On Monday night, the State College Borough Council met virtually to discuss the diversity of the borough and the future of mental health.
Councilmember Katherine Oh Yeaple prepared a resolution condemning hate, bias and exclusionary behavior toward Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, which the council voted to adopt.
âActs of bias and hate crimes have increased nationally toward Asian Americans,â Yeaple said.
Council member Evan Myers supported the motion and said the council must speak in one voice to say it is not acceptable.
Additionally, Lt. Greg Brauser of the State College Police Department gave an overview of the department s recent work on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Report Implementation Committee.
Although it s only been a few months since the last political elections, a new set of races are on the horizon â local elections will soon be underway in State College.
Primaries for various local elections, including the mayor of State College and State College Borough Council, will take place on May 18.
Jesse Barlow, president of the State College Borough Council, said there will be important issues concerning racial justice that voters should consider.
âI think you are going to see a lot of discussions about diversity issues and policing issues because of all the police reform issues coming before the borough council this year,â Barlow said.
Penn State professor Gopal Balachandran announced his intention to run for State College Borough Council on Monday. Balachandran, a Democrat, is an assistant professor of clinical law at Penn State.
Katherine Oh Yeaple, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on State College Borough Council in 2020, announced on Wednesday her candidacy for the position in this year’s election.
Yeaple, a Democrat, was appointed in September 2020 to serve the remainder of former Councilman Dan Murphy’s elected term through 2021 after he resigned in August.
“I am running for Borough Council to bring a fresh perspective and an open mind for addressing the critical matters of our time,” Yeaple said in a statement.
A nurse who works in infection control for Penn State, Yeaple also has a master’s degree in urban planning and previously worked in planning for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Amtrak. She’s also a volunteer for Remote Area Medical and the Palmer Museum of Art.
Yeaple
joined the council back in September to serve the remaining term of former Councilman Dan Murphy, who
resigned in August. She is a registered Democrat.
“I am running for Borough Council to bring a fresh perspective and an open mind for addressing the critical matters of our time,” Yeaple said in a statement Wednesday.
Yeaple, a nurse, currently works as in infection control at Penn State, holds a master’s degree in urban planning, and previously worked for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Amtrak. In her free time, she volunteers for Remote Area Medical and the Palmer Museum of Art.