Mariana Forteza Site


<p>Thousands of people flocked to downtown State College on a sunny Saturday afternoon to celebrate Pride and the LGBTQ community.</p>



<p>Presented by Centre LGBTQA Support Network, Downtown State College Improvement District and State College Borough, the third annual State College Pride <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/community/parade-festival-among-state-college-pride-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">included</a> a parade of colorful floats and marchers through town and a festival in Sidney Friedman Park, among other events throughout the weekend.</p>



<p>State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, served as grand marshal of the parade and festival. A frequent visitor to Centre County, Kenyatta is the first openly LGBTQ person of color elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.</p>



<p>He called 2023 &#8220;probably the most important year for Pride in a really long time,&#8221; noting a vocal anti-LGBTQ contingent and legislation in a number of states, particularly related to transgender individuals. </p>



<p>&#8220;In this moment, in this Pride year, what we are doing right now, showing up with joy in our hearts, showing up for and with each other in real community, that is critical right now,&#8221; Kenyatta said. &#8220;Because this is actually what our communities look like. This is actually where most people are&#8230; Do not believe the noise and the nonsense that most people are as hateful and vitriolic as some of the politicians who unfortunately get elected&#8230;. For Pride, it’s really critical for us as a community that we recognize our joy does not exist in contrast to their hatred.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-kenyatta-lane-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424953"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, State College Pride grand marshal, and Judge Timika Lane lead the 2023 Pride parade. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Pennsylvania, Kenyatta said, should aspire to be the best place to live, raise a family and retire for everyone, including LGBTQ people.</p>



<p>&#8220;We deserve to be happy, to be joyous, to be just who you are every single day, no matter what they’re talking about, no matter what they’re doing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You just be who the hell you are.&#8221;</p>



<p>State College Mayor Ezra Nanes acknowledged that some in attendance may be feeling scared, worried or uncertain because of events nationally. </p>



<p>&#8220;It’s OK to feel that,&#8221; Nanes said. &#8220;I want you to know that me, Ezra Nanes, my family, the Borough of State College, we are here for you. We will always be here for you. We’re going to keep building on the amazing work that you’ve already done, that we’ve already done together.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-3-1024x751.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424937"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-8-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424942"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Nanes issued a proclamation last week declaring June as Pride Month in the borough, and as the parent of an LGBTQ child, he called Pride &#8220;not just principle,&#8221; but also personal.</p>



<p>&#8220;One of the greatest joys in life, whether you’re a parent or a sibling or just an adult with a child in your life that matters, is supporting that child in discovering who they are,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think that’s a really important principle of what Pride is, that we all believe in helping people discover themselves, not telling them who they should be.&#8221;</p>



<p>State Rep. Paul Takac, D-Lemont, said Pride is also personal for him and his family and called it a &#8220;joyful occasion.</p>



<p>&#8220;This represents the absolute best of what State College is and can be,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This sets the standard for what every day should be like. You are not only seen, you are not only accepted, but you should be celebrated and you should be loved. If we could bottle today and make every day like that, wouldn’t this be a better world, a better place to be?&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-1-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424935" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424935"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-2-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424936" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424936"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-4-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424938" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-4-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424938"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-5-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424939" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-5-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424939"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-6-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424940" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-6-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424940"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-7-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424941" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-7-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424941"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-10-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424944" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-10-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424944"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-11-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424945" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-11-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424945"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-12-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424947" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-12-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424947"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-16-scaled.jpeg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424957" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-16-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-424957"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-15-scaled.jpeg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424956" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-15-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-424956"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-14-scaled.jpeg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424955" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-14-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-424955"/></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption"><em>Scenes from the 2023 Pride parade in downtown State College. Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Timika Lane, a Philadelphia judge who is running for Pennsylvania Superior Court in November, emphasized the importance of individuals making their voices heard to ensure all are treated with dignity and respect.</p>



<p>&#8220;We have to decide in Pennsylvania, what is it going to be? Are we going to be a place of love or are we going to be a place of hate?&#8230; Your voice matters,&#8221; Lane said.</p>



<p>Kenyatta urged those in attendance to be true to themselves, knowing that it will inspire someone else to do the same.</p>



