Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A Warren man who threatened a woman with bodily harm shortly after being released from FCI-McKean this summer has been sentenced to 4 months to 2 years in Warren County Jail. 23-year-old Shane Patrick Akins was charged with terroristic threats after contacting a Warren woman on her cell phone, calling her names and threatening her. In the spring of last year, Akins left the grounds of the prison camp without permission and was later picked up by Bradford Township Police. He was sentenced to an additional 10 months in jail at that time. He got out of jail in June, and made the threats to the Warren woman in July.

An Olean man has pleaded guilty to uisng his 2-year-old child to smuggle drugs into the Allegany County Jail, where his wife is an inmate. 25-year-old Ernest Walters III had faced charges for drug possession and taking contraband into the jail, but accepted a plea deal prior to appearing before a judge. Walters is scheduled for sentencing on December 16. His wife is in jail for robbing a convenience store at knifepoint.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director When Governor Ed Rendell declared the Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction tax “clearly dead” on Thursday, he blamed Republicans and said they were not negotiating in good faith. "It is irresponsible for Senate and House Republicans to refuse to compromise and simply turn their backs on these negotiations after days and weeks and months of work,” Rendell said in a news release. But Senate President Joe Scarnati told WESB and The HERO on Friday that Rendell’s unilateral declaration that the tax issue is dead is “not how you negotiate. … He says we (Republicans) are not negotiating in good faith because we won’t move to his high tax.” “When he’s looking at a tax that’s the highest in the nation, and we’re looking at a rate that promotes the industry, it’s pretty hard to come together,” Scarnati said. Lawmakers had promised to have a tax bill in place by October 1, with the tax collection starting in January. Without the bill, the state is l...

The final schedule of activities has been announced for the Pumpkin Fest which will be held in Bradford’s downtown historic district on Sunday, October 24th from Noon to 4 p.m. At the Hooker Fulton Building there will be games such as pumpkin bowling, pin the wart on the witch and face painting, hair braiding and henna tattoos. In the parking area there will be pony rides and a 4H display. Food items will include Halloween popcorn and baked goods. At the PNC bank parking lot there will be pie throwing, pumpkin patch soccer, a prize wheel, a reading corner and other pumpkin themed games. There will also be a booth set up by the Bradford City Police Department and the Project Pride Elm Street program that will have Halloween safety information. Trick or Treat bags to be used for trick or treating will be distributed. Hay rides will begin in front of the PNC bank area. Entrants for the Great Pumpkin Measuring Contest can enter their pumpkins and have them measured in the PNC parking lot a...

A Bradford man who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $4,000 worth of cigarettes in Salamanca has been released from jail. 27-year-old Phillip Haight pleaded guilty to petty larceny and was sentenced to time served. Haight was indicted earlier this year on charges of burglary, grand larceny and possession of burglar’s tools for breaking into a truck owned by Al Harris Associates and stealing the cigarettes, which he sold out of state. A restitution hearing will be held at a later date.

Novelist Katrina Kittle will read from her most recently published book, "The Blessings of the Animals,” on Thursday, Nov. 4, at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Her free talk will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. A question-and-answer session, book signing and reception will follow. The program is part of the university’s Spectrum Series. “Most reading series tend to focus on literary writers who make their living doing other things – teaching and editing, primarily,” said Nancy McCabe, associate professor of writing at Pitt-Bradford. “Especially given the recent economy, students are always asking me how anyone makes a living writing. So I’ve been trying to bring in authors with varied career paths.” Kittle's novel, “The Blessings of the Animals,” is an examination of the institution of marriage as the veterinarian Cami Anderson comes to terms with her own divorce through her “chaotic circus...

