Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Monday, June 16 - The Red Cross Strawberries on Wheels Festival. The McKean Potter Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross is taking over the popular strawberry festival, and now it's a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels. We'll be talking about the festival, Meals on Wheels and I'm sure Jason Bange will have even more to talk about. There's always something happening at the Red Cross. Tuesday, June 17 - Author Christie Mellor will be talking about her book Were You Raised by Wolves? . "... let's all of us embrace our adulthood, shall we? If your mother still chews your food for you and your dad still fills your gas tank, it's time to put on those big boy pants and jump into the deep end of the pool where the grown-ups swim." Wednesday, June 18 - Lunch in the Square! Weather permitting, Scott Douglas and I will be broadcasting live from Veterans Square. I hope the weather permits, because the Red Cross will be selling those yummy strawberry shortcakes....

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — You always thought "Rock Paper Scissors" was a game of pure luck, didn't you? So did Derek Hines. The 2005 Hershey High School graduate used to think it was just a way to settle who had to take out the trash or which of his roommates would have to make the beer run. No, there's much more to it than luck. It's psychology. It's manipulation. It's picking up on hidden "tells," like the way some amateurs start to make the scissors shape a little too early, or tilt their hand to start making the paper shape, or wind up a bit more for an emphatic throwdown of the rock. That knowledge helped Hines win a free trip to Las Vegas to compete in next weekend's Rock Paper Scissors national championship. The winner of the national tournament, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay hotel, earns $50,000 and a trip to Beijing. After winning a regional qualifier in State College, Hines will represent Penn State University, where he is a seni...

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett is suing 11 home improvement contractors, including one from Bradford, and is seeking more than $660,000 in restitution for their victims. Christopher Stratton, doing business as Roof Pro+ Home Improvements is among the defendants. Corbett says the defendants are accused of accepting payment from consumers but failing to begin projects, failing to complete projects, or performing the work in a shoddy or unsatisfactory manner.

Buffalo Bisons Organization Mourns the Loss of Longtime Supporter, NBC's Tim Russert Buffalo-native sent Opening Day Video Message for Several Seasons The Buffalo Bisons organization is saddened to hear the news today of the passing of Buffalo-native and NBC News Washington Bureau Chief, Tim Russert. The longtime political analyst passed away on Friday afternoon at the age of 58. "This is truly a sad day for the Buffalo Bisons organization and the entire Western New York community," said Mike Buczkowski, Vice President/General Manger of the Buffalo Bisons. "Tim was a great friend of the Bisons and a positive ambassador for our great city to the rest of the country." Russert was a familiar face to Bisons fans. For the past 10 seasons, Russert recorded a video message from his office in Washington, D.C. that was played on the Bisons Big Board on Opening Day. Along with welcoming fans to the ballpark for the start of a new seas...

The Buffalo Bills released the following statement on the death of Tim Russet: “Tim, as everyone knows, was a tremendous Bills fan. He was always so proud to let people know just how much he loved our team and was such a great ambassador for Buffalo. So many times he ended his “Meet The Press” show with his patented “Go Bills!” that it became part of our Game Day morning rituals. He was a true friend and we will miss him immensely. Our sincere sympathies go out to his family and our team carries a heavy heart tonight as we mourn the loss of this great man, Buffalo’s native son and a Bills fan forever.”

WASHINGTON, DC-Following the death of Tim Russert, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement: “America lost a giant in the world of quality journalism and Buffalo lost her favorite son. He was a tough but fair cross-examiner of candidates and public officials and few journalists understood American politics and history better than Tim. “He earned the respect of Presidents here at home and world leaders as well as members of Congress. He was a faithful son, a devoted husband and father who never forgot where he came from. I speak for the Casey family in extending our condolences to Maureen, their son Luke and the entire Russert family." Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today issued the following statement regarding journalist Tim Russert’s death: “Tim will be sorely missed because his years as a Senate staffer and probing TV journalist gave him special insights on political and governmental issues. Had he chosen law as a career, his cross-examination would have m...

“Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert was remembered as a journalism giant Friday by Lee Coppola, dean of St. Bonaventure University’s Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “The world of journalism has lost an icon and Western New York has lost its greatest ambassador,” Coppola said. Russert, a political analyst well known for his pointed questioning, died unexpectedly Friday in Washington, D.C. Recognized for his achievements and contributions as a journalist and for his strong devotion to his family and his faith, Russert received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Bonaventure in 2001. Coppola attributed the enormous respect Russert garnered — from politicians to the public — to his blue-collar Buffalo roots. “That’s because he came from common people,” said Coppola, who presented Russert with his honorary degree from the University in 2001. “No one ever looked at him as an erudite person.” During his address, Russert reminisced about his Buf...

