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Showing posts from August 2, 2009

Grand Jury Hands Up Indictments

A Cattaraugus County grand jury has indicted an Erie County woman accused of filing false affidavits in Cattaraugus and Erie counties. 34-year-old Annette Forte of Alden allegedly falsified business records between October 15 2007 and April 9 2008 in Cattaraugus County. The charges are part of an ongoing investigation by State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has sued 35 law firms and two debt collectors and has moved to have nearly 100,000 default judgments thrown out. The investigation was launched after Kathy Baughman of Portville complained her bank account had been frozen without her knowledge last year. American Legal Process of Long Island had failed to notify her of the impending court action. Cuomo said process servers, including Forte, did not serve notifications and left people with no notice of pending court action against them. Cuomo brought criminal charges against APL in April. ~~ An Irving man has been indicted by a Cattaraugus County grand jury on charges of burglary

Game Lands Escape Infestations; Should be OK for Several Years

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Story and Photos by Joe Kosack Wildlife Conservation Education Specialist Pennsylvania Game Commission HARRISBURG – Heading into this past spring, it appeared stands of oaks on many Pennsylvania Game Commission State Game Lands were going to be hit hard by gypsy moth caterpillars. Limited funding for spraying from state agencies and municipalities had Pennsylvania in a bad way. The state braced for what was forecasted to be another nasty gypsy moth caterpillar raid on oaks, conifers, hickories and other species in 25 mid-state and northeastern counties. But, the emerging caterpillars were hit by a fungus – Entomophaga maimaiga – a natural enemy, although not native to Pennsylvania; a virus – Lymantria dispar Multienveloped Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (NPV) that appeared in America about the same time the gypsy moth did; and a biological insecticide – Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) – sprayed on forestlands by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The caterpillars, tha

Corn for a Cause

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Mary from Tops (top photo) serves up a couple of lunch specials to a couple of the people who attended Saturday's Outdoor Corn Sale Event. Proceeds from the lunch sales went to the United Way of the Bradford Area. Below, United Way Executive Director Kelly Case chats with Greg Ulyan of Chapel Ridge and WESB/WBRR Sales Director Peggy Austin, who is also looking through a United Way cookbook. Sparky the Fire Dog, and other members of the Bradford City Fire Department were also on hand at the event, signing people up for smoke detectors, handing out fire safety information and collecting donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Rich Zmuda demonstrates the Hazard House for Mike Walter and Stefan Arlington

Women Hurt in Route 219 Crash

Two women suffered moderate injuries in a crash at 6:30 Saturday morning on Route 219 just north of Joy Gardens Road in Jones Township. Police say 36-year-old Renee Catalone of Kersey was attempting to adjust the heater in her car when the vehicle went out of control and crossed into the opposite lane. 62-year-old Kathleen Salvamoser noticed the other car and attempted to avoid a collion but the vehicles collided and Catalone's car ended und on top of a guiderail. She had to be extricated by members of the Wilcox Fire Department. Both women were taken by ambulance to Elk Regional Health Center. Police say the collision was the result of careless driving and failure to drive within a single lane.

Pheasants Forever Receives Grant

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Story and photo by Jane Bryndel Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 Aaron Bleggi, Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager of National City, a part of PNC, presents a grant for $5000 to Pheasant Forever North Central PA Chapter 630. Pictured above are Jim Degler (treasurer), Dick Bodenhorn (president), Aaron Bleggi (National City / PNC), Leon Blashock (secretary) and Andy Werneth (vice president. Aaron Bleggi took it on his own shoulders to represent the best interest of the local Pheasants Forever Chapter. As a member, Aaron understands what can be done when a few dollars are mixed in with some motivated sports men and women with a commitment to making a difference. National City, now a part of PNC, presented a check for $5000 recently to PF officer. All the money collected by Chapter 630 stay in the north central region of Pennsylvania. Safe hunting, conservation and habitat are all major goals for our chapter. These funds will be used for local habitat development and local youth act

