Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Bradford High's Mark Havers fell to Central Dauphin's Marshall Peppelman 8-0 in the PIAA state wrestling championships in Hershey. This is Peppelman's second straight title. He's now 46-0. This was Havers' first loss of the season.

Mary Hosmer Public Affairs Allegheny National Forest Grouse (partridge) eat Japanese barberries in my God’s Little Acre every fall. Japanese barberries (Berberis thunbergii) were introduced to the United States in 1875 and early settlers planted barberries for hedgerows, and to make jams and dyes. I want to ‘go native’ as much as possible in my God’s Little Acre (near the Allegheny National Forest), so I search for an American barberry. I quickly find American barberry (Berberis canadensis) is not common and does not live in Pennsylvania any more; it has been ‘extirpated’ from Pennsylvania. I’ve already settled on silky dogwoods, highbush blueberries, and sweetspire for their pretty white flowers in spring and flaming red leaves in the fall. I’m now concentrating on finding shrubs that produce foods for wildlife. The search begins through the seed and plant catalogs. I also search http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/Default.html. It is time to add to the list of plants to order. I find no...

St. Bonaventure University’s theater program will be taking a chance on love in Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” for its spring production. The play is about a young, struggling writer named Konstantin who wants his stories to be told and his mother, Arkadina, is a famous actress who is uninterested in her son’s life and dream to be a writer. He is in love with Nina, a woman who is in love with Arkadina’s love interest, Trigorin. The play tells their story and how people have the tendency to reject love that is freely given and seek it where it is withheld. “The play is about people struggling to find love and the mistakes they make on the way,” said Dr. Ed. Simone, chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and director of St. Bonaventure’s Theater Program. Simone said this is the first full-length Chekhov play produced at SBU in more than 40 years. “It’s long overdue,” he said. “Chekhov is one of the cornerstones of our theater and he’s an absolute gem for students to use...

The Buffalo Bills have signed controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens to a one-year contract worth $6.5 million. Owens became a free agent on Thursday following his release from the Dallas Cowboys. Get more from Buffalo Bills.com .

It was win and in for the Bonnies and --- they won so they're in the Atlantic 10 tournament. Chris Matthews led the Bonnies with 22 points. Andrew Nicholson had 15. Patrick Pierson Sports Information Director St. Bonaventure University ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — With its postseason hopes still hanging in the balance, St. Bonaventure capped its regular season by clinching its first Atlantic 10 Tournament berth since 2005 with a 74-68 win over Charlotte on Saturday afternoon at the Reilly Center. With the win, the Bonnies improve to 15-14 overall and finish with a 6-10 mark in the A-10. More importantly, the Brown and White will enter next week’s A-10 Tournament in Atlantic City, N.J. as the No. 11 seed and will take on the No. 6 seed, which will be determined later this evening. The game will be on Wednesday, March 11, at 9 p.m. at Boardwalk Hall. “It was tough as a coach to have such a big game and have seven days off to think about it,” said head coach Mark Sc...

Dirk Cowburn did it again. He beat Joe Harper of Susquenita to capture his second straight Class AA PIAA state wrestling championship. Cowburn took Harper down five times in registering a 10-5 decision.

"We have one budget together, the Legislature and the administration," said a clearly frustrated (Sen. Jake) Corman, R-Centre. "This is an artificial way of raising the cost of spending in the budget every year, and quite frankly, it's disrespectful to the Legislature." For the full story, go to pennlive.com .

When Mark was on Sports Forum in August , he said his dream was to be the first state wrestling champion from Bradford. He's almost there! Good luck, Mark!

Bradford High's Mark Havers will wrestle for the state title in tonight's PIAA championships in Hersehy. Havers won a 3-1 decision over Dan Karpency of Albert Gallatin. Tonight Havers goes against defending champion Marshall Peppelman of Central Dauphin. (If you're near a television tonight ... PCN (Channel 9 on Atlantic Broadband in Bradford) ... to see the championships).