<p>&#8220;If we lift each other up, if we encourage each other to be brave, if we remind ourselves that we are the majority of this commonwealth, that we are the majority of this nation, when we do that then we will continue to pull this nation closer to making the ideals of freedom, justice and fairness real for everybody,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter who you love, no matter how you worship or choose not to, here in Pennsylvania it’s about you getting a fair shot and a fair shake. We’re going to keep doing that together.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-9-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424943"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>State College Pride has grown substantially since it was first held in 2021. Last year it drew an estimated 4,000 people and organizers expected that number would increase again for the third edition.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.centrelgbtqa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centre LGBTQA Support Network</a> (CLSN), which was founded in 2014, has been instrumental in that, as well as in providing resources year round. Sue Marshall, a founding member and current board secretary, said planning for next year&#8217;s Pride will start next week.</p>



<p>In the shorter term, however, CLSN will be celebrating another advancement. A long-planned LGBTQ center for downtown State College will open sometime in August at the corner of Calder Way and South Pugh Street, Marshall said.</p>



<p>&#8220;We can’t wait,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We will have a big opening celebration.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-anchor-arrow-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424949"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Community members danced while Anchor &amp; Arrow played at the 2023 State College Pride festival on Saturday, June 10, in Sidney Friedman Park.</em> <em>Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>


‘Showing Up with Joy in Our Hearts.’ State College Celebrates Pride


<p>There may be just one person who claims not to know who will start at quarterback for Penn State football when the team begins its season against West Virginia on Sept. 2.</p>



<p>While Drew Allar has been set as the presumed successor to longtime starting quarterback Sean Clifford since the day that he stepped onto Penn State’s campus in January 2022, James Franklin didn’t declare a winner to the Nittany Lions’ quarterback competition with 86 days until the season opener.</p>



<p>“We have competition at every single position, every single year, returning starter or not,” Franklin told the media on Thursday. “I think that’s the right thing to do.”</p>



<p>Allar’s competition at the position is Beau Pribula, who, like Allar, was a member of the Nittany Lions’ recruiting Class of 2022. The difference between the two was that Allar was a five-star recruit by the time he arrived on campus. Pribula was a three-star.</p>



<p>More recently, Allar took snaps behind Clifford in the 2022 season. The youngster played in enough games that he was unable to take a redshirt season. By contrast, Pribula didn’t take a snap in a Penn State game until the Blue-White Game in April, when he attempted 22 of his 27 passes with second-string players.</p>



<p>Franklin’s hesitation to name a starter isn’t surprising. Entering his 10th year with Penn State, Franklin wants competition at the position. It’s likely that Allar will only stick around Penn State for two more years. Franklin will need someone to step up when the Ohio native is gone.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-statecollege-com wp-block-embed-statecollege-com"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/penn-state-sports/no-starting-quarterback-yet-dont-worry-franklin-history-suggests-late-august-announcement/
</div></figure>



<p>It’s a situation that Franklin has had before. From 2016-17, he had running backs Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders on the same roster. Barkley was a shout for a Heisman candidate in college, and when Sanders turned pro, he reached last season’s Super Bowl as the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles.</p>



<p>At Penn State, Barkley was the evident starter. But Franklin said that competition between the two made them both better. If Franklin has his way, the same will happen to Allar and Pribula.</p>



<p>“I think at times there may have been some frustration with that, but I truly believe that type of competition in college really set them up to be successful in the NFL,” Franklin said. “[Barkley] always had somebody behind him trying to take reps away from him. And [Sanders], as a young player, was trying to overtake [Barkley]. So I think that is a healthy position to be in.”</p>



<p>Franklin also has to answer the question of how he’ll use each quarterback. As Mike Yurcich, Penn State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach said at the same press conference, each quarterback has different styles. Gameplans have to be tailored to those styles.</p>



<p>Allar’s been described as a quarterback who’s steady in the pocket. Teammates have raved about his ability to place passes in locations where only a receiver can catch them. Allar can be mobile but his arm is what really sets him apart from the pack.</p>