Quick Center Announces Lineup

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The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University has announced its exhibition and performance lineup for the 2009-10 season. Art enthusiasts who visit the Quick Center’s galleries this September will be greeted by the opening of a special exhibition of works by the late Hildreth Meière (1892-1961), the acclaimed muralist and mosaicist who worked in a variety of mediums. This first major exhibition of Meière’s work brings together sketches, studies in gouache, full-scale cartoons and models of her work at such major institutions as the Nebraska State Capitol, the National Academy of Sciences, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, and New York’s St. Bartholomew’s Church and Radio City Music Hall. “Walls Speak: The Narrative Art of Hildreth Meière” opens to the public on Sept. 4 in The Quick Center’s Beltz Gallery and Kenney Gallery A. The exhibition runs through June 15, 2010. Also opening Sept. 4, in the center’s first-floor West Gallery, is the reinstallation of the

Lil Miss Streets Dreams Contest

The Lil’ Miss Street Dreams competition has announced the following locations as collection sites for its annual fundraiser. Pyper Cross, Kelly’s on Main Street; Regan Dolan, Ott & McHenry Pharmacy; Hannah Hogand, Togi’s Restaurant; Kelsey Jordan, Sport’s Café; Gabriella Nelson, Fratelli’s; Alexis Roberts, The New Broaster; Sydney Sheridan, Bella Capelli; Olivia Steck, Bradford Texas Hots and Kylie Stiles, Tasta Pizza. The fundraising event runs from now until the Autumn Daze car show which will be held on Sunday, September 13. Proceeds will benefit the Make A Wish Foundation and the Bradford Main Street Program. The Lil’ Miss Street Dreams candidates will also participate in the Big 30 parade and the Oil 150 parade.

Consumers Urged to Sign Petition

ALBANY - Senator Catharine Young (R,I,C – Olean) has launched a statewide petition drive to pressure Governor Paterson and New York City controlled legislators to eliminate the utility tax hike they included in this year’s state budget. “Upstate New Yorkers have just received the unwelcome news in the mail about a new utility tax to be used to off-set the state’s bloated spending spree this year,” said Sen. Young. “The cost of our gas, electric, and telephone bills already were bad enough - this assessment has made it even worse. We have a golden opportunity on Thursday to undo some of the damage before another bill comes next month.” During budget negotiations this year, Sen. Young, offered a legislative amendment to reject the new tax and later joined every one of her Senate Republican colleagues to vote against the budget’s enactment. Sen. Young and other Republican lawmakers were particularly opposed to the new utility tax, which was part of a massive $8-billion package of ta

Zitnik Joins Bowman Health Center

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Frank Zitnik, PA-C, has rejoined the staff at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, working with David Kulling, MD, at the Bowman Health Center in Smethport. Appointments can be made by calling 814/887-5395. Zitnik previously worked at the Bowman Health Center with Dr. Douglas Bowman for eight years. His health care career spans more than 30 years, having served in numerous capacities, including a charge nurse at CCMH, visiting nurse, and public health director for McKean and Warren counties. During his tenure at CCMH, he also worked with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bradley Giannotti, at occupational health, and at the Shinglehouse Health Center. For the past three years, he has worked at Bradford Regional Medical Center’s occupational and employee health department. Zitnik earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at West Virginia University and graduated from the physician assistant program at St. Francis College. He is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. “We are extremely ple

Bike Raffle Winners Selected

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Mayville, NY -- Under a beautiful summer sky, Chautauqua County Executive Gregory J. Edwards was joined by Chautauqua County Clerk Sandy Sopak to pick the names of the winners of a trio of bicycles raffled off at the 2009 Chautauqua County Fair. The Chautauqua County Youth Bureau sponsored the raffle as part of the County's theme for the fair; "Growing Our Future Together…Chautauqua County and You". Edwards was pleased with the three bikes and the helmets that went along with them. "Encouraging our children to ride safely for the exercise and life long benefits is something that I am happy to support," Edwards said. "Riding a bike is also a great way for kids to get exercise and grow, which was the theme of our county tent this year." From approximately 1,000 entries, Edwards and Sopak selected the three winners; Tristan, Charlotte and Terrance. The winners will be contacted over the next several days. The bikes were provided by three great Chautauqua

