Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A former Bradford woman who escaped from the Warren County Jail in November has been sentenced to time in state prison. 39-year-old Doreather Skaggs left the prison grounds during her cleaning detail. She was found later that day at the Glade Kwik-Fill and returned to the prison. She was originally jailed after pleading guilty to a theft charge. In July, she took a Clarendon man's car and $200. The car was found in Bradford. The 21 to 42 month state prison sentence will be served concurrently with the theft sentence.

A Buffalo man is dead after a crash Friday afternoon in Cattaraugus County. 28-year-old Purvis Jones Jr. was driving his pickup truck on Van Etten Road in the Town of Dayton when it went out of control on a curve, slid sideways and was hit by a vehicle driven by Daniel Barker Jr. of North Collins. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a news release sent to WESB and The HERO by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office.

Four students at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford have been selected to receive a $5,000 study-abroad scholarship and participate in the Vira I. Heinz Scholarship Program for Women in Global Leadership. Morgan Emery, Stephanie Makin, Elizabeth Tillman, and Rebecca Zipay will each receive a stipend to support a summer study-abroad program of their choice and a follow-up community engagement experience after their return. Emery, a sophomore from Eldred majoring in English, will spend a month in Viña del Mar, Chile. There, she will take an intensive Spanish course to improve her second language skills. Additionally, she will focus on literacy and reading education. Speaking a second language is important to Emery, who said her future plans may include, “teaching English as a second language or working for the United Nations as an employee of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization).” Makin, a sophomore criminal ju...

State police are investigating a crash on Route 219 near Redmund’s in Ridgway Township today. At 12:10 a truck driven by 37-year-old Joseph Dellulo Jr. of Johnsonburg went out of control while going around a curve, hit the guardrails, spun around and turned onto its driver’s side. Dellulo and his passenger, 60-year-old Josephine Dellulo of Johnsonburg, both suffered moderate injuries and were taken to Elk Regional Health Center for treatment. Police say charges will be filed after they receive results of a BAC test.

WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been selected to serve as a member of the bipartisan Senate National Security Working Group. “Becoming a member of the select National Security Working Group will give me an even greater role in bolstering the security of Pennsylvanians and all Americans,” said Senator Casey. “We face many threats ranging from terrorists and rogue nations acquiring nuclear material, to the IEDs that target our men and women serving in Afghanistan. I look forward to working within this bipartisan group to identify strategies that address these security challenges.” In addition to his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Senator Casey is the co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Caucus. Senator Casey has been o...

Marienville, Pa. – Marienville Ranger District Robert T. Fallon signed a decision on January 28, 2011, to implement Alternative 3 of the De Young Project covering 16,672 acres in Highland Township, Elk County and Howe and Jenks Townships in Forest County. Activities planned for this area include: Regeneration of a new forest on 542 acres to create early-structural habitat; Intermediate thinning on 769 acres; Reforestation treatments on 552 acres; Wildlife habitat enhancement activities on 76 acres; Non-native invasive plant species treatments on 50 acres; Large wood introductions into streams along 38 miles of streams; and Restoring forest cover on six plugged well sites and their access roads. Maps and complete project descriptions are available from the Marienville Ranger District, or at http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny/projects/vegetative_management . This decision is subject to appeal pursuant to 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 215. Appeals must meet cont...

Former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Chuck Tanner has died. He was 82. The Pirates released the following statements: Pirates President Frank Coonelly: “The news of Chuck’s passing at the age of 82 was met today with heavy hearts by everyone within the Pirates organization. Chuck was much more than a highly successful Major League manager who guided the Pirates to the World Series Championship in 1979, he was an integral and loved member of the Pirates family, most recently serving as a Senior Advisor to General Manager Neal Huntington. Chuck will be deeply missed by everyone within the Pirates family.” “Chuck was a class act who always carried himself with grace, humility and integrity. While no one had a sharper baseball mind, Chuck was loved by his players and the city of Pittsburgh because he was always positive, enthusiastic and optimistic about his Bucs and life in general. Chuck cared deeply about his players and their families. He focused on the positive attributes of the people w...

Two people are facing charges for endangering the welfare of a child in connection to an incident on January 20 in Franklinville. Sheriff’s deputies say 49-year-old Ernest Clark of Bolivar and 26-year-old Brenda Forrester acted “in a manner likely to be injurious to the mental, physical and moral welfare” of a 5-year-old girl. The alleged incident happened at Forrester’s home. No further details were provided. Clark and Forrester will appear in Franklinville Town Court at a later date.

