Homeless Count, Hunger Strike, and Happy Valley’s Big Weekend
Saturday, April 25, 2025 (Season 1 | Episode 6)
This week on Centre Access: a News Lab team examines how America's official homelessness count falls short, especially in rural communities. Detainees at Pennsylvania's largest immigration detention facility launched a hunger strike over conditions inside. A look at the automated license plate reader cameras quietly rolling out on and around University Park. Happy Valley Casino soft-launches with a public preview over Blue and White weekend, even as community members raise concerns. Fans heading to Beaver Stadium will navigate the major renovation in progress. And hundreds of volunteers turned out for ClearWater Conservancy's Annual Watershed Cleanup Day.
🔗 LINKS TO THIS WEEK'S STORIES
- ‘Something is fundamentally wrong:’ Detainees start hunger strike at Pa. ICE facility, reporting by Vida Lashgari and Joy Donald, for PennLive
- After ICE detainees in Pa. went on a hunger strike, officials put them in solitary confinement, reporting by Vida Lashgari, for PennLive
- Flock cameras on campus raise privacy, transparency concerns, reporting by Jonathon Chiu, Daily Collegian
- Penn State Piloting License Plate Readers: What to Know About ALPR Cameras on Campus, reporting by Evan Halfen, statecollege.com
- Happy Valley Casino offering public ‘first look’, while supporting local nonprofits, reporting by Cortney Raynor, WTAJ
- Letters: ‘Informed Awareness’ About Gambling; Casino’s Compelled Test Day Donations; GT vs. Planned Parenthood, op-eds published on statecollege.com
- Opinion: There’s Plenty That’s Not ‘Happy’ About Our Valley’s New Casino, op-ed by Bill Horlacher, statecollege.com
- What to expect in Beaver Stadium for Blue-White practice as construction continues, reporting by Jon Sauber, Centre Daily Times
- More than 800 volunteers took part in Centre County’s Watershed Cleanup Day. Take a look, reporting by Esteban Marenco, for the Centre Daily Times
📋 CENTRE DOCUMENTERS
Full notes from this week's public meetings are at centredocumenters.org.
This week's meetings:
- MEETING — State College Area School District Board of Directors
🎁 OTHER RECOMMENDED READING
DeFlock map showing Flock’s automated license plate reader cameras in University Park, PA
Creators and Guests
Host
Denzel Massaley
Denzel Massaley is a member of the founding Centre Access podcast team. A scriptwriter and editor for every episode, he is most often the voice you hear hosting the show.
Host
Francisco Calvo
Francisco Calvo is a member of the founding Centre Access podcast team. A scriptwriter and editor for every episode, he is often the voice you hear hosting the show.
Host
Kate Hildebrand
Kate Hildebrand is a member of the Season 2 Centre Access Team. She is a reporter and episode host. She was a guest journalist on two episodes of season 1.
Writer
Jennae Overton
Jennae Overton is a member of the founding Centre Access podcast team. A scriptwriter and editor for every episode, she is a voice you hear sharing stories each week.
Writer
Olivia Warren
Olivia Warren is a member of the Season 2 Centre Access Team. She is a reporter and episode reader. In Season 1, she attended and documented local government meetings for Centre Documenters. She was a regular contributor to Centre Access, where you could hear her share highlights from the week's public meetings across the county.
Writer
Victoria Misuraca
Victoria Misuraca is a member of the founding Centre Access podcast team. A scriptwriter and editor for every episode, she is a voice you hear sharing stories each week.
Guest
Vida Lashgari
Vida Lashgari is a student journalist in Bellisario College's special topics course covering Moshannon Valley Processing Center -- PA's largest immigration detention center, located in Phillipsburg -- for PennLive (Spring 2025).
