Cleanup, stadium update & more: Centre County stories you may have missed this weekend
From a developing criminal case in Boalsburg to a record-breaking volunteer effort across the county, it was a busy weekend for local news. Here’s a quick look at the stories Centre County residents may have missed.
• Drugs-for-sex charges in Boalsburg: Michael G. Gnudi, 34, of Luzerne County, was charged with felonies after State College police said he traded drugs to a mother in exchange for sex with her underage daughter, a teenage runaway found hidden under blankets in a Boalsburg home. Gnudi is being held at the Centre County Correctional Facility on $250,000 bail.
• Downtown State College’s summer hangout: Plans for Downtown State College Improvement District’s “East End Social” continue to take shape. The event will convert Hiester Street into a pocket park from mid-May to early August with live concerts, a beer garden and community events geared toward year-round residents.
• Blue-White weekend preview: Penn State’s free Blue-White practice is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. in Beaver Stadium, where fans can see progress on the $700 million renovation project, including the rising west-side structure. Gates A, B, C and E open at 11 a.m.
• Military museum sneak peek: The Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg offered a preview of its multi-million-dollar renovation, which will feature professionally designed exhibits, new artifacts and a rare M1917 light tank. The museum’s reopening has been delayed until 2027.
• Bellefonte student seeks national honor: Kieran Long, a 10-year-old fourth grader at Marion Walker Elementary, is currently in first place in his voting group in the “America’s Favorite Student” contest, which carries a $20,000 grand prize. Voting in his current round ends April 23.
• Record-breaking cleanup: A record 830 volunteers turned out Saturday for ClearWater Conservancy’s 30th Annual Watershed Cleanup Day, picking up litter at 74 sites across Centre County. More than 6 million pounds of trash have been collected since the event began in 1997.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.