CBICC Opens Nominations for the 2025 Centre County Business Awards

The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) has officially opened nominations for the 2025 Centre County Business Awards, and now is the time to help spotlight the individuals and organizations making a difference in the Centre County community. We caught up with Greg Scott, President and CEO of the Chamber, to learn more about the awards and how you can help recognize Centre County’s best and brightest.
Connect Happy Valley Report: Centre County by the Numbers — 2025 Trends and Insights

Centre County is changing — and in some interesting ways. From Penn State’s workforce to shifts in who’s moving in and what jobs are growing; here are some numbers worth knowing as we look at what’s ahead.
The Hidden Tech Powerhouse: Why Centre County’s ‘Sensor Valley’ Is a Bet on the Future

The ground is shifting beneath us.
Across the country—and here in Centre County—longstanding assumptions about population growth, job security, and economic identity are being challenged. Our population has been slowly declining since 2018. Outside of Penn State, fewer than 50,000 households remain. Automation, AI, and remote work are rewriting the rules of employment.
In the midst of all this uncertainty, it’s fair to ask: What’s next? What do we have that the future needs?
The answer may be hiding in plain sight.
Why “Why?” May Be the Most Powerful Question in Happy Valley Right Now

What if the most transformative thing we could do for our businesses, institutions, and community wasn’t a major investment or groundbreaking technology?
Happy Valley’s Education Remix: Where Credentials Now Count More Than Degrees

Happy Valley has long been defined by the academic heft of Penn State and the natural charm of Central PA. But the region’s educational DNA is evolving. As national trust in four-year degrees wanes, a new model is gaining traction—one that prioritizes credentials, adaptability, and workforce alignment.
The Rise of the Shop Class Ninjas: CPI and the Hands-On Revolution

A quiet revolution is underway in Central Pennsylvania—and it’s happening not in lecture halls, but in welding booths, nursing labs, and HVAC classrooms. At the forefront of this transformation is the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology (CPI).
HappyValley Industry: From Newsletter to Town Hall—And You are Invited

The collapse of local journalism is not hypothetical. It is history.
Since 2005, more than 2,900 newspapers in the U.S. have shut down. Entire counties now go without a single local outlet. And even those that “went digital” often chased scale, clicks, and trends—losing their connection to the people they once served.
Where Have You Gone, Haller, Raymond, and Brown?

As industries evolve and technology advances, who will build the companies that shape the next era of job growth?
What Say Thee?

Best of this week’s reader comments.