NBC News is reporting Tim Russert has died. The moderator of "Meet The Press" and South Buffalo native died Friday afternoon in Washington, D.C. Russert was 58 years old. NBC News reports Russert collapsed and died at the NBC News Washington bureau on Friday afternoon. An emotional Tom Browkaw reported the news at 3:40 p.m. eastern time on Friday. "Tim was a true child of Buffalo," Brokaw said to a national audiance during the special report. Browkaw also spoke about Russert's love for the Buffalo Bills. "This news division will not be the same without his strong clear voice," Browkaw said. Russert served as managing editor and moderator of "Meet the Press" and political analyst for NBC News. Russert was also a best selling author. He wrote "Big Russ and Me" in 2004 and "Wisdom of Our Fathers" in 2006. "Wisdom of Our Fathers" features a story by Pitt-Bradford Director of Communications and Marketing Pat Frantz Ce...

If you're waiting for filming to start up again on the movie "Little Chicago," you'll have to wait a little longer. Producers had hoped to resume filming in late spring or early summer, but that date has been moved until the stars of the film can be signed. Executive Producer Carl Veno says as soon as they sign someone to play Al Ritchie they'll be ready to go in three or four weeks. In addition to more filming in Bradford, crews will be in Kane, Olean and Salamanca. Meanwhile, state Senator Mike Stack says it's important that Pennsylvania keep attracting the film industry with the current tax credits that are available. "Continuing to do more to attract films to our state would mean a great boost to our economy," Stack says. "We need this, considering the struggles our constituents are going through with rising prices on necessities and the mounting economic recession our country is moving toward." Stack recently filmed a scene for the cab...

Four people are facing charges in connection with the Tuesday morning gang assault on a 17-year-old Olean boy. Police say the boy used a pocket knife to stab three people in a Buffalo Street house so he could escape. They say 19-year-old Richard Withey, 21-year-old Bruce Hanson a 16-year-old Olean boy and a 17-year-old Olean girl worked together to trap the victim in the house so they could beat him up because he allegedly insulted a girl in the house. The victim suffered cuts to his head that required stitches, as well as other injuries.

A truck driver is recovering at a Pittsburgh hospital after his tanker truck crashed and burst into flames. Police on Friday identified the driver as 59-year-old Edward Niederriter of Erie. He is listed in stable condition at Western Pennsylvania Hospital's burn unit in Pittsburgh. Niederriter was driving a tanker filled with up to 15,000 gallons of gas when the truck crashed Thursday night in Venango Township. The tanker burst into flames that could be seen as far away as Lake Erie. Police say Niederriter was driving too fast at the time of the crash.

Gov. Ed Rendell has signed a statewide smoking ban into law that goes into effect in 90 days. Under the new law, most private businesses and public spaces must be smokefree. Rendell advocated such a ban as a way to cut health care costs. Pennsylvania is now the 33rd state with some sort of statewide smoking ban. The ban covers restaurants, office buildings, theaters, arenas and other venues. Exemptions will allow smoking to continue in bars and taverns that have limited food service, casinos, private clubs, nursing homes, tobacco-related businesses and volunteer ambulance, fire and rescue squads.

With Pennsylvania facing record interest from the natural gas industry, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty today said taking advantage of the state’s energy resources is important to the its economy and the nation’s interests, but doing so must be balanced against the need to protect its natural resources. Speaking at a first-of-its-kind summit today attended by approximately 150 representatives of the oil and gas industry, McGinty said improving technology and higher energy prices are making it easier and more attractive for drilling companies to explore and extract natural gas, but that activity must be done in accordance with the state’s environmental laws and regulations. “The economics of the energy industry are driving an incredible level of interest in Pennsylvania’s natural resources,” said McGinty. “In three of the last four years, we’ve set a new record in terms of the number of permits issued to drill here, and this year could bring another ...

