Railroad company says idle tank cars pose no threat

Public concern over the railroad tanker cars along East College Avenue is much ado about nothing.

North Shore Railroad Company and Affiliates Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jeb S. Stotter said the Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad, which NSRCA owns, is a common carrier rail operator that “handles many commodities” including tank car storage as a service.

The food grade railroad tanker cars being stored in College Township carry things like liquid sugar, corn syrup and vegetable oils. Despite speculation from some, the railroad tanker cars are not associated with the drilling industry and do not pose a public or environmental threat.

The empty tank cars, according to Stotter, are privately owned and sitting idle due to a downturn in the economy.

“(They are) just a piece of steel sitting idle,” he said.

It is unknown how long the cars could be there.

“(It) depends on economic and market forces,” Stotter said.

Grants for tourism

The Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau and Centre County Board of Commissioners have opened applications for tourism grants.

The Tourism Grant Program, in its 14th year, intends to provide financial assistance to 501(c)(3) nonprofit groups and organizations in Centre County with tourism projects aimed at increasing overnight visitation to the area and enhancing the tourism experience. More than $2.6 million has been awarded to local groups and organizations through the program.

The funds for the program are made available through the bureau’s hotel tax revenues, a percentage of which is dedicated to the Tourism Grant Program.

The application and guidelines are available online at visitpennstate.org.

The deadline to submit an application is March 30. Awards will be announced by May 31.

Awards, according to guidelines, are granted on the basis of merit as determined by the Tourism Grant Review Committee and administered by the CCBC and CPCVB.

Boot camp for business

The deadline to apply to be a part of the Ben Franklin TehCelerator’s 10-Week Boot Camp is approaching.

The TechCelerator has helped launch 43 companies, raised about $7 million in funds and generated $5 million in revenue. The deadline for people with a tech-based business idea to apply is March 4.

Weekly sessions will run on ten successive Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. March 22 to May 24.

The program could provide up to $1,000 toward start-up costs. The top team, decided by a panel of judges, will receive $10,000 in seed funding.

No-cost business mentoring from Ben Franklin’s Transformation Business Services Network and Penn State’s Small Business Development Center staff

Contact Don McCandless at dlm74@psu.edu for more information.

Blue cheese recall

Giant and Martin food stores removed select Maytag Blue Cheese items due to a recall by Maytag Dairy Farms, according to a release.

The items could potentially be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. The items removed include Maytag Blue Cheese, UPC 20835990000 and Maytag Blue Cheese Wedge, four ounces, UPC 7221072698.

The food stores have not received reports of illness as of Monday.

Listeria, according to the food stores, is a common organism found in nature. It can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease.

“Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis,” the company said. “However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy.”

Customers who purchased the products should discard unused portions and show a receipt for a full refund.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 7:16 PM with the headline "Railroad company says idle tank cars pose no threat."