80% of consumers turn to directories with reviews to find a local business Everyone interested is invited to join the Bellefonte Historical & Cultural Association at the Bellefonte Library for a presentation by Dr Carla Mulford: Benjamin Franklin and an Educated Citizenry Franklin’s fame as a scientist and diplomat overshadows his reputation among Pennsylvanians of his day as a significant educational theorist Franklin believed that if America were to succeed Franklin established a new educational model (for both day schools and colleges) based on practical applications of knowledge His approach toward education was just as revolutionary as his approaches toward imperial politics and scientific discoveries Carla Mulford will speak about Franklin’s liberal eighteenth-century model of education and its influence on academic systems established in the nineteenth century This event is free and no registration is necessary! Thank you to Bellefonte Historical & Cultural Association for organizing this interesting and illuminating event Thousands in Centre County Lose Power After Severe Storms Man Dies by Electrocution in State College After Severe Storm Damaged Power Lines Road Closures Continue in Centre County After Severe Storm We offer the latest breaking news and videos straight from the Centre County region in Central PA Contact us: info@statecollege.com © Copyright 2000 –  2024 | StateCollege.com® | All Rights Reserved | State College PA – Centre County – Central Pennsylvania – Home of Penn State University This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. StateCollege.com Privacy Policy page. HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESSAssembled demonstrators are pictured in Lock Haven’s Triangle Park for a May Day rally. LOCK HAVEN — Residents of Lock Haven and Bellefonte joined thousands in cities across the country Thursday in demonstrations opposing the Trump administration’s controversial actions against immigrants and federal workers during its first 100 days. Demonstrators gathered outside U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson’s Bellefonte office and in Lock Haven’s Triangle Park to denounce what they described as an assault on immigrants, federal employees and students exercising their right to free speech. Organized under the banner of the “50501” movement — short for 50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement — the rallies were part of a series of nationwide protests held since the start of the new administration, which critics say is advancing an unprecedented expansion of executive power. “Every day there are new laws broken by the administration, and we’re just trying to highlight those for the public,” said Bre Reynolds Brannan, chair of the Clinton County Democratic Committee. “All we want is due process and the Constitution to be upheld, and it appears our Commander in Chief does not know how to do that.” May Day, which is traditionally a celebration of labor and international workers’ rights, took on renewed urgency for rally goers this year, many of whom criticized what they called an agenda favoring billionaires over working families. “The billionaires are waging a war on working people — and on May Day, international workers’ day — hundreds of thousands of us stood together and stood strong,” read a statement from the national organizers. “(We’re) fighting for public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, shared prosperity over free market politics.” Organizers stressed the nonpartisan nature of the protests and said the movement aims to unite people across political lines. “This isn’t just Democrats,” Brannan said. Indivisible Clinton County, a local chapter of the Indivisible Project — a nonpartisan social movement nonprofit that began as a guide to resisting Trump’s agenda — helped coordinate the event in Triangle Park. “We just want to bring everybody (together) — Republican, Democrat, independent,” said Cris Schedin, an independent who founded the chapter. She said their goal was to create a space where those dissatisfied with the administration could connect and organize. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A consultant paid to review security at the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh ... CHICAGO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. and around the world rallied Thursday in May Day ... MILL HALL — The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors will consider a policy which would offer ... Copyright © 2025 Ogden Publications of Pennsylvania, LLC | https://www.lockhaven.com | 9-11 W. Main Street, Lock Haven, PA 17745 | 570-748-6791 Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Police: Man hospitalized after being struck by dump truck outside Spring Twp Pa (WJAC) — Authorities in Centre County say a man was hospitalized Tuesday afternoon after he was reportedly struck by a small dump truck outside a local restaurant Spring Township Police say the victim has been identified as a 28-year-old man from Langhorne who was flown to UPMC Williamsport in critical condition Emergency officials say the vehicle versus pedestrian incident was reported near the Hot Dog House along Willowbank St Police say the man reportedly stepped in the path of the truck and was flown from the scene Authorities say the crash investigation is ongoing and the dump truck driver is not expected to face any charges Officials add that the incident closed the 700 block of Willowbank Street for several hours Bellefonte’s softball team looked to continue its winning ways in their afternoon Laurel Highlands match up against Somerset (4-9) Bellefonte had its offense primed and ready to go as they picked up the easy 11-1 victory in front of the home crowd Jaylee Lose led the offensive attack posting two home runs — one being a grand slam the other being a three-run homer — and finished with seven RBIs “She (Lose) did really well for us tonight She saw the ball great and crushed it,” said Bellefonte coach Erica DeVinney “She’s in a really good spot and she saw the ball well.” Bellefonte pounded out 11 hits to score 11 runs in the five-inning victory Picking up multiple hits for the Red Raiders were Adrienne Masullo (2 for 2 run) Masullo got the win on the afternoon going four innings and allowing just one run Taking the loss for the Golden Eagles was Brooklynn Thomas Taylor Brown got the festivities started for Bellefonte as she blasted a Thomas offering out for a two-run home run that hit the top of the foul pole Somerset cut the lead in half in the second Somerset’s Martin led off the inning with a walk She moved up to second on a slow grounder by Ava Baumgardner who hustled it out for the infield single Martin scored from second on a ground ball single by Jo Shambaugh Masullo settled in and struck out the next three batters and keeping the Lady Raiders’ lead at 2-1 The Red Raiders’ hurler looked strong in the third inning striking out her fifth and sixth strike out en route to 1-2-3 inning The long ball came into action in the bottom of the third Bellefonte had a single by Smith to start the inning was walked to set things up for power hitter Jaylee Lose Lose plastered a shot way past the centerfield fence for the three-run homer Bellefonte put in pitcher Abby Herr in the fifth Masullo left the circle for the day allowing on run on one hit and striking out seven Golden Eagles She was very effective as she struck out her first two batters she faced and was able to work out of a jam with the bases loaded keeping the Lady Raiders with the nine-run lead going into the bottom of the fifth the Red Raiders scored the run they needed to end the contest and end the week with a convincing win Top Bellefonte hitters: Adrienne Masullo 2-3 MILL HALL — Both Jersey Shore and Central Mountain have had great starts to their 2025 season Expected rain in the forecast on Saturday in addition to possible showers on Monday has caused the District 4 boys .. Sugar Valley rallied from an early three-run deficit and pulled off a shocking upset Copyright © 2025 Ogden Publications of Pennsylvania The Bellefonte Area School District emblem on a wall of Bellefonte Area High School The Bellefonte Area School Board this week appointed a new member to fill a vacancy Holly Hopkins was selected on Tuesday from among five candidates who applied to serve the remainder of the term vacated by Jack Bechdel II. Bechdel resigned on April 4 after being arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend local history author and mother of a middle school student when the school board holds its reorganization meeting after the November election Hopkins is also running a write-in campaign for a nomination in the May 20 primary election for a four-year term on the school board Each of the candidates for the interim appointment — Hopkins Courtney Rice and Joe Yech — was individually asked a series of questions by board members and given an opportunity to explain why they were interested in the position “I feel like my job gives me a unique connection to the people in the district and I would love to serve on the board and give back to the community that I love so much,” Hopkins said She said that maintaining a safe environment for students and staff ensuring a quality education from quality teachers and spending responsible are among the biggest priorities for the board “I’ve seen her in action as a dental hygienist and her concern for school safety is a top priority for me,” board member Timothy Kessling said After no candidate received a majority in the first two rounds of voting the board narrowed the options to the top two vote-getters: Hopkins and Yech who is also running for a full term in the May primary Yech’s vote tied at 4-4 and Hopkins won a 5-3 majority Board member Donna Smith praised each of the candidates “We had an amazing pool of candidates,” Smith said “I just want to recognize all of you and say how lucky and blessed we are that you stood up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. StateCollege.com Privacy Policy page BELLEFONTE — Independent Home Health a growing provider of in-home care services across Pennsylvania marking a major step in its mission to bring comprehensive home health services to seniors in rural communities too often overlooked by the industry Founded with the goal of empowering seniors to live independently with dignity Independent Home Health (IHH) launched in Milton and has since expanded to communities around North Central Pennsylvania Before co-founding IHH with his business partner Levi Rabinowitz worked as an admissions director in a nursing home ‘Don’t come here,'” said Rabinowitz “The place wasn’t fit for a dog.” opened his eyes to the urgent need for compassionate high-quality home health care that empowers seniors to live independent and fulfilling lives — particularly in rural communities where large corporate providers are often disincentivized to operate due to lower population density and logistical challenges big cities have a lot of access to home care and rural areas are disregarded by providers for being inaccessible,” said Rabinowitz “The big insurance providers — they have 1.4 million people in Philly or Snow Shoe aren’t even on their radar and there are people there who still need services.” has created a “huge gap” in care for small towns and other rural communities we’ve really found the right recipe to get people living in rural communities — who for a long time have struggled with care — finally getting care in their home,” he said “We feel like we are on the forefront of really making a difference in a lot of people’s lives.” caregivers — who are often family members or local community residents — travel to clients’ homes to provide a wide range of services safe and independent — avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations or transitions into more intensive care settings their chances of going to the hospital drastically decreases,” he explained adding that retaining skilled caregivers is essential to providing the continuity of care that leads to better outcomes for clients IHH places a strong emphasis on caregiver retention — treating caregivers with respect making sure they feel heard and ensuring they know they’re valued Through initiatives like personalized birthday cards benefits such as paid phone bills and offering higher-than-average pay IHH strives to keep its caregivers engaged “What that’s led to is continuity of care which means that caregivers end up staying with the people they are serving,” Rabinowitz said directly improves the quality of care our clients receive.” IHH also works with county agencies and local organizations to identify and support those in need of care The company has partnered with Offices of Aging Veterans Affairs and community groups such as local churches to reach underserved populations — especially veterans who Rabinowitz noted are a significant part of their client base in rural areas Independent Home Health continues its mission of expanding high-quality home care to communities often overlooked by larger providers visit www.homehealthindependent.com or call 570-726-1920 A LifeFlight helicopter waits in a field at Lambert Hall in Bellefonte StateCollege.com file photo | Geoff Rushton A pedestrian was flown to the hospital after being hit by a truck Tuesday afternoon just outside of Bellefonte The man was in critical condition at the scene and was flown by LifeFlight helicopter which landed at Lambert Hall on Forge Road Police currently do not expect to file charges against the driver of the truck Willowbank Street was closed in the area of the crash for about two hours BELLEFONTE — Bellefonte Borough Council unanimously approved revised designs for the Bellefonte