Addison Court updates, new Bellefonte hotel & more local news you may have missed
Top Centre County stories from April 22 include a graduate worker rally at Penn State, a new hotel opening in Bellefonte and a contentious housing debate in State College. With so much news across the area, we’ve rounded up the stories you don’t want to miss.
Here’s a look:
• Graduate worker rally at Old Main: Nearly 150 Penn State graduate students rallied at Old Main and delivered a petition demanding the university drop its appeal to exclude research assistants from the graduate employee union. More than 2,200 graduate workers signed a letter urging Penn State to begin collective bargaining with all graduate employees.
• New hotel near Bellefonte celebrated: The Tru by Hilton in Benner Township held its grand opening celebration, featuring 98 guest rooms across four stories. Happy Valley Adventure Bureau President Fritz Smith called the hotel the “gateway to Bellefonte” and said he hopes it pushes Centre County into the top 10 in Pennsylvania hotel revenue.
• Former professor sentenced: Themis Matsoukas, 66, a former Penn State chemical engineering professor, was sentenced to five to 20 months in the Huntingdon County jail after pleading guilty to charges including criminal trespassing, open lewdness and indecent exposure tied to acts in Rothrock state forest.
• New Park Forest Middle School under budget: The State College Area School District’s new Park Forest Middle School project came in roughly 10% under its $152 million budget, with total costs expected at $134.5 million. Construction could begin as early as late May or early June, with the building expected to open in January 2029.
• NFL Draft projections for Nittany Lions: With the 2026 NFL Draft starting Thursday, Centre Daily Times writers projected landing spots for eight former Penn State players. Guard Nickolas Ioane is widely expected to be a first-round pick, with all three writers projecting him in the top 14.
• Addison Court zoning debate: State College Borough Council voted 6-1 to send a zoning text amendment to the Planning Commission from developer PrimeCore, which has proposed replacing the 89-unit Addison Court senior housing complex at 120 E. Beaver Ave. with student housing. Residents pleaded with council to reject the project, saying the displacement would harm seniors and people with disabilities who have few affordable housing options in the borough.
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.