St. Bonaventure University named John H. Meisch of Rushville, N.Y., the William P. "Stax" McCarthy Alumnus of the Year during the annual Alumni Reunion Weekend, held June 6-8 on the University's campus. The award is named in memory of former annual fund and alumni director William "Stax" McCarthy, '72, and is presented to a St. Bonaventure graduate who offers continued service to the University and captures the spirit of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure and St. Clare. Since earning his undergraduate degree at St. Bonaventure in 1958, Meisch has been an involved member of the St. Bonaventure University community. If there is a need on campus, Meisch has always been there to help - including Clare College, the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts dance and theater programs, and the Decades for Devereux campaign. A principal sponsor of the University's annual Francis Week celebration, Meisch and his wife, Kay, have sponsored the Fr. Jerome Kelly Francis Week ...

The arrest of a major drug “kingpin” in Jamestown could help police in a homicide investigation in the Town of Ellicott from last month. Police say 39-year-old Jose Martinez supplied the “Q-Dog” drug ring with the 4 million dollars worth of cocaine that was distributed throughout the region. Quincy Turner of Jamestown, who was arrested in “Operation Q-Dog” along with several others, was found shot to death in his car at an old airport hangar on Girts Road. Turner was awaiting further court action at the time of his death. Chautauqua County District Attorney David Foley said Martinez’s arrest could “potentially” produce more leads in Turner’s death. Foley would not comment on the matter any further, but police did say Martinez has a history of “violence,” including an arrest on an attempted murder charge in the 1990s.

A Clarion County man who the FBI says is a captain in a militia is still in jail because his federal detention hearing will resume on Monday. The hearing for 64-year-old Morgan Jones began Thursday. He is charged with illegally selling an AK-47 assault rifle in February to an undercover agent in Ohio. Jones hasn't commented on the charges, but his wife, Donna, says he's just a weapons collector. Authorities want him jailed until trial because they say he is a captain in the 91st Warrior militia that engages in illegal weapons dealings and anti-government activities. Jones is one of five people facing weapons charges after raids by federal agents on Sunday.

A Pennsylvania woman has been ordered to stay away from former basketball star Michael Jordan. Crawford County Common Pleas Judge Gordon Miller granted the former NBA player's request for an injunction and ordered 35-year-old Lisa Miceli of Meadville to have no further communication or contact with Jordan, any member of his family or any of his representatives. Miceli maintains that Jordan is the father of her now-5-year-old son, and said she wants a third round of DNA testing to prove her claims. Jordan has denied the claim, and in court papers said paternity tests in 2004 and 2005 showed he was not the father.

The lawyer for a retired state trooper charged in an accident that killed a Bradford woman is challenging the value of a blood test given to his client. Edward Cosgrove says David O’Brien of Allegany wasn’t given the blood test at Olean General Hospital until about three hours after the April 11 accident that killed 38-year-old Wendy Karnes. O'Brien and Karnes were both on their way to work at the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca when their vehicles collided head-on on Route 219. Cosgrove says he questioned everyone at the scene and no one said O'Brien was drunk. Cosgrove says a medical problem may have caused O'Brien to drive in the wrong lane of traffic. A Cattaraugus County Grand Jury heard evidence yesterday. The next grand jury report is due June 26. O’Brien is free on $1,000 bail.

Elm Street Program interns Rachel Ense and Kara Smith have unveiled their plans for a new community garden on Bank Street behind Grace Lutheran Church. The plans feature beds that would be available for the community to grow their own vegetables, as well as a gathering spot that would be used for meetings, workshops or socializing. The garden would also have a trellis over the main entrance and would be enclosed by hedges and fencing. Smith and Ense are still looking for more input, as well as people who are interested in gardening at the site. People can contact them at the Bradford Office of Economic and Community Development. Bob Harris and I will be talking about the community garden project on his "Around the Home" show Saturday morning at 8:30 on WESB.

Gov. Ed Rendell will sign Pennsylvania's new clean indoor air act into law at noon Friday in Montgomery County. The measure, which passed the Pennsylvania General Assembly this week, will restrict smoking in most workplaces and public places. With the governor's signature on Friday, most of the law's provisions should be in effect by mid-September.

Senator Cathy Young and members of the New York State Senate Majority Conference today called for Assembly action on legislation that would prohibit school employees or volunteers from engaging in sexual conduct with a student, regardless of the student’s age. The bill, passed the Senate unanimously on February 26, 2008 and is supported by the New York State District Attorneys’ Association. “Currently in New York State it is not against the law for teachers to prey upon 17 and 18 year old students. These teachers have power and authority over these students. They should be protecting them, not victimizing them,” said Senator Young. “We’re calling on the Assembly to take action and because when parents send their children off to school they expect that they’ll be in a safe environment.” The call for Assembly action came yesterday at a Capitol press conference, where Senators were joined by Heidi Roosa, whose 17-year-old daughter was involved in a relationship with her Independent Stu...

