Benner Township
GOVERNMENT
New businesses in Benner Township bring new challenges
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) – Benner Township, specifically Benner Pike, has been seeing multiple business openings and developments. While good for the local economy, this has come with some growing pains. Benner Township Zoning Officer Mike Lesniak is not surprised that Benner Pike has become so popular, calling it an “ideal location.” “Benner Pike in […]
Penn State Trustee Sues University for Keeping Critical Financial Records from Him
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 our north-central Pa. newsletter, Talk of the Town, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. BELLEFONTE — A Penn State trustee is suing the board for allegedly withholding information about how the university manages its $4.6 billion endowment, which provides financial stability for the institution and includes donations intended to benefit Penn State and its students. The lawsuit was filed days before the trustees’ July meeting in Altoona and comes as Penn State plans steep budget cuts and pays some employees to leave. It is...
Local official’s corruption case repeatedly delayed as the city he left behind grapples with $1M deficit, secret bank accounts
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 our north-central Pa. newsletter, Talk of the Town, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. State College, Pa. — A federal judge has repeatedly granted delays in the case of a former public official accused of corruption as the Pennsylvania city he once ran and allegedly fleeced grapples with the fallout and a nearly $1 million budget deficit. ...
After 42 Years, Another Day in Court for Subu Vedam
Maybe you’ve seen the yellow yard signs around town: “WE’RE FOR INTEGRITY/ #FairTrialFor Subu.” Subu is Subramanyam Vedam, four decades into a life sentence for the murder of his boyhood friend Thomas Kinser in 1980 – a crime Subu says he did not commit. Next Monday, Subu’s lawyers will try to convince Judge Jonathan Grine that he deserves a new trial on grounds that evidence that might have led to an acquittal was suppressed at the time of his original trials. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte. Subu’s supporters are expected to pack the house. Subu...
Centre County org. raising funds to better treat mental health
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) – Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) is looking to raise funding and support for its behavioral program. The behavioral program has been around since 2019, but the center says that mental health struggles are constantly growing. Behavioral Health Supervisor Jessica Effrig said that mental health needs are vital to treating the […]
SCASD Board approves geotechnical exploration of proposed middle school site
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) — The State College Area School District Board of Directors unanimously approved a geotechnical exploration for its new middle school location. The exploration is for the new Park Forest Middle School, with Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates as the architectural firm leading the project. The firm will explore the proposed site, which […]
Community members ask Bellefonte Borough Council for Gaza ceasefire resolution
A group of community members is asking the Bellefonte Borough Council to draft a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Around 30 people filled the meeting room on Monday. Some carried signs reading “Resolution: A Statement of Our Morality” or “Please Save the Children of Gaza.”
Beaver Stadium Construction Updates: What Student Gate A and the Super Ribbon South End Scoreboard Look Like
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft, we have learned, doesn’t mess around. And neither do the construction crews and cranes operators that were working on Saturday to feverishly finish some early key elements of the multi-year, multi-hundred million dollar renovation of Beaver Stadium. Time is of the essence. While downtown State College and the central Penn State campus may have been the region’s epicenter on Saturday, just a bit more than a mile to the north crews were at work trying to complete essential punch list items for a renewed Beaver Stadium. The 2024 season is looming. James Franklin’s Nittany Lions were...
Alpha Fire Company Celebrates 125 Years of Serving the Community
This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette. STATE COLLEGE — The Alpha Fire Company, first established as the Union Fire Company in 1899, will celebrate 125 years of protecting the Centre Region with a celebration along the 200 block of Allen Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 20. The celebration will include fire safety demonstrations, fire truck bucket rides, antique fire engines, historic Alpha Fire Company memorabilia, food trucks, children’s activities — like a bounce house and games — live music and more. “In 1899, 29 residents of State College saw a need to provide fire protection...
Centre County Commissioners discuss parks, state budget plan
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WTAJ) – The Centre County Commissioners proclaimed July 19 as Parks and Recreation Professionals Day along with discussing their reactions to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new budget plan. While dedicating a day to parks and recreation professionals is a way to highlight the work that they do, Commissioner Steve Dershem said there is still […]
Penn State Kepler Barn Demolition
In Centre County efforts are continuing with the hope of saving a historic barn that is owned by Penn State. It’s drawn Statewide attention among historians including the farming community. Today, the State Agriculture Secretary tells us the fate of the barn is still uncertain. Along Route 45 just...
PIAA board makes initial vote to strike health and safety terminology from Competition Formula
Jul. 17—STATE COLLEGE — The PIAA board wants to remove some much-maligned words from its competitive-balance rule, those that prohibited health and safety as grounds for an appeal. The Competition Formula currently says: "... a change in classification would not be cause for a health and safety concern. A claim of such risk will not be considered." But the board on Wednesday voted to strike ...
SpringBoard Awards Grants to Two Local Businesses
This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette. BELLEFONTE — Kelly Scott Voice Studio and Poppy Designs were each awarded $2,500 recently by Bellefonte SpringBoard to aid in implementing each business’s ideas. SpringBoard, an initiative by Downtown Bellefonte Inc., is a small business and innovation center, according to its website, that “provides coworking, business resources, programming and more.” In an effort to revitalize downtown Bellefonte, SpringBoard helps invest in the development of business ventures, including providing financial support through grants. This is the fourth round of grant funding SpringBoard has provided to local businesses, made possible by the Centre County commissioners and...
Penn State Pingers Toastmasters Club celebrates 10 years of excellence with President’s Distinguished Award
STATE COLLEGE — The Penn State Pingers Toastmasters Club has won the President’s Distinguished Award for the 10th year in a row. The President’s Distinguished Award is the highest of the three awards given to Toastmasters clubs that provide a high level of service to their community. Receiving the award coincides with Toastmasters International’s 100th anniversary, which, according to a press release, “highlights the club’s dedication to fostering leadership and communication skills among its members.”
Penn State Health’s award-winning banner connects kids through art
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State Health won first place in the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts 2024 Banner Competition — Youth Division with its collaborative project “From Our Kids to Your Kids.” The winning banner was displayed over Allen Street throughout this year’s festival.
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