Leader Named Patient Safety Fellow

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Lucy Lajcsak, patient safety and compliance officer at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, has been selected as a 2009-10 American Hospital Association patient safety fellow. Lajcsak is one of 12 participants in this year’s class which includes members from across the U.S. and Canada. “Charles Cole Memorial Hospital has a long history of being a leader for rural health care,” said Ed Pitchford, CCMH president and chief executive officer. “We are committed to being a modern, relevant organization for the benefit of our patients. Lucy’s commitment to patient safety and her participation in this very prestigious program are examples of the high standards that we, as leaders, embrace. I am proud of Lucy and our organization for supporting her in this program.” The fellowship is a year-long leadership development program that provides leaders of hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations with skills necessary to shepherd patient safety change initiatives within their organiza

Housing Task Force Formed

Mayville, NY -- After months of due diligence, Chautauqua County Executive Gregory J. Edwards signed a resolution earlier this week to appoint members to the Chautauqua County Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Task Force. The resolution was signed Monday, August 3rd and forwarded to the Legislature Office. Edwards stressed that the process of selecting people to serve on the task force needed to follow a strict protocol in order to find the most qualified candidates. "I have worked hard over the past several months to recruit the people that would be the most effective in these roles, including the leaders of Chautauqua County's three major, not-for-profit housing organizations," Edwards said. "I am pleased that the leaders of these groups have agreed to serve. They will bring a certain skill set to the task force that will be crucial in moving it forward." Pending legislative approval, the Chautauqua County Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Task Fo

Licenses & Registrations to Increase

ALBANY – New York’s latest fee on license plates is “another blatant money grab by Albany,” according to Senator Catharine Young (R, I, C –Olean). The new state mandate will force all registered car owners to obtain new license plates next April - and the cost of the plates will be increased by 66 percent. “Drivers will be forced to buy a new license plate from the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, whether they need a new one or not, costing $25 per plate,” said Sen. Young. “The outrageous gimmicks that were passed in Gov. Paterson’s bloated state budget continue to soak families who can’t afford the heavy tax burden.” The new plates will cost $25 instead of the current $15 and, if car owners want to keep their same license plate number, they will have to pay an additional $20 fee. Sen. Young said the fee hikes are expected to collect $130 million from car owners to help fund the state’s spending spree, when spending increased by $13 billion, despite budget shortfalls. “To add insult to i

Program Helps Cancer Patients

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Charles Cole Memorial Hospital’s Patterson Cancer Care Center and the American Cancer Society have joined forces to offer transportation for cancer patients. Road to Recovery, new to CCMH, is an American Cancer Society service program that strives to improve the quality of life for patients undergoing cancer care by providing transportation to treatments and medical appointments. “Despite remarkable progress in the fight against cancer, there are many patients whose greatest challenge isn’t lack of treatment, it’s lack of transportation,” said Lora Cope, ACS cancer control specialist. “The American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program helps overcome the transportation challenges many local residents face.” Volunteer drivers donate their time so patients can receive the treatments they need, Cope said. In many cases, a patient is driven to a hospital or clinic by relatives or friends but even these patients must occasionally seek alternative transportation. That’s where Road to Rec

Public Hearing in Olean

Olean Common Council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at the municipal building to discuss the plan to remove the undeveloped portion of Alder Street from the city map. The street would be closed from Prospect Avenue to Grandview Avenue.

Cleland May Chair Commission

Superior Court Judge John Cleland will most likely be the chairman of a special commission established to study the juvenile-justice corruption scandal at the Luzerene County Courthouse. Governor Ed Rendell signed legislation that created the 11-member Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice. It has until May to try to determine how the Luzerne County problems arose and recommend ways to prevent them from recurring. Two former county judges pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud and tax evasion in what prosecutors said was a scheme to improperly force juvenile defendants into privately run detention centers in exchange for kickbacks of $2.6 million.