The latest tribute to legendary Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope is literally out of this world. The International Astronomical Union has agreed to name an asteroid after Cope, who died Feb. 27. The asteroid orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter and is now officially known as 7835 Myroncope. The asteroid is about three miles wide and 88 million miles from Earth. It cannot be seen by the naked eye.

At Wednesday’s annual meeting of the board of directors of Bradford Little Theatre held in the office at 78 Main St., new directors and officers were elected for the year starting July 1. New directors elected to two-year terms were Cindy Graham and Marcia Morrison. Re-elected to two-year terms were Richard Marcott and Cindy Matteson. Also, named to fill the rest of the two-year term vacated by Richard Frederick was Anne Holliday. Officers elected to one-year terms were Marcott, president; Holliday, vice president; and Morrison, treasurer. Re-elected was Nanci K. Garris, secretary. Currently in the midst of their terms are Garris, Pam Gaffney, Dennis Morrisroe and Charles E. Church. Outgoing president Diane Kerner Arnett was named President Emeritus and will continue with the board in an advisory capacity.

A symbol of good luck brought some bad luck to a restaurant in York, P-A. When health inspectors found a snapping turtle in the kitchen sink of the Panda Chinese Kitchen, they closed the restaurant down. Owner Jim Zhao says in China a turtle is like a Buddha. It's supposed to bring good luck. Zhao says he rescued the turtle because he saw a man trying to get rid of it in the parking lot, so put it in the sink until he could release it. He's now given it to a friend. Inspectors ordered the restaurant shut down last Friday after finding the turtle and other health code violations. The restaurant is expected to re-open today.

In an attempt to lower the price at the pump and bring stability to the economy, Congressman John E. Peterson (R-PA), offered an amendment to the Interior Department spending bill that would increase domestic production of oil and natural gas offshore. The amendment, which would have lifted the Congressional Moratorium on offshore energy production between 50 and 200 miles, was defeated along a party line vote with six Republicans supporting American made energy and nine Democrats voting to keep American resources locked up. Peterson issued the following statement: “While the American people continue to endure the pain at the pump – begging Washington for relief –Democrats on the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee voted to keep the status quo, and continue with 27 years of failed policy that restricts domestic production of oil and natural gas offshore. The amendment I offered today was a clear opportunity for both Democrats and Republicans to come together, in a bipartisan ...

Three members of the Bradford Rotary Club have been honored as Paul Harris Fellows, Rotary's highest honor that recognizes "Service Above Self." The Rotarians honored were Susan Evans, Richard Johnson and Garry Pugrant. Also during Tuesday's annual dinner, officers were installed. They are Barb Kervin, incoming president; Dr. Kimberly Young O'Mara, president-elect; Debbie Price, vice president; Susan Evans, secretary; Richard Johnson, treasurer; and Don Fredeen, sergeant at arms.

A Salamanca couple has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child after their toddler was missing for an hour – and they didn’t know it. Police say the 2-year-old got out of the house, wandered the street and was picked up by someone who took the child to the police station. Nearly an hour passed before anyone contacted police about the missing child, whose parents are Autumn Rogers and Sean Sanford of Broad Street.

Olean has a new school superintendent. Dr. Colleen Taggerty starts her new job on July 1. She is currently assistant superintendent of Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES. Taggerty replaces Mark Ward, who is taking over as superintendent of the Ellicottville School District.

House Democrats finally rolled out their version of next year's state budget, which would be a slight increase in spending over what Gov. Ed Rendell proposed earlier this year. Rep. Dwight Evans, the Philadelphia Democrat who chairs the Appropriations Committee where the $28.5 billion measure was introduced, says he is optimistic that talks will produce a negotiated deal. The budget proposal, in the form of an amendment Evans offered, was approved 21-13 by Appropriations, largely along party lines. Rendell has proposed a $28.3 billion spending plan that would be a 4.2 percent increase over the current year; Evans' amendment would increase spending by about 4.8 percent. If a 2008-09 budget is not approved before July 1, some 25,000 state government workers will be furloughed. The bill remains in the House Appropriations Committee.

