those hit the hardest by the sweeping package include elite universities, who face new levies, and immigrants. The House passed the bill in a...
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Regional park delays leave residents frustrated
Whitehall Road Regional Park’s highly-anticipated opening was originally slated for spring 2024. But, after more than a year’s worth of delays, area residents and some public officials are starting to express their frustrations and confusion with the...
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Explore Matson Museum’s new home at Penn State
The Matson Museum of Anthropology has reopened in a new space in the recently built Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building, and offers a place for people to learn about the study of humanity. The museum was previously tucked away on the second floor of the...
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Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley sets route, road closures
Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley is back for its third year, as thousands of athletes and volunteers are getting set for Sunday’s race. The event will begin at 7 a.m. Sunday with a 1.2-mile swim in Foster Sayers Reservoir in Bald Eagle State...
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17-year cicadas buzz back into Centre County
The 17-year periodical cicadas have returned to Centre County, whether you hate them, love them — or find them tasty. The large, harmless flying insects were last seen above ground in 2008 — during the Great Recession, when many millennials were in...
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Restoration work complete at 147-year-old Boogersburg School
Nestled between the State College Regional Airport and the ever-growing Toftrees neighborhood sits a newlyrenovated historical landmark that serves as the last of its kind in Centre County. The Boogersburg School, located at 1021 Fox Hill Road in...
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Penn State trustees vote to shutter 7 campuses
Seven Penn State campuses will close following the spring 2027 semester, the university board of trustees decided during an at-times contentious meeting Thursday — a vote some trustees said was the most impactful one the board will ever make. DuBois,...
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PSU explains proposal to close campuses
Penn State’s Board of Trustees met Thursday in a private, executive session to discuss the proposed closure of seven commonwealth campuses — and, after a sudden release of documents Tuesday night, the general public finally has a better idea about the...
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Faculty morale dips at Penn State campuses amid closure talks
Heather Page has worked for three years at Penn State Fayette, a campus she loves and hopes her children will one day attend. But this past semester, the atmosphere at the campus was “very bleak,” she said, with her colleagues riddled with stress while...
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Rare storm rocked Pennsylvania with strong winds
A powerful band of severe storms that ripped through central Pennsylvania Tuesday evening reached a rare level of intensity, experts say. The storm, which left tens of thousands in Centre County without power Wednesday morning, was classified by...
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Public hearing set for proposed Penns Valley school closure
The Penns Valley Area School District is moving forward with early plans to close an elementary school that has seen dwindling enrollment numbers. The district’s school board voted Wednesday to advertise and schedule a public hearing at which...
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Dozens ask Shapiro administration to keep Rockview open
Dozens of sharp-tongued people pleaded Tuesday with top Pennsylvania Department of Corrections administrators to back off the agency’s proposed closure of Rockview state prison. Secretary Laurel R. Harry and two of her top deputies were grilled for...
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Construction has started at Nittany Mall casino
With construction on a $120 million mini-casino now underway at the Nittany Mall, the College Township Council is negotiating with a consulting firm to conduct a study to better understand future impacts. Work on the casino started in mid-March,...
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Organizations prepare for federal cuts to food programs
A Centre County school district, food bank and food provider are among those preparing for uncertain impacts after the Trump administration announced it will cut two federal food assistance programs. In early March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture...
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207-year-old Kepler Barn could be demolished by Penn State
For about 200 years, Centre County’s historic Kepler Barn has stood just west of Pine Grove Mills. The original structure was believed to be erected in 1818, the same year First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln was born, which would mean it’s served as a...
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Nittany Knights Barbershop Chorus welcomes new director
Known as the “men who sing” across the State College area, the Nittany Knights Barbershop Chorus now have a woman leading them for the first time in their 63-year history. Patricia “Tricia” Andriaccio was recently inducted as the chorus’ new director,...
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What will happen to Rockview state prison if it closes?
As the proposed closure of Rockview state prison looms, history provides some clues about what could happen with the aging facility if the recommendation from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration is finalized. Pennsylvania closed a handful of state...
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Penn State graduate students rally in favor of unionization
A large group of Penn State graduate students who want to unionize held a rally Tuesday at Old Main to call on the university’s administration to have a quick union election process this semester. The Coalition of Graduate Employees at Penn State is...
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F
amilies of Rockview state prison workers are grappling with anxiety, frustration and shock as the aging facility’s proposed closure threatens their livelihoods. The recommendation from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has put the futures of about...
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County’s trans community reeling from Trump’s orders
One Centre County mother choked back tears as she stumbled over her words. But, between quiet sobs, she explained she wanted as many as possible to understand just what she was fighting against. She watched her child’s smile fade over the past month,...
