Medical Weight Loss Near Altoona, PA

The greatest show in college sports is almost here, folks.

With the weekend quickly approaching, crowds of students, alumni, and fans will be gathering in Happy Valley to witness the famous White Out game as the Nittany Lions take on the Oregon Ducks.

Although the teams face off in Beaver Stadium, the Ducks decided to stay nearly 44 miles south of State College in Altoona, Pa, at the Blair County Convention Center.

As the Ducks flock their way to Altoona for the big game, they may find themselves diving into the culture of a Pennsylvania town. To give the team some ideas on how to make the most of their stay, we’ve compiled a list of things the Ducks can do during their visit to Altoona.

All around Penn State Altoona’s campus, you’ll find ducks waddling around and acting like they own the campus. To feel more at home and blend in, the Oregon Duck can join the flock and discover what it’s like to be a Penn Stater.

Altoona-style pizza is Sicilian-style pizza topped with tomato sauce, salami, green bell peppers, and slices of yellow American cheese. To get a true taste of Altoona, the Ducks can head to a local pizza place to face off in an eating competition to see who can eat the most slices. They’ll want to be well-fueled for the big game, and this pizza may or may not do just that.

One of the best things about Altoona and the surrounding areas is the scenery and beautiful colors during fall, and what better way to enjoy the view than going for a hike? But not just any hike, a hike that only involves waddling. This is a great opportunity to see Pennsylvania for its beauty and to embrace being an Oregon Duck rather than a sitting duck.

For the past few weeks, Altoona and its surrounding areas have experienced warm weather and no rain. However, the forecast for the big game and the days leading up to it predicts a chance of rain. If Mother Nature decides to cry tears of joy thinking about Penn State winning the game, then the Oregon Ducks can waddle their way outside and jump through some puddles for good luck.

Altoona is best known for its history in the railroad industry, as trains constantly pass through the area. To pass time and bond as a team, Oregon and the Oregon Duck can take turns making quacking sounds as the trains go by to see who can quack the loudest. Not only will this give them something to do, but it will also expose them to a small fraction of the noise that they will hear from the electrifying crowd in Beaver Stadium.

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Franklin went 104-45 at Penn State and is tied with the second-most wins by a head coach in program history.

Smith is in his 12th season as a coach at Penn State.

The Blair County Convention Center will host the Oregon football team and guests during the Sept. 27 weekend, when the West Coast team travels east to square off with the Penn State Nittany Lions.

“It’s a bite at the apple for us,” convention center Executive Director Tom Schilling told the authority Wednesday when speaking of ongoing preparations to host the visiting Oregon Ducks, a first-time event for the convention center.

“We landed this one … and expect it could lead to more,” Schilling said.

In light of the teams’ current national rankings – Penn State as No. 2 and Oregon as No. 6 – the approaching matchup is drawing attention and visitors to central Pennsylvania.

“The nation’s spotlight will be on State College that night,” authority Chairman Matt Stuckey said.

In recent weeks, online posters have advised football fans interested in attending the game to make early room reservations and to consider hotels and weekend rental options in communities outside Centre County.

Those in charge of the Oregon team committed several months ago to use the convention center, with housing provided at adjacent County Inn and Suites by Radisson.

While portions of the hotel are being renovated, Schilling said he was assured that no construction will be going on inside the rooms assigned to the visiting team.

Schilling also mentioned the team’s accommodations include transportation to Altoona from the University Park Airport and related security details.

Bookings on the rise

Hosting the visiting football team comes at a time when convention center personnel are reporting an increase in bookings, particularly from statewide associations.

The School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania convened its conference at the convention center at the end of July, with attendees booking an estimated 500 rooms at five hotels, according to a report that Garrett Gierdoc, sales and marketing director, presented to the authority.

In November, the Pennsylvania Society of Health and Physical Educators will convene its annual conference at the convention center, requiring about 175 hotel rooms for the two day event. The PA Head Start Association has also booked the convention center in November for a conference stretching over three days that will require about 250 rooms, Gierdoc said.

“November used to be a slow month,” Schilling told the authority.

The convention center’s schedule also shows several events on its calendar, including the “N-Scale Weekend” starting Saturday and continuing Sunday, set up by the Altoona Association of Model Railroaders. About 125 vendor tables are to be set up.

And just days after the convention center bids goodbye to the Oregon Ducks, the facility will be set up for the Pennsylvania Square and Round Dance Federation’s Fall Festival, from Oct. 1-3, with a dancing schedule that stretches from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Financial reports show the convention center, between January and August, took in $1.6 million in revenue, exceeding budget projections by $63,867. Expenses added up to $1.56 million, which met budget projections.

The reported $1.6 million in revenue also included $76,574 from the county’s bed tax receipts, just short of budget projections through August. But the amount of future bed tax revenue, Schilling said, rests with the commissioners because their May 1 vote to decertify Explore Altoona as the county’s tourism promotion agency ended the division of bed tax revenue based on a 2016 agreement.