Police are still searching for a Smethport man who they say took a safe, money and a car from an East Valley Road home in Keating Township. Police say Kristopher Wilson drove the car to his father’s house in Liberty Township, where he took 15 guns and other items valued at more than 35 thousand dollars. Wilson’s last known address was East Valley Road, but he also known to frequent the Somerset area of Pennsylvania and may have ties to Indiana, P-A.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged in a May 16 rape of a 16-year-old girl. Corry police alleged the rape took place outside near King and East Church streets at about 3 p.m. as the boy and girl were walking home from Corry Area High School. Police interviewed the boy and girl, and a forensic nurse examined the girl, said Corry police Patrolman Tony McIntyre, who handled the case. Police yesterday charged the boy in Juvenile Court with one count each of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault.

Warren City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance establishing the need for a convention center authority and is filing of articles of incorporation with the state. The authority will enter into a contract with an operator of the planned conference center on Clark St. and oversee the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the facility. The authority will also be able to pursue funding opportunities for the center, finance any necessary bond issues and acquire, lease or hold any properties related to the conference center.

An FBI agent says one of the men arrested in a sweep by a terrorism task force over the weekend was the subject of an undercover investigation targeting militias. FBI Agent Daniel Yocca says the investigation focused on militia members with "a propensity for violence." Yocca testified in a detention hearing Wednesday for 49-year-old Marvin E. Hall, of Rimersburg, who faces weapons charges after a raid on his home Sunday. Meanwhile, 60-year-old Bradley Kahle of Clearfield County told undercover agents he hoped senators Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama would be killed if they were elected president, and that he would shoot judicial and law enforcement officials if he ever became terminally ill. Kahle made the statement in April, when he also showed two undercover officers several firearms, including a sniper rifle, two AK-47 assault rifles, and about 5,000 rounds of ammunition, according to the affidavit of probable cause. Others arrested in the raids were Perry Landis of DuBois...

Divers have recovered the body of a Galeton man who drowned in Lyman Lake on Monday. Emergency workers identified the man as 20-year-old Jeremy Nealy. Divers found his body Tuesday night in 14 feet of water near the west end of the lake. Eight divers, including members of the McKean County Sheriff's Department, conducted a grid search of the lake Tuesday. Lyman Run State Park Manager Chip Harrison says four men were fishing from shore when two of them decided to try to swim across the lake. One went part way and turned back. When he got back to shore, he didn't see Nealy.

How is it that good people do bad things? Why is our personal story, our societal history so bloody, so repetitive, so injurious to self and others, so self-defeating? This book operates from a central thesis that is relatively unknown to the general public but is a truism for depth psychology, namely, that the human psyche is not a single, unitary, or unified thing, as the ego wants us to believe. It is diverse, multiplicitous, and divided... always divided. We'll be speaking with author James Hollis.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Nuisances that can generate health problems were a hot topic at Tuesday's Bradford City Council meeting. Vista Circle residents Brad and Sally Mangel attended the meeting to talk about the city's open burning ordinance, while council passed on first reading an ordinance regarding cleaning up after pets. Brad Mangel told council that his neighbors have a patio burner that blows smoke into their windows and, after talking with the neighbors about it, they haven't been able to come to a resolution on the matter. Sally Mangel said the neighbor now thinks they're picking on her when they talk about the burner. "We have to keep our windows down," Mangel said. "Why should we have to be a victim of it?" The Mangels had also spoken with Bradford City Fire Chief Boo Coder and former Chief Bill McCormack. Coder agreed that the ordinance regarding open burning in the city is "pretty vague" and can be troublesome...

The State Senate has voted 41-9 to accept the conference committee report on the Clean Indoor Air Act, making Pennsylvania the 28th state to enact a comprehensive smoking ban that prohibits smoking in most public places and workplaces. The bill now goes to Governor Ed Rendell, who has advocated a smoking ban as a way to reduce health care costs, and plans to sign the bill. It would take effect 90 days after being signed into law, banning cigarette, cigar and pipe smoking in restaurants, office buildings, schools, sports arenas, theaters and bus and train stations. A dozen exemptions would ensure that smoking can continue at some bars and taverns, portions of casino floors, private clubs and elsewhere.

