News

BASD approves 2.5% tax increase

Local news June 18, 2026

BELLEFONTE — The Bellefonte Area School Board unanimously approved a final budget Tuesday that raises property taxes by 2.5% and calls for the use of $5.35 million in fund balance reserves to cover rising costs. Ken Bean, BASD’s director of fiscal affairs, and Superintendent Roy Rakszawski reported the district’s expenditures will reach $70.45 million in the upcoming school year, while revenue is expected to cap out at $65.1 million. The 2026-27 budget includes expenditures that exceed projected revenues by $5.35 million, but district officials said the gap would be covered ...

PennDOT places speed display board on Route 150

Community June 18, 2026

LOCK HAVEN — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) placed a radar-controlled speed display board this week on Route 150 in Woodward Township, Clinton County. It is intended to remind drivers to obey the posted speed limit and reduce speeding, a common type of aggressive driving behavior. The board faces northbound traffic between Lenape Trail and Church Street on a section of Route 150 with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour. The board utilizes radar to determine the speeds of oncoming traffic and posts them to the lighted section of the sign. The board ...

The Sun Will Come Out: ‘Annie’ takes the Ryan Main Stage at Millbrook Playhouse starting tomorrow

Local news June 18, 2026

MILL HALL — Central Pennsylvania’s professional summer stock theater, Millbrook Playhouse, launches its major summer mainstage production of the timeless Broadway classic “Annie, the Musical.” Playing from June 19 through July 3 on the Ryan Mainstage, this heartwarming Musical ...

Advocates, lawmakers weigh ways to keep Pa. kids insured as Trump Medicaid cuts loom

Local news June 17, 2026

HARRISBURG — Upcoming changes to Medicaid are poised to increase Pennsylvania’s number of uninsured children and reverse decades of efforts to provide healthcare to poor families in the state, advocates warn. Last year, Congress and the Trump administration approved legislation creating additional work requirements for Medicaid participants and mandating $990 billion in cuts to the program over the next 10 years. In a White House news release at the time, the administration said the cuts would strengthen Medicaid by “eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse and blocking illegal ...

Bellefonte recognizes nation’s 250th

Local news June 17, 2026

BELLEFONTE — Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next month, Bellefonte Borough Council formally recognized the nation’s semiquincentennial this week. Council President Doug Johnson conferred the proclamation, which recognizes and celebrates the milestone, to Deb Burger, who is spearheading the borough’s America250 celebrations on behalf of Historic Bellefonte Inc. He delivered the proclamation at council’s Monday evening meeting in the absence of Mayor Gene “Buddy” Johnson, who usually is responsible for issuing ...

PennDOT Driver’s License, Photo Centers closed for Juneteenth

Community June 17, 2026

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that all driver’s license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Friday, June 19, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. June 19, known as Juneteenth National Freedom Day, is an official annual observance in Pennsylvania. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when union soldiers reached Galveston, Texas — the furthest point in the south — with news of the end of the Civil War. Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, ...