Waterfront Project during this week’s meeting advancing a scaled-down plan that includes a hotel condominiums and commercial space in downtown Bellefonte Originally envisioned as a three-building complex on Dunlop Street across Spring Creek from North Water Street the project has been reduced in scope while maintaining key development elements Historic Architecture Review Board (HARB) Administrator Gina Thompson presented the revised designs to Council and addressed questions before the vote the project changed last spring,” said Thompson “The Waterfront Development Group came and instead of having three buildings they changed the scope of the project to two.” The revised plan features a nationally branded boutique hotel with 93 guest rooms and a farm-to-table restaurant offering rooftop views adjacent to a 268-space parking garage and a residential condominium building with ground-floor commercial space The Bellefonte Waterfront Project is being advanced by the Borough of Bellefonte with the help of architects The revised design was first presented in May of last year at which time HARB asked architects at Laucks Architects residential and commercial building to better match the historic aesthetic achieved in the hotel’s design “There was sort of a mismatch between the two buildings,” Thompson explained HARB reviewed the new models and was impressed with the renderings the presentation fell short of expectations so the board requested a final cohesive design “HARB members were impressed by the redesign presented by architect Peter Laucks and appreciated the changes made in response to discussions at the May 2024 and December 2024 HARB meetings,” Thompson wrote in a memo to Council “They felt that the architectural features complemented the town’s historic aesthetic and that the revisions to Building 2 created a more cohesive relationship with the hotel’s design.” the developer and the architect agreed on some minor adjustments to both the Hotel and Building 2 The modifications made after the original HARB approval include adding Juliet balconies on three hotel entrances (Dunlop removing the second-floor walkout and adding corbels to the High Street side of the hotel the railings and window colors will be changed from white to black which Councilwoman Joanne Tosti-Vasey noted was to match the wrought iron found on other downtown buildings Councilwoman Rita Purnell asked Thompson if HARB and the team working on the Bellefonte Waterfront Project had a projected start date due to the need to meet with the Planning Commission conduct a lot of consolidation and finalize the land development plan the process will take a few months before construction can begin (AP) — A consultant paid to review security at the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov CHICAGO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S and around the world rallied Thursday in May Day .. MILL HALL — The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors will consider a policy which would offer .. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that a rabid fox was found in the Bellefonte area this week and urged anyone who may have been bitten or scratched by the animal to contact health providers The fox was discovered on Wednesday in the area of 100 Hertzler Drive in Spring Township Spring Township police wrote in a Facebook post that they and the state Game Commission responded to a call about a gray fox acting aggressively on Wednesday DOH Deputy Press Secretary Neil Ruhland said “was alerted to a possible rabies exposure related to a fox in Centre County,” but said the department cannot comment on whether an individual may have come in contact with the animal Ruhland added that Pennsylvania has not had a human case of rabies since 1984 and on average one to three people in the United States are diagnosed with rabies each year Anyone with a bite or other significant exposure should contact their health care provider or call the health department at 1-877-724-3258 Significant exposure includes any situation in which saliva or central nervous system tissue from a possibly rabid animal may have entered an open wound or comes in contact with the eyes Anyone with a pet that has been injured by the fox should contact their veterinarian Residents should ensure that their pets are currently vaccinated against rabies “A highly effective rabies vaccine is available for domestic animals like dogs and cats,” Ruhland wrote in an email wildlife can be infected and pose a risk to human health DOH performs risk assessments for Commonwealth residents who may have been exposed to rabies This work is important because rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal once symptoms develop.” DOH advises that people should avoid contact with all stray or wild animals foxes and skunks; seek medical care if bitten by a wild or domestic animal; and make sure that their pets’ rabies vaccinations are up to date warm weather and just a brief potential for rain Bellefonte’s annual Easter Egg Hunt saw Talleyrand Park packed to the brim with eager kids and their families saw hundreds of participants take part in the egg hunt and take part in a variety of activities refreshments and a visit from the Easter Bunny The hunt is held in conjunction with Historic Bellefonte and saw kids hunt for 15,000 eggs within the park The children were divided into age groups throughout the park along with a separate area for children with special needs Extra special eggs had coupons for a trip to the bunny shack for an Easter basket fire companies and many volunteers supplied the candy-filled plastic eggs goods and service to keep this free for our children State College girls gain another victory against Mechanicsburg in a 15-6 blowout CENTRE COUNTY — State College girls lacrosse gets back on track in a 15-3 win against Central Dauphin East.  The Little Lions started the season on fire winning all five of their first five games State College hit a brick wall in the schedule with a three-game stretch against Strath Haven with Garnet Valley giving them the toughest test having four players already committed to play in college.  State College was able to break that losing streak on Tuesday They followed this up with another victory against Mechanicsburg in a 15-6 blowout The Little Lions will get to take on Mifflin County at home next who they beat 19-3 earlier in the season.  Bellefonte girls lacrosse also recently found a win on their senior night against Mifflinburg Three seniors were honored prior to the game giving the Raiders energy to beat Wildcats 16-4.  While not every game has been updated on MaxPreps the Raiders have struggled a little this season with losses to Wyoming Seminary North Pocono and Indiana prior to senior night.  April 3 with comment from Bellefonte Area School Board’s president A Bellefonte Area School Board member was arrested after he was accused of striking his girlfriend in the face and shoving her out of a car during an argument on Wednesday evening in College Township is charged with one misdemeanor count of simple assault and a summary count of physical harassment According to an affidavit of probable cause the woman told State College police that Bechdel had driven her to Sheetz and began arguing with her about her drinking habits opened the passenger side door while the vehicle was in motion and pushed her out along Shiloh Road The woman said “her left ankle had been run over after being shoved out of the vehicle,” police wrote She then got back in the vehicle and asked Bechdel to take her home Bechdel “struck her on the side of her face with a backhand swing while his fist was closed because she wouldn’t get out of the vehicle,” according to the affidavit Bechdel then shoved her out of the car and drove away An officer observed that the woman “had noticeable bruising and swelling under her left eye along with blood on her hands,” according to the affidavit Bechdel was located at Lowe’s in Patton Township where he was interviewed by a borough police officer Bechdel admitted he struck the woman in the way she described and said he only did so because she struck him on the side of his face and mouth while he was driving The officer wrote that he observed no signs of injury to Bechdel’s face Bechdel said his front tooth was knocked loose which the officer confirmed but noted that most of Bechdel’s teeth were rotted or missing Bechdel was also cited for driving with a suspended license He was arraigned on Thursday morning by District Judge Allen Sinclair and released on $10,000 unsecured bail A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 9 who declined comment when reached by email was elected to the Bellefonte Area School Board in 2021 and is in the final year of his first term He has filed to run for reelection in 2025 School board President Jon Guizar said he had been unaware of the charges when reached be phone early Thursday afternoon Guizar told StateCollege.com that Bechdel had since informed the board “about a personal matter involving law enforcement.” “His situation did not involve the school district or his service to the community,” Guizar wrote Bechdel has stated he will take a short time to reflect on the matter before making any further statements in Bellefonte will close at the end of business on Dec An Asian bakery is closing its Bellefonte location four months after its opening but its State College shop will continue to operate as usual “This decision was not made lightly,” the post stated “While we’ve enjoyed serving Bellefonte it’s become clear that closing this chapter will allow us to focus on the sustainability and growth of Chew Chew Bun as a whole.” After starting out in owner Skye Chang’s home kitchen Chew Chew Bun opened in the Nittany Mall in 2021 then moved to its popular downtown State College location in 2022 Chang announced he was expanding with a second location in Bellefonte at the former home of URBN Coffee Haus and Cool Beans dealt with staffing challenges that caused it to temporarily close in September and that “it’s clear that the traffic and predicted trends are far below expectations.” He wrote at the time that he planned to reduce hours downsize the menu and eventually use the location as a pre-order pickup location but didn’t plan then for the shop to close calling it “a pivot toward sustainability and growth for the future.” he thanked Bellefonte community members for their support during Chew Chew Bun’s brief tenure there this community has embraced us with warmth and enthusiasm,” the announcement reads “Whether you stopped by for your favorite bun you’ve made this experience truly special.” According to a list of questions and answers accompanying the closing announcement Chew Chew Bun is not selling the Bellefonte shop’s equipment and will “repurpose the space,” which will not be rented out for events For gift cards purchased at the Bellefonte location, the store will offer a limited-time refund by submitting a request until Jan. 31, 2025, on chewchewbun.com/contact Chew Chew Bun has no current plans to reopen the Bellefonte store but still has “several years” remaining on its lease for the High Street spot and did not completely rule out the possibility the future is full of possibilities,” according to the announcement “While we do not have plans to reopen now we will cherish the enjoyable memories and connections we’ve made here.” Design rendering of the updated plans for the Bellefonte Waterfront project Bellefonte Borough Council this week unanimously approved a private developer’s new designs for the long-delayed Waterfront project, which has been in the works for nearly seven years the development group led by Tom Songer reduced the scope of the project to two buildings last year will be a national brand boutique hotel with 93 guest rooms The 75-feet-tall building will have a first-floor farm-to-table restaurant that will also offer a “rooftop experience.” Building 2 will include residential condominiums ground-level commercial space and a parking facility with 268 spaces Bellefonte Historic Architectural Review Board zoning and planning administrator told council that the developers were asked to update the design of the second building “to have it better match the historic aesthetic that they had done so well with the hotel.” Revised designs were presented to the HARB in December and February and the board “was very impressed,” Thompson said Wrought iron railings and window frames will be changed from white to black which council member Joanne Tosti-Vasey said is intended to match the look of the black wrought iron throughout the historic downtown “It just didn’t look like it quite fit in with the ambience of Bellefonte,” Tosti-Vasey said Updates to the design of the first building will add Juliet balconies on the Dunlop Street remove a second-floor walkout and add corbels to the High Street side clock face Because the property is in Bellefonte’s historic district But the approval represents just one of several steps that must occur before construction begins The developers will next bring a lot consolidation to the borough planning commission a process that Thompson said could “take a few months.” The movement comes after council members have expressed frustration with the continued delays for the project that borough officials have long believed would be an economic boon Songer and hotel partner Mark Morath unveiled the initial plans for the project on the former site of the historic Bush House The group finalized the acquisition of the property from the Bellefonte Area Industrial Development Authority in 2019 the year they had originally hoped to start construction That turned into 2020, and following the impacts of COVID and inflation, 2022 as the developers continued to pursue state grants and adjust the project said it “strongly encourages the owners to break ground on this long anticipated economic development project as soon as possible.” Council also discussed putting some kind of time limit on when construction needed to begin “They’re wasting our time and I don’t like the design of the buildings,” council member Shawna McKean said in February “It sounds like it’s more of a private enterprise than really benefiting the borough.” Tosti-Vasey also suggested that the borough could threaten to stop mowing the property if ground wasn’t broken by next summer requiring the owners to maintain it in accordance with borough code Borough Manager Ralph Stewart pointed out that the development group owns the property and the borough has no authority to force it to begin construction which has become an open field the developers allow the public to use While no construction start date has been set the recent progress has made Thompson and others optimistic “I think they are hoping to start the project soon,” Thompson said Bellefonte swept the hurdles winning both the 110-meter and the 300-meter Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola battled out in a track and field dual on Wednesday Zane Hummel from Bellefonte dominated with 11.27 almost half a second faster than the second-place finisher it was Penns Valley’s Spencer Althouse winning with a time of 24.57 The Rams continued to win in the longer distances Taven Price won by 50 seconds and finished in 11:09.07 Garrett Banyay finished second for the Rams.  winning both the 110-meter and the 300-meter thanks to a stellar day from Christian Reigh.  