A solo exhibition by Constance Pierce, associate professor of drawing and painting at St. Bonaventure University, has opened at the university’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The exhibition, titled “Kyrie: World Cry,” is in the Front Gallery of the Quick Center and runs through March. Pierce is drawn toward the archetypal aspects of the Judeo Christian religious experience, but creates a more contemporary expression of these themes. She often works with scriptural images of lamentation, absolution and transcendence, and fleshes out parable to reveal the relevance of these ancient stories to today’s world of dissonance and division. Pierce confronts these images in all of their darkness and light, and embraces them for the revelations they provide the human soul. Several drawings in this exhibition are visual meditations on the haunting and disturbing consequences of war. These and other images prompt questions on issues of faith, tolerance and ethics. Another series, executed in...

No one was hurt when a driver lost control of his vehicle Thursday morning on Interstate 86 in the Town of Great Valley and hit a sheriff’s car. Deputies say three marked sheriff’s patrol cars were investigating an accident at 8 a.m. when a vehicle operated by 20-year-old Peter Fancia of Rochester, New York, hit one of the cars. The eastbound lanes of I-86 were closed for about half an hour after the accident.

Two Franklinville men have been arrested for possession of burglar’s tools and marijuana. 20-year-old Devon Goldsmitih and 19-year-old Bryan McCowen were arrested early Thursday morning on Rogers Road in Franklinville. Goldsmith was also wanted for a parole violation. McCowen was issued traffic tickets for having an uninsured vehicle, suspended registration, obstructed license plate and parking on the roadway. They were both sent to jail on $1,000 bail.

WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak: “This is a historic day in the Middle East as Egyptians moved one step closer to realizing their democratic aspirations. Now, more than ever, the people of Egypt will need the support of friends around the world as they work to develop true democratic institutions based on the rule of law, adherence to Egypt’s international commitments and respect for universally accepted human rights. “The coming weeks will be critical in determining Egypt’s democratic path. The ruling military council has a responsibility to ensure that Egypt’s state of emergency is lifted, that constitutional reform takes place and that a suitable environment for free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections be established. “The Egyptian people dese...

From CNN: Wild cheers in Egypt after vice president announces that President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down. Watch live coverage now on http://CNN.com/Live

The Free Family Film Fest will show The Karate Kid (2010 version, rated PG) starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan on Saturday, February 12th at 10 a.m. The film is about a young boy who moves to a new place where he feels isolated and is bullied by his peers. Through an unlikely relationship with an adult, the boy not only learns to protect himself through martial arts, but develops the much more important qualities of respect and the mastery of one’s own minds and body. The special guest speaker for this week will be Mike Miller of Miller’s Kenpo Karate Dojo. Sensei Miller and some of his students will also be the greeters for the program. The Film Fest is open to children of all ages. However, children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early so that they can register and enter the drawing for a bicycle, donated by Just Riding Along. The drawing for the bicycle, and the ‘teacher on wheels’ ride through the movie theater, will b...

A former volunteer firefighter will spend three to 10 years in state prison for setting fires at two fire halls. Thirty-nine-year-old Scott McClain of Eldred was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty last month. McClain set fire to a truck at Eldred Township fire hall on August 6, 2009, using a road flare, causing about $300,000 damage to the truck. He also set fire to the Eldred Borough fire hall by lighting toilet paper in a men's room closet. That caused $34,000 damage on October 19, 2009. McClain was also ordered to pay $270,000 in restitution to the township fire department.

A Pittsburgh-area teenager has pleaded guilty to burning a cross in the yard of a mixed-race family in November 2009. 19-year-old Michael Bealonis of Robinson burned the cross at a home where three young children – including an adopted African-American boy – were living. Court records say Bealonis and others burned the cross in the backyard of the house, and shouted racial slurs during the burning. "This teen used an unmistakable symbol of bigotry and hate to threaten a family with violence simply because the race of a child. These incidents have no place in our country, and they are a reminder of the civil rights challenges we still face today," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute hate crimes of this kind." Bealonis will be sentenced May 25. http://www.justice.gov/usao/paw/pr/2011_february/2011_02_09_01.html

McKean County’s former President Judge John Cleland will speak about his role in leading an investigation of the Luzerne County “kids for cash” judicial scandal, called by some the biggest judicial corruption case in American legal history. Cleland was named chairman of the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice, which investigated what Cleland called “the breathtaking collapse of the juvenile justice system in Luzerne County.” Cleland’s talk will take place at 7 p.m. February 16 in the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall on the Pitt-Bradford campus. The Interbranch Commission was organized in August 2009 and held months of hearings before issuing its final report in May 2010. The Commission made more than 40 recommendations, including suggesting changes in juvenile court rules of procedure, reforms in the ways judges and attorneys are disciplined for professional misconduct, elimination of school “zero tolerance” policies, and enhanced training for prosecutors and public de...