In late August, commissioners certified Discover Blair County, a newly created entity, to become the county’s tourism agency and plans call for that entity to set up an office inside the convention center.

Schilling declined to say if the convention center can operate without bed tax revenue from the county. Instead, he spoke of the convention center’s ongoing efforts and advertising, which draws people into the county and encourages overnight stays which generates the bed tax revenue.

“I believe the commissioners see the value of our advertising,” Schilling said.

In 2024, the convention center received $254,374 in bed tax, according to the center’s recently completed audit.

The audit also showed the center with revenue of $2.68 million, a figure that included $254,376 in bed tax revenue. Auditor Jamie Johnson of Young, Oakes Brown & Co. said her review showed 2024’s expenses adding up to $2.98 million, but that included $704,733 to account for depreciation.

If the 2024 bed tax revenue and depreciation are excluded, Johnson reported that the convention center’s operations came in about $158,981 in the black.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.

State College’s first road trip of the year started ominously, but 37 unanswered points and 194 yards from senior running back D’Antae Sheffey propelled the Little Lions to a 37-7 victory.

Altoona jumped out to a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Julian Hazlewood to Cody Chathams. One play earlier, Hazlewood set Mansion Park on fire with a 64-yard completion to put the Mountain Lions in scoring position.

That was the loudest the 10,400-seat stadium got the entire night. State College struck back with a methodical touchdown drive orchestrated by sophomore quarterback Connor Kulka, capped off with a two-yard touchdown by Sheffey.

Sheffey was the star for State High all night. In his second consecutive game tallying just shy of 200 yards, Sheffey added two touchdowns on offense and combined with fellow senior Luke Milito on the defensive end for a key third down stop to slam the door late.

Kulka appreciates having such a prolific running back in the backfield with him, and also complimented his offensive line.

“He’s amazing, especially with that broken up a little bit o-line, CJ [Clemons] stepping in for Ant [Sheffey], hopefully we’ll have Ant back next week, but it’s great to have young guys step in like that,” Kulka said.

Kulka had a great first varsity start himself, throwing for two touchdowns, the first of which was a beautiful 32-yarder over the middle to Daimear Coad. Kulka and Sheffey were both aided by another great game from the State College offensive line.

“I’m thrilled with where our kids are at. We’ve had six different guys really play significant time up front, and I feel really good with all six of them,” Head Coach Matt Lintal said.

The game briefly turned into a turnover-fest early in the second quarter, interrupting what was otherwise a well-flowing game. First, junior Kellen Williams picked off Hazlewood, which turned into the Kulka-Coad connection for six. Hazlewood was then picked off again, this time by junior Cooper Ingold, but before the Little Lions could mount a drive, Kulka gave it right back by throwing his first varsity interception to Jahrell Baker. However, no harm was done as senior Hank Lustig forced a fumble and fellow senior Danny Brennan recovered to cap off the stretch of four turnovers in as many minutes and give State College the ball back.

3 turnovers in as many minutes… Danny Brennan recovers the @AltoonaAthletic fumble forced by @henry_lustig and @statehighfball takes over at its own 35@PaFootballNews pic.twitter.com/5z7JV2pds2

— Noah Radio (@noahradio_state) August 29, 2025

Kulka’s second touchdown, this one a 13-yarder to senior Jake Lukac, put State College up 21-7 going into the half. Sheffey’s second score came on the first drive of the second half, and State College iced the game from there.

A fourth quarter field goal from junior Shane Markowski and a rushing touchdown by junior Keen Furmanek capped off the scoring and sealed the 30-point blowout.

The Little Lions now shift their focus to the biggest game of the season thus far, next week’s matchup with Harrisburg. It’s an important game for so many reasons. First, the Cougars supplied State College’s only loss last season, a 7-6 defeat on a blocked field goal. Harrisburg is a top-five team in the state yet again, and the type of team that State High will have to play up to in its quest for a state championship.

It’s also an interesting game for Sheffey as he is playing his former team. Sheffey spent last season with Harrisburg, but transferred back to his hometown for his senior year.

“It’s not really gonna be about ‘how are you feeling,’ it’s just staying focused throughout practice, having the best week of practice possible, being prepared throughout practice, and then putting it all out on the field,” Sheffey said.

Lintal had his own thoughts on the Sept. 5 showdown.

“They’re a great team, obviously they have three elite-level players, and a whole bunch more that are really, really talented as well, and certainly they’re one of the top teams in the state and one of the teams to beat,” Lintal said. “That being said, these kids have been around, they love the game, they love each other, and they want to keep playing for one another.”

While State College prepares for a top-10 clash, Altoona looks to bounce back from its 0-2 start with a road game against Cumberland Valley on Sept. 5 at 7:00.