Philipsburg-Osceola didn’t have a great day on the track with their best finish coming from Evan Hartman in the 110-meter hurdles the mountaineers consistently finished the top three.  Evan Eichenlaub finished third in the javelin Evan Eichenlaub finished second in discus and Colton Chapman finished second in pole vault.  Althea Helms led the way in the 100-meter race for Bellefonte with a time of 12.92 this time almost a second faster than the second-place finisher in Jadyn Alexander from Penns Valley.  followed by Penns Valley teammate Jordan Johnson Bellefonte and Penns Valley split many of the races with Philipsburg-Osceola lagging a big behind.  The girls 800-meter race proved to be one of the closest matches of the day as Lillyanna Smith barely edged out a win for Penns Valley against Bellefonte’s Natalie Jolley by 0.16 seconds.  It was Bellefonte that took over the show in the field events in large thanks to Madison Miller The Bellefonte Area School District administrative office A Bellefonte Area School Board member resigned on Friday night after being arrested this week on an assault charge Jack Bechdel II — who is accused of striking his girlfriend in the face and shoving her out of a car — wrote in a message addressed to the school community and public that his resignation is effective immediately wrote that “these events have no relation to anything with the Bellefonte Area School District the Board of Directors or any associates,” but that his actions have “drawn a spotlight on the Board that is not warranted.” “As long as I am on the board during this period the public will question every detail of every decision made,” Bechdel wrote “I am proud of my work on the board and the relationships that had developed over the years For the Board to continue its course unfettered This decision was not taken lightly and I dread that things had to end this way I wish the board the best and hope that they continue to have civil discussion in the future.” He was elected to the nine-member school board in 2021 and was in the final year of his first term and will still appear on the ballot for the primary election in May because the deadline to withdraw was March 26 Bechdel was charged with one misdemeanor count of simple assault and a summary count of physical harassment after the incident on Wednesday evening in College Township His girlfriend told State College police that Bechdel had driven her to Sheetz and began arguing with her about her drinking habits school board President Jon Guizar said only that “his situation did not involve the school district the school board or his service to the community” and that Bechdel informed the board he would “take a short time to reflect on the matter before making any further statement.” STATE COLLEGE — Two legendary Centre County baseball programs met on the diamond of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, home of the State College Spikes, as Bellefonte went head-to-head with State College in Friday night prime time action. Through six innings, the game was a strong defensive battle as they went into the sixth inning tied at one. However a five-run sixth inning by Bellefonte proved to be the deciding factor as the Red Raiders took home the 5-1 victory. “I thought defensively and pitching we did what we had to do to keep in the ball game. We were struggling a little bit in our hitting. Hitting has been our Achilles heel this year,” said Bellefonte coach Jon Clark. “We talked to the kids and told them to just be disciplined at the plate, making better pitch selections, getting bat on the ball and pressuring the defense. In that inning, the bottom part of our line up came up big.” Picking up the victory on the mound for Bellefonte was hurler Zach Lehman who went two full innings without allowing a run. State College’s Max Herncane took the hard fought loss. Starting the game on the mound for State College was Adam Schirf. Schirf went five innings allowing only two hits and a run. He went up against Red Raiders starter Tristen Heeman. “They were much more selective than we had been earlier. We made them throw a few more pitches. We took advantage of a couple walks there,” Clark said. “When we had the opportunity to put the bat on the ball we put pressure on the defense. That’s all we could do. I thought we gutted one out there in the end.” Bellefonte led off the scoring in the bottom of the first, leadoff hitter Peyton Vancas set the table early on with a triple into the left centerfield gap. He scored on a double by Evan Mattern, giving the Red Raiders the opening run. However, State College rebounded in the top of the second. Rowan Walker was hit by a Triston Heeman offering. He stole second and teammate Lucas Bierly joined him on base with a walk. He was replaced on the base path by Oscar Williams, setting the stage for Max Herncane. Herncane did not disappoint as he slapped a single into right, scoring Walker and knotting the game at one. Bellefonte was held in check in its part of the second, sending the game into the third tied. In the third, State College started to threaten. Walker again led the charge. He started the inning off with a single back up the middle. With two outs, Bierly hustled out an infield hit that was hit deep in the hole at shortstop. Herncane reached base as well to load the bases. But Bellefonte ended the threat getting Sebastian Rhoades to fly out to center, keeping it a one-all tie. Much like in the third, the Little Lions threatened once again as they got runners on first and second. Bellefonte again was up for the challenge as they once again held, sending the game into the bottom of the inning still knotted at one. Shirf was just as successful on the mound as he allowed just two hits in the first five innings. Bellefonte regained its momentum in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Oliver Thornburg walked and was replaced by pinch runner Jack McHail. Zach Lehman followed with a single into shallow left. He was replaced by ponch runner Cole Houser. Cam Lucas loaded the bases with a walk. Quinton Crothermel grounded out to third as State College forced out McHail. On the play, the Little Lions went for the double play at first but the throw went wide and into right, scoring Houser putting the Red Raiders ahead 2-1. Bellefonte added another run on a bases loaded walk by Carsen Henry, making it a 3-1 advantage. Vancas singled to bring home two more runs to add to the Bellefonte lead going into the final stanza 5-1. From there, the Red Raiders defense kept the Little Lions’ offense at bay in the seventh to take home the victory. Top State College hitters: Michael Powell 2-3, 3B. Top Bellefonte hitters: Peyton Vancas 2-3, 3B, 2 RBIs, run; Evan Mattern, 2B. The Lock Haven women’s track and field team hosted the Lock Haven Qualifier for its final regular season meet on ... MILL HALL — Both Jersey Shore and Central Mountain have had great starts to their 2025 season, so when both teams ... Expected rain in the forecast on Saturday in addition to possible showers on Monday has caused the District 4 boys ... President Donald Trump makes a major sports announcement. The announcement comes amid reports Washington, D.C. will host the 2027 NFL Draft. WATCHBellefonte moves forward with plan to uncover iconic big spring Pa (WJAC) — A project in Bellefonte to uncover the town's iconic big spring is moving forward following a meeting earlier this week The Big Spring is not only a signature landmark in Bellefonte but also a unique and valuable resource Officials estimate that up to 15 million gallons of natural groundwater are produced by it on a daily basis The goal of the new project is to remove the state mandated a new proposal was introduced to drill wells near the spring to draw the water from underground we got to do a little more research where the bedrock is we’re still going forward with trying to install wells.” Whether the underground well system will be the answer will take time likely it will be a year before we get a greenlight to drill wells and put the system in place.” The spring has been covered since 1998 to meet state water use regulations Pa (WJAC) — Former Bellefonte school board member Jack Bechdel is now headed for trial after recently being accused of a punching a woman in the face and pushing her out of a moving vehicle he told police that the fight was sparked by him being hit first Officials say Bechdel resigned from the school board shortly after his arrest Online court records show that Bechdel is charged with misdemeanor simple assault and harassment the Bald Eagle Area softball team played its fifth straight road game close to home taking on rival Bellefonte in hopes of stifling its two-game skid Behind a near-perfect pitching outing from ace pitcher Sierra Albright and occasional scores never allowing the Red Raiders to establish any kind of momentum while striking out 12 and the Eagles took a 3-0 lead in the second and never looked back Despite seeing multiple Bellefonte batters get on base in the first and second Albright stay composed and kept them off the board before retiring the side in the next two The Red Raiders would threaten on one more occasion in the sixth but Bald Eagle responded by catching Ragan Manning stealing and Albright pitched another strikeout to halt the chance Albright and her field closed out the day with their third retirement Albright struck out seven separate batters for Bellefonte It was her fourth shutout of the season through just nine games Bellefonte held the Eagles in check for the most part but they’d find a way to take advantage of their sparse opportunities Bald Eagle got two on in the first two batters before Maelee Yoder batted each of them home on a line drive to right field Taylor Habovick would proceed to bat Yoder home two at-bats later giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the stanza they’d add insurance runs in the last two innings with Albright batting Sydney Thompson (2 runs) in on a grounder to right in the sixth and Thompson getting Kailey Eckert home on a fielder’s choice and five Eagles finished the game with a hit alongside her Abby Herr and Adrienne Masullo performed well from the mound despite the loss striking out while surrendering eight combined hits and issuing just two walks It just wasn’t able to get much going offensively as hits from Taylor Brown and Masullo weren’t translated to scores After suffering just their second loss in nine games Red Raiders will look to bounce back at Bishop McCort (4-3) on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m Bald Eagle (6-3) returns to action on Friday closing out its six-game road stint at Somerset (3-7) at 4:30 p.m Top Bellefonte hitters: Taylor Brown 1-3; Adrienne Masullo 1-3 Records: Bald Eagle Area 6-3; Bellefonte 5-2 The Lock Haven women’s track and field team hosted the Lock Haven Qualifier for its final regular season meet on .. BELLEFONTE – Wednesday was Senior Night for the 4-2 Bellefonte boys lacrosse team After an 11-9 victory over Danville earlier in the season the Red Raiders were looking to secure the season sweep of the Ironmen in front of their home crowd at Rogers Stadium The Red Raiders proceeded to dominate the contest sweeping the season series with a 14-7 win who posted his 200th career goal amidst the victory “We were a little sloppy in the third and fourth quarter but we pulled it out,” said Coach Rick Johnson “We ended up getting a little more comfortable with the ball.” Bellefonte scored the first goal of the game as Ryder Hamilton hit a blast from Nathan Benner at 11:01 Hamilton again put the Red Raiders ahead as he was assisted by Benner on a goal at 6:33 It wouldn’t take long for him to notch his fourth either this time at 5:30 to put Bellefonte up 4-1 The rout continued as Nathan Benner scored to up the lead to 5-1 with 3:52 still left in the opening period Nate Cherinka got in on the scoring with 2:01 left in the period as he blazed a screamer past Ironman goalie Aidan Bingaman Danville’s Camden Koch made it 6-2 on a goal at 11:03 in the second