HOTA Fest Underway at UPB

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Henry Keister of Gifford (above), Geoff Howard of Russell and Linda Huber of Hanover perform in the “jam tent” Friday afternoon as the Heart of the Alleghenies music festival got underway at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The festival offers concerts, dances, jams and workshops. Admission for spectators is free. For more information and schedules, go to http://www.hotafest.com/ . Photos courtesy of Pitt-Bradford

Rural PA Hit Hardest by Unemployment

The following analysis is provided to Pennsylvania reporters as part of the Keystone Research Center’s ongoing tracking of the health of the Pennsylvania economy. The Keystone Research Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that promotes a more prosperous and equitable Pennsylvania economy. For ongoing analysis of the PA economy: www.papolicyblog.com . HARRISBURG – The federal government reported Friday morning that the national economy shed 247,000 jobs in July and that the unemployment rate was 9.4%. In Pennsylvania, months of layoffs have resulted in the loss of 182,000 jobs since the start of the recession. The labor market in the Commonwealth is weaker today than it has been at any point since the early 1980s. The Pennsylvania unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2009 was 8.1%, up from 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2007. “The hardship of rising unemployment has not been equally shared,” said Mark Price, Ph.D., Labor Economist for the Keystone Research C

Causer Hosts Annual Senior Expo

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These are just some of the hundreds of people who attended, and participated in, State Representative Marty Causer's annual senior expo at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Causer tells me many of his constituents stopped by to tell him they are opposed to the proposed personal income tax increase. The following photos are coutesy of Pitt-Bradford: Lauren McKee a student at the Bradford Regional Medical Center’s School of Radiography gives a bone density test to Jean Bennett of Rixford at the expo. Helen Arick, left, took a minute to chat with representatives from SMART Rehab Services who are helping her recover from breaking both legs. Representing SMART are Lynn Kinney, left, and Lynn Neeson. Causer chats with one of hundreds of constituents who attended the exop.

Bradford Police Report Car Jacking

Bradford City Police are investigating a reported car jacking at 11:15 last night in a Barbour Street parking lot. They say a man and a woman approached the operator of a 2002 Landrover, who had just parked the vehicle. The couple brandished a knife and demanded the vehicle. The victim handed over the keys and the suspects drove the vehicle west on Barbour Street. The stolen vehicle is a 2002 black Landrover Freelander with New York registration EDV 9996. The suspects are a white man with dirty blond hair weighing about 140 pounds. The woman is heavy set and was wearing a gray or blue hoodie. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Bradford City Police Department.

Fire Still Under Investigation

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State police are still investigating the cause of a fire that burned the Eldred Township Fire Department sub station on Route 446 Thursday morning. Trooper Greg Agosti says damage is estimated at $400,000. The building was owned by Ethan Allen. A 1988 fire truck that the building housed was destroyed. Fire Chief Dave Crowe tells us they won't know what they're going to do about a new truck until after they receive a report from an insurance adjuster. The department does have another truck. For more photos, you can go to the Eldred Borough Fire Department web site .

Teens Not Indicted Again

A Cattaraugus County grand jury has decided not to indict two teenagers on rape charges. 18-year-old Joshua Kinder of East Otto and 18-year-old Shane Gogel of Salamanca had previously been indicted in connection with an incident December 9 in Salamanca. In June, Judge Larry Himelein dismissed the indictment, saying it was obtained illegally, but did grant the district attorney's office the opportunity to present the case before the grand jury again. Kinder and Gogel admit to having sex with a 17-year-old Salamanca girl, but they say it was consensual.

Man Facing Charges After Crash

A Kane man is facing charges following a crash early this morning on Highland Road in Wetmore Township. Police say an SUV driven by 23-year-old Christopher Carlson went off the road and rolled onto its roof. Carlson was not hurt, but was determined to be driving under the influence.