Designating five species of freshwater mussels as threatened or endangered would eliminate commercial sand and gravel dredging on 6 percent of the Allegheny River now available to the industry, according to the state Fish and Boat Commission. For the full story, go to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Tom Corbett has announced that the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection has reached a settlement with the owner and operator of the official Miley Cyrus fan club, www.MileyWorld.com , as the result of consumer complaints about the fan club's members-only "pre-sale" of popular Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana concert tickets. The Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) was reached with Interactive Media Marketing, Inc., of Nashville, Tennessee, requiring the company to extend fan club memberships for nearly 1,000 Pennsylvania consumers. Interactive Media will also pay $10,000 in civil penalties and $10,000 to support future public protection activities. According to the settlement, the Attorney General's Office began receiving complaints from Pennsylvania fan club members in September 2007, regarding ticket sales for Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus "Best of Both World" concerts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The majority ...

The televised real-life comic melodrama of the Philadelphia Parking Authority and its beleaguered customers is beginning to pay dividends for the city, and will help keep swimming pools open this year. For the full story, go to the The Philadelphia Inquirer . This is one of my guilty pleasure shows.

A Camden County (New Jersey) pastor has been accused of stealing from a deceased member of his congregation by forging documents that gave him ownership of several of her properties. For the full story, go to The Philadelphia Inquirer Why do we care? Well, I care because this is near where my aunt lived when she was in New Jersey.

Two Warren residents are accused of leaving their young children at home alone while they went to bar. 26-year-old Thomas McQueen and 24-year-old Emily McFall have both been charged with endangering the welfare of children. Police say they left a 7-year-old, 2-year-old and 5-week-old alone at 10:30 p.m. on February 27 while they went to a bar for half an hour.

An Amish man has been ordered to pay a $300 fine for trespassing on the farm of his brother-in-law earlier this year. 46-year-old Atlee Gingerich was found guilty of two counts of criminal trespass during a non-jury trial. The trespassing incident was part of a bigger battle between Gingerich and some of his family members, and others in the Brown Hill Amish enclave near Cambridge Springs. The battle was over the shunning of Gingerich's brother Edward Gingerich, who was convicted in 1994 of involuntary manslaughter in the death of his wife. After being released from prison, Edward Gingerich his unlawfully took his daughter from her grandparents' home. They were found 4 days later in Kushequa. Gingerich was subsequently shunned by the community. Atlee Gingerich and other relatives say they were shunned when they tried to convince the community elders to welcome Edward Gingerich back.

Jim Kelly, the Hall of Fame quarterback, has sold his longtime home to controversial star running back Marshawn Lynch. For the full story, go to The Buffalo News .

An Austin man has been charged in relation to the death of another Austin man in December of last year. 38-year-old Steven Schneider has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of Brock Hooftallen, who was found dead in his home from an apparent drug overdose. Court records indicate that, during a party, Schneider provided drugs including oxycodone and fentanyl. Schneider is also facing a number of drug charges and one count of tampering with evidence.

Dirk Cowburn has defeated Sam Kuhn of Harborcreek and will wrestle against Joe Harper of Susquenita tomorrow in the championship round. The AA finals start at 2:30 p.m. at the Giant Center in Hershey. ~~~ From Solomon's Words : Dirk's little sister Delaney will be playing in the Girls State Basketball playoffs at the same time. Best of luck to both!! Good luck to the Cowburns!

St. Bonavneture defeated St. Joe's in the first round of Atlantic 10 playoffs 65-72 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dana Mitchell led the Lady Bonnies with 17 points.

Over 130 special athletes from McKean, Warren, Elk and Cameron counties gathered at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Sport and Fitness Center pool today (March 6) for the annual Special Olympics Swimming Invitational, Sponsored by Dallas-Morris. The invitational is the culmination of the swimming season for most of the athletes, who have been in training for several months for this event. Seven swimmers, whose names will be announced, will advance to the Pennsylvania Special Olympics Summer Games at Penn State, June 4-6. Gold medal winners were: 15yd Walk: Jean Zumstein, Steph Heffner, Chris Koch, Cody Pellerito, Matt Latshaw, Kyle Fortman 10yd Assisted: Heather Kephart, Alex Rakieski, Devin Guras, Zach Frontera, Jeff Gagliardi, Zack Williams 15yd Unassisted:Taylor Dunkle, Amber Jordan, Devin Guras, Charlie Black, George Burton, Kyle Fortman 15yd Adapted: Tina Whitford 15yd Float: Janet Pressler, Carsen Davis, Derek Hottel, Jeff Gagliardi 25yd Float:Terika Schleic...