But Hamilton came up big for Bellefonte again as he scooped up the ball at midfield and scored on an open shot at 6:28 Back came Danville as Liam Moore found the goal cutting it to a 7-3 contest with just over five minutes left in the half Less than a minute later Moore scored again to bring his team even closer with a goal at 4:26 Bellefonte bounced back as Benner scored a goal assisted by Hamilton adding back some of its cushion at 8-4 with 4:16 Benner made it two hat tricks for the Red Raiders Moore found the goal with 31 seconds left for the hat trick for Danville That’s where the score would settle at the half the momentum started to slightly turn in the Ironmen’s favor Galen Stamm blasted an open shot at 11:52 to cut the Bellefonte lead to three They would go on to control possession for much of the third period Bellefonte rallied back as Aidan Reed got a pass from Nathan Benner and sent it home with just 5:23 left in the third But Danville refused to go away as Camden Koch got the Ironmen back on the scoreboard with 4:30 left in the third taking the ball down into the Red Raiders side of the field It was anyone’s game as the final stanza started Bellefonte started strong as Benner once again came up clutch and hit a blast upping its lead to 11-7 with 11 minutes left in the contest Hamilton extended the lead after being pummeled on an earlier play He blasted a shot that gave the Red Raiders a 12-7 advantage with 8:32 to go Hamilton gave the Red Raiders some additional cushion Cherinka once again scored to seal the win for the home team the Red Raiders played controlled offense to take time off the clock and send Bellefonte home the winners by a score of 14-8 Photo by Andrea Robinson | For StateCollege.com A Sheetz location near Bellefonte is set to reopen after the old store was demolished and a new one constructed over the last five and a half months The new convenience store and gas station at 2850 Benner Pike in Benner Township will open at 10 a.m a Sheetz spokesperson told StateCollege.com Sheetz closed the Bellefonte-area location on July 7 to demolish the existing 13-year-old store and build an updated model employees were offered positions at other locations In addition to a new 6,139-square-foot building with indoor and outdoor seating the rebuilt Sheetz has added a drive-through and a new car wash The reopening of the store just off Interstate 99 comes in time for a busy weekend in Centre County with Penn State hosting its first College Football Playoff game and fall commencement as well as holiday travel getting underway Rebuilds to meet updated design models aren’t unusual for Sheetz Valley Vista Drive and North Atherton Street in Patton Township have all been reconstructed in the last decade Directly across from Sheetz near the Eagle Point intersection, rival Wawa has submitted plans for one of its first Centre County locations BELLEFONTE — Joseph Yech is a candidate who has cross-filed for Bellefonte Area School District School Board during the 2025 Primary Election on May 20 Yech and his wife have been married since 2005 two who attend Marion-Walker Elementary School and one who attends Bellefonte Middle School He and his wife love DIY projects and have tiled more bathrooms than they care to count They also enjoy trying local restaurants and festivals Yech’s parents are both retired vocational teachers BELLEFONTE — After 24 years as borough manager Bellefonte Borough Council bid a heartfelt farewell to Ralph Stewart Stewart will serve his final day in the office as Bellefonte’s borough manager on Friday “If we could keep him as long as we could we’d be better off,” said Councilmember Randy Brachbill who made the motion to accept Stewart’s retirement letter Councilmember Joanne Tosti-Vasey seconded the motion has over 30 years of experience in local government He became borough manager at the end of 2000 and credits his success and longevity in the role to those around him “There’s so many people that have been good to me and helped me be successful so I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me over the years and helped me along the way,” Stewart said expressing gratitude to the council members borough employees and residents who have supported and encouraged him throughout his career “It has been a blessing to be the borough manager for Bellefonte and to serve in such a beautiful community,” he said “I can’t believe how fast time has gone.” council unanimously accepted Stewart’s letter of retirement council and those in attendance gave Stewart a standing ovation in recognition of his service Several council members shared kind words and meaningful goodbyes agreeing that Stewart has been an invaluable resource to both them and the borough “You’ve taught me a lot,” said Councilmember Doug Johnson I appreciate your insight on lots of things that go on in town Councilmember Rita Purnell also thanked Stewart for his help and insight over the years “You’ve been an invaluable resource the search for his replacement is already underway “The council is working diligently to try to look at what the next step might hold,” said Stewart who noted there may be an interim borough manager while they find a permanent replacement for his position Though his time at the borough is coming to a close Stewart said he isn’t ready to take it easy just yet “I feel like I’m too young to officially retire,” he said — Shared announcements related to Sunday’s storm Council President Barbara Dann encouraged community members to reach out to the Mayor with any concerns or issues stemming from the weekend’s storm Borough Manager Ralph Stewart announced that the Musser Lane compost facility will be open daily until 4 p.m with additional hours on Saturday from 8 a.m He also noted that the borough will collect brush left at the curb through next week — Announced Clearwater Conservatory Watershed Clean Up Day is Saturday — Approved allowing council’s Finance and Administration Committee to review requests for proposals received for grant writing and administrative services and come back with recommendations to council — Appointed Councilmembers Deb Cleeton as Bellefonte’s PSAB Annual Conference delegate and Doug Johnson as the alternate for voting — Approved a legal review of the Borough’s Peddling and Soliciting “Do not Disturb” Ordinance — Heard public comment from Elliot Killinger who asked council to consider opening the first floor of the Central Business District to non-commercial use The independent medical cannabis grower/processor will host a grand opening on Jan TerrapinPosted by Tony LangeJanuary 2 2025CMSBrowserComponents.load({ el: '#vue-1746491442388-299' props: {"cookieName":"parallaxState","cookieValue":"1","expires":1} skipWhenExists: false });[PRESS RELEASE] - BELLEFONTE an independent grower/processor of medical marijuana is excited to announce the grand opening of its first Pennsylvania dispensary in Bellefonte The grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration for Terrapin Care Station will begin at 11 a.m The grand opening event comes a year after Gov Josh Shapiro signed legislation (Act 63) allowing qualified independent Medical Marijuana Operators to open up to three dispensaries one of the state's oldest growers/processors is the first to take advantage of the new law The dispensary will begin serving patients on Jan Terrapin's Bellefonte store hours are 10 a.m 9 grand opening will feature short remarks from Terrapin with recognition of the Bellefonte Chamber and community leaders Terrapin will support FaithCentre Food Bank its nonprofit partner for the Bellefonte location Patients who donate canned food items will receive a special gift bag of Terrapin merchandise (while supplies last) Terrapin employees also participated in a Toys for Tots donation event on Dec assisting FaithCentre with bagging selected holiday gifts for registered clients of the nonprofit Bellefonte is the first of three locations the company plans to open in the coming months Two additional locations are planned for Lewisburg (Kelly Township) and Lock Haven (Woodward Township) with opening dates and times to be announced in the coming weeks Terrapin will hire approximately 43 employees among the three locations adding to economic development in rural parts of the state.  Terrapin aims to meet the needs of underserved regions of the medical cannabis program The Department of Health has identified Clinton County (Lock Haven) as an underserved area with the closest dispensaries more than 45 miles away Bellefonte and Lewisburg will also provide better options for patients who currently have to drive more than 30 miles in some areas to access critical medicine “It is an honor to live out the mission of Terrapin by establishing roots in underserved communities,” Terrapin founder and CEO Chris Woods said “We are committed to being a true community partner who plays an active and engaged role in helping all individuals live the best quality of life We are thrilled to open our doors in Bellefonte and to get to know and serve our neighbors.” Terrapin's dispensaries will be the first to open in the region in over three years for the Lock Haven area and over two years for the Bellefonte area Apart from one dispensary opening in April 2024 that region has not seen a new dispensary in over five years “Bellefonte is fortunate to have Terrapin join our local business community We look forward to working collaboratively for the benefit of our residents and fellow businesses,” Bellefonte Borough Manager Ralph Stewart said.  The first 150 patients to visit the dispensary will receive a special T-shirt commemorating the dispensary opening all patients will receive a 30% discount during the grand opening from Jan Terrapin is deeply committed to supporting the communities it serves Through its partnership with FaithCentre Food Bank Terrapin plans to forge an ongoing relationship to provide monetary support Terrapin has contributed over $1.5 million to local nonprofits focusing on building connection and belonging and staying locally focused and environmentally conscious “We feel very fortunate to partner with Terrapin to elevate our mission and impact within the community,” FaithCentre Food Bank Executive Director Nicole Summers said “Their ongoing support and commitment to our organization will have a lasting positive impact on Bellefonte’s residents.” and is currently being held in the Harrison County Jail in Texas awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania to face charges in Pennsylvania has been taken into custody by law enforcement in Marshall  and is currently being held in the Harrison County Jail awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania to face charges by Rockview State Police Cooper faces a laundry list of felony charges The search for Cooper began after a string of burglaries in Blair County back in March there is video footage of an individual driving a white GMC Envoy pulling into the Altoona Laundromat establishment on Tuesday The suspect exited the vehicle and was wearing dark clothing and kept their face covered the suspect in question broke into the establishment and targeted skill machines at the laundromat In the coming weeks after the initial burglary at the Altoona Laundromat Altoona Police received multiple calls about a string of burglaries at various locations in Blair County which included The Copper Coin Further investigations by Altoona Police were able to identify Cooper as the main suspect The white GMC in question was registered to Cooper’s girlfriend The same white GMC Envoy featured on the video was found at Cooper’s residence in Bellefonte After obtaining a search warrant for Cooper’s residence with assistance from the Bellefonte Borough Police found clothing that was consistent with that seen worn by the suspect on the video footage and tools used in the burglaries The white GMC Envoy in question was ultimately seized by authorities Cooper was being held by the Harrison County Jail for charges of unlawfully carrying a weapon with a felony conviction Harrison County Jail declined to comment to The Gazette about the arrest A downtown Bellefonte pizzeria is teaming up with a local brewery for a new pub across from the Centre County Courthouse Style Pizza has partnered with Robin Hood Brewing Co on the Courthouse Pub at the corner of North Allegheny and East High streets The location is adjacent to Brother’s longtime pizza shop at 102 N “We are partnering with Brothers N.Y. Style Pizza on Allegheny to bring you their food, perfectly paired with our exceptional beer,” Robin Hood Brewing wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday “The new Courthouse Pub is the ultimate destination to revel in downtown Bellefonte’s charm while savoring one of our craft beers.” The pub will be in addition to Robin Hood’s location at 1796 Zion Road and Brother’s pizza shop Brother’s took over the former Confer’s Jewelers storefront at 100 N earlier this year and posted on Facebook in late October that the Courthouse Pub is “coming soon.” Renovations created an open doorway between the new pub and the pizzeria The Courthouse Pub will be part of a spate of business openings in downtown Bellefonte The Print Factory, a bookstore and cultural space, opened in November at 130 S. Allegheny St., and The Frame Factory & Gallery moved from State College to 137 E Bees Knees Coffee announced last week that it plans to open Shaky Hands Coffee Shop in March at 106 W Franklin Regional’s Cruise Lamanna celebrates after scoring against Mars during the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals Oct. 28. Franklin Regional was as motivated as ever to perform well in its first state playoff game since 2021 on Tuesday night the WPIAL Class 3A