Centre Daily Times week in review

State College Pride parade hits record 1,200 marchers

Downtown State College hosted its 6th annual Pride celebration, coordinated by Centre LGBT+, drawing nearly 1,200 parade marchers — almost 400 more than the previous year — and thousands of attendees throughout the day. The 1.1-mile parade began at State College Area High School and ended at Sidney Friedman Park, where live music, drag performances and family activities took place. Pride Grand Marshal Erica Deuso, the first openly transgender mayor in Pennsylvania, led the parade and spoke about the value of transgender visibility. State College Mayor Ezra Nanes expressed his excitement at the growth of Pride and his continuing commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. Free games lined the outside of the municipal building and parents and children visited the face paint stand, balloon artist, puppet lab and more. The League of Women Voters also participated, focusing on voter registration efforts.

Reported by Avery McGurgan, published June 13

Nonprofit’s poetry project bridges generations locally

Ridgelines Language Arts, a Centre County nonprofit, is showcasing its annual “A Poem in Our Eyes” exhibit at Schlow Library throughout June, marking the first time local students have participated in the project. The program pairs Centre Care residents with State High photography students, connecting older adults experiencing memory loss with young artists. Teaching artist Robyn Rydzy leads weekly poetry classes at Centre Care from February to mid-April, encouraging residents to collaborate on poems inspired by student photographs. Like many small nonprofits, Ridgelines has faced funding challenges after losing government grants, according to executive director Jenny Hwozdek. This year’s project was sponsored by the Janet Atwood Fund. The exhibit will move to Centre Care’s memory ward after its library run.

Reported by Avery McGurgan, published June 15

Mount Nittany sues feds over sole community hospital designation loss

Mount Nittany Medical Center has filed a lawsuit against top federal health officials after losing its sole community hospital Medicare designation, a status it held since 2017. The hospital says the revocation could cost approximately $9 million annually, roughly 15% of its $61.2 million 2024 profit. The designation was stripped following the July 2024 opening of Penn Highlands State College, located about four miles away, which the government deemed a “like hospital.” Mount Nittany argues the government improperly combined Penn Highlands State College data with the larger Penn Highlands Huntingdon, and that Penn Highlands lacks comparable clinical services. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, its Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and its Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz were listed as defendants. The hospital is seeking full reinstatement of its designation.

Reported by Bret Pallotto, published June 15

EF-1 tornado confirmed in Centre County by NWS

An EF-1 tornado touched down in northern Centre County on June 14, the National Weather Service’s State College office confirmed. The twister struck about 2 miles south of Pine Glen just after 7:30 p.m., damaging trees, knocking down power lines, and tearing off part of a roof. Winds peaked at 116 mph as the tornado traveled a 1.16-mile path near state Route 879 in roughly four minutes. No injuries or deaths were reported. The NWS also identified an EF-1 tornado in Warren County, an EF-0 in Potter County, and both an EF-1 and EF-0 in Butler County from the same storm system. This marks Centre County’s first confirmed tornado since an EF-1 near Zion in July 2023. Pennsylvania sees roughly 15 tornadoes recorded each year, according to an NWS forecaster.

Reported by Matt DiSanto, published June 16

Centre County cancer fund marks 20 years of support

The Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an online fundraiser aiming to raise $20,000 between June 1 and Oct. 19. Founded in 2006 by Doreen Perks in memory of her husband Bob Perks, a Coaches vs. Cancer founding member at Penn State who died of melanoma in 2005, the fund helps cancer patients in seven counties cover everyday expenses like food, rent and utility bills. Recipients can receive up to $1,000 every 90 days based on established need. Since its inception, the fund has donated over $3.5 million to approximately 6,000 families. An anonymous donor has pledged to match contributions up to $10,000. Executive director Cindy Brown noted that grant applications are rising, which she suspects may be linked to delayed cancer diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cori Donaghy, diagnosed with mantle cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011, now performs with her band annually at the fund’s “Rock the 80s” fundraiser after receiving assistance during her treatment.

Reported by Avery McGurgan, published June 11

Penn State cracks top 100 in global university rankings

Penn State University tied for No. 92 out of 2,438 universities in U.S. News & World Report’s latest “Best Global Universities” rankings, placing it in the middle of the Big Ten conference. The rankings, now in their 12th year, measure academic research performance and international reputation across 13 factors, including citations and publications. Penn State ranked slightly lower than last year’s No. 91 tie. The university boasts eight disciplines ranked in the top 50 globally and 19 in the top 100, with Space Science leading at No. 20. University spokesperson Wyatt DuBois credited the ranking to Penn State’s research enterprise, academic programs, and faculty and students.

Reported by Josh Moyer, published June 16

This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 6:35 PM with the headline "Centre Daily Times week in review."