Thefts and suspicious activity kept Bradford City Police busy Wednesday and Thursday. According to the complaint report and request sheet faxed to WESB and The HERO by the police department, officers looked into a theft at a Boylston Street store and on York Street. They also investigated a burglary on High Street. Police also received reports of an assault on Interstate Parkway, suspicious activity at Kiwanis Court and a suspicious person at High and Elm streets. Officers also looked into a juvenile problem on Petrolia Street, harassment on Clarence Street, a parking issue on Marion Avenue, criminal mischief to vehicle on Summer and Bishop streets and an animal complaint on Amm Street.

A Ripley, New York, man is facing charges for hitting an infant late Wednesday night. Police say 39-year-old John Durst II was arguing with the person who was holding the infant and, when he attempted to hit the older person, he hit the baby. Durst is free on his own recognizance.

The Olean man who stole and destroyed a statue on the gravesite of a Marine has been sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison. 23-year-old George Leaf destroyed the St. Michael statue in St. Bonaventure Cemetery that marked the grave of Corporal David Woods. Leaf must also pay $950 in restitution, according to the Cattaraugus COunty District Attorney's office. An East Otto man has been sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for breaking a 2-year-old boy’s nose. 26-year-old Justin Bertino hit the boy in the face on December 18 of last year. He was charged with assault.

Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that agents from the Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, along with local police in Warren County and New York State, are in the process of arresting 11 suspects allegedly involved in cross-border cocaine trafficking in northwestern Pennsylvania. Corbett said the 21 month long grand jury investigation, known as "Operation Stateline Crackdown," focused on individuals who were allegedly using sources in Buffalo and Jamestown, New York, to obtain cocaine, which was repackaged into smaller quantities for redistribution and street-level sale in Warren County and surrounding communities. For more, including photos: http://attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=5707

A Mechanic Street man has waived his preliminary hearing on charges that the failed to register as a sex offender. 37-year-old Michael Keller was convicted in Madison County, Illinois, but failed to register with state police after coming to Bradford. Failure to register is a felony. Keller is in McKean County Jail on $5,000 bail.

An Erie man has waived his preliminary hearing on simple assault and harassment charges. 27-year-old Jeremy Hatch is accused of going to his girlfriend’s Bradford home unannounced and waking her up by pulling her hair, according to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office. Hatch then allegedly dragged the woman into the bathroom and pushed her through the shower curtain into the bathtub under a hot shower. He also allegedly choked her and grabbed her arms, causing bruising. Hatch is free on unsecured bail.

The Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest: 18th Annual Public Auction will be held on Thursday, October 28th at The Bradford Club, 32 Boylston Street, Bradford. This community event, open to local businesses, organizations, and the public, is the Chamber’s primary fundraiser, with proceeds supporting the many services provided by the Chamber. The doors will open at 5:00 pm; with bidding beginning promptly at 6:00pm. Through the generous donation of products, services, and more, an exciting variety of items has been put together for the event, which will feature 25 fantastic live auction packages, as well as silent auctions, bucket and pretzel drawings, and a 50/50 card drawing. The live auction will be conducted by Lloyd Burkhouse as well as local celebrity auctioneers Woody Woodruff, Harvey Golubock, and Tim Asinger. Included in this year’s festivities is a delicious menu of German and traditional fare suitable for the Oktoberfest theme, as well as complimentary Straub Special...

SALAMANCA, N.Y. – To celebrate National American Indian Heritage Month in November, the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel will host an art show as part of its fourth annual “Experience the Culture” celebration. The show, which is free and open to the public, begins November 1 and runs until November 22 on property in the bus lobby. The art show features authentic Native-made artwork, traditional crafts, paintings, baskets and other handmade artifacts from more than a dozen members of the Seneca Artist Guild, a nonprofit community organization dedicated to promoting and supporting Seneca and other Haudenosaunee artists. An opening reception for the show will take place on Friday, November 5 at 7 p.m. and will feature performances by the Seven Generations Dance Troupe. Artists will be in attendance and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Also slated for viewing in the hotel lobby from October 28 through November 22 during the Experience the Culture celebration is a Native American arti...