runner-up Panthers (14-4-2) did just that easing past District 6 champion Bellefonte Franklin Regional will meet District 3 champ Conrad Weiser in Saturday’s quarterfinals at a time and site to be determined Bellefonte (15-3-3) entered the match fresh off a win against Hollidaysburg in the District 6 title game Conelle Stabinger scored with 29 seconds left in the contest to get the Red Raiders to the PIAA playoffs Franklin Regional was coming off a 3-1 loss to Moon in the WPIAL finals The battle between District 6 and District 7 proved to be no match and the party didn’t really slow down Cruise Lamana scored in the first minute to put the Panthers up early Jovan Sankoorikal and Danny Christafano then put on a show for the Panthers The next three goals came from one or the other with Sankoorikal getting the first in the 27th minute off a feed from Christafano Then the next two goals flipped the script Christafano scored in the 22nd minute from a Sankoorikal feed and then added another goal with only 43 seconds to play in the first half “Jovan and I play club (soccer) together and I feel like we have always had that connection and it’s great to have him for states,” Christafano said after the game Sankoorikal missed the WPIAL final after receiving a red card The stats showed Franklin Regional’s domination in the first half The Panthers racked up 23 total shots in the first half and 11 shots on goal Not to mention their eight corners in the first 40 minutes Safe to say the Panthers were fired up for this one despite the two-hour bus trip to Bellefonte but the Panthers added a goal from sophomore attacker Andrew Acosta with 15 minutes to play as well as an own goal from Bellefonte that set the final score first-year Franklin Regional coach Nick White noted his team’s determination and execution “The boys’ attention to detail that we had tonight was over the bar and we saw stuff in our preparation that we executed,” White said White added that the first goal is critical after a long bus ride Bellefonte coach Scott Martz said his team battled all the way to the finale this season “It’s only our second-ever district title in Bellefonte so I think we had a great season,” Martz said “We knew coming into this game how tough they were going to be but I thought our guys held their own for a while tonight.” Franklin Regional will now look to a quarterfinal matchup with Conrad Weiser If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase Local health care professionals and volunteers will provide medical vision and dental services at a free health clinic at the Bald Eagle Area Middle School and High School this Saturday and Sunday The clinic will be held by the Remote Access Medical Volunteer Corps (RAM) a mobile medical nonprofit that hosts pop-ups across the United States and internationally According to RAM clinic coordinator Brad Sands its goal is to bridge the gap between health care access and those in need of care He said people in many of the communities they serve face barriers to medical care for different reasons maybe there is not a doctor around that they can get to,” Sands said maybe they’re on a fixed income and are unable to afford certain things dentists and ophthalmologists will see patients but having a medical license is not a requirement to be a volunteer The clinic also has community members help with data entry Sands has served as a part of RAM for the last three years He said that seeing the impact of the pop-up clinics has been a rewarding experience but also the community that comes out to deliver the care It’s wonderful to see people helping their neighbors and helping each other out,” Sands said The clinic is open to patients of all ages and does not require insurance or IDs The clinic closing time on Saturday will be based on capacity Currently RAM is looking for more local dental professionals to help at this weekend’s clinic More information on how to volunteer can be found on the RAM website Have a tip for the WPSU newsroom? Email radionews@psu.edu Bellefonte Police Chief Bill Witmer speaks at the Centre County Peace Officers Memorial on May 15 After serving as acting police chief of the Bellefonte Police Department for the past eight months Bill Witmer was formally appointed to the position on a permanent basis on Monday Witmer was sworn in by Mayor Gene “Buddy” Johnson and District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker after Bellefonte Borough Council unanimously approved his appointment as police chief during its regular meeting Council authorized offering the position to Witmer in September and extended the offer letter in November A Bellefonte native and law enforcement veteran of two decades Witmer joined the borough’s police department in 2016 He was a detective before taking on the acting chief role in April “I was blessed to have Bill in class and he was a very reputable individual,” Johnson “He was a great athlete and great person and I am extremely proud to have him be the quarterback of our police force here.” Witmer was tapped to lead the department following the abrupt resignation of Shawn Weaver Weaver’s departure came after the resignations of two Bellefonte officers Reasons for the resignations have not been publicly disclosed Witmer harkened back to the night in April when he was introduced as acting chief “I made two statements that night for the first time I stood up to address you,” he said we were gonna move forward from that point on I told you I was going to be sure we maintained and sustained a high level of police service in the Borough of Bellefonte “To accomplish that I had to have a supporting cast who’s here tonight: the men and women of the Bellefonte police department We need to give them a hand as well because they had a big part in this to get us headed in the right direction believed in my leadership and that’s why we’re here today as well as borough leadership for their support over the past eight months “[It] made my job a lot easier,” he said “You were very accommodating and I appreciate that.” Since Witmer took on the leadership position in April hiring two full-time officers to help rebuild a force that had been depleted by the resignations and a retirement earlier in the year The department currently has eight full-time officers in addition to Witmer Terrapin Care Station will open to patients on Jan Bellefonte is getting its first medical marijuana dispensary in early 2025 Terrapin Care Station located in the former URBN Flavorhaus space at 205 Park Place will begin serving patients with a soft opening on Jan A grand opening event will be held at 11 a.m Founded by Pennsylvania native and Penn State alumnus Chris Woods in 2009 Terrapin initially started with dispensaries in Colorado and expanded to other states But after becoming one of the first 12 grower/processor licensees in Pennsylvania when the commonwealth launched its medical marijuana program in 2017 the company shifted its focus solely to the Keystone State capsules and tinctures that have been sold through partner dispensaries After a change to Pennsylvania law earlier this year allowing qualified independent grower/processor licensees to open dispensaries with Bellefonte being the first followed by Lewisburg in Union County and Lock Haven in Clinton County in the coming months While Centre County currently has four medical marijuana dispensaries all of them are located on the North Atherton Street corridor in the State College area (where another is also expected to open soon) Approximately 43 people will be employed among the three Terrapin Care Center locations “It is an honor to live out the mission of Terrapin by establishing roots in underserved communities,” Woods said in a statement “We are committed to being a true community partner who plays an active and engaged role in helping all individuals live the best quality of life We are thrilled to open our doors in Bellefonte and to get to know and serve our neighbors.”  9 will include remarks from Terrapin representatives along with recognition of the Bellefonte Intervalley Area Chamber and community leaders “Bellefonte is fortunate to have Terrapin join our local business community,” Borough Manager Ralph Stewart said in a statement “We look forward to working collaboratively for the benefit of our residents FaithCentre Food Bank is Terrapin’s nonprofit partner for the Bellefonte location and the grand opening will include a food drive Patients who donate canned food items will receive a special gift bag of Terrapin merchandise The business’ employees also participated in a Toys for Tots donation event on Monday assisting FaithCentre with bagging selected holiday gifts for the Bellefonte nonprofit’s registered clients “We feel very fortunate to partner with Terrapin to elevate our mission and impact within the community,” Nicole Summers “Their ongoing support and commitment to our organization will have a lasting positive impact on Bellefonte’s residents.” Terrapin Care Station’s hours will be 10 a.m Weis Markets store manager Dave Barnard presents a $1,000 donation to FaithCentre as part of a ribbon cutting celebration for the Starbucks location in Weis Markets’ Bellefonte store The Bellefonte area’s first Starbucks location is now open inside Weis Markets Weis and Starbucks representatives held a ribbon-cutting on Monday for the national coffee chain’s kiosk just inside the entrance of the supermarket at 170 Buckaroo Lane in Spring Township the location offers Starbucks’ typical hot and cold beverages It is the first Starbucks in any Weis store “It’s time for Bellefonte to have its own Starbucks,” Weis public relations director Dennis Curtin Curtin told StateCollege.com in September “We believe there is untapped local demand for its products We’re also strong believers in giving our customers more choices and options that work for them.” representatives from Weis Markets presented a $1,000 donation to Bellefonte’s FaithCentre to support the nonprofit organization’s food bank and pet pantry The Starbucks addition is part of upgrades to the Bellefonte Weis store completed earlier this year “Partnering with Starbucks at our Bellefonte location aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing our customers with the best possible shopping experience,” Elaine Cole “We’re thrilled to bring the Bellefonte community its first Starbucks and give our customers more choices and options that work for them.” Red Roost Diner is opening in the former Mr Hot Dog & More location at 807 Pleasantview Boulevard A new family-owned diner is set to serve up homestyle meals in the Bellefonte area The Red Roost Diner is expected to open on Tuesday after a limited soft opening starting Friday Hot Dog & More location at 807 Pleasantview Boulevard Owners Holly and Jason “Sam” Smith plan to serve breakfast The menu will feature many of the traditional favorites you’d expect from a family diner while lunch items include a variety of sandwiches liver and onions and Million Dollar Spaghetti The restaurant will also have homemade desserts and daily dinner specials Also featured will be Holly Smith’s Roost Bowls: a breakfast bowl with chicken and waffles; a lunch bowl with fresh-cut fries chicken and gravy; and a dinner bowl with homemade noodles “It’s going to be home-cooked meals,” Smith said “I’m going to be prepping them there will be some frozen stuff that I can’t In a nod to location’s former tenant, the Red Roost Diner will feature a couple of specialties from Mr. Hot Dog, which closed in November 2023 after nearly four decades in business Texas hot dogs will be a regular part of the menu “They had a famous ham pot pie and they had the famous Texas dog I’m still going to have those,” Smith said “It will still be the same Texas sauce that it was before but the owner’s going to come in and make it for me.” The Smiths had no business or family connection to Mr but after the Condo family decided to close the business Holly started noticing the “for rent” sign outside the building as she drove past every morning Both Holly and Jason Smith have culinary experience Jason worked for years as a cook for Hoag’s Catering and though Holly has spent the past 18 years as a hair stylist she previously had food service experience through Penn State cooking has always been a big part of her life “I always was in the kitchen with my grandmother cooking I still cook for everybody,” Holly Smith said The couple decided to take the plunge last fall and since then have installed new equipment while getting the space ready for its new life as the Red Roost Diner Part of the diner’s community-oriented nature will be reflected in what Holly Smith called the “hunger board.” On it will be tickets for anyone who is struggling to take and turn in for a free meal Community members can also pay for a ticket to be added to the board “If you’re hungry and you’re down on your luck come up to the counter and you get a meal,” she said “It will be there and if you can afford one to give one and if you need one to take one,” she said it got an overwhelmingly positive response A church volunteered to pay for 20 tickets a month and the organizers of Milesburg’s Duckstock charity event also reached out about buying tickets how they can’t wait to come in and eat,” Holly Smith said The Red Roost Diner will be open every day except Wednesday from 7 a.m Holly Smith said that she expects hours will extend to 8 p.m and that she anticipates the diner will open earlier for fishing and hunting seasons For updates, visit the Red Roost Diner Facebook page including the last 24 as its top administrator Bellefonte Borough Manager Ralph Stewart is retiring Bellefonte Borough Council accepted Stewart’s retirement letter at its meeting on Monday His last day in the