Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Two men were trapped inside a vehicle that crashed in whiteout conditions in Chautauqua County Friday. Sheriff’s deputies say a vehicle driven by Tom Jusko of Hamburg, New York, went off the road and into a drainage ditch, where it hit an abutment and rolled onto its side. Jusko and Ken Kozlowski of Dunkirk were removed from the vehicle by members of Sheridan Fire and Rescue. They were taken to Brooks Memorial Hospital with various injuries.

Police are looking for the man who robbed an Emporium store at gunpoint this morning. They say at 5:03 a.m. a man entered the Fuel On Store on West 4th Street, brandished a handgun and demanded money from the cashier. The man then left the store with an undetermined amount of cash.

Late Thursday and on Friday police were called to four domestic disputes, according to the complaint report and request sheet faxed to WESB and The HERO by the police department. Officers also received reports of a disturbance on Mechanic Street and harassment on South Avenue. They were asked to remove an unwanted person from a Cole Avenue home, did a traffic stop at the intersection of East Main and Mill streets and got a couple of requests to speak with an officer.

A Salamanca man is facing charges after the resident of a home he allegedly broke into caught him in the act. Police say 35-year-old Terry Nichols was met by the West Avenue resident at about noon. Nichols was later arrested and identified by the resident, who said Nichols stole $29 in change. Police say as they were processing Nichols after his arrest, they found marijuana and a pipe. He’s charged with burglary, petit larceny and possession of marijuana and is in jail in lieu of $2,000 bail.

No one was hurt when an SUV hit a train early this morning on Valley Crossroad in Keating Township. State police say the SUV driven by 52-year-old Gregory Gee of Smethport hit the train as it was crossing the road at a slow rate of speed at just before 1 a.m. The train had only minor damage and was able to continue on its way. Police say Gee was driving under the influence of alcohol and charges are pending.

The first Amish person in Pennsylvania ever charged with homicide has been found dead of an apparent suicide. 45-year-old Ed Gingerich was found hanged inside a Crawford County barn on Friday at about noon. In 1993, Gingerich killed and disemboweled his wife, Katie, in their home. A year later, a jury found Gingerich guilty of involuntary manslaughter, but mentally ill. He was released from prison in 1998. In 2007, he took his daughter from her grandparents' home without permission. They were found 4 days later in Kushequa.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations announced the seizure of over 15 pounds of marijuana and the arrest of a Canadian citizen in the smuggling attempt. On January 13, CBP officers encountered Michael Mazza, a 40-year-old Canadian citizen from Fort Erie, Ontario as he applied for admission into the United States at the Peace Bridge border crossing. Mr. Mazza advised the primary CBP officer that he was en route to the Buffalo area to shop. Additional questioning raised the suspicion of the primary CBP officer and Mr. Mazza was referred for a secondary enforcement exam. During the course of the secondary inspection, CBP officers discovered an anomaly with the spare tire. A physical inspection yielded 15 vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana concealedin the spare tire. The bags had a total weight of approximately 15.4 pounds of marijuana andan estimated street value of $60,000. Mr. Mazza was arrested on charges of importation and possession with the intent to di...

A Galeton man is facing charges after being found passed out in his home from a heroin overdose. State police say they were called to 36-year-old Matthew Osgood’s home and found him unresponsive in the bathroom. He was stabilized and taken to Charles Cole Memorial Hospital for observation. At the home, police found 10 packets of heroin and various pieces of drug paraphernalia. Osgood will be charged with possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia.

The 86-year-old Westfield, New York, woman hurt in an accident Thursday afternoon has died of her injuries. Sheriff’s deputies say Anita Jaquith died at ECMC in Buffalo, where she was taken after the crash. At about 1:40 Thursday afternoon on Route 20 in the Town of Portland, Jaquith’s car fishtailed when it hit slush on the side of the road. It then went off the road and hit a tree.

Harrisburg – In one of his final acts as governor, Governor Edward G. Rendell today wrote to the General Assembly to urge legislators to review the effectiveness of Pennsylvania’s death penalty. Earlier today, the Governor signed six execution warrants, bringing to 119 the number of warrants he has signed during his eight years in office. No executions were carried out during his time as governor. The text of the Governor’s letter follows: Jan. 14, 2011 To Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly: As of this date, I have signed 119 execution warrants since taking office in January 2003, and not one execution has been carried out during the last eight years. In fact, none are even close to having a final date set. The only executions carried out since the death penalty was reinstated in Pennsylvania in the late 1970s were two in 1995 and one in 1999, and those three men – Keith Zettlemoyer, Leon Moser, and Gary Heidnik – had waived their appeals and asked that their sentence be ca...