Republican state senators are promoting a healthcare plan they say will help more people at a lower cost than a proposed expansion of government-subsidized insurance championed by Gov. Ed Rendell. Sen. Ted Erickson says the Senate plan would give more than half a million uninsured and low-income Pennsylvanians access to health care. It calls for expanding the availability of community health centers that serve the poor and providing insurance to people who cannot get coverage because of pre-existing health problems, among other things. Erickson says the plan would cost $100 million. The Senate GOP has opposed a bill endorsed by Rendell to provide health coverage to about 270,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians. The program's cost is expected to exceed $1 billion by 2012-13.

The trial of a 15 year-old boy charged with last December’s murder of an 18 year-old in Stockton has been postponed until October. The trial in the murder of Dusty Elderkin was set to start on June 17. The defense in the case motioned for an "affirmative defense," which the judge permitted. Chautauqua County District Attorney David Foley says this will put an extra requirement on the prosecution to look at the new defense. The unidentified defendant is accused of murdering Elderkin with the help of a 14 year-old accomplice. The younger teen’s case was heard in Family Court, where he received a five-year sentence.

Suspects arrested in weekend raids by a terrorism task force face allegations that they trafficked in blasting caps, illegally possessed weapons and transferred exploding golf balls. 64-year-old Morgan Jones of Lucinda is charged with illegally transferring a Romanian AK-47 assault rifle to someone who lives out of state in February; Jones was arrested as he left church over the weekend. 61-year-old Perry Landis DuBois is charged with illegally transferring blasting caps in September and March. 49-year-old Marvin Hall of Rimersburg allegedly transferred two exploding golf balls to an unnamed person in January, without a firearms license. He is also accused of illegally possessing a 12-gauge shotgun and an SKS assault rifle; it is illegal for Hall to possess guns because he has a 1999 federal weapons conviction. Prosecutors have refused to say why they want the men detained or why the cases were investigated by the terrorism task force.

New York Governor Paterson visited Chautauqua County today to announce support for an advanced coal power plant in Jamestown. The state will commit $6 million to help draw more then $100 million in federal and private funds for the project. This will also ensure that the Oxy-Coal Alliance design team stays intact during the time it takes to secure federal funding. The first coal power plant of its kind in the world will serve as a demonstration facility for a promising new technology that captures carbon dioxide and sequesters it underground for permanent storage. State Senator Cathy Young says the oxy-coal plant could turn out to be Western New York's most significant economic breakthrough in decades. She adds that Paterson has clearly demonstrated his commitment to revitalizing the upstate economy by advancing this project.

A flight attendant and an airline pilot face fines of $300 apiece after a nighttime romp in the woods that ended when police found the pilot hiding behind a shed wearing only flip-flops and wristwatch. Jeffrey Bradford and Adrianna Connor, both 24, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges in Dauphin County Court on Monday. Both declined comment after leaving the courthouse. Bradford, of Pittsburgh, and Connor, of Belleville, Mich., are both employees of Pinnacle Airlines Inc. They were at a suburban Harrisburg diner May 28 before they apparently decided to walk into the woods and have sex, police said. Neighbors called police, saying they had seen a naked man and an intoxicated woman. A helicopter with heat-seeking equipment was called in, and Bradford was later discovered hiding behind a shed wearing only flip-flops and a wristwatch. Bradford and Connor remain suspended from the Memphis, Tenn.-based airline.

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly made a visit to the Pennsylvania State Senate today to push for additional testing for newborn babies. The Newborn Child Testing Act (House Bill 883) would expand Pennsylvania’s existing newborn screening program to include the 29 “core” treatable conditions recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and endorsed by the March of Dimes and American Academy of Pediatrics. "What we're trying to do is make sure every single state out there gives these kids a chance to dream," Kelly said on the senate floor. "When I was a little boy, I was able to dream about playing in the National Football League. My dream came true. But unfortunately, thousands and thousands of babies die every single year because they're born in the wrong state." The bill was approved unanimously by the House, and the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, and is awaiting action by the Senate Appropriations Committee. When Kelly's son H...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Bradford Mayor Tom Riel joined dozens of other mayors from across the state in Harrisburg this morning to support Governor Ed Rendell's education funding plan. Rendell’s proposed education budget calls for investing at least $2.6 billion over the next six years to make progress in closing school funding shortfalls identified in the General Assembly’s Costing-Out Report. Released last year, the General Assembly’s Costing-Out Report shows that Pennsylvania’s schools need additional resources. Urban, rural and suburban municipal and school leaders who back the plan stressed the need for the state to adopt a predictable and adequate long-term funding formula. Riel said urban school districts get most of the attention, and he want to give the perspective from a rural school district. "One hundred and twenty years ago, 80 percent of nation's oil was produced within 10 miles of Bradford, Pennsylvania," Riel said. "At this time i...

