Beer festival canceled, gambling awareness campaign launched at Penn State: Top stories

Centre County saw a mix of cancellations, criminal justice developments and Penn State news over the past few days. From a craft beer festival pulling the plug to a major NHL Draft moment on the horizon, here’s a roundup of the top local stories.

• Hoppy Valley Brewers Fest canceled: Organizers abruptly canceled the May 24 event at Panzer Stadium just three weeks before it was set to take place, citing lower-than-anticipated ticket sales. Ticketmaster will automatically refund purchases, and no decision has been made about a 2027 return.

• Spring Township police case review expands: Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said prosecutors are now reviewing about 100 criminal cases tied to former officer Stephen T. Kutches, roughly double the number from last week. Kutches resigned April 18 after disclosing he included false observations in at least some DUI reports.

• Gambling awareness campaign launched at Penn State: The Penn State Collegiate Recovery Community kicked off its “Know the Odds” campaign shortly after the opening of Happy Valley Casino. Director Jason Whitney warned that gambling has the highest suicide rate of any behavioral addiction and noted online gambling is particularly risky for young men.

• Gavin McKenna’s NHL future nears clarity: Penn State superstar Gavin McKenna is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and the draft order will be set Tuesday via a live lottery on ESPN. Eleven teams are in the running for the top pick, with the Vancouver Canucks holding the best odds at 25.5%.

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.