A 20-year-old Harborcreek Township man is one of three U.S. Army soldiers killed Wednesday in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb. The U.S. Department of Defense late Thursday night confirmed the death of Jarrid King. King was stationed at Fort Drum, New York. http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14199

Note: I know this is 2 weeks old. I was on vacation when it happened, and I'm posting it now for archive purposes. A Bradford woman is charged with attempted homicide for allegedly stabbing a man on Cole Avenue on New Year’s Eve. 41-year-old Romaine McGraw is accused of stabbing James Hannon several times in the neck and left side of his body. He was taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries. McGraw is also charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. McGraw is jailed on $250,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 26.

BRMC has announced the addition of Mary Ann Porter, RN, as the new Manager of the Surgical Services Department. Porter is a licensed registered nurse in the states of New York and Pennsylvania. She is a certified operating room nurse and a member of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) organization. Prior to coming to BRMC, Mary Ann worked at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY. In 2008, she was the Surgical Services Nurse Manager at Bradford Regional Medical Center. Porter holds an Associate in Applied Science degree in Nursing from Jamestown Community College.

You can also read the story at CNN.com .

Thomas Haggie has been sentenced to two life terms in prison without the possibility of parole for killing Megan Konopka and her unborn son in September of 2009. The 31-year-old pleaded guilty last month in exchange for having the death penalty taken off the table. His co-defendant, Greggory Theobald, received the same sentence in July and is serving his time at the state correctional institution at Fayette.

Police have made an arrest in connection to the October 10 hit-and-run that killed a 17-year-old in Randolph, New York. 22-year-old Benjamin Goon of Jamestown has been charged with felony leaving the scene of a fatal accident as well as vehicle and traffic violations in connection with the death of Federico Flores. Flores was hit near the intersection of Route 394 and School House Road while he was walking home from work at a local dairy farm at 1:30 a.m. Goon has pleaded not guilty, and is expected to post $2,500 cash bail. He says he pulled over to check his vehicle for damage, but didn’t see anyone in the area so he left the scene. Flores’ body was found about 8 hours later by a passing motorist.

Bradford City Police on Thursday investigated a theft on Summer Street, a disturbance on Mechanic Street and a motor vehicle accident on North Center Street, according to the complaint report and request sheet faxed to WESB and The HERO by the police department. Officers also got reports of Harassment on North Center and East Main streets, noise on Kiwanis Court, a parking problem on State Street and a disabled vehicle on Route 219. Police also received a number of requests to speak with an officer and served subpoenas and protection from abuse orders.

An 86-year-old Westfield, New York, woman is hospitalized after an accident this afternoon in the Town of Portland. Sheriff’s deputies say the woman, who they did not name, was on Route 20 when the car went off the road and hit a tree at around 1:40 p.m. She was taken to Westfield Memorial Hospital, and later flown to ECMC in Buffalo. Deputies are continuing their investigation.

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday as a holiday, and students will observe the leader’s birthday helping to clean the YWCA women’s shelter. In addition, a celebration featuring music, poetry and readings will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday in the Harriett B. Wick Chapel on campus. The celebration is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. The event is being sponsored by Pitt-Bradford’s new Office of Community Engagement, Residential Life and Housing, and the African-American Student Union. Pitt-Bradford will close its administrative offices, and there will be no classes Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Offices will reopen and classes will resume Tuesday, Jan. 18. The service project will use donated cleaning supplies to help clean the shelter. Supplies not used will be donated to the shelter. The YWCA Homeless Shelter is in need of various cleaning and household supplies, s...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo kicked off his “Take it to the People Tour” in Jamestown today by saying this is a time of crisis and a defining moment for the state. He added that the state can never solve its problems if leaders refuse to acknowledge them. The tour is an effort to get support for his budget cuts and a property tax cap. About 200 people, including State Senator Cathy Young and Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter, attended the event. http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/01132011statemessagejamestown

A Corydon Township man was hurt in an accident Wednesday afternoon on West Washington Street near the Marilla Reservoir. Police say a vehicle driven by 80-year-old James Smith went out of control on the snowy road, crossed the road and rolled onto its side. Personnel from the Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department extricated Smith through the windshield of the vehicle. He was taken by ambulance to BRMC for treatment of neck and back pain. Traffic was blocked for about half an hour. No charges have been filed.

No one was hurt in a crash at 8:40 this morning on Keystone Road, just west of Bundy Settlement Road in Elk County. Police say a car driven by 18-year-old Nicole Clark of Brockport went out of control on the partially snow-covered and slippery road, went off the berm and hit a parked car. Both cars went down an embankment and landed in a lawn. Clark’s car had to be towed from the scene. She will be charged with driving at an unsafe speed.

