Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Bradford City Councilman Bob Onuffer, Dean Bauer and Bill Walb are among the dozens of volunteers cleaning up the Elm Street neighborhoods Saturday afternoon. The three men are working around the Bradford Area Public Library. Other volunteers are spread out along West Washington Street and its side streets. For more information on the Elm Street project, you can visit Elm Street Bradford.com

Just my little tribute to Pottsy & Chris.

A Corry native is dead after his training jet crashed just after takeoff at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. 24-year-old Second Lt. Matthew Emmons was at the controls of the twin-engine trainer jet that can travel at 812 mph. Emmons grew up in Corry. He played basketball and ran cross country for Corry High School. He graduated in 2002. He attended the University of Pittsburgh on an ROTC scholarship. He joined the Air Force as soon as he graduated.

A Silver Creek man is dead after an accident at 9:13 last night in the Town of Hanover. Chautauqua County Sheriff's Deputies say 46-year-old Daniel Phillips was driving his pickup truck at a high rate of speed when he went off the road, hit an embankment, went airborne and rolled over. Phillips was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from truck and died of his injuries. Deputies are continuing their investigation.

04/24/08 - Coudy's Simcoe Steps Down Longtime Coudersport football coach Paul Simcoe is calling it a career. Simcoe has spent 35 years as a coach with Coudersport, the last 29 as head coach. His career totals are 204 wins 78 losses and eight ties. Simcoe won four district 9 A football titles too. 04/25/08 - Court Rules on Charter School McKean County court has ruled that the Mount Jewett Charter School Coalition can appeal the decsion of the Kane Area School board opposing the groups application to establish an elementary school in Mount Jewett. President Judge John cleland issued the decsion Thursday following a brief hearing. The Kane district closed the Mount Jewett Elementary school last June. 04/25/08 - Court & Crime The Byrnedale woman charged with arson for setting fire to her house last month has also been charged with theft and receiving stolen property. Police say Christine Abrahamson was found with a stolen handgun at 3 o'clock Friday morning. The gun was taken ...

Officials from the Department of Environmental Protection are urging anyone with information about a stolen moisture density gauge containing radioactive material to contact the Philadelphia Police Department or the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. DEP’s Bureau of Radiation Protection Director David J. Allard cautioned that the gauge presents no danger to the public so long as the radioactive contents remain shielded. “As long as the device is not tampered with or damaged, it presents no hazard to the public,” said Allard. “However, handling an unshielded radioactive source outside of its container for more than a few minutes carries a risk of potentially dangerous radiation exposure, as does any attempt to tamper with the radioactive source in the device.” The portable gauge belongs to Applied Testing and Geosciences LLC, Bridgeport, Montgomery County. It was stolen from a locked box that was chained to a flatbed truck on Dickinson Street in Philadelphia and was removed from ...

Bradford's new artificial turf will not have any lead in it. School district officials say the Tiger Turf that will be installed at Parkway Field is a new generation of polyethylene fiber that contains no lead. Recent publicity about lead in artificial turf fields across the country has raised concerns about the new field in Bradford, but district officials say they made sure the new turf will be safe.

A shark on Friday attacked and killed a 66-year-old swimmer who was training in the ocean with a group of triathletes, authorities said. Dave Martin, a retired veterinarian from Solana Beach, was attacked by what authorities believe was a great white shark at San Diego County's Tide Beach around 7 a.m., authorities and family friend Rob Hill said. The man was taken to a lifeguard station for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement on the Solana Beach city Web site. The man's injuries crossed both thighs, San Diego County sheriff's Sgt. Randy Webb said in a statement. Scripps Institution of Oceanography shark expert Richard Rosenblatt says the shark was probably a great white between 12 and 17 feet long. "It looks like the shark came up, bit him, and swam away," said Solana Beach Deputy Fire Chief Dismas Abelman. To read the full story go to Yahoo! News