Director John Hughes Dies

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John Hughes, the producer, writer and director whose 1980s films such as "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Some Kind of Wonderful" offered a sharp-eyed look at teenagers and their social habits, has died, according to a statement from his representative. He was 59. Hughes died of a heart attack while taking a morning walk in Manhattan, according to the statement. More from CNN.com

Filling the Window with Food

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Dan Green of the Bradford YWCA; Marlee Spangler, Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce intern; and Captain Debbie Weigner of The Salvation Army show off some of the food collected during the first-ever "Fill the Window Food Drive" Thursday. The goal of the event was to fill the window of the chamber's Main Street office with food that was donated to the YW and Salavation Army food pantries. Besides the food in the window, bags and boxes of food were inside the chamber office.

Rockin' for a Cure

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The No Name Trio started the Rockin' for a Cure concert Thursday night at The News Willows. For $20, people enjoyed a chicken barbecue, six bands and the company of some great people -- and all the proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. Pictured below are some scenes from the event and the "Lottery Plant" which was one of many prizes raffled off during the night. Organizer Jim Copeland says this will be an annual event. Marie Costello tells us the event raised $3,700.

Sale of Oil150 Prints to Benefit UPB Desk and Derrick Scholarship

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The Penn York Oil and Gas Affiliates of Desk and Derrick Club is planning to put proceeds from the sale of a new art print toward its new petroleum technology scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The print was created by Colin Kimball, PennzSuppress product manager for American Refining Group Inc. based in McKinney, Texas, and depicts the Bradford refinery’s crude unit at night. Kimball began his creation by taking a photo from the top of the ARG hydrotreater while it was under construction in December 2007. He then digitally painted an impressionistic-style painting of the photograph in a process that took about a week to complete. The 8-by-14-inch prints will be on sale for $50 each as part of Bradford’s Oil150 celebration marking 150 years since the discovery of oil in the Pennsylvania oil field. The club plans to sell 150 signed, limited-edition prints to raise $7,500 for its scholarship. The money could then be matched by the

Fire Station, Truck Destroyed

The Eldred Township Fire Department sub station on Route 446, and the truck it housed, were destroyed during a fire that started at about 1:15 this morning. Fire Chief Dave Crowe tells WESB and The HERO a state police fire marshal is on the scene (as of 1:45 p.m.) to determine the cause of the blaze. Crowe says during the investigation, the fire marshal will be checking to see if this fire is related to others in the township and borough. Eldred Township firefighters were on the scene until 1:45 this afternoon boarding up the building and securing the scene. Other fire departments that helped them battle the blaze were Eldred Borough, Star Hose Company of Port Allegany and Otto Township. Portville, New York, firefighters were on standby at the Eldred Borough station. Crowe says an insurance adjuster will be on the scene soon and they'll "go from there" as far as getting another truck. The department has an engine tanker so they're "still pretty good," Crowe

Mosquito Spraying in Warren Co.

The Department of Environmental Protection, in coordination with the Warren County Conservation District West Nile virus program, will apply adult mosquito control treatment Monday evening in Pittsfield and Pine Grove townships. Samples in these areas taken by DEP and local officials have shown extremely high nuisance adult mosquito populations. Treatments will be conducted in an ongoing effort to bring adult mosquito populations under control. The treatments will be administered with truck-mounted equipment to spray ultra low volume applications in residential and recreational areas.

Lady Panthers Win Academic Award

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women’s volleyball team is among 77 Division III women’s volleyball teams in the nation to earn the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Team Academic Award for the 2008-09 season. “This is a testament to the team’s hard work,” said head women’s volleyball coach Tina Phillips. “They are always looking to excel on and off the court, and I am very proud of each of their efforts and our program. It’s a great award.” The award honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.3 cumulative team grade-point average. Nationwide, only 22 percent of Division III women’s volleyball teams earned the award. Pitt-Bradford was one of 20 Division III schools named to the list for the first time. Students on the 2008-09 team were Ashley Wenger, a freshman from Lancaster; Jackie Podrasky, a sophomore from Medina, Ohio; Tabitha Ryan, a junior