borough office will be March 28 and he offered to provide assistance during the transition Stewart wrote that retiring was not an easy decision but that it came after “careful consideration” about his “future and personal aspirations.” “I can’t believe how fast time has gone It’s just amazing,” Stewart said on Monday “I will miss everybody… So many people have been good to me and helped me be successful I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me over the years and helped me along the way Stewart started with the borough in July 1994 as the planning later becoming the assistant to the borough manager and the assistant borough manager “If we could keep him here as long as we could we’d be better off,” council member Randy Brachbill said Stewart has been “an invaluable resource” who will be missed “It’s been a pleasure working with you,” council member Doug Johnson said “You’ve taught me a lot and you’ve taken a lot of time with me … I appreciate your insight into lots of things in town Stewart wrote that during his tenure he has “had the pleasure of contributing to a number of successful projects,” such as the waterfront along Spring Creek and the expanded development of Talleyrand Park “This is such a beautiful community and we just need to remember that and go forward,” Stewart said I’m sure you’re going to have much more success in the future.” CENTRE COUNTY — State College boys lacrosse faces adversity for the first time in the 2025 season with three losses in a row including a loss to Central York on Saturday Cooper Brushwood and Luke Ladrido did their best against the Panthers Central York’s Jonas Doll stole the show in net with 10 saves as it took a 10-8 win Central York is undefeated in the 2025 season The next game against Cumberland Valley was not much better as the Little Lions fell 14-11 and a similar story against Manheim Township saw State College fall into a three game losing streak The Little Lions have had a boastful season despite the three straight losses State College is still 6-3 in the year and 6-1 in conference Combs leads the way with 66 points and Owen Kissinger with 70 ground balls The Little Lions are still poised to have a great season but will need to prove to themselves that they can win close games is coming off a huge overtime win against Wyoming Seminary College Prep in a 10-9 overtime win This comes right after a tough loss to Selinsgrove on Wednesday The Raiders followed this with another big win against Lake-Lehman as the offense was firing The 11-5 victory is Bellefonte’s fifth win of the year This year the Raiders have wins against Mifflin County Their only two losses came to Indiana and Selinsgrove BELLEFONTE — Fighting through a plethora of different weather conditions from Mother Nature the Bellefonte girls lacrosse team held its senior night festivities against Mifflinburg Honored on the afternoon were Alannah McNichol the Red Raiders took the contest in a high scoring 16-4 victory We started out 0-6 so we got our first victory I hope the girls feel good,”said Bellefonte coach Kerry O’ Hara “What we need to do is keep moving forward this season.” the Raiders rushed the circle putting early pressure on the Wildcats goal But the game wouldn’t be scoreless for long as Aubrey Barnard picked up the ball at midfield and broke away hitting a goal at 8:29 Bellefonte scored again when Lila Dawson got a pass from Barnard and she sent it home for goal number two at 7:54 the Red Raiders’ defense came out strong forcing numerous Wildcat turnovers and giving the ball to its offense Anika Fetzer scored the team’s third goal at 5:48 on a jump shot slam Dawson hit her second of the game on a transition shot with 4:44 still left in the first Dawson found herself with a hat trick at 2:34 still left in the first as she broke free once again while Mifflinburg was a person down Ava McNichol hit for the Red Raiders again at the 2:30 mark Penalty goal Bernard with seven seconds put Bellefonte in charge 7-0 Bellefonte went right to work when Zoe Wilson caught a pass from Bernard and sent it home at the 10:12 mark Ava McNichols added another Red Raiders again a goal McNichol put herself with two goals with still 8:03 left in the second Annika Fetzer hit goal number two of the game 10-0 The domination continued as Emily Hoffman put one in on a penalty goal with 5:15 left with score showing 11 on the scoreboard for Bellefonte Mifflinburg scored their first goal at 3:07 as number Ainsley Scott notched her first of a hat trick of goals for her team Mifflinburg battled its way back into the game on goals by Scott and teammate Maisey Souders at 8:05 But the rest of the game belonged to the Raiders as Dawson picked up two more goals by Dawson Zoe Wilson and Barnard’s third goal of the game securing the senior night victory BELLEFONTE – On Wednesday afternoon at Governor’s Field the Bellefonte baseball team played host to Laurel Highlands foe Hollidaysburg having won four straight games within the span of a week that streak would come to an end at the hand of the Golden Tigers as a ten-run first inning produced too much of a deficit for the Red Raiders to battle back from Hollidaysburg batters Josh Banks and Cayden Gibbons both hit solo home runs on the afternoon Picking up multiple hits for the Tigers were Josh Banks (2-for-4 2 runs We gave some things but they made it hard for us,” said Bellefonte coach Jon Clark “They capitalized on some mistakes we made They put themselves in a good position to be successful by hitting the ball hard Hats off to them they pounded the baseball today.” the Red Raiders got on the board for the first time Zach Lehman started off the second reaching on an error by the Tigers Parker Capparelle doubled to move Lehman up to third on the play Cody Houser reached base on a Hollidaysburg miscue Hollidaysburg got one run back in the top of the third when Gibbons hit a shot with the wind behind his hit scoring a solo homer to make it an 11-2 contest Bellefonte was held scoreless in the third and Hollidaysburg would two more runs to its lead in the fourth as the semblance of progress the Red Raiders made evaporated The score would remain 13-2 going into the bottom of the fifth as pinch hitter Quinton Crouthamel roped a high-flying double to start off the inning getting to third on a slapping single from Peyton Vancas and later scoring on a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Caleb Auman the Red Raiders failed to secure the additional run it needed to extend the game They will now get some rest as they will not be back in action until next Tuesday when they battle rival Bald Eagle Area Top Hollidaysburg hitters: Josh Banks 2-4 2 runs Top Bellefonte hitters: Quinton Crouthamel Geisinger Bellefonte is located at 226 Buckaroo Lane Geisinger’s new Bellefonte facility is ready to add walk-in care to its services The ConvenientCare walk-in clinic at Geisinger Bellefonte which will be open every day except major holidays will have six exam rooms staffed by three advanced practitioners for treatment of urgent ConvenientCare can address issues such as common illnesses “They’re ideal for anyone who can’t wait to see a primary care physician or who isn’t ill or injured enough to visit an emergency room,” Geisinger wrote in a news release The clinic also offers immunizations and physicals Geisinger Bellefonte ConvenientCare will be open 9 a.m (last patient accepted at 7:45 p.m.) Monday through Friday and 8 a.m (last patient accepted at 5:45 p.m.) Saturday and Sunday Patients can visit visit geisinger.org/urgentcare to see wait times and reserve a spot The new $15 million Geisinger Bellefonte location opened in November relocating the health system’s primary care and urgent care offices in the Bellefonte area under one roof located behind the Weis Markets plaza in Spring Township Lab and radiology services are offered seven days a week for adult and pediatric patients. Self-scheduling is available through MyGeisinger by visiting geisinger.org/mygeisinger or by using the MyChart app to save a spot in line BELLEFONTE- Mother Nature let up for the first time in a week to allow the Bellefonte track and field team to host their last home meet of the season The Raiders hosted Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola Wednesday at Jeremy Herbstritt and Lt Bellefonte had a great outing defeating both the Rams and the Mounties in both boys and girls action The boys defeated Penns Valley 102-38 and topped Philipsburg-Osceola 114-32 Bellefonte’s girls topped the Rams 100-48 and the Mounties 125-21 Penns Valley and PO are a little down this year so you got to get over the mental barrier a little bit That we are going to compete and get after it,” said Bellefonte coach Seth Miller said Liam Halterman had a big PR in the javelin Those are just two of the many strong performances we had today.” the 110-meter hurdles was won by Bellefonte’s Christian Reigh Reigh also landed the top spot in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 50.90 Aiden Osborne finished in the second slot finishing with a mark of 58.82 The Mounties captured the third spot with Landon Neylon with a 1:01.27 Philipsburg-Osceola’s Evan Hartman and Brian Swanson finished with times of 21.05 and 23.39 Bellefonte took the 3,200 relay with a time of 9:22.14 Rounding out the relay was the Mounties with a finishing time of 10:47.07 Things continued strong for the Red Raiders 3,200-meter relay as they posted a winning time of 45.07 while Penns Valley finished second with a mark of 47.21 The 3,200-meter relay was won by Penns Valley followed by Bellefonte with times of 3:46.30 and 3:51.03 respectively Finishing on top in the 100-meter run was Zane Hummel from Bellefonte Placing in the second position was the Rams’ Spencer Althouse with a 11.73 Rounding out the top three was Bellefonte’s Shayne Snook with a time of 11.88 The Raiders’ Andrew Gerasenko finished second 24.89 and teammate Calvin Lovrak was third Bellefonte completed a sweep in the 400-meter run as Lovrak took top honors 56.05 Tristan Liadis was second with a time of 56.22 The Red Raiders also dominated the 800-meter run Picking up the win was Maverick Muchmore with a time of 2:14.46 while second went to Preston Smith posting a 2:19.10 The Mounties captured third as Nassir Watson finished with a time of 2:29.06 the Red Raiders topped out the first two spots Winning the event was Kaiden Williams with a mark of 4:44.68 while teammate Jonathan Gasper followed with a 4:50.72 Penns Valley’s Tacen Price rounded things out at third with a time of 5:01.27 Noah Patel took first with a jump of 5’8″ Philipsburg Osceola’s Robert McClenahan was second with a 5-2 Bellefonte’s Matrix Mokluk hit 10-0 to capture the victory Teammate Colton Chapman also finished at 8-0 Bellefonte took second and third in the long jump Placing first in the jump was Penns Valley’s Noah Coursen with a top leap of 17-01 He was followed by a 16-9 1/2 effort by Cole Giornesto while teammate Wesley Cook who finished with a top jump of 16-0 3/4 Howell finished at the top with a jump of 38-7 McClenahan followed with a second place finish for the Mounties with a 37-0 1/2 finish Taking third was Penns Valley’s Gilby Martin David Witmer place first with a throw of 37-5 3/4 Sam Witmer was second with a throw of 36-10 1/2.Penns Valley’s Owen Robb placed third with a throw of 36-9 1/2 Sam Witmer also placed first in the discus with a throw of 107-5 PO’s Ryan McClue was a close second with a throw of 104-1 Bellefonte’s James Jackson rounded out the top three posting a top toss of 101-6 Liam Halterman gave the Red Raiders a first place finish in the javelin with a winning throw of 164-1 Second place belonged to Penns Valley’s Owen Robb who threw a 139-6 toss Rounding out the top three was the Mounties Evan Echenlaub who threw a 137-5 third place throw the Lady Raiders took the 100-meter run as Althea Helms landed in the top spot at 12.92 Penns Valley’s Jayden Alexander finished a strong second with a 13.76 Bellefonte also took the third spot as Madyson Miller topped out with a 13.79 Helms also took the top spot in the triple jump with a winning distance of 32-9 1/2 Miller was second with a leap of 30-10 1/2 Philipsburg-Osceola’s Lily Warlow finished with a third-place finish of 30-5 this time posting a top finish with a 1:01.7 while teammate Emma Holsinger finished second with a 1:09.14 Mila Klena’s time of 1:11.42 was good enough for a Penns Valley’s third-place finish Helms continued her torrid winning ways as she also placed first in the long jump Penns Valley’s Elizabeth Romig was next with a 15-2 performance Placing third was Philipsburg-Osceola’s Warlow the Rams took the top spot when Elizabeth Romig finished with a time of 29.03 The Red Raiders’ Autumn Naspinski was third Penns Valley’s Lillyanna Smith finished at the top of the charts in the 800 finishing a second place finish of 2.34.72 Coming in third was Raider Annie Cernuska with a 2:36.47 Bellefonte’s Addison Fry earned the top spot Penns Valley’s Smith followed up with a second-place finish of 5:37.07 Third place was earned by Leire Landeras-Ruiz Landeras-Ruiz also claimed a victory in the 3,200 The Rams took the top spot in the 100-meter hurdles as Miley Hubler took first with a time of 18.53 while the Red Raiders’ Ruthann Smoyer was close behind Rounding out the top three was fellow Red Raider Aalyn Cernuska with a 19.39 Bellefonte captured the 300-hurdles with Cernuska taking the win with a time of 56.46 Teammate Snyder finished second with a 57.50 Bellefonte finished first with a finishing mark of 11:00.32 The Rams finished second while the Mounties placed third Penns Valley also took the 400 relay with a winning time of 53.78 The Lady Raiders placed first and third in the high jump Leading the