A Tioga County man is dead after a fire last night in a Tioga Township apartment building. 58-year-old James Nagy died of smoke inhalation. Firefighters say the blaze started at about 7:30 and the building was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived on the scene. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to get the fire out. Fire officials are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

The Belmont, New York, man who shot at police officers after attempting to rob a pharmacy in Wellsville has pleaded guilty. 52-year-old Gene Fanton shot at the officers on November 19 of last year after stealing a van while attempting to steal prescription drugs from the pharmacy. Fanton rammed the van into police cars to escape a parking lot before taking police on a half-mile chase on Route 417. The chase ended when he crashed into several police vehicles. Fanton will spend 20 years to life in prison on attempted murder and robbery charges.

Seven alleged illegal aliens face deportation hearings after they were picked up Thursday morning in Chautauqua County. Officers raided three locations in Chautauqua County, including La Herradura Restaurant in Lakewood. According to Mike Gilhooly of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, several of the people were living in the restaurant, while the others were picked up at homes in Lakewood and Dunkirk. No criminal arrests were made, but Gilhooly says the case remains under investigation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement members conducted the raids and were assisted by New York State Police, Lakewood-Busti police and Dunkirk police.

Mount Jewett native Todd Johnson has been promoted to captain and assigned director of the Aviation and Special Services Division of the State Police Bureau of Emergency and Special Operations. Johnson most recently served as commander of the Criminal Investigation Section at Troop E in Erie. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the US Drug Enforcement Administration Training Academy. Former Ridgway state trooper Kevin Doverspike has been promoted to lieutenant and assigned commander of the Patrol Section at Troop E in Erie.

Social Security numbers and other information of more than 900 Jamestown Community College graduates has been stolen along with a laptop that contained the information. Students are who attended JCC from 2001 to 2003 are being advised to check their financial and credit card records to be sure the information wasn't used to access their accounts. The laptop that was stolen belongs to an employee of a private firm hired by the State University of New York system to upgrade computer software and information handling systems.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The state's student-loan agency will cut college grants by up to $750 and offer voluntary buyouts to some employees to ease financial woes blamed on strained credit markets, officials said Thursday. The agency hopes to save $12.5 million a year through the nonunion buyouts, which will give eligible workers two weeks' pay for each year of service for up to 16 weeks, said spokesman Keith New of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. The number of buyouts needed remains unclear, and will depend on the salaries of the departing workers. But the agency will impose layoffs only as a last resort, New said. For the complete story, go to pennlive.com .

04/23/08 - Byrnedale Woman Charged with Arson A Byrnedale woman has been charged with arson in connection with a fire at her house on March 16. Police also charged Christine Abrahamson with attempted insurance fraud and recklessly endangering another person. She's free on 25 thousand dollars bond. 04/23/08 - No One Hurt in Coudersport Crash Both drivers escaped injury in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday morning in Coudersport. Police say a vehicle driven by Lester Goss didn't stop at a newly posted temporary stop sign and drove into a vehicle driven by Jerald Blotza of Bradford. Police say this is the second collision at the intersection since the Route 6 detour was put into place. They're reminding motorists to take note of the traffic flow changes while the Route 6 Bridge near the Coudersport Consistory is being replaced. 04/24/08 - Man Not in Compliance With Megan's Law A Bradford man has been charged with failing to comply with Megan’s Law requirements. Court records s...

Pictured, a US Forest Service employee pulls garlic mustard during an organized a ‘weed pull’ for employees at the Buckaloons Recreation Area on Thursday in celebration of Earth Day. “It’s a way to give back to the earth,” said April Moore, Forest Ecologist and head of the Invasive Species program on the Allegheny National Forest. “Garlic mustard is highly invasive. Here was an opportunity for employees to become involved in Earth Day and improve habitat for native wildflowers. Buckaloons is a great place to view spring wildflowers such as toothworts, spring beauties, and yellow trout lily. Even rare white trout lilies have been seen. Removing garlic mustard helps conserve habitat for native plans and animals.” ‘Think globally, act locally’ has long been a slogan for Earth Day. The Allegheny NF has already offered several events this week for the public to celebrate Earth Day. Two more public opportunities are coming this weekend: ·The Clarion River Discovery Fair will be held ...