St. Bonaventure women's basketball coach Jim Crowley is the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year. Crowley led the Lady Bonnies to a 20-9 record, including a 9-5 conference record. Also, junior Dana Mitchell was named to the A-10 second team and senior Katelyn Murray was a conference all academic selection for the second straight year.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute has laid of 27 employees in anticipation of a decrease in state funding, among other issues. President and CEO Dr. Donald Trump says the hospital has been planning for months on how to deal with the economic challenges. Governor David Paterson's proposed budget cuts include a decrease in Roswell's annual state funding. The hospital is also anticipating increased taxes and fees on health care providers. The laid off workers are on the research side of the cancer center's operations.

No crimes were committed by officials at Hamot Medical Center when organs were harvested from an 18-year-old Ohio man who suffered a head injury while snowboarding at Peek 'n' Peak. That's the conclusion from Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk, who reviewed medical files in the case of Gregory Jacobs. Jacobs' parents, of Bellevue, Ohio, are suing the hospital, the Center For Organ Recovery and Education, and various doctors. They claim medical officials purposely medicated and treated their son to speed up his death so they could harvest his organs. CORE and Hamot officials say they used proper procedures and deny wrongdoing.

Charles Cole Memorial Hospital announces the reopening of the Bowman Health Center in Smethport, effective Monday. New and returning patients can schedule appointments by calling 814/887-5395. Dr. Amit Khanna, Dr. Nirav Patel, Dr. Seth Shifrin, and Judy Flynn, CRNP will continue to see patients until April 20, when CCMH will welcome Dr. David Kulling to the Bowman Health Center. CCMH and the Keystone Rural Health Consortia have been operating the center jointly since Dr. Douglas Bowman’s untimely death in November. CCMH intends to operate the Bowman Health Center at the Misty Valley Health Center location until the end of the year at which time the practice will move into a portion of CCMH’s building on Marvin Street, utilizing a shared space model with the Guidance Center. “We want to assure the Smethport community that we will continue to provide the very best health care services at the Bowman Health Center now and in the future,” said Ed Hardesty, exec...

A jury found Johnnie Gale Lee of Mount Jewett guilty of all charges in two child-rape cases. He was found guilty of 12 counts of rape, aggravated indecent assault, incest and corruption of minors in connection with incidents that happened from 2002 to 2008 in the Sergeant Township area. A sentencing date hasn't been scheduled yet. A former Warren County man has pleaded guilty to having sex with a 5-year-old boy and 9-year-old more than 80 times. 46-year-old Louis Robert Flick committed the crimes in February and November of 1999. Flick has been serving time at SCI-Houtzdale for unrelated crimes. His sentencing for this guilty plea is March 27th.

The man who ran a crack house in Jamestown has been sentenced to 4 years in federal prison. 36-year-old D'Andre Turner of Buffalo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver cocaine. Turner was originally indicted on June 21, 2006, as port of Operation Jamestown, which targeted street sales of cocaine in the Jamestown area. Turner manned a crack house in Jamestown for Adrian Yarborough, who recruited him in Buffalo and transported him to Jamestown to distribute from the crack house. Yarborough was sentenced last year to more than 15 years in prison. The case involved more than 4 ½ kilograms of crack and resulted in the guilty pleas and sentences of 10 other co-conspirators.

Bradford High's Mark Havers took down Cumberland Valley's Bryce Busler with 30 seconds left and won 3 to 1. Havers remains undefeated at 31-0. His next opponent is Dan Karpency of Albert Gallatin in Fayette County. Also today in Hershey, Smethport's Tim Hubbard fell to Josh Lahr of Shamokin. Coudersport's Dirk Cowburn is in the semi-finals tonight, and we'll have that result as soon as we get it.

The borough of Smethport, Pa., plans to implement a community-wide woody-biomass powered combined heat and power (CHP) system. On March 5 the Smethport Board of Trade announced that the Pittsburgh-based Richard King Mellon Foundation had awarded the community a $50,000 planning and engineering grant to support the Smethport Woody Biomass Demonstration Project. For the full story, go to Biomass Magazine .

Rural health care facilities in Pennsylvania will benefit from $5.2 million in funding which was included in the state budget, as well as significant additional federal dollars, according to Senator Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson). Recipients include six hospitals in the 25th Senatorial District. Scarnati was instrumental in obtaining the funding, which is important to aid hospitals that serve a large number of low-income and senior citizens. Among those facilities are Brookville Hospital, Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, Bradford Regional Medical Center, Clearfield Hospital, Kane Community Hospital and Punxsutawney Hospital. The health care facilities are included under the Designated Critical Access Hospital Program, which mirrors a federal program created by Congress. The program was designed to help improve rural health care access and reduce hospital closures. Scarnati said that while federally designated Critical Access Hospitals are entitled to receive co...