Meetings Set on ANF Draft SEIS

Warren, Pa. - The Allegheny National Forest (NF) published a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register on Friday, July 31, 2009, for the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the 2007 Allegheny NF Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The Draft SEIS documents the analysis and effects on the application of design criteria to reserved and outstanding private oil and gas development (OGD) in section 2800 of the 2007 Allegheny NF Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) and on air quality related to private OGD. Public meetings regarding the Draft SEIS are scheduled at the following locations: Monday, August 10 Warren Warren Holiday Inn Tuesday, August 11 Bradford University of Pittsburgh (Rice Auditorium) Wednesday, August 12 Clarion Clarion University (Still Hall) All meetings start at 7 p.m. For more information about the public meetings visit the ANF website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny/projects/supp_eis/pu

Rockin' A Cure

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Mick & Chuck performed live from Studio D on The Morning Buzz to get everyone in the mood for tonight's Rockin' A Cure event at The New Willows from 6 to 11 p.m. Other artists performing tonight will be the No Name Trio from 6 to 6:30; Joe Wagner from 6:45 to 7:15: Ray & Holly from 7:30 to 8; (Mick & Chuck from 8:15 to 8:45); Entropy's End from 9 to 9:30; Roadies from 9:45 to 10:15; and Stragglers & Company -- an open jam -- from 10:15 to 11 p.m. $20 also gets you a chicken barbecue and buffet, a chance to enter raffles and door prizes. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

Chapman Park Has New Manager

Chapman State Park has a new manager. James McCorkle has taken over the reins of the 805-acre park that recently underwent a facelift. He's taking over after Ryan Borcz left Chapman to be assistant manager at Pymatuning State Park in Crawford County. McCorkle is 26-years-old and is a native of Butler County. He's been with the DCNR Bureau of State Parks since October of 2007.

Woman Injured When Car Swerves to Avoid Hitting Rabbit in the Road

A Warren woman was injured after she swerved her car to avoid hitting a rabbit on Yankee Bush Road in Conewango Township. Police say Lindsey Markey's vehicle went off the road, hit a culvert, brushed a utility pole and then crossed the road, hit an embankment and rolled onto its roof. Markey was taken to Warren General Hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries. The Starbrick Fire Department was on the scene to take care of gasoline that had leaked from Markey's vehicle.

Chimney Collapses at Olean Legion

A chimney at the Olean American Legion fell on gas lines and filled the building with gas Wednesday. East State Street was closed for several hours while the building was ventilated and repairs were made to the gas lines. No one was injured. The Olean City Fire Department is investigating.

Salamanca Man Accused of Molesting Friends of His Children

A Salamanca man is in jail for allegedly molesting children ranging in age from 2 to 9 who are friends of his own children. 37-year-old Shawn Snyder is charged with predator sexual assault against a 5-year-old and for sexually abusing two other children. Salamanca Police are still investigating other cases. The FBI is also conducting an investigation into Snyder's alleged production of child pornography.

Man Indicted on Murder Charge

A grand jury has indicted a man on murder charges nearly a year after a Jamestown man was found dead in his home during a fire. 48-year-old David Scarpino pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. He's in Chautauqua County Jail on $350,000 cash bail or $700,000 property bond. Last August 22, firefighters quickly put out a fire at the home of Bruce Boje, but searched the house and found Boje's body on the couch. District Attorney David Foley says the house immediately became a crime scene after the body was found. Scarpino had been charged previously for assaulting Boje and an order of protection had been issued for Scarpino to stay away from Boje.

Two Rescued from Boat on Lake

The Sheriff's Navigation team rescued two people from a boat that was on fire in Chautauqua Lake Wednesday afternoon. Deputies say they saw smoke coming from the boat at about 3:40 p.m. near Ashville. They pulled 60-year-old Jim Morehouse and his 16-year-old passenger onto the sheriff's boat and took them to shore. Neither of them was hurt. The Ashville and Bemus Point fire departments assisted.