way was Anna Tyson with a finishing jump of 4-8 while Penns Valley’s Miley Hubler also finished with a 4-8 Rounding out the event was Emma Holsinger at 4-6 Bellefonte placed first and second in the pole vault Taking the win was Victoria Schellenberg with a launch of 10-0 while teammate Paige Jodon was next with a 7-8 PO’s Veda Kephart finished third with a leap of 7-0 Madison Miller placed first with a first place throw of 28-9 Second was Victoria Schellenberg with a toss of 28-0 1/2 Rounding out the Lady Raiders sweep was Emma Harter with a 25-9 performance Emma Harter led the Lady Raiders in the discus with a winning throw of 82-8 Teammate Miller was second posting a throw of 78-11 Breanne Porter gave Penns Valley third in the event Miller took the javelin with a winning distance of 107-1 The Mounties Avery Wood followed with a distance of 86-11 Red Raider teammate Schellenberg finished third with a throw of 81-2 TIM WEIGHT/For the Express A Bellefonte athlete prepares for an event A Bellefonte pair completes a handoff in a relay during the team's home tri meet against Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola on Wednesday TIM WEIGHT/For the Express A Bellefonte athlete prepares to perform a discus throw A Bellefonte pair completes a handoff in a relay during the team's home tri meet against Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola on Wednesday Bees Knees Coffee plans to open Shaky Hands Coffee Shop in 2025 at 106 W A local mobile coffee business is getting ready to open a cafe in downtown Bellefonte Bees Knees Coffee plans to open Shaky Hands Coffee Shop in March at 106 W “This has been a loooooong awaited announcement and we’re still waiting for an opening day but we are happy to announce that you will finally have a seat and cover from the elements while you enjoy a coffee or treat from us,” the business wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday The new shop will continue to feature “everything you love about Bees Knees Coffee the baked goods and the sass,” along with some additions It will will continue to use Cafe Lemont for its house roast but will also have coffees roasted throughout Pennsylvania to drink in the shop and to purchase whole bean and ground breakfast and lunch items and soup also will be on the menu With interior seating and an outdoor space to enjoy in warmer months Shaky Hands will showcase work by Pennsylvania artists on its walls music and other opportunities for people to come together and share.” “Shaky Hands Coffee Shop is a space for you family and loved ones to come gather and be a place that you want to hang out,” according to the post After operating the former Daily Dose Cafe at Geisinger Grays Woods since 2015 owner Bromlyn Fitzgerald launched Bees Knees Coffee in 2020 with its its mobile trailer delivery service and pickup window in Pleasant Gap LOCK HAVEN — Work has begun at the intersections of Bellefonte Avenue The upgrades are part of the city’s on-going efforts to upgrade signals throughout the city — with previous upgrades being made to various intersections in the Central Business District by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) PennDOT upgraded numerous other signals in the city Second Avenue and Barton Street intersection or North Fairview Street and Water Street intersection,” City Planner Abbey Roberts said the city received a $351,719 Green Light Go Grant to update the remaining signals the city hired engineering firm TransAssociates to design the project and awarded a construction bid to M&B Services Work on the project will take place in stages until August 2025 It will also include upgrading sidewalks to ADA compliance and curb cuts “The foundations for the new signal poles and all road crossings and sidewalks will be completed by May The poles themselves and other signal equipment are estimated to ship in July and will be installed shortly after,” Roberts Traffic patterns aren’t expected to be affected during the construction She added the public will be notified if that changes the improvements to this intersection will increase safety for motorists and pedestrians,” she said Signal upgrades aren’t the only upcoming projects for the city this summer Roberts said Phase 3A of the Sunset Pines Drainage and Roadway improvements is slated for the summer Roberts said this phase of the project will mainly address stormwater drainage and paving within the development including placing/replacing inlets The main area of focus for this phase is Hemlock Drive with some work being completed on neighboring streets “The project was recently awarded to Big Rock Paving and construction and will start shortly,” she said All improvements will be completed by August “The city continues to make phased improvements to the Sunset Pines neighborhood to enhance stormwater infrastructure and increase the quality of life for residents,” Roberts said Both projects will be listed on the city’s Civil Space page — https://lockhavenpa.civilspace.io/en — where individuals can sign up to receive updates as they progress A site featuring work of Bellisario College students and related media This dialog contains the full navigation menu for bellisariostudentmedia.psu.edu ---The Bellefonte Raiders hosted the Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils at Bellefonte Area Middle School Red Raiders Reagan Manning hit a home run out of the ballpark bringing her and her teammate Cheyenne Lose home Bellwood Antis’s Amyra Snyder hit a powerful single to left field and passed to the third baseman Brooke Swanger This opened the opportunity to steal for Blue Devils Palynn Gregg and she capitalized on it The score was 13-2 to start off the fifth inning where Manning hit a double to right field Up next to bat was first baseman Taylor Brown who hit a powerful home run straight out the park Brown and Manning both got to celebrate with their teammates at home plate as the game ended on run rule The Raiders will face Hollidaysburg on the road Wednesday The Blue Devils will take on Clearfield at home on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m Kennedy Rivers is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism Residents interested in filling the vacancy should submit an application, resume and letter of interest by noon on April 18. The application form is available online and should be submitted to lelder@basd.net or Mrs The individual selected to fill the vacancy will serve the remainder of Jack Bechdel II’s term expiring in December candidates must be at least 18 years of age and must have been a resident of the school district for at least one year prior to the date of the appointment The remaining eight members of the board will select the person to fill the vacancy Candidates will be interviewed during the board’s meeting at 7 p.m on April 22 at the Bellefonte Area Middle School cafeteria Bechdel resigned from the board on Friday night two days after he was accused of striking his girlfriend in the face and shoving her out of a car He was charged with one misdemeanor count of simple assault and a summary count of physical harassment after the incident on April 2 in College Township according to an affidavit of probable cause Bechdel was located at Lowe’s in Patton Township and admitted to an officer that he struck the woman in the way she described He said he only did so because she struck him on the side of his face and mouth while he was driving His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday Bechdel was elected to the board in 2021 and was in the final year of his first term and since the deadline to withdraw has already passed will still appear on the ballot for the May 20 primary more frustrations are being expressed about a long-delayed economic project that has yet to break ground a field along Spring Creek has been vacant now for close to twenty years plans were unveiled for the Waterfront Project Bellefonte Borough entered an agreement with the developer and sold them the property with groundbreaking dates delayed multiple times to 15 month build for the project,” project developer Tom Songer stated last year We recently asked the Bellefonte Borough manager if there are concerns about the ongoing project delays. “We are still optimistic that either these owners or maybe a future set of owners someone will move forward with the project at some point.” council members reviewed the borough's Waterfront Project agreement “It is further motioned that council strongly encourages the owners to break ground on this long anticipated economic development project as soon as possible.” One council member asked if the borough could back out of the agreement with the waterfront developer and I don’t like the design of the buildings It sounds like it’s more of a private enterprise than really benefitting the borough.” Bellefonte manager Ralph Stewart stresses that the developer owns the property and the borough has no regulatory power over a timeline for groundbreaking and construction BELLEFONTE — The choice that has been looming over the heads of board members of the Bellefonte Area School District has finally been made With construction well underway for the new nearly $50 million elementary school the school board had to deliberate on what of the four elementary schools — if any — would close it was decided the Bellefonte and Benner Elementary Schools will be closed at the end of the 2025-26 school year “There’s no way we can renovate all four buildings,” said Board President Jon Guizar who briefly talked about the history of the project Representatives from BASD’s construction management firm previously provided an in-depth analysis of each building and their recommendations for closures which is available online at bit.ly/bellefonteschools SiteLogIQ’s facility condition analysis identified Bellefonte Elementary as the school in the poorest condition which was most recently renovated and deemed to be in significantly better condition than the other three schools Discussion about the poor condition of these schools date back to between 2008 to 2010 but progress began in earnest in 2016 with the feasibility study conducted by Crabtree The building analysis included the Facility Condition Index scores for each building along with SiteLogIQ’s recommendations The FCI score is calculated by dividing the cost of repairs and maintenance for a building by the cost of replacing it A higher percentage indicates a more intensive recommended action ranging from minimal current capital funding needed to the recommendation that the building be considered for closure or replacement The choice came down to Bellefonte Elementary and either Pleasant Gap or Benner Elementary for closure was built in 1942 and last renovated in 1964 Currently operating at 71.5 percent capacity the 86,252-square-foot facility was given a 86.1 percent FCI score and rated a 99 by SiteLogIQ for closing or replacement because of its extensive maintenance needs Safe School recommendations that could be implemented and none of the facilities fully meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) building standards Bellefonte Elementary School is the worst offender cabinetry and railing systems all fail to meet ADA requirements and the school lacks a fire suppression system and code compliant fire alarms With projected costs inflated to 2024 values the study estimates long term maintenance would cost between $18,673,561 to $23,815,586 To replace the building with a new construction it would cost between $32,775,760 and $36,225,840 SiteLogIQ recommended that Bellefonte Elementary be considered first for closing The school in second-worst condition is Benner Elementary which is the smallest at 28,781-square-feet includes four modular classrooms and one learning support room The school is currently at 95.8 percent capacity with 253 students the building is recommended for closure or replacement the building would need to add accessible walkways and ramps and be regraded to meet slope requirements All restrooms would need to be updated alongside the school’s drinking fountains SiteLogIQ recommended replacing the building’s soffit sanitary sewer system and visual display equipment The school’s modular classrooms do not comply with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) standards for permanent construction Additional concerns were raised regarding exposed electrical conduits and wiring on the building’s exterior which do not meet current construction standards The school also lacks a fire suppression system The school also relies on noncompliant ventilation systems and inadequate Doing maintenance and necessary repairs on the building is expected to cost between $6,170,736 and $7,237,776 whereas an entirely new build would cost only about $4.8 million more the original wing of the building was demolished in 1976 so most of the building’s age can be dated to that renovation the 37,557-square-foot school includes one Life Skills and three Learning Support rooms placing it third in priority to consider replacing the building would need to see the driveways parking lots and walkways updated to accommodate people with limited mobility and the doorways rail systems and drinking fountains updated as they need to be in Bellefonte and Benner Elementary The rooftops electrical equipment and the building’s lintels and other ferrous metal items need to be replaced because they are outdated or deteriorated the building’s entire room system would need to be replaced HVAC systems and aging and non-code compliant fixtures in need of upgrade and replacement To maintain the building and do any necessary repairs it would cost between $1,345,188 to $1,717,872 There was a long discussion about the options in front of them and