Gazette The Centre County
www.CentreCountyGazette.com
SUMMER SPLASH
Looking for some cool, crisp water to relax in this summer? There’s plenty of public swimming pools dotted throughout Centre County. Make a splash and visit each one this swimming season. Find out where in the Family Matters section./Pages 33-36
May 11-17, 2017
Volume 9, Issue 19
FREE COPY
PRIMARY
CLEARING DEBRIS
Election
2017
County DA race offers contrasting styles By G. KERRY WEBSTER editor@centrecountygazette.com
SAM STITZER/For the Gazette
MILES TOWNSHIP crews worked to remove many downed tree limbs from a storm on May 1 in the Rebersburg area.
Cleanup efforts continue after May 1 storm rips through area By SEAN YODER and SAM STITZER syoder@centrecountygazette.com
Centre County residents and municipalities are still cleaning up from the recent storm that brought sustained winds, heavy rains and a confirmed tornado. Jeff Wharran, Centre County Emergency Management Agency director, said municipalities quickly finished their cleanup to get roads reopened in the days following the storm. According to Wharran, as of May 5, the majority of residents had their power restored, and only a few power problems lingered into May 8.
He said the storm damage likely will not reach the levels required for state or federal reimbursement. Wharran did not have an estimate of the dollar amount for the damage. Only one injury was reported to county officials. A Rebersburg man was hurt when his garage collapsed. Wharran said by phone May 10 he was notified the man has returned from the hospital. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 2 reported five roads closed for a brief period of time in the county, including Route 53 near Philipsburg, which flooded again on the night
By SEAN YODER BELLEFONTE — Centre County Commissioners passed an ordinance on a 2-1 vote May 9 mandating an additional $5 registration fee on all vehicles, with revenue to go toward repairing structurally deficient bridges and other transportation projects. Commissioners Michael Pipe and Mark Higgins voted in favor of Ordinance No. 2 of 2017 and Steve Dershem voted against. The county hopes to generate nearly $600,000 that will be used on some of the 58 bridges — 13 of them being deemed structurally deficient — maintained by municipalities. According to the commissioners, the county doles out an average of Police Blotter ..................... 2 Opinion ........................... 10
DA candidates, Page 6
Judge candidates discuss duties ahead By SEAN YODER syoder@centrecountygazette.com
Cleanup, Page 9
$5 registration fee approved syoder@centrecountygazette.com
The 2017 political race gaining the most attention in Centre County is for district attorney. Democrat Stacy Parks Miller has held the position for the past seven years, but this year she is being challenged by local attorney Bernie Cantorna. With the primary elecSTACY PARKS BERNIE tion right around the corner MILLER CANTORNA on Tuesday, May 16, both candidates are wrapping up their campaigns. Their campaign styles could not differ more. The Cantorna campaign began by collecting signatures for petitions to appear on the ballot. Events such as a coffee open house in
$184,842.67 in liquid fuels money to area municipalities, but receives an average of $1,008,010.24 in applications for those funds. Act 89 of 2013 gives counties in Pennsylvania the authority to impose a $5 fee on all non-exempt vehicles. Exempt vehicles are any government and municipal vehicles, and that also applies to vehicles owned by Penn State. Disabled veterans are among those exempt, and the ordinance itself calls for retired persons earning less than $19,200 per year to be eligible for a flat $10 state registration fee for one vehicle. Pipe said there were about 6,000 exempt vehicles in the county.
“CENTRE COUNTY doesn’t own any bridges or roads, and I believe we have the highest fuel tax in the country. I don’t think this is part of our mission that we have roads and bridges.”
Fee approved, Page 2
Health & Wellness ........... 11 Community ..................... 14
Adult Health & Lifestyle . 22 Sports ............................... 27
Commissioner Steve Dershem,
who voted against the registration fee
BELLEFONTE — A vacancy for judge opened up in the Centre County Court of Common Pleas, the 49th judicial district, when President Judge Thomas Kistler decided not to run for re-election. He served on the bench for 20 years. The president judge position RON BRIAN will past to Judge Pamela Ruest. McGLAUGHLIN MARSHALL Two candidates, Ron McGlaughlin and Brian Marshall, have entered the race for judge, and both have cross-filed. Common pleas judges serve 10-year terms and are technically state employees. As of Jan. 1, the salary of a common pleas judge is $178,868. Judge candidates, Page 6
MORE PRIMARY ELECTION COVERAGE INSIDE: n Several magistrate candidates talk vacant district court position, Page 4 n Questions and Answers with the district attorney candidate, Page 7 n Revisit the State College mayor candidate questions, Page 18 n Know where to vote? See the listing of polling locations, Page 19
Family Matters ................ 33 Mother’s Day ................... 37
Around & In Town .......... 40 What’s Happening .......... 42
Puzzles ............................. 44 Business ........................... 45