Fire at Eldred Township Fire Station

The Eldred Township Fire Station on Route 446 caught on fire early this morning. At around 1:15 the fire hall was fully engulfed in flames. The Eldred Borough, Port Allegany and Otto Township fire departments are battling the blaze. A dispatcher at the McKean County 911 Center tells WESB and the HERO that firefighters are still on the scene (as of 5:55 a.m.). We'll have more information as it becomes available.

Rendell Signs 'Bridge' Measure

Governor Ed Rendell has signed legislation that provides a mechanism for state employees to be paid, but does not provide a complete and final budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. “What I am signing today is not a budget,” Rendell said. “I am signing legislation that will simply allow us to pay state employees who provide for immediate critical public health and safety services, and that will send negotiators back to the table to communicate, compromise and get real about delivering a true budget agreement for Pennsylvania.” Rendell signed Senate Bill 850 after he vetoed all program funding line items except those pertaining to payroll and essential public protection. The measure is an incomplete budget of roughly $11 billion. For more information, go to the governor's web site .

Ex-Corrections Officer Sentenced

A former Elk County Prison corrections officer charged with indecent assault has been sentenced to two years' probation. 30-year-old Amanda Eckl pleaded no contest to indecent assault for allegedly having inappropriate contact with a male inmate at the prison. As a condition of her probation Eckl is to have no contact with the victim and must continue mental health treatments.

Woman Charged With DUI After Car Crashes into Allegheny River

A Warren woman who crashed her car into the Allegheny River has been charged with driving under the influence. 22-year-old Lindsay Head was driving on Hemlock Road near the Eagles Club when the vehicle rolled over twice and ended up in the river about 5 feet from the riverbank. Police say Head suffered a broken finger in the crash.

Man Sentenced on Porn Charges

An Erie man has been sentenced in federal court for having movies showing young children being sexually exploited. 33-year-old Jason Scalise will spend the next 168 months in jail and will be on probation for 10 years after that. The US Attorney's office says Scalise received and possessed computer images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Specifically, Scalise saved hundreds of movies depicting children as young as five being sexually exploited. From the US Attorney's Office

Gunman's Online Diary Found

Radio PA has pointed us toward the online diary of George Sodini, a man police say opened fire on a roomful of women at a suburban Pittsburgh health club. The diary serves as a pipeline for hostility toward women, Sodini's brother and mother as well as minorities. Sodini writes that he planned to carry out his attack last January but, in his words, "chickened out." The diary was published on a website in Sodini's own name. You can read the diary HERE , but be advised that the content may not be suitable for all readers.

Signs, Billboard Damaged

Someone spray painted graffiti on PennDOT signs and a billboard along Dingman Run Road in Eulalia Township. Police say the incidents happened between 5 o'clock Thursday evening and 10 o'clock Friday night. A damage estimate wasn't available. Police are continuing their investigation. Faxed from Coudersport-based state police

Boys Charged for Egging Police Car

This probably wasn't the brightest idea these boys ever had. State police say a 16-year-old and 17-year-old threw an egg at a vehicle and hit it on Route 872 in Potter County. The vehicle was a state police patrol vehicle. The boys have been charged with summary counts of disorderly conduct and criminal mischief. Faxed from Coudersport-based state police

Rain Holds Off, Crowds Turn Out for Downtown Activities

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Bradford City Police Officers Chris Lucco and Steve Green show some of their gear to people during National Night Out activities Tuesday. Emily Marshall entertained the crowd in Veterans Square, which included the delightful Hatcher family (minus Josh). These kids enjoy the giant slide at the Kids Carnival sponsored by the First United Methodist Church and the YMCA. Elm Street Manager Lisa Campogiani took time to pose with daughter Gabby and doggie before the pet parade. Ginny Hauser had her hands full with her (and husband Chris's) dogs so she got help from "aunt" Mary Anne Polucci-Sherman. Jay Monti and Blou were grand marshals for the parade. Heidi Mackowski and Tony Danias of the McKean County SPCA also participated, as did many other dogs. Linda Newman made sure her husband Dave got something to eat from Taste of Bradford in Veterans Square before he headed off to the pet parade.