State Police are in the process of arresting 16 people in Tioga County for allegedly distributing almost $250,000 worth of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and prescription drugs. Attorney General Tom Corbett says that this group of people was responsible for selling more than two kilos of cocaine, 20 bricks of heroin, 50 pounds of marijuana, and thousands of prescription pills and patches, including Percocet, OxyContin and Vicodin in the Mansfield area over the last two years. Corbett says this investigation began early in 2007 as a continuation of Operation Failing Grade. The original Operation Failing Grade was a 16-month investigation that culminated in November of 2006 leading to the arrests of nine Mansfield University students who were involved in a drug ring that trafficked as much as $500,000 worth of cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs. The first Operation Failing Grade had a 100 percent conviction rate.

The McKean County SPCA will open its annual calendar contest with a special event at the Bradford Area Public Library from 10:30 to 1 on May 3. The “Day with the SPCA” will feature a variety of pet-related activities for children and adults. Pet-owners are invited to bring small pets on leashes or in cages to the library, where photographers will take pictures of the animals. For a $5 fee, the picture will be entered into the contest. People may also enter their own pictures of their pets by registering any time during May and paying the $5 entry fee. The pictures will be circulated throughout the county during June and July, and people will “vote” for the winners by contributing money for their favorite animals. The top 12 money-winners will be featured on the 2009 calendar, in pictures taken by a professional photographer. The 24 entries with the next highest final votes will be pictured on the “Honorable Mention” page at the back of the calendar. “Most people think of this as a dog...

The City of Bradford has announced that a "Spring Cleanup Week" will be held April 28 through May 2 in connection with the regularly scheduled refuse pickup days. All maaterials for pickup must be placed curbside along with regular trash and may include the following items: household furniture (wooden and metal, couches, chairs, mattress & box springs, televisions, lamps, etc.), sinks, toilets, tubs, carpeting (4' lenghts, bundled and tied), plastic and metal toys, bikes, paint cans (must be empty or dried and hard). These items will be picked up by separate vehicles: metal products including tire rims, pipe, steel, tin, swing sets (disassembled). A $10 charge will apply to white goods including stoves, dishwashers, washers, dryers, hot water tanks and trash compactors. Refrigerators and freezers: Only if freon has been removed and properly tagged. Doors must be removed from these items. The following items will NOT be picked up by city refuse crews: tires, batterie...

Centre County GOP Chairman Glenn Thompson edged out a victory in the race for the 5th District Congressional seat. Thompson, who was endorsed by current Congressman John Peterson, garnered 19 percent of the vote while Derek Walker received 17 point 7 percent and Matt Shaner picked up 17 point 5 percent. Shaner collected the most votes in McKean County with 24 percent compared to Thompson's 22 percent. Walker and Elk County Coroner Lou Radkowski each got about 15 percent of the vote in McKean County. Democrat Mark McCracken of Clearfield County got nearly 41 percent of the vote statewide. State Senator Joe Scarnati faces a challenge in the fall from Democrat Donald Hilliard, who is also from Jefferson County. In Tuesday's primary, Scarnati got 22,147 votes to Hilliard's 20,944 district wide. State Representative Kathy Rapp handily defeated her challenger Kerry Gern by a margin of 83 to 17 percent. State Representative Marty Causer ran unopposed in the primary. So far, no one...

04/22/08 - Senecas Buy Land in Cuba, NY The Seneca Nation of Indians has added an idle manufacturing plant in Allegany County to its portfolio of non-reservation property holdings. The Senecas bought the former Acme Electronics assembly plant in Cuba for an undisclosed price. The 92,000-square-foot industrial building, is on a 54-acre site along Route 446, just off the Southern Tier Expressway. Seneca Nation President Mo John did not reveal plans for the manufacturing complex, but said the surrounding land might be used for residential development. 04/22/08 - Two Men Indicted on Arson Charges Two Olean men have been indicted on arson charges. The indictment charges that on February 26 in Great Valley Douglas "Spoons" Mason and William Crimbring started a house fire and knew someone was in the house. Mason is scheduled for arraignment on Monday. Crimbring was scheduled for arraignment today but failed to appear. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. 04/22/08 - Hillary, Tho...