The state Public Utility Commission has voted to review its decision to split the 814 area code and to assign the area code 582 to most of the western part of the state. The PUC got about 40 petitions asking it to reconsider the December 16 decision to divide the area code along geographic boundaries. The commission voted 5-0 today to do that, but did not say when they would make a decision on that matter. In a news release, they said they could rescind, modify or affirm the original decision. http://www.puc.state.pa.us/General/press_releases/Press_Releases.aspx?ShowPR=2696

A Titusville man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for sexual exploitation of children. The two-count indictment named 33-year-old Craig Alan Finley as the sole defendant. According to the indictment presented to the court, Finley received, distributed and possessed computer images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. http://www.justice.gov/usao/paw/pr/2011_january/2011_01_12_04.html

The owner of a mobile home park in Tioga County has been fined $10,000 for illegally burning junk. The Department of Environmental Protection says George Dear burned tire remnants, demolition waste, microwaves, paint cans, Styrofoam and waste from trailers. DEP officials say they warned Dear twice before pressing charges. http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=15911&typeid=1

A convicted rapist wanted in Florida has pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child in the Town of Portville. 38-year-old Terrence Harris of Portville-Ceres Road was charged in connection to incidents between December 21, 2009, and April 13, 2010. Harris had been held in jail since his arraignment in July. After he entered his plea, Judge Larry Himelein ordered Harris held in jail as a fugitive from Florida, where he faces probation violation charges stemming from the rape conviction.

A Texas truck driver is dead after he tried to beat a speeding train Wednesday morning in Dunkirk. Police say 51-year-old Randolph Todd Texas, ignored the lowered crossing gates when trying to get across the tracks. The force of the collision with a passenger train killed him and split the tractor-trailer in two. None of the nearly 250 people aboard the train was hurt. It was headed from Chicago to Rochester and was delaed for more than two hours.

She got away with it again. That’s how one Summer Street resident summed up the situation with landlord Edna Hallock moving new tenants into a house that had been infested with cockroaches last year. Steph Viola and several of her neighbors attended Tuesday’s Bradford City Council meeting to inform council that Hallock was moving people into the house. “We went through, literally, hell this summer,” Viola said. “To know that that house sits there tenant after tenant after tenant and it’s nothing but trash – It’s getting really bad. That’s it in a nutshell.” “I’m sick of living by this,” Viola continued. “It just broke my heart when I found out she got away with it again.” Bradford City Fire Chief Boo Coder left the council meeting to see if the property had a certificate of compliance, which would allow it to be rented out. After the meeting, Coder said Merle Silvis and Chris Angell had inspected it, so he could not keep the new tenants from moving in. At a Board of Health meeting in A...

Hamot Medical Center is partnering with the Highmark Foundation to offer KidShape, a nationally recognized family-based weight managment program, It will be held in Bradford starting January 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Salvation Army on Jackson Avenue. The nine-week program is for families with overweight children ages 6 to 14. The program helps children and their families through better nutrition, increased physical activity and improved self-esteem. A registered dietitian, mental health professional and physical activity specialist work together as a team to help local families adopt better habits. "We believe that by participating in this program, overweight children and their families will be able to make significant lifestyle changes crucial to thier long-term health and wellness," said Mariann Kahle, Wellness Coordinator. "During the nine-week program children and parents participate in hands-on activities that are educational and fun. An incentive program motiviate...

Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Deputy Secretary Mickey Rawley, Punxatawney Phil, Phil's official handler Ben Hughes, DCED Secretary Austin Burke, and Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Reading pose together to promote a new partnership with Pennsylvania and Foursquare , a social media game and network, where users can earn badges uniquely associated with state attractions, including Groundhog Day on February 2.

A project that will build a brine water treatment facility and 100 jobs to Warren County is getting $1 million in state assistance. The funding is being made available through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which is intended to assist in the immediate creation of quality, family-sustaining jobs. It will be used to help in development of the site. The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program requires applicants to demonstrate they have secured non-state project funding as well. In making the announcement, Senator Joe Scarnati said officials anticipate creating 100 new jobs immediately once funding is fully secured and in place. The proposed plant would be at the corner of Pine and Pennsylvania avenues in the City of Warren, and is expected to treat up to 400,000 gallons of wastewater a day from Marcellus Shale wells.

State Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-25) today announced the release of $1 million in state assistance for the renovation of Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport. Scarnati said the funding is being made available through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which is intended to assist in the immediate creation of quality, family-sustaining jobs. Funding will be used to renovate and expand the Emergency Department and Surgical Suite at the hospital. Charles Cole Memorial Hospital is the largest employer in Potter County and this assistance will aid in the retention of 733 jobs, as well as the creation of an additional 33 new employment opportunities. “I am extremely pleased to be able to announce this assistance for our area. This project will help to promote economic development and improve the overall access to quality healthcare in this rural region of the Commonwealth,” said Scarnati. The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program requires applicants to demonstrate they hav...

