Happy Valley was not a happy place in 2012. And yet it was hard to stay away.
The child molestation scandal that engulfed Penn State dominated state news this year, from the stunning death of longtime football coach Joe Paterno to the gut-wrenching court testimony that sent his former assistant, Jerry Sandusky, to prison for sexually abusing boys.
Other big stories included Superstorm Sandy, which cut power to more than 1.5 million customers in eastern Pennsylvania in late October. It took nine days to restore service in some places.