Town and Gown

  • Home-Run Hire Matt Campbell

    Home-Run Hire Matt Campbell

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    In 2015, the Iowa State Cyclones football team finished with a record of 3-9 and ended their season with losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and West Virginia. The program was in shambles. Iowa State had won just five games in two years. Every position group was hurting, the school couldn’t recruit high-rated prospects,…

  • Choose Your Own Adventure at Moxmoe

    Choose Your Own Adventure at Moxmoe

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    Everything has a story. That fact becomes unavoidable as you enter Moxmoe Pictures Famous Sandwiches, a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop nestled between Trek Bicycle and the Fine Wine & Good Spirits store at the Benner Pike Shops. From the illustrated posters that explain the origins of the Moxmoe name to the way the sandwiches are named…

  • Centre County Crisis Intervention Team: ‘You’ve got to slow it down’

    Centre County Crisis Intervention Team: ‘You’ve got to slow it down’

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    t When Ferguson Township Police Sergeant Ryan Hendrick was honored as the Centre County Crisis Intervention Team’s officer of the year in 2018, a familiar face who showed up at the ceremony gave him pause. “I thought, ‘This isn’t going to be good,’” Hendrick recalls. But that moment proved meaningful for all the right reasons.…

  • The Buckshot War of 1838

    The Buckshot War of 1838

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    Early in my teaching career, I became obsessed with political drama TV shows. I would binge-watch episodes of “The West Wing” for hours, get lost in “House of Cards,” and thoroughly enjoy the more historical “John Adams” or the lighthearted “Veep.” These shows captured my imagination and offered a highly dramatized glimpse of the machine…

  • Eternal Beer History

    Eternal Beer History

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    Recently, I was sharing a beer (or two) with a friend over at Otto’s Pub & Brewery and I was looking around at all the posters, banners, and other memorabilia that showcase Pennsylvania’s brewing history. Although I have sat there numerous times before (way too numerous), this time I began to get especially interested in…

  • Rising Allergies, Simple Solutions

    Rising Allergies, Simple Solutions

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    “Oh, my allergies are acting up.” “I think I might be allergic to dairy.” “My allergies have been really bad this year.” If it seems like everyone around you is talking about their allergies or uncovering some new allergy later in life, you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that people — specifically adults — just…

  • Rothrock State Forest Trails Will Host Runners From Near and Far

    Rothrock State Forest Trails Will Host Runners From Near and Far

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    Well, it has been a while, but it looks like I better find my racing shoes. After all, some of the top trail runners in the world will soon be making their way to Happy Valley to run on my home turf in a trail running event now called Rothrock by UTMB (rothrock.utmb.world). As a…

  • Melissa Smith: Mapping Happy Valley

    Melissa Smith: Mapping Happy Valley

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    For many folks, thoughts of Happy Valley conjure up images of university life at Penn State. For visiting illustrator Melissa Smith, Happy Valley is more than just the university; it’s a place filled with large mountains, rolling farms, and family memories that make Centre County feel like home. Smith, a self-made illustrator of beloved places,…

  • A Small-Town Christmas

    A Small-Town Christmas

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    From a helicopter-riding Santa Claus to a puppet show and cookie crawls, the options are varied for Centre County residents and visitors looking to enjoy Christmas celebrations this holiday season. Several local towns are hosting their own unique Christmas festivals, some of which have a long and cherished history while others are new on the…

  • The Junction 144: Simple … but Delicious

    The Junction 144: Simple … but Delicious

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    Ashley Snook always dreamt of having her own restaurant, but when the opportunity came up to open a brand-new eatery at the re-built Historic Davidson Inn in Wingate, she needed a bit of convincing. Having worked at the former Mountain Valley Diner at that same location, she understood the pressure and responsibility that came with…