Dr. Om V. Singh, an assistant professor of biology, has been spending his time outside the classroom in the lab studying the tiniest building blocks of life and hoping to shed light on possible applications for cystic fibrosis patients, cancer research, microbial toxicity and biofuels. One area of his research focuses on proteomics, the study of proteins that make up living structures. Much of Singh’s work in this area was done when he was a visiting professor and visiting scientist at The Johns Hopkins University, where he has spent the last two summers in the lab conducting cystic fibrosis research. Cystic fibrosis, Singh explained, is caused by a protein that is created in a way that does not allow it to carry out its regular biological function. Since genes write the blueprint for how proteins are created, researchers have explored the option of trying to replace the defective code gene through gene therapy, but with little success so far. “Genes...

This year, Bradford Regional Little League will be moving to an online registration process through Abooma Sports. “We decided to us online registration this year as it has many benefits to both our players and their parents,” comments Barry Bacha, President. “Using Abooma, parents can register online from the convenience of their home anytime between now and April 1st. The site will act as the center of information for practice and games schedules, field locations, coach’s communications and shared photos. Parents can set up their own page to upload photos and share them with family members or with the community.” Abooma Technologies designs, develops, and hosts Internet applications for athletic based clubs, organizations, and associations. By leveraging the power of the Internet, social networking and strategic partnerships, Abooma has developed a comprehensive offering to address the distinctive challenges faced by community athletic leagues such as: social networking, league &...

Bradford City Police got a few reports of harassment on Wednesday, according to the complaint report and request sheet. They were called to State and Davis streets and Charlotte Avenue for those complaints. They were also called to West Corydon Street for a report of criminal mischief. They investigated a motor vehicle accident on Interstate Parkway threats at a Main Street business and a report of an assault. They also got a vehicle complaint from South Kendall Avenue and a parking complaint from Burnside Avenue.

State Police are investigating a burglary in Wilcox. They say sometime between 10:30 Wednesday morning and 7:45 Wednesday night someone entered the home of Abby O’Rourke on Homer Road through a locked door. The burglar stole a laptop and money, and damaged several items inside the house. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact state police.

A former Brookville Area High School teacher has pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault. Karen Hetrick had sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl from November of 2009 to March of 2010. Court records say there were 50 occasions of touching at the school, 10 in Hetrick’s car and 10 in Hetrick’s home. Hetrick faces 5 to 10 years in state prison. She won’t be sentenced until a Megan’s Law evaluation is done to determine if she’s a sexual predator.

A St. Marys woman accused of embezzling nearly a million dollars from her employer has been indicted by a federal grand jury. 49-year-old Sandra Ann Prechtel is charged with mail fraud and theft in connection with incidents between 2002 and 2007 when she worked at Abbott Furnace Company. She accused of stealing more than $970,000. Prechtel also allegedly evaded the payment of income taxes by failing to report as income the money she stole in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The charges carry a maximum possible sentence of 135 years in prison and a fine of $2,250,000.

The man accused of biting two FBI agents investigating his alleged criminal activities has pleaded not guilty to assault. 21-year-old Emerson Begolly of Mayport is accused of reaching for a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and then biting the agents on January 4. Prosecutors say Begolly had an arsenal in his bedroom; trained with guns on his father's farm; and posted jihadist songs and poetry online including an original song on YouTube that pays tribute to Osama Bin Laden.

Here's an update on a story we reported on the air last week about Senator Chuck Schumer's efforts to ban "bath salts."

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, today announced that his district office staff will travel to various locations across the 5th Congressional District in the next few weeks, to hold constituent hours. While Thompson maintains two full time district offices in Bellefonte and Titusville, he is committed to bringing constituent services to everyone of the 17 counties in the district by offering this face-to-face time with staff in different locations. Thompson’s staff will be available to answer questions and assist area residents and business owners with a wide variety of federal issues including, but not limited to, economic and workforce development opportunities, Social Security, Medicare and Veteran’s benefits. Details regarding the next constituent staff hours for Elk County are as follows: Elk County Constituent Staff Hours DATE: Friday, February 11, 2011 TIME: 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. LOCATION: State Rep. Matt Gabler...

