Centre County Gazette

The People’s Choice Festival showcased live entertainment and delicious food. Erin Ferguson/The Centre County Gazette For a few days every July, Centre County becomes the center of Pennsylvania’s arts scene. The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts filled downtown State College from July 8-12, while the People’s Choice Festival welcomed visitors back to Boalsburg from July 9-12.

STATE COLLEGE — The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has announced the recipients of $1,800 in awards for Images 2026, the Festival’s annual juried exhibition of fine art. Award winners were selected by this year’s juror, Amanda H. Hellman, Director of the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State. Hellman also curated the exhibition, selecting 46 works from 361 submissions by artists from across Pennsylvania.

Neighborhood Meetings scheduled The Borough of State College is hosting four neighborhood meetings this summer where Planning and Community Engagement staff will present on the proposed zoning revisions. Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and give input following the presentation. Community input is vital to passing this long-overdue zoning revision.

STATE COLLEGE — Central Pennsylvania United is inviting community members to take part in two events this week as the organization documents its campaign to bring outdoor recreation to the Centre County Correctional Facility for a short documentary. The documentary, being produced with CPAU’s digital team, will follow CPAU’s criminal justice campaign and examine how community organizing works, from building support to overcoming challenges and maintaining momentum.

Police responded to a report of domestic violence on July 4 at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Catty 9 Trail in Huston Township. According to police, one actor was taken into custody and charged with applicable offenses. *** Police responded to a two-vehicle crash that occurred on June 30 at approximately 8 p.m. on Penns Valley Road in Gregg Township. According to police, the crash occurred as Unit 1 entered SR 45 without proper clearance of the roadway and was struck from the rear by Unit 2.

CENTRE COUNTY —The state Dept. of Transportation recently announced that an Interstate preservation project impacting Interstate 80 between mile markers 164 and 171 in Marion Township, Centre County, and Porter Township, Clinton County, began on Tuesday, July 14. This project will improve the ride quality and extend the service life of approximately 12.5 miles of road as well as enhance safety for travelers through the installation of various Intelligent Transportation Systems devices.

BELLEFONTE — Centre County Commissioners on Tuesday, July 7 was full of updates on upcoming events, grant applications and awards, and community development. Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Commissioners adopted a proclamation recognizing the milestone anniversary of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, which was held July 8-12. What started as an effort to celebrate art and build community in 1967 has grown into one of the premier arts festivals in the country.

BELLEFONTE — The inmate population at the Centre County Correctional Facility has fallen to its lowest level since the current jail opened in 2005, a trend officials attribute to expanded diversion programs, re-entry efforts and changes in probation laws.

CENTRE HALL — A $2.5 million expansion of the Centre Hall Area Branch Library could begin as early as 2027 thanks to a recent $750,000 grant award from the Hamer Foundation. The expansion, which has been in the planning stages for many years, will double the size of the current facility by extending to the rear, according to Project Manager Denise Sticha.

STATE COLLEGE — Before the adult artists lined the sidewalks for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, the future generation got its chance to shine. Children and Youth Day kicked off the festival Wednesday, July 8, with young entrepreneurs lining South Allen Street, selling everything from handmade soaps and bath products to 3D-printed earrings and colorful bead creations.