A 7-year-old girl who authorities say killed an infant at a Pittsburgh day care center will face a closed family court hearing. The confidential hearing will determine whether she can be removed from her home and ordered to have counseling. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled the death of 10-month-old Marcia Poston a homicide. Pittsburgh police say the 7-year-old told them she threw the infant onto a carpeted concrete floor twice, but county prosecutors say that is inconsistent with the child's badly bruised body. Police say the 7-year-old has anger management issues and is seeing a psychiatrist. A 20-year-old caregiver was supervising the five children in the day care. But police say she was upstairs changing another child's diaper when the attack happened.

Police say an Easton woman forced her 11-year-old son to put his hands into boiling water as punishment for telling a social worker about his abusive father. Thirty-year-old Yanira Arias-Ortiz of Easton is charged with aggravated assault and other offenses. Police say Arias-Ortiz was punishing her son for telling a social worker that his father was living with them in violation of a court order. The man had previously been charged with beating his son. Arias-Ortiz allegedly ordered the boy to put his hands in a pot of water on the stove and keep them there until the water boiled. Authorities say the boy was treated for his injuries and is in the custody of Northampton County Children and Youth. His mother is jailed on $25,000 bail.

PennDOT is adding two stop signs along the detour route for the Route 6/Mike Franklin Bridge project in Coudersport. A new stop sign will be placed on Maple Street at the Borie Street intersection for eastbound traffic. Another stop sign will be place along Oak Street at Borie for westbound traffic. The stop signs will be added Thursday morning. The project is expected to be finished by mid-August.

If you're addicted to Tops Fresh Salsa – like a certain local newsperson is – you're out of luck for a while. Tops Markets has pulled the salsa, along with its organic round tomatoes because of the FDA advisory. These tomatoes are grown in locations that are still under investigation by the FDA for their possible connection to a salmonella outbreak. All other tomatoes currently supplied to Tops’ produce departments have been harvested from growing regions that are not affected by the FDA advisory or are not implicated in the nationwide advisory. No illnesses have been reported due to consumption of the products under investigation by the FDA. McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell are among the restaurants taking tomatoes off their menus. Wal-Mart has also pulled certain brands of tomatoes from its shelves.

Timothy Pecora of Burns and Burns Associates, Inc., has been elected president of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce 2008 Board of Directors for a second term and was elected for a second three-year term on the board. Pecora commented, “It is an honor to be part of a board that represents the diversity of our business and civic community and is willing to give generously of their time to promote programs and activities that make a difference.” Others elected to the executive committee remaining in the same position as 2007 are first vice president, Shane Oschman, branch manager, Northwest Savings Bank Main Street; secretary, Robin Cauvel, Administrative Assistant, Metz and Associates, LTD, and co-owner, Times Past, and treasurer, Janet Cleveland, Director of Finance, Futures Rehabilitation Center. Cleveland was elected to her first three year term beginning 2008. Stepping into the second vice president position on the executive committee is Christopher E. Funk, Western Regional Sal...

June is Shelter Cat Adoption Month, and Heidi Mackowski will be on the show to talk about that and everything else that's going on at the McKean County SPCA.

By Pat Frantz Cercone Director of Communications and Marketing There is much rejoicing at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford after the campus community learned that baseball pitcher/first baseman Zach Foster of Bradford was drafted on Friday by the Pittsburgh Pirates. “This is an unbelievable accomplishment,” said Panthers Head Coach Bret Butler. “To put it in perspective, the Major League Draft has 50 rounds with each team receiving one pick per round. When the draft was complete on Friday evening, only 17 of the athletes selected were NCAA Division III athletes.” Also, Foster is the first player in the 12-year history of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference to be drafted by the majors. He was selected in the 49th round on Friday. And no one is more excited than Foster, who found out Friday night at about 11 o’clock. He found 21 missed calls and about 30 messages on his cell phone, most from family and friends congratulating him on the news – news he hadn’t yet heard. “...

