Local News for State College and Central Pennsylvania

People waved as the Big Boy came through the rail tracks outside of the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona on Wednesday, July 8. Many people stood on the pedestrian bridges over the train tracks and nearby building rooftops.

‘Big Boy’ locomotive rolls into Altoona for multi-day visit as part of America’s 250th anniversary

Sydney Roach

Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, has rolled into Altoona for its last multi-day stop in Pennsylvania as it goes coast-to-coast in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Protestors outside the State College Borough Building on Monday, July 6, 2026, while borough council met inside. The council voted to approve an ordinance restricting employees' cooperation with immigration enforcement.

State College borough council passes ordinance that bars employees from helping ICE

Anne Danahy

State College borough employees cannot assist immigration enforcement agencies, unless required by law or a court order to do so, under an ordinance council approved Monday night that drew praise from a local immigrant support group.

Producers with the Discovery Channel's show, "RV There Yet?" recently filmed an episode in northwestern Pennsylvania, including at the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette.

Pennsylvania's elk herd featured on season premiere of Discovery Channel travel show

Sydney Roach

Pennsylvania’s elk country is featured on the season premiere of a show on the Discovery Channel, “RV There Yet?” and local officials hope the exposure leads to more tourism in the region.

Elena Popchock, senior manager of exhibit content at the National Constitution Center, stands beside an 1833 copy of the Declaration of Independence made by Peter Force from an earlier engraving by William Stone. It is part of the exhibit, ''America's Founding.''

Philly has more Declarations of Independence than any other city

Peter Crimmins | WHYY

Institutions blocks apart from each other in Philadelphia have assembled 15 Declarations of Independence among them. They all tell a different story.

In this April 29, 2006 photo, Etta James performs during the 2006 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans. James, the feisty rhythm and blues singer whose raw, passionate vocals anchored many hits and made the yearning ballad "At Last" an enduring anthem for weddings, commercials and even President Barack Obama.

Arts and Entertainment

WPSU Blues Archive - July 4, 2026

Max Spiegel

An archived recording of the WPSU Blues show as broadcast on July 4, 2026, hosted by Max Spiegel.

Arts and Entertainment

WPSU Jazz Archive - July 3, 2026

Greg Petersen

An archive recording of the WPSU Jazz show as broadcast on Friday, July 3, 2026, hosted by Greg Petersen.

Nick Burket is Blair County’s facilities director, and one of the people helping to restore the clocktower at the Blair County Courthouse. He stands by some of the glass faces, which are visible outside of the building in downtown Hollidaysburg.

Clocktower bell at Blair County Courthouse to ring for first time in decades at 4th of July ceremony

Sydney Roach

Starting Saturday, time will no longer stand still in Hollidaysburg. That’s because the clocktower at the Blair County Courthouse is being restored after it broke nearly two decades ago.

John Kulka, head of the homeowners' association for retirees stands with the industrial park in the background. A company wants to put a data center there, but is facing opposition from local residents.

Possibility of data centers in central PA sparks public pushback

Anne Danahy

Plans for data centers are cropping up across Pennsylvania, including in Gregg Township in Union County. While companies say they’ll bring revenue and jobs, many residents are unconvinced and are pushing back.

The main entrance to the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, Pa.

UPDATE: Mount Nittany hospital union workers vote to authorize a strike

Sydney Roach

The union contract for workers at the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College expired on June 30 at midnight with no new signed agreement.

The WPSU van sits outside the WPSU offices in State College, Pa.

As target date passes, Penn State says it will keep WPSU running while deal with WHYY is finalized

Anne Danahy

While Penn State and WHYY work out the details of transferring WPSU to WHYY, WPSU's operations and programming will continue.