<p>Pribula, however, is described as athletic. He’s the quarterback that Franklin and Yurcich could turn to when they need to push a pile or in a situation that calls for a mobile quarterback. He’s the Nittany Lions’ alternate.</p>



<p>However Franklin plays the two quarterbacks, it will likely be some time before Penn State fans have an answer to the question that’s hung over the program for more than a year. Franklin noted that he wanted Clifford to compete for a starting role for the six years that the recent&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/04/29/sean-clifford-drafted-no-149-overall-by-green-bay-packers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NFL draftee</a></strong>&nbsp;spent in Happy Valley. The same will apply to Allar.</p>



<p>If Franklin has 86 days to name a starter against the Mountaineers, he may just use all 86.</p>


‘We Have Competition at Every Single Position’: Penn State Quarterback Question Still Unanswered


<p>A Centre County company is partnering with a California manufacturer on plans to build a lithium-ion battery factory in Philipsburg that would be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.</p>



<p>State College-based <a href="https://ecpowergroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EC Power</a> and <a href="https://www.fluxpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flux Power</a>, of San Diego, are forming a consortium to construct the $50 million manufacturing facility, which would create up to 150 jobs, EC Power CEO Eric Rountree told the Centre County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. Rountree gave an overview of the plans and requested a letter of support from the commissioners for a federal grant application for the project.</p>



<p>The companies are seeking $25 million from funding set aside for clean and green energy projects by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. EC Power and Flux Power would provide a matching $25 million.</p>



<p>&#8220;This particular application is for revitalizing communities that have been impacted by the energy transition, primarily coal,&#8221; Rountree said. &#8220;The entire western side of Centre County is a coal-affected area and has quite a few coal sites on it, so it’s a prime location to meet the mission of the federal money.&#8221;</p>



<p>Flux Power is a publicly traded company that produces batteries for lithium-ion-powered forklifts, ground support equipment for airlines and other applications. It has reached capacity at its California facility and is looking to expand to the East Coast, Rountree said.</p>



<p>EC Power developed and patented Thermally Modulated Cell Technology for fast-charging lithium-ion cells. The first generation of that technology made its public debut at the 2022 Winter Olympics, where it was used to power 500 buses. The company is now onto the third generation, which would be manufactured in the new facility.</p>



<p>&#8220;We’re coming together to form a consortium and build the facility together to manufacture both the cells, which is what EC Power’s responsibility would be, and the battery packs that then power the equipment, which would be Flux Power’s responsibility,&#8221; Rountree said.</p>



<p>Plans for the factory are to supply 200 megawatt hours of capacity to the Department of Defense and the materials handling industry. </p>



<p>The facility would &#8220;create around 100 to 150 high-paying manufacturing jobs,&#8221; Rountree said, and help to retain talent that might otherwise leave the state.</p>



<p>&#8220;That would be a great thing for Centre County,&#8221; he said. &#8220;…Penn State is one of the premier locations for batteries [science and research], so they have quite a few professors focused on lithium-ion batteries at the university. But the majority of their students leave this county and go elsewhere, primarily to the West Coast where they have some [research and development] firms developing batteries. So this is a great opportunity to retain that talent in Centre County&#8230;&#8221;</p>



<p>A specific location in Philipsburg is still being evaluated, but Rountree noted that EC Power already has a fabrication facility in the Moshannon Valley Enterprise Center at 200 Shadylane Drive.</p>



<p>&#8220;We’ve been considering that area,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That’s what got us involved looking into this specific grant was finding out that we were eligible [for federal money] at that location to build out there, but we’re still scoping out the exact location. On the Flux Power side, they really don’t care where it goes. They just need an operating base out of the East Coast. We’re trying to leverage everything we have to keep it right here in Centre County.&#8221;</p>



<p>The companies hope to begin construction in the spring of 2024, with full build-out taking three years. But they could begin manufacturing before the build-out is complete.</p>



<p>&#8220;We would work from the back of the process, so we’d start with the pack manufacturing,&#8221; Rountree said. &#8220;We’d be able to bring cells from elsewhere and manufacture packs and start shipping those around the end of year two. Then we would hopefully have the cells coming online at the end of year three.&#8221;</p>



