Penn State, State College Noon News & Features: Monday, June 27

State College, Penn State and Centre County are in the news — locally, nationally, internationally and in cyberspace. We post the latest sampling of stories of note, with links, from our site and across the Web every weekday in Noon News & Features.

Here is Monday’s offering:

News

• State College Foments Push for Greener, Cleaner Buildings (StateCollege.com)

• Penn State Funding Cut Could Be Eased under House Legislation (StateCollege.com)

• Spanier Shares Thoughts on Athletics, Collegiate Challenges at Land-Grant Conference (StateCollege.com)

• As University Budgets Take a Beating, Agricultural Colleges and Extension Programs Feel Impact (Washington Post)

• Center for the Performing Arts Receives Largest Grant in its History (Penn State Live)

• Ferguson Supervisor Candidate Challenged by Age Requirement (Centre Daily Times)

• Debunking the Fro-Yo War: Who Came Out on Top (Onward State)

• The Worst Cities for Auto Theft – For Second Year in a Row, State College Had Lowest Rate in the Nation (ABC News)

• Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush (New York Times)

• Penn State Football Annual to Be Released in July; Ordering Available Online (StateCollege.com)

Columns/Opinion

• Adam Smeltz: In State College, An Attitudinal Evolution over Gay Rights (StateCollege.com)

• Rich Kerstetter: Missing A Favorite Player . . . and The Little Gray Guy (StateCollege.com)

Photos

• Summer’s Best Music Fest Rocks Downtown State College (StateCollege.com)

Sports

• Six-run First Sinks Spikes in 8-1 Defeat (State College Spikes)

• Nittany Lions Close Out 2011 USATF Outdoor Championships (GoPSUsports)

• Four Nittany Lions Tackle 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup (GoPSUsports)

• McDonagh Triumphs at 109th Connecticut Amateur Golf Tournament (GoPSUsports)

• Seo to Compete in 2011 Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship (GoPSUsports)

• Sanderson Juggles it All (Centre Daily Times)

• St. Augustine Lineman Chooses Penn State (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Dowrey Commits to Penn State (Northern Virginia Daily)

• USA Today Disses Penn State – Perhaps Deservedly So (Morning Call Blogs)

• Greatest Penn State Games of the Big Ten Era – 1994 Illinois (Black Shoe Diaries)