Town&Gown

  • Dan Guss with Don and Esther Smith, who preserved their 75-acre family farm in Spring Township with CCFT in December 2025.

    Growing Wisely

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    The Centre County Farmland Trust explains how conservation easements, zoning, and community involvement can shape smarter growth Farming is an integral part of Centre County’s heritage. “It gets in your blood when you live around here,” says Dan Guss, president of the Centre County Farmland Trust and the grandson of a dairy farmer. But as…

  • (L-R) Amanda Karrenbauer, a 2026 MBA candidate; Yoga Lab co-founders Kristen Boccumini and Anna Engels; and Nandini Bhakta, a 2026 master’s degree candidate in business analytics

    A Partnership That Benefits Students, Businesses, and the Community

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    Penn State Smeal and the Downtown State College Improvement District partner to provide hands-on learning for students and new opportunities for local businesses The Penn State Smeal College of Business and the Downtown State College Improvement District (DSCID) have launched a six-week pilot partnership that serves as a replicable model for how universities and communities…

  • Penn State Continuing Education offers a Craft Brewing certificate program.

    Community is Paramount

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    How Continuing Education at Penn State Equips Todays’ Workers with the Skills They Need Now When the first iteration of Penn State’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development department launched in 1967, the world — and Central Pennsylvania, specifically — was an entirely different place. And yet, so much has stayed the same. In 1967, news…

  • Ian Axel and Chris Cubeta of A Great Big World, from the 2025 concert

    Music for a Mission

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    State College Food Bank celebrates community support with the second Great Big Fight to End Hunger Concert For 45 years, the State College Food Bank has provided nourishing food for county residents experiencing food insecurity, thanks to the generous support of the community. In appreciation, the Food Bank is hosting the second annual Great Big…

  • North Ward School, or the Old Stone School, at the corner of North Allegheny and West Linn streets/ South Ward School, or Bishop Street School, at the corner of East Bishop and North Blanchard streets

    A Legacy of Learning

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    As a new Bellefonte Elementary opens, a look back at the schools that educated generations of local students The new Bellefonte Elementary School will celebrate its grand opening in August, with students beginning classes Sept. 1. Opening in 2026, the school will welcome students during America’s 250th anniversary year. In honor of this special occasion,…

  • Mark Chaplin in his instrument repair workshop

    Mark Chaplin’s Fine Tune

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    A winding journey led Chaplin to a career where craftsmanship, community, and music come together Over the years, State College has grown into an artist’s playground, bringing some of the world’s best musicians to Happy Valley. This global inspiration keeps the growth of Centre County’s music scene consistent, and it helps keep business steady for…

  • The Chicken Tikka Pizza is a culinary trip that spans three continents.

    Art in a Box Made with Love

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    The surprising combination of different culinary traditions and an honest approach to fresh food make Fresh Bite’s pizza a can’t-miss experience Photos and text by Sherri Jordan and Luciano Sormani In the competitive culinary landscape of Happy Valley, where traditional round pizza pies have long dominated the local pizza scene, an independent, family-owned shop is…

  • World Class Brews

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    Centre County’s beer culture has grown right along with the rest of the county By the time you are reading this, the World Cup may seem like a distant memory, but as I am writing, the global event is still going strong. I have not been able to make it to any games (a writer’s…

  • A bear along a trail in Grand Teton National Park

    Make Some Stories

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    Adventure is out there on trails both near and far Story and Photos by Vincent Corso Ever since I got back from a hiking trip out West, I have been sharing this story with everyone who cares to listen. Now it is your turn, dear readers, to hear what happened. Here is the preview: I…

  • Your Attention, Please

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    The never-ending battle between drivers, pedestrians and personal responsibility There is an old joke that goes something like this: Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac. The same could probably be said about pedestrians in State College. Spend five minutes downtown, and you’ll see the…