the board members spoke at length about their individual processes for deciding which school to close A lot of these processes were set into motion before some of the board members were even there Many of the board members agreed that it would be best to keep all schools but unfortunately it wasn’t feasible “It is my understanding that this decision is primarily for the facility infrastructure when we are making this consideration there are so many other factors that are intertwined with this She acknowledged the public who came out to offer their thoughts you have been heard and I cannot thank you enough for sharing with me and my fellow board members your thoughts.” it was a combination of the physical challenges of the buildings and a need to allocate resources to facilities that can meet the long term needs of BASD students that forced the board to reach the conclusion to close Benner Elementary school Rakszawski shared a letter to parents that read “After much deliberation and careful consideration of the physical conditions of our facilities the Board has decided to close Bellefonte Elementary and Benner Elementary at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 school year.” He encouraged parents to reach out to him or their school’s principal if they have any questions “We will work closely with you to address your concerns and provide the support needed during this time of change This includes helping students adjust to their new school environments and creating opportunities for families to ask questions and share feedback throughout the process,” he wrote BELLEFONTE – Tuesday evening it was an intense opener for both the Bellefonte and Mifflin County boys lacrosse team as both opened their season in a nail biting contest as the Raiders won “This is the first time we’ve had seniors We’ve graduated two or three kids a year and it’s really nice to have a senior class that’s been around for a while,” said Bellefonte coach Rick Johnson “The kids have been working really hard.” Bellefonte’s Ryder Hamilton notched a double hat trick finishing with seven goals Also picking up a hat trick was Mifflin County’s Nathan Parkes that’s for sure,” said Mifflin County coach Brett Rogers “We just need to get a little more in the back of the net and we’ll even up there pretty quick It certainly wasn’t for lack of effort Maybe we’ll just have game plan a little better for next time.” Early in the first and Mifflin County playing one man down The Huskies defense was able to stop the first surge of pressure despite not being at full strength The defense forced the first Bellefonte shot to go wide Raiders shots continued to be wide and the Huskies goalie Jamison Parkes was able to notch a save Hamilton started his offensive of attack notching a goal off of a Nate Cherinka assist It would be Hamilton again finding a seam in the Huskies defense and posted an unassisted second goal But the Huskies would have its chances and make the most of it The Huskies finally got on the board at the 6:24 mark of the opening period when Dodger Weaver it 2-1 thanks to an assist by Dan Rogers at 6:24 Rogers called his own number hitting a goal at 5:54 tying things up at 2-2 The MC defense clamped down keeping the Raiders outside the circle keeping them to limited penetration for the rest of the first Bellefonte tried to take advantage of the Huskies being a player down in the last minute of play in the first quarter sending things into the second tied at two Mifflin County started out with a breakaway shot attempt by Kaden Miller only to have it stopped by Raiders goalie Austin Smith Bellefonte’s first possession they pressured the Mifflin County backline Bellefonte’s Nate Cherinka scored on an unassisted goal of his own MC looked to keep the Raiders off the board Hamilton had other ideas posting a hat trick at 4:27 But a fancy spin move by Nathan Parkes scored a Huskies goal at 3:21 Nathan Parkes hit the hat trick with a scorching blast at 3:08 The goal forced Bellefonte to call a time out also at 3:08 After the Raiders regrouped out of the time out Hamilton got on the board once again with 1:51 left in the half Hamilton’s blast came from behind the circle Bellefonte tried to extend its lead into the second half Mifflin County started things off as they took the ball down but was stopped after two saves by Bellefonte goalie The Raiders first touch had them eyeing up another goal opportunity but Mifflin County temporarily stopped the Raiders But after a Mifflin County turnover Hamilton was back at it again Hamilton scored another unassisted goal again Less than a Minute later Hamilton he also found net Hamilton tickled the twine seconds later as he hit a 5:50 goal But you can’t ever count out the Huskies as Trey Smith found an opening and got it to Weaver Weaver found nothing but net on the Mifflin County goal at 5:29 Weaver brought the Huskies even closer as he posted another goal at 5:02 Bellefonte’s Nate Benner made the Raiders notch the last score of the third getting the ball to Cherinka for the goal upping the lead to 9-6 both teams defense withstood the pressure and was able to keep the others off the board ending the contest at 9-7 in favor of the Raiders The only goal of the fourth came from Nathan Parkes at 11:40 finishing the scoring at 9-7 Alloy Kitchen’s Happy Valley Restaurant Week special in 2024 featured strawberry burrata salad crispy pickled chicken sandwich and a Mad McIntosh cider flight Alloy Kitchen part of Titan Hollow on Axemann Road in Spring Township a State College native and a 2012 State High alum recently took ownership of the restaurant from founder Lori Sabatino who opened Alloy Kitchen in 2022 as part of the venue in Titan Energy Park Caracillo called the transition “an exciting evolution” for what has become a Bellefonte area culinary staple He said in a news release that he plans to bring fresh ideas while carrying on the foundation of what Sabatino has developed over the past three years with her vision for high-quality “Alloy Kitchen has always been about great food and a strong sense of community,” Caracillo said “I’m excited to build on what Lori started and continue making this a place where people come together over amazing meals.” Caracillo has worked alongside Sabatino and helped to shape Alloy Kitchen’s menu and operations “Tony has been working side by side with me for the past year helping to drive Alloy Kitchen’s success.” Sabatino said in a statement Caracillo has held positions at multiple restaurants in Centre County and spent five years in the Scottsdale where he said he worked under two James Beard chefs at three award-winning restaurants He previously worked front of house at Titan Hollow — which brings together Alloy Kitchen Mad McIntosh Cider and Witches’ Hollow Winery under one roof — as a server and bartender Sabatino brought the idea of taking ownership of the restaurant to him “It felt like a perfect fit given my background and relationship with Titan Hollow as well as my overall knowledge and passion of working in restaurants,” Caracillo told StateCollege.com “I’ve worked in a variety of settings But he says customers can expect “the same dedication to bold flavors and creative dishes that have defined the restaurant.” I’m not messing with the fish and chips,” Caracillo said A bridge on Interstate 80 in Centre County will soon be partially demolished as part of the project to construct a high-speed interchange with Interstate 99 the contractor will demolish half of the bridge spanning Route 26 on Interstate 80 eastbound at mile 160 in Marion Township The following detours will be in place during the two-day demolition • Drivers on I-80 westbound heading for Interstate 99 via Route 26 will continue to exit 158/Milesburg I-99 southbound will not be accessible from the westbound lanes at exit 161/Bellefonte traffic will take I-80 eastbound back to the 161/Bellefonte interchange to reconnect with I-99 • Drivers on I-99 northbound heading for Route 26 northbound or I-80 westbound will take I-80 eastbound to exit 163/Jacksonville-Howard Route 26 northbound and I-80 westbound will not be accessible from I-99 northbound • Southbound drivers on Route 26 heading for I-99 southbound will merge onto I-80 westbound at the 161/Bellefonte interchange and follow it to Milesburg The ramps to I-80 eastbound will not be accessible drivers will take I-80 eastbound back to the 161/Bellefonte interchange to reconnect with I-99 southbound Work recently resumed for the season on the interchange project which will create a direct connection between I-80 and I-99 via high-speed ramps constructed in Boggs Spring and Marion townships in the area of the current Bellefonte I-80 exit It will eliminate the need to travel along Route 26 to access either highway remove stop-controlled intersections and realign service to local traffic Overall construction will include building the interchange seven sign structures and three changeable message boards It will also include new and reconstructed roadways and ramps installing Intelligent Transportation Devices stream improvements and miscellaneous other construction Trumbull Corporation of Pittsburgh is the contractor on the interchange project which will be completed over the next six construction seasons Funding for the project includes $170 million provided from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 The interchange is the second and largest phase of a three-phase project $6.9 million phase will reconstruct and widen Route 26/Jacksonville Road from the I-80 Bellefonte exit to Shay Lane in Marion Township Excavation work for that phase started in November and active construction will begin this year provides access for local traffic to Jacksonville Road which will no longer be available from the current Bellefonte exit once the high-speed interchange is complete PHOTO PROVIDEDA promotional image shows a skater alongside the logo for the skating rink BELLEFONTE — With frosty weather in the forecast there’s no better time to discover one of Bellefonte’s most charming seasonal attractions — the Rink at Talleyrand the Rink at Talleyrand offers a picturesque venue for skaters of all ages and abilities to glide across the ice “This has been by far the best winter season we’ve been operational the rink has maintained its ice consistency and we’ve seen many people enjoying the rink nearly every day,” said Mark Dello Stritto owner of local advertising agency Blink Advertising who originally conceptualized the public ice skating rink The rink gained traction in 2021 when he began discussing the idea with Bonfatto’s Italian Market & Corner Cafe’s previous owner After researching to find an affordable and worthwhile option the pair approached other business owners to sponsor the purchase of the rink for donation to the borough non profit organizations and local businesses it’s yet another attraction to pull people into Bellefonte — especially as a winter destination to help spur visitation and commerce during the winter months,” said Dello Stritto He added that social media comments and shares have provided tons of positive feedback and exhibited lots of excitement To keep the rink open for the community as long as possible organizers encourage skaters to be mindful of its conditions and signage To ensure a successful season and give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the ice Bellefonte.com has shared a series of rules and reminders for skaters: The ice isn’t entirely smooth like an indoor rink as there is no Zamboni There are no rentals at this time and shoes are prohibited on the ice unless it’s to accompany a child — Children under 12 must be supervised by a parent or guardian — Avoid the sides of the rink to ensure the rink’s liner is not damaged by skates the rink will have to close early for the season — No food or drink is permitted in the rink — If there is snow on top of the ice will work as fast as they can to remove the snow — Rubber mats line the walkway from the park promenade Consider bringing a folding chair or camp chair to sit on while lacing up your skates — When you see the “Temporarily Closed” sign up — Use your best judgment when you arrive — Use the hashtag #LoveBFT when you share your photos “The goal for the rink is to serve the community and we must all work together to make sure it can be open for us as often and as long as possible,” the sponsors wrote online The organizers extended special thanks to the sponsors who contributed financially or provided services to bring the Rink at Talleyrand to life Bonfatto’s Italian Market & Corner Cafe Schuster Landscaping and the following Bellefonte Bed & Breakfasts: Bellefonte B&B They also thanked the numerous volunteers and Bellefonte Borough They handle everything from installing the boards and liner to filing the rink “We love having the ice rink as a free wintertime activity,” added Borough Manager Ralph Stewart You never know when Mother Nature might change her plans so lace up your skates and enjoy the rink while you can Elks Lodges begin the process of installing new officers for the coming lodge year The Bellefonte Elks Lodge #1094 Installation Team recently undertook the installation of new Lodge Officers with the Installation Team are the newly installed officers of the lodge Trustee; and PER Ray Holsing (Installation Team) PER and DDGER Adam Rawding (Installation Team); Trustee and PER Dale Moore (Installation Team); Ed Evock Secretary; PER and PDDGER Chris Shuey (Installation Team); PER and PDDGER Denise Zelznick (Installation Team); PER Nina King (Installation Team); Tom Crist (Loyal Knight); Evan Edwards (Leading Knight); PER Douglas Linebaugh (Installation Team); PER Jeff Kephart (Installation Team) and Brenda Kephart (Installation Team)