Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The man who killed Clymer School Superintendent Keith Reed will spend 25 years to life in prison. Anthony Robert Taglianetti was sentenced this morning in Chautauqua County Court. In November, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder for shooting and killing Reed outside his home in August of 2012. Taglianetti killed Reed because of a relationship between Reed and Taglianetti’s estranged wife. After the trial jurors said the most compelling piece of evidence was Reed’s blood on a gun that was wrapped in a printed-out email between Reed and Mary Taglianetti. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The wife of accused killer Anthony “Rob” Taglianetti admitted during cross examination in his murder trial that she had lied in court documents. Today, Mary Taglianetti said that in divorce papers she said she had lived in New York State for two years when it actually only been a few weeks. Public defender Ned Barone, in his opening statement, called Mary Taglianetti a liar and a master manipulator, but didn’t say why that has anything to do with her husband shooting Keith Reed Jr. three times at point blank range on September 21 of last year. Mary Taglianetti testified yesterday that she and Reed sent sexually explicit emails to each other and that her husband got into her email account and saw one exchange. She also said her husband sent emails to Reed and that one of them said he would find out what school system Reed worked for and take action. She also said she contacted Reed, telling him that her husband Googled his name and she was worried that he was going to go to the scho...

Anthony Taglianetti drove from Viriginia to Clymer, New York, last September with the intent to kill Keith Reed Jr. because he found an e-mail exchange between Reed and his wife. That was part of the opening statement from District Attorney David Foley in Taglianetti’s murder trial that started this morning. Foley also said investigators discovered a handgun wrapped in that e-mail that Taglianetti had printed out. It had Taglianetti’s DNA and Reed’s blood on it. Mary Taglianetti and her husband were separated when she had a brief relationship with Reed. They hadn’t had contact with each for two years, until she friended him on Facebook last year. The e-mail exchange happened about a month before the murder. Defense attorney Ned Barone told the jury Taglianetti did not kill Reed and that Mary Taglianetti is a liar and a master manipulator. She is expected to testify at some point. The trial could last up to a month. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE: Opening statements in the trial are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Lawyers in Chautauqua County have been trying for nearly a month to choose a jury in the Anthony Taglianetti murder trial. And, late yesterday, they did it. Seven men and five woman have been sworn in as jurors. Two alternates have been chosen as well, and lawyers will try to pick two more today. The trial had been scheduled to start two weeks ago. Taglianetti is accused of shooting 51-year-old Keith Reed Jr. to death in September of last year because he believed Reed was in a relationship with his estranged wife. Reed was the Clymer School Superintendent, a native of Salamanca and a graduate of St. Bonaventure University. Pictured, Keith Reed Jr. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Congressman Tom Reed announced today that Megan Clark, a sophomore at Clymer Central High School, is the winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition from the 23rd district. Megan’s artwork will be put on display in the United States Capitol in Washington, DC where thousands of visitors from across the country will view the artwork. “Congratulations to Megan on her winning entry in this year’s contest,” said Rep. Tom Reed. “I know our panel of judges had some difficult decisions to make again with this year’s entries which goes to show what high caliber of talent we have in our area. I am proud to have Megan’s photography hang in the Capitol representing our district.” Each of the original entries from high school students throughout the district were judged by a panel of art professors from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Megan’s digital photography titled “One Way” will hang in the Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition. Megan has also been invited to th...

Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a possible hostage situation late Sunday night in French Creek. They got a report at just after 11 o’clock saying 26-year-old Megan Cottrell was being held against her will and there was a possibility that a weapon was involved. When deputies arrived on the scene, they could not make contact with anyone, but determined Cottrell was inside the house with 26-year-old Gregory Johnston. Deputies tried unsuccessfully for several hours to make contact with Cottrell and Johnston, and the SWAT Team and negotiators were called to the scene. Cottrell got out of the house at about 7:45 this morning. At about 9 o’clock officers were able to establish contact with Johnson, and he surrendered without further incident at 9:15 a.m. Cottrell was charged with obstructing governmental administration. Johnston was arrested on a parole violation and other warrants. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Clymer man suffered serious injuries in an ATV accident along Mann Road in French Creek Saturday night. Sheriff's deputies say 62-year-old Ben Whitney made an abrupt right turn and rolled The ATV into a ditch. Whitney was thrown on to the road. Deputies say he was not wearing a helmet and suffered serious head injuries. Whitney is in stable condition at UPMC Hamot. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947