Bradford Water Authority crews have been busy working on two water main breaks. An 8-inch water main break happened at about 6 p.m. Monday on North Kendall Avenue near the railroad tracks and the entrance to American Refining Group. That line was repaired at about 3 a.m., but crews from the railroad will be repairing damage for most of the day so North Kendall will remain closed until they are finished, according to water authority director Kim Benjamin. At about midnight, a 6-inch water main broke on Fiske Avenue between Parkway Lane and Stone Avenue. It was repaired at about 8 a.m. Benjamin says about half a dozen homes on Fiske Avenue were directly affected, and homes on Vista Avenue, Storm Circle and Orchard Place may have had disruptions as well. “The water in that area may be turbid for a bit,” Benjamin said, adding that the lines have been flushed but people may notice minor discoloration until it gets back to normal.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director The Bradford Area School District has jumped another hurdle on its way to building a fitness center at the high school. The school board on Monday approved an easement contract necessary to building the center. District Business Manager Kathy Boyd explained that the contract will be presented to the Department of Environmental Protection, which then has to approve it. DEP approval is the final step before the project can be put out to bid, she said. Also on Monday, the board approved a bid of $85,910 from Blue Bird of Pittsburgh for a 72-passenger school bus that adheres to new emissions standards. The other bid was $88,960 from Wolfington Body Company. Boyd said she thought the bids would be much high so she is pleased. She said the bus should be delivered to the district in July. Student representative Olivia Astor noted that the high school’s Winter Carnival is January 21. The dance is after the basketball game, and that’s when the king and q...

State Police are reporting 5 more camp burglaries in Elk County. They say someone broke into two camps off Little Run Road in Benezette Township sometime between November 30 and December 30. Once inside the camp of David Coleman, the burglar took a bolt-action .22 caliber rifle and a bottle of gin. They don’t know yet if anything was taken from the second camp. Between January 4 and Sunday someone broke into three camps along Glen Hazel Road in Jones Township. Police say the burglars used force to enter all three camps, but they don’t know exactly what was taken. Those camps belong to people from Vandergrift, Greensburg and Johnsonburg.

A man who stole more than $8,000 worth of cash and cigarettes from the Across the River smoke shop in Salamanca last July has pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and grand larceny charges. 20-year-old James Porter, along with 20-year-old Alexa Knoxsah and a 17-year-old boy took nearly everyting in the store. Porter will be sentenced March 14.

A DuBois man has been sentenced to 6 years in prison and 20 years of probation for possessing child pornography. 38-year-old Richard Prew was sentenced this morning in federal court in Johnstown. On February 5, 2010, Prew knowingly possessed pictures and videos in individual computer graphic files which were produced using minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The computer graphic files were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. http://www.justice.gov/usao/paw/pr/2011_january/2011_01_10_01.html

St. Marys Police are warning people of a possible phone scam. They say a resident contacted them saying a phone caller who used the name Peter Benjamin told him he won 2.5 million dollars in a sweepstakes for being a good customer at various supermarkets. The caller told the resident to send $250 through Western Union and after they got the money, the winning check would be delivered. Police want to remind people that legitimate organizations do not ask for you to send them money in order for your “prize money” to be released.

The trial for accused killer Steven Rebert that was supposed to start today has been postponed, with no new trial date set. The 45-year-old Emporium man is accused in the April 12 murders of Wayne and Vicky Shugar of Brockway. Rebert allegedly broke into the Shugars’ home to steal rare coins and currency and shot the couple during the burglary. Jefferson County District Attorney Jeffrey Burkett is seeking the death penalty. Rebert is also a person of interest in the unsolved murders of Bill Fickel of Genesee County, New York, and Kevin Smith of Orleans County.

A Bradford man is in jail after a fight at the Hotel Holley early Saturday morning. In a fax, Bradford City Police say 24-year-old James Bunce seriously injured Mike Reynolds and David Benjamin. Reynolds and Benjamin were first taken to BRMC for treatment, but Reynolds had to be taken to Hamot Medical Center for treatment of multiple fractures to his jawbone that required a specialist. Bunce is charged with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. He was arraigned by District Judge Dominic Cercone and sent to McKean County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

A Bradford woman is in jail after allegedly assaulting a woman and injuring a three-year-old boy at the YWCA domestic violence shelter on Saturday evening, according to a fax sent to WESB and The HERO by police. Bradford City Police say Amber Moore was in a fight with Jaimie Case when Moore threw her cell phone at Case. It missed her and hit the three-year-old in the face, causing a laceration. The boy was taken to BRMC for treatment. Moore was charged with felony aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. She was arraigned by District Judge Dominic Cercone and sent to McKean County Jail on $5,000 cash bail.