James O’Mara and Dr. Kimberly Young O’Mara have made a gift of $25,000 to the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for a planned interfaith chapel to be built this year on the west end of campus. The gift helps the university close in on its $2.5 million fundraising goal for the chapel. “Jim and Kimberly have been strong and generous supporters of Pitt-Bradford for quite some time,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president. “As we enter the final phase of our chapel project fundraising effort, we’re delighted and very fortunate that they have once again come to our aid. We are deeply grateful to them.” Since Pitt-Bradford is a state-related university, money from the commonwealth usually pays for a large part of the construction costs for a new building. But because of the unique use of the chapel, private funding is the only source of money that can be used for its construction. “We’ve been committed to the chapel for a long time,” said ...

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that agents from the Attorney General's Public Corruption Unit have filed criminal charges against a former senior state civil engineer who is accused of conflict of interest and failing to report an expensive gift from the president of a company that received a no-bid "emergency" contract for repairs to the historic Kinzua Railroad Bridge, located in McKean County. Corbett identified the defendant as James Allen Eppley, 61, 63 Lehman Road, Halifax, Dauphin County. Corbett said that Eppley, in his role as a Senior Civil Engineer for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, was the manager for a 2003 project to repair the deteriorating Kinzua Bridge - a historic railroad trestle in McKean County that was the centerpiece of a state park and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the criminal complaint, the paint product that Eppley selected for an emergency no-bid c...

A Clearfield County man is facing numerous charges after being found with about 900 bags of heroin and other drugs during a traffic stop last month. 18-year-old Ryan Schoening of Rockton was stopped for an equipment violation, and did agree to a search of his vehicle. Along with the heroin, police found more than a quarter of a pound of marijuana and 100 ecstasy pills. Police later found another pound of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. Schoening is in Armstrong County Jail on $40,000 cash bail.

A fire in a former New Castle elementary school may have been caused by an alligator. The four-foot alligator was rescued from the fire, but officials believe it may have started the fire by knocking over a space heater. Officials are not identifying the owner of the building, who they say was living with about 70 rabbits and a number of aquatic animals, as well as the alligator. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is involved in caring for the alligator.

Police are still trying to return stolen property to victims of a crime spree last summer through 7 counties in north central Pennsylvania. Scott Fisher, Travis Fisher and Edward Whitten – all of Wellsboro – are accused of breaking into more than 20 camps in Cameron, Elk, Potter, Tioga, Lycoming, Clinton and Clarion counties and stealing thousands of dollars worth of items including guns, money and alcohol. Police say the value of the items stolen from Potter County alone is more than $6,000. They say there are still a number of unidentified victims who have not reported a burglary or theft, and they're being asked to contact police. Whitten is in Elk County Jail awaiting action in Cameron County Court. Both of the Fishers are awaiting preliminary hearings in all 7 counties, and are in Potter County Jail.

10,000 turkeys are dead after a barn fire in central Pennsylvania. Eight fire companies were called just before 3:30 this morning to the Ray Byer farm in Adams Township, about 45 miles north of Harrisburg. The barn was engulfed in flames when the first firefighters arrived. The 300-foot-long turkey barn was destroyed, but firefighters were able to save another larger barn nearby that held even more birds. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has a new job. He's a commercial real estate investor in Washington, DC, and worked with his father's company to buy an office building – one block from the Mayflower Hotel, where he had his infamous tryst with a high-priced prostitute. The building's tenants include the Washington outpost of the Nixon Presidential Library.

A Dillsburg man picked the wrong time to take a nap after a night of drinking. Police say an S-U-V sat through six red lights at an intersection and, when they went to investigate, they found a 41-year-old driver asleep at the wheel with his foot on the brake and a beer in the console. Officers yelled to wake the man, then had to quickly stop the SUV when his foot came off the brake and it drifted into the intersection. Police did not identify the man, who has been charged with DUI.

