Min Xian of Spotlight PA State College
Local Accountability ReporterCentral and northern Pennsylvania is home to vast natural beauty, historic towns with changing economies, and a diverse mix of social-political values. Xian reports on how local governments are run and how public dollars are spent, with a focus on how public and private forces shape ordinary life in this region.
Before joining Spotlight PA, Xian covered local government and rural issues for the region’s NPR affiliate, WPSU. Originally from southern China, she has called State College home since 2013.
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Local officials believe a suspended employee may have stolen more than half a million dollars in public funds. No one has been charged with a crime. -
More than $500,000 in taxpayer money is missing from a Centre County township, and local officials say it might have been misappropriated. -
Pennsylvania township and borough associations want the legislature to let them publish public notices online, but lobbyists for newspapers say voters prefer the status quo. -
As the federal case against former DuBois City Manager Herm Suplizio is beset by delays, officials in the small Pennsylvania city confront a nearly $1 million budget deficit. -
Voters in the State College area rejected a proposal to consolidate three of its local governments in 1995. Is there renewed interest nearly three decades later? -
The ongoing consolidation between DuBois and Sandy Township is only the second one in Pennsylvania after lawmakers standardized the process. It has shown the limits of state law. -
Federal cybersecurity funding included in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal isn’t enough to help local governments keep up with rising costs, officials say. -
Local governments in Pennsylvania are given certain powers to serve the public, but the services they provide vary widely by municipality. -
Spotlight PA hosted a virtual discussion on Jan. 25 about the corruption case in DuBois, Pennsylvania, and what it revealed about ethical conduct and fiscal responsibility in local government. -
DuBois initially denied an open records request related to how much it spent on legal bills related to the criminal probes of Herm Suplizio. Spotlight PA won an appeal to access the information.
