GAZETTE THE CENTRE COUNTY
www.CentreCountyGazette.com
HIGHLIGHTING PHILIPSBURG
The community of Philipsburg is in the spotlight in this week’s edition of the Gazette. Residents and officials discuss the school system, the local economy and outdoor recreation at Cold Stream Dam. Pages 6, 20
March 16-22, 2017
VISION UNVEILED FOR STADIUM OVERHAUL
Volume 9, Issue 11
FREE COPY
County gets $6M for highways Funds target I-80 ramp, I-99 paving, Penns Valley corridor By MARK BRACKENBURY editor@centrecountygazette.com
Penn State University image
THE PROPOSED Beaver Stadium renovation, showing the west and south exteriors.
Penn State plan includes 23 athletic facilities Special to the Gazette
UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State plans to overhaul 23 athletic facilities, including its football stadium, though renovations to the program’s iconic home will not begin for at least five years. Once completed, the 106,572-seat, nearly sixdecade-old Beaver Stadium could include a brick facade and see its capacity decrease to 100,000 to improve fan comfort and increase its ability to host events in such sports as professional hockey and soccer. “This is an aspirational plan,” Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said March 13 in a public meeting where concept art of the stadium and other facilities was revealed. “We’ll ultimately build what we can afford.”
Barbour said the athletic department would need to raise at least $120 million to fund an initial wave of five projects before work on the stadium can begin. Penn State does not have a start date for the stadium renovations and will continue to work with Kansas City, Mo.-based architecture firm Populous to implement the construction in phases. The athletic department hopes to complete work on all 23 facilities within 20 years. The first five projects include building a new hub for athletes, an indoor practice facility to be used by the school’s baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse and soccer programs. Penn State also plans to build a new 10-lane natatorium and indoor tennis facility, and to renovate its soccer stadium. Penn State, Page 3
Spanier trial nears as 2 plead guilty to reduced charges By MARK SCOLFORO and MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG — Two former Penn State administrators accused of covering up child sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky pleaded guilty to reduced charges March 13, more than five years after the scandal rocked the university and led to the downfall of football coach Joe Paterno. Tim Curley, a 62-year-old former athletic director, and Gary Schultz, 67, a one-time vice president, could get up to five years in prison for misdemeanor child endangerment. No sentencing date was set. They struck a deal in which prosecutors dropped three felony charges of child endangerment and conspiracy that carried up to seven years each. Former Penn State president Graham Spanier, 68, was also charged in the scandal, and the case against him appears to be moving forward, with jury selection set for the week of Monday, March Police Blotter ......................... 2 Opinion ................................. 9
20. His lawyers and the lead prosecutor had no comment. The three administrators handled a 2001 complaint by a graduate assistant who said he saw Sandusky, a retired member of the coaching staff, sexually abusing a boy in a team shower. They failed in their legal duty by not reporting the matter to police or child welfare authorities, prosecutors said. As a result, prosecutors said, Sandusky went on to abuse more boys, one of them in the Penn State showers. Sandusky was not arrested until a decade later. He was convicted in 2012 of molesting 10 boys and is serving 30 to 60 years behind bars. Shortly after Sandusky’s arrest, Paterno was fired over his handling of the matter. Paterno, one of the winningest coaches in college football history, died of lung cancer a few months later at 85. He was never charged with a crime.
Centre County is getting a $6 million boost for a variety of major road projects, including repaving portions of Interstate 99, jump-starting the long-dormant Routes 322/144/45 corridor project and implementing safety improvements for Exit 161 at the I-80/99 interchange.
Community ......................... 15 Philipsburg .......................... 20
Highways, Page 8
Google Earth image
THE COUNTY is getting funds to help with short-term safety improvements to Exit 161 off of Interstate 80 in Bellefonte. The westbound ramp includes a tight curve.
We celebrate 5 years with renewed pledge to serve community ROB SCHMIDT
Rob Schmidt is publisher of the Centre County Gazette and Town & Gown magazine.
Five years ago this week, we launched the “new” Centre County Gazette with the goal of earning your respect as a trusted, professional source of local news. We hope we have lived up to that promise as we strive to be a better newspaper each and every week. In order to be the best weekly newspaper we can be, and serve all the needs and interests of the community, we will strive to cover all the news in the area. That means good news, and sometimes the not-so-good news. We launched in the early days of the breaking Sandusky scandal. Five years later, as the scars in our community continue to heal, the story is still in the headlines. Our mission is to be a significant participant in the betterment of the communities we serve. That’s a commitment we not only pledge to keep, but enhance even further. As a loyal reader you can play an important role in that mission. 5 years, Page 8
Guilty pleas, Page 6
Health & Wellness ............... 10 Education ............................ 14
Money is also earmarked for identifying safety improvements needed for the crash-plagued intersection of Routes 26 and 150 near Howard. Allocation of the funds was approved by the coordinating committee of the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization at a recent meeting.
Sports ................................... 23 Spring Home Improvement 30
Around & In Town .............. 31 What’s Happening .............. 35
Puzzles ................................. 36 Business ............................... 37