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Penn State provides update, details on Beaver Stadium renovation
Penn State’s Beaver Stadium project is pressing forward, and new details have been released about what it will entail, what it will look like and more. Penn State’s board of trustees approved up to $700 million in spending on the renovation project...
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Penns Valley’s new bocce team promotes inclusion, acceptance
Bocce ball is more than just a game. Many see it as a sport that promotes inclusion and creates opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities to get involved with athletics. Now, with the latest addition of Penns Valley, all five public...
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Centre County man starts nonprofit in honor of wife, son killed in crash
A Centre County widower is channeling his grief into a nonprofit for new and expecting mothers, an endeavor meant to honor the memory of his wife and son after their sudden deaths. Koleton Cares will initially aim to support new parents by providing...
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District to close elementary schools once new building opens
As construction continues on its new elementary school, the Bellefonte Area School District is finalizing plans to close a pair of existing schools. In front of dozens of community members who attended the district’s Tuesday night school board...
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HERE’S WHERE 7 OTHERS STAND
Penn State has continued to make progress on its major renovation of Beaver Stadium, but there are a number of other projects that will either be completed or see work happen throughout the year. Some projects are at the very beginning stages, like...
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Nittany Lions reflect after CFP loss to Notre Dame
Drew Allar put his hands on his helmet in disbelief as he walked toward the Penn State sideline, with Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray holding his prized possession — a freshly caught interception from Allar — as he sprinted toward a section of...
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We Are Inn restaurant is expanding to State College
A beloved Centre County restaurant is expanding to State College with a new flagship location just down the road from Beaver Stadium. The We Are Inn will soon open at 1031 E. College Ave. in the longtime home of Damon’s Bar & Grill, which closed...
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Bellefonte’s new police chief looking to build trust
Strike up a conversation with Bellefonte’s new police chief for even five minutes and you will likely walk away having a good idea of how he wants to lead his small department. Even if the questions or topics aren’t germane to the job, Chief Bill...
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How tight end Warren became the best in Penn State history
Matt Gray leaned back in his seat with a smile on his face. The Atlee High School football coach has sat front row to many of Tyler Warren’s accomplishments, but he hasn’t seen them all for himself. Yes, he coached him for four years and watches him on...
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$81M project underway to turn waste into renewable energy
An $81 million project is underway at the University Area Joint Authority that, when complete, will be able to turn waste into renewable energy and help generate revenue. UAJA, located at 1576 Spring Valley Road in College Township, is constructing...
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Philipsburg’s Mid-Century Christmas inspired by Big Santa
A new holiday event is coming to the area this season, one that organizers hope will give residents a glimpse of what Philipsburg was like in its heyday. Philipsburg’s Mid-Century Christmas, hosted and sponsored by the Philipsburg Revitalization...
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Some rural PA businesses want start of deer season to change
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local...
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2 Centre County church fires intentional, ATF says
Fires that damaged two United Methodist churches this fall in Centre County were intentional, an agency within the Justice Department said Friday. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an email Friday that it is working with...
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Bookstore, community space opens in Bellefonte
After a longer than anticipated series of renovations, a nonprofit bookstore and community space is now open in the heart of downtown Bellefonte. The Print Factory, which describes itself as an “antiracist, feminist and queer-inclusive organization...
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Volunteers preserve history, honor vets at Union Cemetery
In fall 2021, Bellefonte’s Union Cemetery had just two board members and a few people dedicated to upkeep of the 22-acre cemetery that serves as the resting place for hundreds of veterans, along with Centre County pioneers and Pennsylvania...
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Activists want white women to vote for a woman this time
Armed with a clipboard and campaign literature, Liz Minnella strolled through a neighborhood in New Hope, Pennsylvania, optimistic that by the end of her day of door-knocking, the small town would live up to its name for Vice President Kamala Harris’...
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‘Aaronsburg Story’ message still resonates after 75 years
On Oct. 23, 1949, an estimated 30,000 people flooded into a small, rural Penns Valley community to hear and share a message of tolerance postWorld War II. While organizers of an event to mark the 75th anniversary of “the Aaronsburg Story” don’t...
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Opening of Whitehall Road Regional Park delayed again
Centre County residents that have been waiting years for the highly-anticipated Whitehall Road Regional Park to open will have to wait just a little bit longer, as the park is experiencing yet another holdup. At the Centre Region Council of...
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Viewfinders at parks help colorblind visitors see foliage
Pennsylvania’s state parks can be destinations for viewing vibrant fall foliage, but more than a million residents with colorblindness have had to miss out on the full experience. But a new piece of technology at Black Moshannon State Park is changing...
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Former Penn State frat leaders sentenced in Tim Piazza case
Two former leaders of the Penn State fraternity where a pledge fell and later died after a night of excessive drinking seven years ago were sentenced Tuesday to jail time in a case that shined a national spotlight on the dangers of frat...
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