April 2024
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CBICC Hosts National Civics Bee
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To encourage local middle school students to understand the importance of, and engage with, civics in their communities, the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, hosted the National Civics Bee on April 18 in State College. “Civics education can uplift and empower our young…
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Local Historia: The Walter L. Main Circus Train Wreck Tragedy
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In the early morning hours of May 30, 1893, Engineer “Red” Cresswell attempted to bring Walter L. Main’s circus train—full of exotic animals, expert performers, employees, equipment and Main himself—down one of the most treacherous stretches of railroad in all of Pennsylvania. Despite his reservations about the ability to control the oversized railcars, pressures from…
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College Donations: Philanthropy No More
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“Am I therefore to become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” –St. Paul to the Galatians. Last year I was talking with a friend who’d done well in his career and was sharing his good fortune with others through charity. His projects reached some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. He…
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Thousands of Employees at Federal Contractors Do Not Have Whistleblower Protections Despite 2013 Law
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Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. BETHLEHEM — As she read the memo explaining why she was being fired, Kierra Varcos felt her cheeks burn and blood pound in her ears. She…
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Penn State Football Player Accused of Assaulting Tow Truck Driver
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A star Penn State football player is facing a misdemeanor assault charge after a confrontation with a tow truck driver last month in College Township. Abdul J. Carter, 20, is accused of forcefully pulling the driver from the tow truck and throwing him to the ground during the incident. The Nittany Lion defensive end was…
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Penn State Men’s Basketball: Nittany Lions Add Tennessee Transfer
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Penn State men’s basketball rounded out its roster with a 13th scholarship player on Wednesday morning as four-star former Tennessee guard Freddie Dilione verbally committed to Mike Rhoades and his staff out of the transfer portal. Dilione, who has three years of NCAA eligibility remaining, marks the fourth transfer pickup for the Nittany Lions this…
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How Centre County Voted in Statewide Primary Races
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Pennsylvania’s primary is (unofficially) in the books and it’s on to the presidential election this fall. Local voters didn’t have much to decide in the Democratic and Republican primaries for the state General Assembly and U.S. House districts representing Centre County — all of which were uncontested — but they did get to make their…
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Penn State Football Draft Primer Ahead of Potentially Historic Weekend
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Penn State could have a historic week with the NFL Draft starting up on Thursday night as the Nittany Lions look to tie the program record of 10 draft picks set during the 1996 draft process. Penn State seems certain to break its record under James Franklin when eight Nittany Lions were selected in 2022…
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Pa. Election 2024: Bryan Cutler Survives Primary Challenge, Kevin Boyle Loses Pa. House Seat
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Several Pennsylvania House incumbents faced serious challenges during Tuesday’s primary election. At least two lost.
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What Is a Spring Day If Not a Poem in Your Pocket?
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As I walked up the mall last Wednesday, a sign caught my eye: “Free Poems.” Adjacent was a folding table on which were displayed a plate of cookies; pens and notebooks; and four piles of poems that had been printed and cut to a size small enough to fit in one’s pocket. Thus did Penn…