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9-day closure set for Bellefonte exit

From staff reports BELLEFONTE — The Bellefonte exit from Interstate 80 eastbound will close for nine days beginning Sunday evening as work continues on the new high-speed interchange connecting I-80 and Interstate 99. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said Exit 161/Bellefonte and the right travel lane of I-80 eastbound will close at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, while crews replace a box culvert. Crews will work around the clock during the nine-day closure, PennDOT said. During the closure, eastbound traffic will use the crossover lane at mile marker 159.2 to cross the ...

Noisy data center debate goes on

Doing nature study or creative writing can prompt Anna Clement to hold class for her four kids in the backyard – the outdoors “brings them joy,” she says – but now she worries about a potential threat to the peace and quiet. The same worry is being felt just beyond the trees at the edge of the backyard, where there is a public school attended by thousands of children. It’s Parkland, the fifth-largest high school in the state. Superintendent Mark Madson wrote about the same concern that Clement feels as she home-schools her 10-year-old quadruplets: Will noise from a ...

Poetry workshops explore justice and community

UNIVERSITY PARK — Local poets and writers are invited to take part in a free September workshop series exploring poetry as a tool for healing, resistance, community building and social change. Award-winning author and poet Terry Watson and State College’s inaugural Poet Laureate Carmin Wong will lead the “What is Justice” Disability, Justice and Community Poetry Workshop Series on three consecutive Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2. The series is open to new and experienced writers. The two workshops are limited to 14 participants, and participants are asked to attend both ...

Free STEM Day opens its doors for middle schoolers

STATE COLLEGE — Middle school students from across central Pennsylvania will have an opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics through hands-on activities during a free STEM Day for Schools this fall. Discovery Space is expanding its Maker Faire Happy Valley programming with the event, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 2 at the State College YMCA. The program is being offered in partnership with Kid Tech Inc. Participation is free for schools, homeschool groups and organized learning cohorts through support from the AAUW State College branch and the ...

Penn State trustees lift ‘gag policy’ on emeriti members

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State’s Board of Trustees has lifted a “gag policy” on emeriti members that prevented them from freely speaking to the public and the press, a move lawyers for the board’s leadership say should resolve a First Amendment lawsuit brought by Spotlight PA and two other media outlets. However, in a reply brief, lawyers for the newsrooms say the change didn’t fix the underlying problem and argue the “Board’s last-minute amendment to the Bylaws … is a transparent attempt to evade review of the Board’s unconstitutional policy.” Two First Amendment ...

‘Bare minimum’ healthcare in rural Pa threatens to get worse

Residents of rural Pennsylvania continue to face obstacles to receiving healthcare as new Medicaid and Medicare requirements may soon disproportionately affect residents. Advocates and nonprofits are working to keep these services accessible. Northwestern Pennsylvania has historically faced healthcare challenges for years, and is home to the phenomenon dubbed the ‘maternity desert’. Larger than Connecticut, this desert is comprised of eight counties which lack access to hospitals with delivery services or maternity providers. “We are really seeing challenges with ...