Three men who had been living in Randolph, and working on a farm in the area, are now facing charges for being in the country illegally. 22-year-old Florencio Cruz-Hernandez, 18-year-old Jose Castro-Lopez and 34-year-old Juan Cruz-Martinez were picked up late Sunday night after the car they were passengers in was stopped for a minor traffic violation. U.S. Border Patrol in Erie went to the Jamestown Police Department to interview the men. They were detained until Border Protection agents arrived and took them into custody.

A state trooper based in Kane is one of 48 police officers who will be honored Thursday for vigilance in DUI Enforcement. Trooper Matthew Petrof made 54 DUI arrests last year. Stephen Erni, executive director of the PA DUI Association, says the number of alcohol-related fatalities in Pennsylvania dropped from 567 in 2008 to 451 in 2009, and they are taking this opportunity to honor the officers who were leaders in making DUI arrests. The awards will be presented at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

The Counties of Clarion, Elk, Forest, and McKean have scheduled a series of public workshops to invite public input and comment on the feasibility of developing the Knox-Kane Rail Corridor into a multi-use trail. This project is a cooperative effort of Clarion, Elk, McKean, and Forest counties. McKean County, as lead agency, received funding from DCNR, which is being match by cash and in-kind contributions from each of the four counties. The funds will be used develop the Knox Kane Rail Corridor Trail Feasibility Study, which will consider the entire 69.9 mile rail corridor from just north of Knox in Clarion County to the Mt. Jewett Borough in McKean County. The rail owner has taken steps to formally railbank the corridor under the National Trails System Act. Railbanking is a method by which lines proposed for abandonment can be preserved for future rail use through interim conversion to trail use. The purpose of the trail feasibility study is to investigate the development of a region...

G.V. Naga, MD, recently joined the medical staff at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital. Dr. Naga, a urologist, earned a medical degree at Bangalore University and completed a residency at State University of New York at Buffalo affiliated hospitals. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology. Dr. Naga will see patients in the general surgery suite at CCMH. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 274-7474.

Six people have been charged with arson and gang assault for throwing a bottle bomb at a house occupied by St. Bonaventure University students, and a seventh person has been charged with a drug-related offense. Police say the incident started when someone was assaulted at about 4:30 Sunday morning. Shortly after that, the bottle bomb was thrown at the house on Main Street in Allegany. Those charged with that incident are 21-year-old Steven Sprague, 20-year-old Mark Braithwaite, 22-year-old Adam Peterson and 22-year-old Donald Phearsdorf, all of Allegany; Andrew Piccirillo of Portville; and Calvin Weiss of Olean. A couple of hours later, Braithwaite, Peterson, Phearsdorf and Weiss, along with 19-year-old Christopher Klice of Olean, were charged with unlawful possession of marijuana after police smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the apartment they were in. They’re all scheduled to appear in court tomorrow. The suspects are not St. Bonaventure students.

Senator Catharine “Cathy” Young (R,I,C – Olean), who is seeking re-election to the New York State Senate in the 57th District, says that jobs, the economy and lower taxes are her top priorities. “It has been an honor and privilege to represent the people of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany and part of Livingston counties, and fight for tax relief, more jobs, and responsible and accountable government. I have been proud to stand up on behalf of our communities against the New York City special interests that have an iron grip on all of state government right now. We have an opportunity to break that grip so that we can have a brighter future,” she said. “Revitalizing the economy must be made the number one priority in Albany. I have a detailed plan that will grow jobs and is a commitment to helping our hardworking, overburdened taxpayers. It includes rolling back stifling taxes, capping and cutting property taxes while giving mandate relief to schools and local governments, reform...

Seven people have been arrested for “bottle bombing” a house near St. Bonaventure University on Sunday. Sheriff’s deputies say someone threw the homemade bottle bomb through a window of the Allegany house that is occupied by students. One student was hurt in a fight after the incident, but no one was hurt in the actual bottle bombing. The students were able to help police find the suspects. Deputies have not released the suspects’ names, but say they are not St. Bonaventure students.