Only two rounds remain in chess league action, and several teams are close to capturing the league trophy. In the JV section, Tasta Pizza moved into second place after defeating Lang Surveying by a score of 3-1. Smith’s Watch & Clock Repair outscored Drs. Rhinehart by 2 points. Northwest Savings Bank defeated Edmond Chevrolet by a score of 2.5 to 1.5, and Hamlin Bank crushed Domino’s Pizza 4-0. Nico Alvarado, captain for Lang Surveying, maintains first with a half point lead over Leah Swineford, captain for Tasta Pizza in the JV section. In third place is Justin Wedge, captain for Northwest Savings Bank. The Pharmacy at Union Square drew its match against Dr. Gonzalez, the #1 team in the league. This is a huge comeback for a team that started off so slowly. Smith’s Fine Jewelry upset Bradford Window to move into second place. Dr. Laroche crushed Parkview Super Market. And Ed Shults Toyota won a decisive match against Dexter’s Service Center. Mike Jones, captain of the Dr. Go...

HARRISBURG, March 5, 2009 – State Senator Wayne D. Fontana (D-Brookline) today provided the following statement in support of Pennsylvania’s Film Production Tax Credit: “In light of some proposals from my colleagues who are calling for the suspension of the Film Production Tax Credit, I used today’s Senate Budget Appropriations Hearing to take the opportunity to ask questions geared at determining what the impact of the tax credit has been in Pennsylvania. Based on the information provided, I believe that it has been misrepresented. “Twenty-four productions that received film tax certificates (spending at least 60 percent of their budgets in Pennsylvania) have put 2,600 people to work and pumped $186.4 million into local economies – in addition to $12.2 million in new state revenue; and that’s only one part of the story. “In order to judge the success of the credit, you must also consider the jobs created, the local businesses that benefit and the potential for expanding the film ind...

If the beer isn't enough to get you to Philly this weekend, how 'bout dimwitted zombies, Mexican wrestlers and monster-battling hot rod girls? You'll find that and, oh, so much more at the 7th Annual Backseat Film Festival. Among the other movies at this year's festival are "Hot Rod Girls Save the World," a documentary about Canadian-born Mexican wrestler Vampiro and "Minghags," directed by MTV star Bam Margera. It's a story of "trailer-trash rockers," a "billionaire scumbag" and an invention called the Garbage Juicer. Margera, who lives outside Philadelphia, will attend Sunday's screening. For more on the festival, go to 2009 Backseat Film Festival .

HARRISBURG - Suggesting Gov. Ed Rendell follow his own advice, House Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson County) said today the governor's plan for spending federal stimulus funding will grow the state budget and force a big tax increase in two years. "The governor is warning school districts to be careful in using the federal stimulus dollars since the funds won't exist in two years. Republicans agree and would add that the same warnings should be heeded by the governor," Smith said. "The governor's $2.5 billion-plus structural deficit needs to be dealt with. and by increasing state spending over last year's budget he is just going to make his deficit problems worse." Yesterday, as Rendell announced his plans for using the federal stimulus funds, he commented that his administration is warning school districts that the money is only available for two years, and they should budget accordingly. The governor suggested districts might use the stimu...

A man who tried to steal a snowmobile ended up with a broken nose, two black eyes and cuts to his face. Chautauqua County Sheriff's Deputies say 21-year-old Casey Monroe accidentally drove the stolen snowmobile into a wooden fence in Mayville, then left the scene. Investigators say they knew their suspect had been hurt because of blood at the scene, so they asked around at local taverns until someone told them that Monroe had been injured riding a snowmobile. Monroe admitted to trying to steal the snowmobile, and has been charged with grand larceny.

Three students from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford have been selected to participate in the prestigious Vira I. Heinz Scholarship Program for Women in Global Leadership, which will enable them to travel abroad this summer. This year’s winners are Vogue A. Bernard of Shinglehouse, Vanessa L. Durland of Meshoppen and Romainne D. Harrod of Peoria, Ariz. Bernard, a sophomore in the English education program, will travel to Stellenbosch, South Africa, where she will focus on the Heinz programming area of arts and culture by learning about African dance. A member of the Pitt-Bradford dance team, Bernard said, “Cultural dance and its functions have been a curiosity of mine ever since my grandmother took me to see an African folk group called Ax’e. I found the music enchanting and the dances extraordinary. Thus began my addiction to African arts.” Durland, who is a sophomore in the criminal justice program, chose the Heinz programming area of children, youth and families. She will st...