A Cattaraugus County soldier severely injured in Iraq has been flown from Bethesda Naval Medical Center to a facility in Boston to continue his recovery. 25 year old, Sergeant James Hackemer of Gowanda lost both of his legs in a roadside bomb explosion. He could spend anywhere from four months to a year at the Boston facility undergoing rehab for head trauma. A website has been created to honor Hackemer. You can find the site HERE .

If you've ever been to The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, you already know it's one of the best places to have a beer. But now it's official. "All About Beer" magazine has recognized the birthplace of the Buffalo chicken wing as one of the "top 125 places to have a beer before you die." The Anchor Bar comes in at number 116.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will be surveying on the Allegheny National Forest this summer for emerald ash borer, a wood-boring beetle that kills ash trees. The surveys will consist of looking for beetles, using sweep nets to pick up beetles, and using purple panel traps to lure the adult beetles that fly. The surveys taking place this summer on the Allegheny NF will be duplicated across 35 counties in Pennsylvania as part of a cooperative effort with Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Forest Service, State and Private Forestry; and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. About 13,000 purple panel traps will be placed in all species of ash trees starting the middle of May. Emerald ash borer adults fly from ash trees from mid-May to early August.

Additional charges have been filed against Richard J. Reed, who is accused of fatally shooting his parents, John and Mary Lou Reed, at the couple's Brookville, home on March 26. In addition to two counts of criminal homicide, the is also charged with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property for allegedly removing a personal check from his parents' checkbook and filling it out for $2,000. He also confessed to taking several diamond rings from his mother's jewelry box and a box of white antique coins. Reed allegedly said he would sell the coins for additional money. Police caught Reed as he was trying to cross the border into Canada. A Sept. 8 trial date has been set.

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — Searchers scanned the waters off Brazil's southern Atlantic coast on Tuesday for a Roman Catholic priest who disappeared after floating into the sky under hundreds of helium party balloons. Read the full story HERE .

ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVB) - A mail carrier is being credited with saving the life of a baby who fell out of a second floor window. It happened Monday morning in Albany. Investigators say the postal worker just happened to be walking by when a one-year-old girl fell right into her arms. The baby's mother had apparently turned her back on the child for a few moments when the child crawled out the window. Postal worker Lisa Harrell said, "...next thing I know, the baby fell on me and I caught the baby." The child was checked out by paramedics, but was not injured. The mother is not expected to face any charges.

A member of the Lackawanna 6 could be released from prison within the next few months. 26-year-old Faysal Galab has applied for time off for good behavior and could be placed in a halfway house before the end of the year. His sentence expires in 2009. Galab is one of six men accused of attending an al Qaeda training camp inside Afghanistan in the summer of 2001, just months before the September 11 terrorist attacks. All of the defendants who lived in Lackawanna were indicted in October 2003 on charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Just in case you heard this on The Food Insider ... or even if you didn't: Meat News Network

Chestnut Ridge on the Allegheny National Forest is one of 10 wilderness area in the country identified as a significant natural treasure in jeopardy. Penn State Behrend professor Roger Knacke says future oil and gas developments on Chestnut Ridge could destroy the natural integrity of the area. He says he hopes the gas and oil companies and preservationists can work something out so the wilderness is preserved but the companies still have places to drill. The full report – "Wild … for How Long?" – is available at leaveitwild.org .