<p>The project aligns with strategic planning for countywide economic development, Commissioner Amber Concepcion said. </p>



<p>&#8220;We’ve talked about the need to build our own capacity here — not that we just need to try to recruit in firms from the outside, but being able to build from local talent and entrepreneurs who may have had connections with Penn State had their education there but then are ready to move on and do these kinds of things,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It seems like a really exciting project and really in line with the kind of strategic planning that’s been happening around economic development in Centre County.&#8221;</p>



<p>Commissioner Steve Dershem said he applauds the &#8220;courage&#8221; to move forward with the $50 million project.</p>



<p>&#8220;I think it would be fantastic if we keep all that manpower and all that education within a few miles of a major research facility,&#8221; he said.</p>



<p>Rountree said that, in the context of the battery industry, the proposed facility is not particularly large, but it could lead to bigger things while making Centre County the first location in Pennsylvania with a lithium-ion battery factory.</p>



<p>&#8220;We’re very proud to bring it here and stake our claim and showcase to the world the technology that’s been developed right here in Centre County,&#8221; he said.</p>



<p>Commissioners unanimously approved a letter of support for the grant proposal to establish a lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Centre County. Board Chair Mark Higgins said he is reaching out to the county&#8217;s state and federal legislators to request their support as well.</p>


$50 Million Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Facility Proposed for Philipsburg

Philipsburg

<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_mob_300v_5" 
class="adapex-mobile adapex-300-250 text-center">
</div>



<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_300v_1" 
class="adapex-desktop-tablet adapex-300-250 text-center"></div>



<div class="sidebar-accuweather">
    <div id="accuWeatherConnectApp" style="margin: auto; width: 300px; height: 530px"></div>
    <script src="https://www.accuweather.com/widgets/connect/bootstrap.js" data-partner="web_lazerpro_con_adc" data-key="1c7a30ab4a4b447687bf90d9e3f9a789" data-layout="vertical" data-adtype="connatix-elements" data-strategy="standard" data-connatixplayerid="8a4f35c9-33b1-44b5-a2bc-6bd4150d25b5" data-location="335315" async></script>
    
</div>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="/weather/">State College Weather</a></div>
</div>



<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_mob_300v_6" 
class="adapex-mobile adapex-300-250 text-center">

</div>



<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_300v_2" 
class="adapex-desktop-tablet adapex-300-250 text-center">
</div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is trending widget</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Upcoming community events</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recent columns</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Vehicle of the day</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CTA</h2>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Favorite Links</h2>


<nav class="is-vertical wp-block-navigation is-layout-flex wp-container-core-navigation-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-navigation-is-layout-flex" aria-label="Footer"><ul class="wp-block-navigation__container  is-vertical wp-block-navigation"><li class=" wp-block-navigation-item s:33:&quot;s:25:&quot;s:17:&quot;a:1:{i:0;s:0:&quot;&quot;;}&quot;;&quot;;&quot;; wp-block-navigation-link"><a class="wp-block-navigation-item__content"  href="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/brand-guide/"><span class="wp-block-navigation-item__label">Brand Guide</span></a></li><li class=" wp-block-navigation-item s:33:&quot;s:25:&quot;s:17:&quot;a:1:{i:0;s:0:&quot;&quot;;}&quot;;&quot;;&quot;; wp-block-navigation-link"><a class="wp-block-navigation-item__content"  href="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/core-values/"><span class="wp-block-navigation-item__label">Core Values</span></a></li><li class=" wp-block-navigation-item s:33:&quot;s:25:&quot;s:17:&quot;a:1:{i:0;s:0:&quot;&quot;;}&quot;;&quot;;&quot;; wp-block-navigation-link"><a class="wp-block-navigation-item__content"  href="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/contact-us/"><span class="wp-block-navigation-item__label">Contact Us</span></a></li></ul></nav>


<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_300v_3" 
class="adapex-desktop-tablet adapex-300-250 text-center">
</div>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button">See news happening?</a></div>
</div>



<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_sticky_siderail" 
class="adapex-desktop-tablet adapex--sticky adapex-300-250 text-center">

</div>