Centre Daily Times week in review

State College music teacher wins national album award

State College preschool music teacher Margot Bevington has earned national recognition after her third children’s album, “I Count,” won a National Parenting Award in May. The album, which tackles themes like pronouns, skin color and growing up, uses gentle instrumentation and repetition to help young listeners recognize their own value and the value of others. Bevington wrote, recorded, and produced the album over three years alongside local recording artist Jason Olcese of My Hero Zero and the Happy Valley Song Lab. The title carries a double meaning — counting with numbers and the idea that every person matters. Bevington, who overcame a childhood speech delay through music, has taught for over 20 years and currently leads classes at local preschools, Centre Region Parks and Recreation, Schlow Library and Centre LGBT+. She is already planning a fourth album focused on nature and science.

Reported by Avery McGurgan, published June 28

Mount Nittany earns Level IV trauma center status

Mount Nittany Medical Center has officially received Level IV trauma center accreditation from the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, following more than two years of preparation. The designation, the lowest on a four-tier scale, means the hospital can rapidly stabilize trauma patients and arrange transfers to higher-level facilities, with advanced trauma life support staff available around the clock. Dr. Matthew Davidson, the trauma program director, noted the hospital handles a volume comparable to a Level I center, calling it an “extreme outlier” among Level IV facilities. Commissioner Mark Higgins praised the achievement, citing the region’s growing population. Before this designation, State College was farther from an accredited trauma center than any other similarly populated incorporated place in Pennsylvania. Davidson said there are no current plans to pursue a higher accreditation level, though he acknowledged future community needs could change that.

Reported by Jacob Michael, published June 29

Historic Centre County site transfers to local group

After decades of state ownership, the Roland Curtin Foundation for the Preservation of Eagle Furnace has officially acquired Curtin Village and Eagle Iron Works in Boggs Township, the site of Pennsylvania’s longest operating charcoal ironworks. The Curtin family donated the property to the commonwealth in the 1960s for restoration as a museum, and the foundation was created to give tours and help maintain it. The transfer, finalized in December, opens new funding opportunities, as the nonprofit can now apply for state and federal grants that were previously unavailable under state ownership. State Rep. Paul Takac sponsored the bill authorizing the transfer, saying it was in the best interest of the people of the commonwealth. Curtin Village is still a nationally registered historic site. Given this status, the RCF needs permission from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to make any alterations to the site.

Reported by Cecile McWilliams, published June 25

New trail opens in Rothrock State Forest

An 11-mile stretch of the Musser Gap Trail officially opened in Rothrock State Forest last week, marking the completion of phase two of a project to build 50 miles of sustainable trails in Centre and Huntingdon counties. The trail now spans about 18 miles, connecting the State College area to Whipple Dam State Park. The state DCNR has invested nearly $3 million in the project so far. A $375,000 grant was also announced to fund phase three, which will extend the trail to Greenwood Furnace State Park, bringing its total length to approximately 30 miles. The new portion of the trail was debuted at a ribbon-cutting on June 24 by state and local officials, along with several trail volunteers.

Reported by Jacob Michael, published June 26

Centre County awards record $1.15M in tourism grants

Centre County has awarded a record-breaking $1.15 million in tourism grants to more than 70 local organizations, surpassing last year’s total by nearly $50,000. The 91 funded projects — ranging from $1,000 to $75,000 — were announced June 24 at The Arboretum at Penn State. Funded by Centre County’s 5% lodging tax, the grants support nonprofits, festivals, theaters and community amenities. Recipients include the Central PA Festival of the Arts, Centre Film Festival, People’s Choice Festival and the Nittany Mountain Biking Association. Local pools were awarded grants to improve their services, from $25,000 to upgrade Kepler Pool Bathhouse to $30,000 for Mountaintop Area’s pool expansion project. Since 2003, the program has distributed more than $10.5 million to support tourism and community development across the county.

Reported by Josh Moyer, published June 28

Penn State staff group seeks to unionize

Following Penn State faculty’s vote to unionize in May, a new group called Penn State Professionals United is working to organize approximately 6,000 non-faculty professional staff across all university campuses. Represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, the group includes research engineers, IT employees, marketing staff and others across 880 job titles. Key concerns driving the effort include planned campus closures, lack of transparency in university decision-making, high cost of living, parking fees and tuition benefits. The group is focused on building a supermajority through one-on-one outreach before pursuing a formal unionization vote, with no set timeline announced.

Reported by Paloma Pimentel, published June 25

This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Centre Daily Times week in review."