A former Seattle-area man has pleaded guilty to groping a woman on an airplane last year. Air marshals say 46-year-old Michael Lamar Holland of Montoursville groped a 39-year-old woman shortly after United Flight 917 took off Dec. 30 for Seattle from Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C. The plane was diverted to Pittsburgh, where Holland was arrested. His lawyer has said Holland had recently changed his seizure medications, has a history of blackouts and doesn't remember groping the woman. Holland was living in Kent, Wash., when he was arrested. Federal prosecutors say he now lives in Lycoming County. Holland pleaded guilty Monday to engaging in abusive sexual contact while on an airplane. He'll be sentenced July 24.

University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg is recovering from surgery to repair shoulder injuries after he fell from a ladder at his mother's Florida home. Pitt spokesman Robert Hill says Nordenberg has been released from the hospital, and hopes to participate in at least some activities surrounding the school's April 27 commencement, depending on the course of his recovery. Nordenberg has been chancellor of the university since 1995.

A Brookville man facing two counts of murder for killing his parents waived his preliminary hearing this morning. 45-year-old Richard Reed is accused of killing his parents last month in Brookville. Police say Reed then tried to flee to Canada but was stopped at the border. Reed told police he shot his parents after they told him they wanted him to go to rehab for alcohol abuse. The case now moves to Jefferson County Court.

A baby sitter will face prosecution on two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the drowning deaths of two Waterford toddlers. The charges against 20-year-old Brittany Steward were bound to court during a hearing this morning. After a hearing in March when a district judge dismissed the charges citing insufficient evident, the District Attorney’s Office refiled the charges. Authorities say Steward’s negligence led to the May 30 drownings of her 20-month-old half sister, Jenna Walker, and 2-year-old Maggie Kovski, in a pond.

Fire officials in Tioga County say overnight rain helped them fight the forest fire that burned thousands of acres of parkland in the Cedar Run area. An official with Pennsylvania's Bureau of Forestry says the fire is not actively burning now, but crews will be at the scene in order to clean up. Firefighters say the fire broke out at around noon on Saturday. They are continuing to investigate the cause, which they say is not suspicious. More than 3,500 acres of timber were destroyed. A crew from Bradford was called in to help battle the blaze.

A Butler County man has been gored by a bull while he was working outside his house. State police say 50-year-old Roy Weyand of Franklin Township was doing yard work when a Texas longhorn charged and gored him Sunday afternoon. Police say Weyand fled into a wooded area after the attack. The animal went into a field, where police shot and killed it. Police say the bull had escaped from a nearby residence. Weyand was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

A Jamestown man died Saturday night when his ATV crashed into a tree near Route 322 in Shenango Township. State police say 74-year-old Russell Floch was riding the ATV on an old railroad bed when it hit the tree and continued down a 10-foot ravine. Floch was pronounced dead at the scene.

04/19/08 - Crosby Man Charged with Assault A Crosby man has been charged with assault in connection with an alleged incident Friday at the Old Anchor Inn in Hamlin Township. State police say 21-year-old William Logue got into a verbal argument with Ashley Logue and Franklin Howard of Bradford, then allegedly threatened Howard with a knife. Both victims sustained minor injuries. 04/19/08 - Langella Let Go as Public Defender McKean County Public Defender Ron Langella has been dismissed from his position. McKean County Commissioner Al Pingie says the commissioners decided it was time for a change because Langella didn't fit into the picture. Doug Garber, who had been Langella’s assistant, will take over as the acting public defender. No one has been named to Garber’s former position yet. 04/20/08 - Man Charged with Fleeing and Eluding A Port Allegany man has been arrested after taking police on a high speed chase at about 5:30 Saturday afternoon on Route 6 in Roulette Township. Police...

A little rain didn't dampen the spirits of the people taking part in the March of Dimes annual March of Babies. Formerly, WalkAmerica, the event kicked off and ended in Callahan Park after walkers trekked to Pitt-Bradford's Blaisdell Hall. The annual fundraiser raised over $20,000 dollars Sunday. March of Dimes Division Director Diane Stickles says the Bradford event raised $5,000 more this year than last year’s event. The goal had been $17,000 dollars. Our own Scott Douglas was there for the festivities, broadcasting live on The HERO from 11 to 1.