Sarah Rafacz of Spotlight PA State College
EditorSarah Rafacz is the editor of Spotlight PA’s State College bureau. Before joining Spotlight PA to help launch its first regional bureau, she was the editor of State College Magazine. Prior to that, Rafacz was a reporter at the Centre Daily Times, covering Penn State, local government and development. Rafacz, a native of Centre County, has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and English from Penn State.
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The program, Centre Documents, trains and pays local residents and students to attend and document government meetings in six townships across Centre County. -
All donations to Spotlight PA during Centre Gives, a 36-hour online fundraiser on May 10-11, benefit its State College regional bureau. -
The Maryland Air National Guard wants to fly as low as 100 feet above the Pennsylvania Wilds for fighter pilot training. Residents, agencies, and others have concerns. -
The killing of a Black man in a mental health crisis by a white police officer in State College prompted several reports and promises for change. Four years later, progress has been sluggish in some areas. -
Two Centre County municipalities have protections for LGBTQ people against discrimination in housing and employment. Officials in State College and Ferguson Township hope more municipalities sign on. -
The new civilian complaint process, scheduled to go live in January, was prompted by outrage following the March 2019 police killing of Osaze Osagie. -
Centre Region municipal managers take “unprecedented” action against a proposal to significantly increase the funding their local governments contribute to the Council of Governments for services. -
A proposed zoning change has forced officials and the community to grapple with competing visions of an ideal downtown versus what the market would support. -
A judge in Centre County had sealed an entire case at the request of Penn State, a rare move that potentially violates the right to open courts guaranteed by the state and U.S. Constitutions.