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit have arrested five men during the past week, all accused of using the Internet to sexually proposition what they believed were children. Corbett said that in one of the cases, a Montgomery County man allegedly took advantage of heavy snow and school cancellations in the Philadelphia area to arrange a meeting with what he believed was a 13-year old girl. The "girl" was actually an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit. In the other four cases, Corbett said that suspects from Clearfield, Elk and Northumberland counties, along with a New Jersey resident, are accused of using Internet chat rooms and message-sharing programs to send sexually explicit webcam videos to what they believed were young girls. "These cases demonstrate how quickly Internet conversations can escalate to sexually graphic discussions or plans for face-to-face meetings, some...

Governor Edward G. Rendell announced the resignation today of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. “Michael’s tenure as DCNR secretary has been marked by many achievements that will have a lasting benefit for the natural resources and economic vitality of this commonwealth,” said Governor Rendell. “Michael has worked tirelessly to improve the stewardship of our state parks and forests, at the same time expanding the conservation mission to include efforts to build and maintain sustainable communities and create outdoor connections for citizens and visitors. “With Michael’s guidance, communities across Pennsylvania are looking to land conservation, open space protection, outdoor recreation, and trails as ever more powerful community revitalization and economic development tools. His vision, leadership and counsel will be missed.” Pennsylvania protected more than 130,000 acres of natural areas during DiBerardinis’ term as DCNR secretary, a gre...

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners, in a notational vote, yesterday gave preliminary approval to a regulatory change that would allow hunters to use magnifying scopes on bows or crossbows during the archery deer and archery bear seasons. At its January meeting, the Board gave final approval to a regulatory change to permit the use of crossbows in archery deer and bear seasons. Prior to that vote, however, the Board accepted an amendment to prohibit the use of magnifying scopes during the archery deer and bear seasons. “The agency has received significant public comment about that vote, the Board decided it would be appropriate to revisit this aspect of the recently approved use of crossbows in the state’s archery seasons,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “This notational vote will require final adoption at a future meeting of the Board, and we are hoping to have that vote take place at the Board’s scheduled public meeting in April.” The Board will meet...

The Bradford Area Public Library is sponsoring a tea later this month for women who would like to decorate, purchase or watch others create Kentucky Derby-style hats in anticipation of the upcoming Derby Gala community fundraising event in May. The tea, called the Derby Chapeau Tea, will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, in the community room at the library. All proceeds will benefit the library’s endowment fund. “We created this event to build excitement for the Derby Gala in May,” said Ann Kessel, co-chairman of the Derby Gala’s events committee. “This will give ladies an opportunity to create their own festive hat or purchase one during an auction, which they can wear to the gala.” Those attending the tea will have the opportunity to decorate a wide-brimmed straw hat using an assortment of accessories, including flowers, feathers, birds, jewelry, etc., which will be provided. About 20 ready-made hats will auctioned off at the event. ...

Warren, Pa. – Contrary to information portrayed in the recent news release issued by the Allegheny Defense Project, the Forest Service will be conducting extensive public involvement throughout the process to conduct a supplemental environmental impact statement for oil and gas standards and guidelines for the 2007 Forest Plan. The first of the meetings will be next week: 1.Monday, March 9, 7:00 p.m., Forest Supervisor’s Office, 4 Farm Colony Drive, U.S. 62 north of Warren; 2.Tuesday, March 10, 7:00 p.m., Rice Auditorium (Room 107 in Fisher Hall) of the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford; and 3.Wednesday, March 11, 7:00 p.m., Clarion Holiday Inn at the junction of State Route 68 and Interstate-80 (exit 62). “Not only will there be numerous public meetings, but there will be monthly conference calls with the public to explain and discuss progress, news releases, website postings, and letters that are all designed to be up front and transparent, and encourage participation. This is a...

Crews will begin work on Monday, March 9 to replace the single-lane Irwin Run Bridge on Route 3002 (Spring Creek Road). The bridge spans Irwin Run on Route 2019 in Spring Creek Township, near the village of Hallton in Elk County. The existing bridge will remain open and in service, while crews build the first half of the new, two-lane bridge. Once the first half of the new bridge is complete, traffic will be switched to use the new lane. Crews will then demolish the old bridge and build the second half of the new structure. This construction schedule will allow the bridge to remain open. Access to the Irwin Run Canoe launch will be maintained during the life of the project. During construction, motorists may encounter flaggers along the roadway and short delays. All work is weather dependent, with completion expected by September. Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc. of State College is the contractor on this $1.2 million project.