United Refining Company has paid a civil penalty of nearly 53 thousand dollars for several industrial wastewater discharge and operational violations at its refinery in Warren. The facility is supposed to treat the company’s industrial wastewater before discharging it to the Allegheny River. United violated wastewater discharge permit limits when it failed to use a storage tank properly to prevent inadequately treated wastewater from being discharged into the Allegheny. The penalty related to violations from March 2006 to April 2008. United has corrected the violations.

Additional charges have been filed against the Marienville woman accused of embezzling from the Laurel Laser and Surgery Center in Brookville. 45-year-old Deborah Geyer was originally charged with taking 55 checks from the center from December of 2001 to October of 2007. Further investigation has shown that she took 157 corporate checks worth more than 204 thousand dollars during that time. She has been charged with 471 felonies and is in Jefferson County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond. The investigation is continuing.

A group of Pennsylvania oil and gas producers and others have filed a lawsuit over a revised plan to manage the Allegheny National Forest that they say restricts their rights to forest resources. The Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association and the Allegheny Forest Alliance filed the suit in Erie against the U.S. Forest Service, the National Forest System Deputy Chief and the Forest Service's regional forester. The suit claims the Forest Service and its representatives violated federal law by approving a revised plan for the 800-square-mile national forest without giving the public an opportunity to comment. The plan took effect earlier this year. The Allegheny Forest Alliance is a group of townships, school districts, and business, citizens and special interest organizations.

Three western Pennsylvania men are in federal custody on weapons charges and will remain there until at least Wednesday. The men are Marvin Hall of Rimersberg, Morgan Jones of Lucinda and Perry Landis, whose address was not immediately available. They have been in custody since Sunday when their families say federal agents raided Jones' and Hall's homes, seizing guns and other items. On Wednesday, a federal magistrate will hear arguments from the government about why the men should stay in jail until they stand trial. Under federal law, prosecutors must prove that the men are either a danger to the community or a risk to flee prosecution, or both, to ask for detention.

Thermometers in the Bradford area varied from 87 to 92 at about 1:45 Monday afternoon. My suggestion? Let's not quibble about the exact temperature. Let's just say "it's hot." News 4 Meteorologist Mike Cejka says we can expect some relief by mid-week. Wednesday should be mostly sunny and less humid with a high around 80.

The Uni-Mart on East Main Street in Bradford appears to be a casualty of the company's bankruptcy filing. Uni-Marts announced on May 30 that the company was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. At that time, company officials said they would close 45 under performing stores. Officials with the convenience store and gas station chain say cash reserves have been depleted by rising fuel prices and other costs. The bankruptcy filings say the company owes more than $28.5 million to its top 30 creditors.

The 20-year-old Waterford woman accused in the drowning death of two toddlers must go on electronic monitoring and live with her father, who must remove all alcohol from his home. An Erie County judge ruled today that Brittany Steward must abide by the conditions while she remains free on $5,000 bond. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday to consider a request to dismiss the case. Steward faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter and other charges in connection with the May 30, 2007, drowning deaths of her half sister, 20-month-old Jenna Walker, and 2-year-old Maggie Kovski.

Three people are hospitalized after a horse got loose during a birthday party and injured them Sunday afternoon. Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Deputies say Valleria Hall of Napoli was hosting a children's birthday party in her front lawn when her horse broke free from the rope he was tied to and ran through the yard. Hall suffered head and leg injuries and was taken to WCA Hospital in Jamestown. 47-year-old Denise Jarka of Jamestown was flown to ECMC with pelvic injuries. 18-month-old Annabell Fredenburg of Randolph was taken to Children's Hospital in Buffalo with head injuries. The horse also damaged 2 vehicles parked in the driveway.

We used to call them "day trips." Now they're called "staycations ." With the cost of gasoline – and everything else – skyrocketing, many people are opting for staycations over vacations where you have to trek more than a few hours, stay in a hotel, pay for food and shell out an admission fee to whatever tourist attraction you've traveled to see. Instead of getting depressed about not being able to take a vacation, I've decided to explore staycations in a continuing series called "Rediscovering the Twin Tiers." People who know me probably are not surprised that I picked Kinzua Dam as my first destination. If you're lucky enough to be at the dam on a day they're releasing water, it's quite a sight. It's not Niagara Falls, but it's still pretty cool. Speaking of cool, if you want to see waterfalls, and cool off, Rimrock is a must-visit site. For a spectacular view of the reservoir, stop at Jake's Rocks, too. If you're ...

With the annual Relay for Life coming up on June 20, we'll be getting you in the spirit for the event by talking with a cancer survivor.