A former Town Justice has been arraigned on charges that she stole money from Town of Genesee Court and altered the records to cover the thefts. 43-year-old Cheryl Napora of Bolivar was arrested last month in connection with the thefts that happened from 2005 to 2008. $11,000 in fines and surcharges was taken from the court. She resigned from her position as town justice in December when an audit of her office was made public. Napora is free on her own recognizance.

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tim Holden (PA-17th District) has been recognized for his work on behalf of American farm families with the Golden Plow Award, which is the highest honor the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) presents to members of Congress. Holden received the award during a presentation before more than 150 farmers from Pennsylvania, who are in Washington D.C. to participate in Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's 2009 National Legislative Conference. "Representative Holden was a steadfast supporter of agriculture and Farm Bureau's policies during the 110th Congress," said AFBF President Bob Stallman. "With critical issues such as maintaining farm bill support, renewable energy policy and regulatory concerns facing our farm families, Rep. Holden's understanding of agriculture will be key during the 111th Congress. We look forward to working even closer with him in the months ahead," added Stallman. Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) ...

Beer Week starts tomorrow in Philadelphia. The second annual Philly Beer Week will bring in major craft brewers from across the country. The event includes more than 100 venues and nearly 700 events, and actually goes into the Philly suburbs and South Jersey. And, Beer Week is so big in Philly that it actually runs for 10 days. For more information, visit Philly Beer Week 2009 . Logo used with permission

The Oil City teacher accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a female student has waived her preliminary hearing. Angie Fetty of Franklin is charged with of endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors and possession of drug paraphernalia. The 34-year-old English teacher is suspended without pay. Fetty and the 16-year-old student have each admitted to kissing and sharing a bed in Fetty's home, according to police. Police began investigating last month after a man called them and said Fetty's 13-year-old daughter witnessed the relationship.

The University of Pittsburgh is freezing wages for 11,800 workers on its main campus and four satellite facilities instead of laying off workers. Chancellor Mark Nordenberg says the economy and related budget issues make the move necessary. The wage freeze is for the next fiscal year that starts July 1. Nordenberg says he agreed with the wage freeze recommendation, which came from a budget advisory panel of university employees and students.

A Wal-Mart customer in Massachusetts claims he found something he wasn't shopping for – human teeth. The man says he found 10 teeth when he unzipped a compartment in a wallet he was thinking about buying. The customer turned the wallet and the teeth over to store employees but left without giving his name. Police investigating the incident say the teeth belong to an adult, but since there was no blood or gum tissue on the teeth, they would not be able to perform DNA tests. Wal-Mart is looking into the situation, but officials believe this was an isolated incident.

Governor David Paterson and Seneca Nation leaders met for about half an hour Wednesday – to discuss future meetings. The state and the Senecas have been clashing over the issue of collecting taxes on cigarettes sold by Indian retailers. Following Wednesday's meeting in Amherst, the Senecas released a statement saying the discussion was positive and they've set up a process to arrange future meetings.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Edgar Allan Poe apologizes to his publishers for drinking too much and asks them to buy an article because he's "desperately pushed for money" in an 1842 letter acquired by the University of Virginia for an exhibition marking the author's 200th birthday. For the full story, go to pennlive.com .

A Uniontown man shoved a sponge in a 5-year-old boy's mouth until he vomited and hit the boy in the head for not taking care of a pet crab. 29-year-old Robert Steindl Jr. faces a maximum of five years in prison when he's sentenced April 16 in Fayette County Court. He pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges. Authorities aren't discussing Steindl's relationship to the boy, but say it is a "family situation" that has involved social service agencies. Steindl has been receiving counseling since shortly after the incident in January 2008.

The Russian National Ballet Theater will perform the popular fairy tale “The Sleeping Beauty,” billed as one of the greatest accomplishments of classical ballet, on March 24 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The ballet will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall. The performance is part of the University’s Season Subscription Series. Tickets are $29 and $24 for the public; $12 and $10 for all students. The production will be staged in three acts by the 60-member company, which includes some of the best dancers in the world. Soloists are often between 17 to 25 years old. Bringing such a high-caliber group with its arts and dance to Bradford has been a long time coming, said Randy Mayes, director of arts programming at Pitt-Bradford. “We believed a traditional storybook ballet was the best way to reintroduce dance to the area,” he said. “The Russian National Ballet is a very highly regarded company wi...