Two Warren residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for an incident when one of them allegedly provided the other with drugs in prison. The indictment says that on March 7, 2010, 46-year-old Robin Ostrowski provided marijuana and dihydrocodeinon to 45-year-old Thomas Harriger, who is in inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution-Loretto. Each could face 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. http://www.justice.gov/usao/paw/pr/2011_february/2011_02_08_02.html

The Friends of the Hanley Library are sponsoring a multi-media presentation taken from the new book “Pennsylvania Crude: Boomtowns and Oil Barons,” by Paul Adomites with photos by Ed Bernik. Bernik and Linda Devlin of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors’ Bureau will be on hand to discuss the book and its companion DVD at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The event is free and open to the public. The 116-page coffee-table book takes readers on a pictorial tour of the oil industry in the Pennsylvania Field from discovery and boom eras through the resurgence occurring today. Several Bradford-area residents are among those shown in the 201 photographs in the book, including Pitt-Bradford’s Isabelle Champlin, assistant professor of anthropology, and Dr. Assad Panah, director of the petroleum technology program. The book includes stories of the oil industry in McKean County, including those of the legendary Lewis Emery, who fought John D. Roc...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford recognized 29 staff members celebrating service anniversaries at a dinner held last week at the Bradford Club. Jeff Armstrong, a senior maintenance worker on the facilities management team, was honored for 35 years of service. Four employees were honored for 30 years of service, Mark Burns, assistant director of campus police and safety; Donald O. Johnson, mail carrier; Vickie L. Pingie, associate director of admissions; and Donald A. Robbins, hazardous waste officer for facilities management. Sharie Radzavich, administrative assistant for the Division of Communication and the Arts, and enrollment services assistant Karen Strotman were recognized for 25 years of service. Richard T. Esch, vice president of business affairs, was recognized for 15 years of service. Those recognized for 10 years of service were James L. Baldwin, assistant dean of academic affairs and registrar; Pat Frantz Cercone, director of communications a...

A California consultant will spend up to 30 months in prison for conspiring to steal trade secrets from Corning Incorporated. 71-year old Yeong Lin was sentenced Monday in federal court in Rochester for stealing flat panel blueprints from Corning and turning them over to a rival business in Taiwan called Picvue. The blueprints are valued at more than $50 million. Corning got the materials back after suing Picvue.

The State Senate has passed mandate relief legislation sponsored by Senator Catharine Young (R,I,C – Olean), that would give local governments more authority and flexibility and help save taxpayer dollars. “In this time of tight budgets and overstrapped taxpayers, every dollar is precious and should be used in the most effective and efficient manner possible. It is crucial that we focus on passing legislation to give county governments the ability to finally achieve long-term and meaningful mandate relief that can be passed onto the taxpayers,” said Senator Young. One of the provisions (S.800) that passed would allow two or more contiguous towns to jointly purchase highway equipment. “Service on our roads and highways is extremely important, but the equipment that is needed can be very expensive, especially for local governments that are stretched to the limit. This is common sense and cost effective legislation that allows for the sharing of expensive highway equipment between two co...

A faulty power cord leading to a light caused a fire at a Pike Township seasonal residence in Potter County on Saturday. State police say the fire at 5 Kline Road was contained to the closet area in a room in the southeast corner of the building. The entire interior of the building was damaged from smoke and heat. Damage is estimated at $30,000. The fire has been ruled accidental.

A teenager accused of stealing a cell phone from a Juvenile Probation Officer waived his preliminary hearing. 19-year-old Cuyler Sloan is accused of taking the phone on March 4 during a class being conducted by two juvenile probation officers. The phone was left on a table and, when Angela Work realized it was missing, all the students in the room were searched. Sloan and another student had left early. Sloan was later questioned by police and professed his innocence numerous times, according to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office. The next day, Work saw Sloan standing at his bus stop talking on a cell phone. Knowing that he didn’t own a phone, she stopped and confronted him. Sloan is free on his own recognizance.

A Rew woman accused of using someone else’s gas card while she was an employee at Kwik Fill on East Main Street waived her preliminary hearing today. Sarah Ambuske is charged with identity theft, receiving stolen property and access device fraud. She said she found a gas card outside the store after a customer left, and picked it up. After that, when she got cash from customers or the people who pump gas, she kept the cash and used the card to ring up the purchases, according to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office. Ambuske allegedly racked up more than $400 worth of purchases, which the card-owners noticed when they got their bill. They contacted United Refining, who investigated, then contacted Bradford Police. Ambuske is free on her own recognizance.

One of the men arrested in the November 17 drug bust in Bradford waived his preliminary today. 49-year-old Donald “Unc” Gadley sold crack cocaine to confidential informants with the McKean County Drug Task Force in July in a parking lot behind the Terminal Building and in August at an apartment on Main Street, according to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone's office. Gadley remains in McKean County Jail on bail. Five other people arrested in the same drug bust were scheduled for hearings today, but they were continued. http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/learn-wednesday-drug-busts-largest.html

Bradford City Police were called to parking complaints all over the city on Tuesday, according to the complaint report and request sheet. They went to Amm, West Corydon, Summer and Potter streets and Maplewood Avenue to look into those complaints. Officers also went to a motor vehicle accident on Maplewood, got a noise complaint from Park Street and got a call about a disturbance on Bushnell Street. They also did some fingerprinting and got nearly a dozen requests to speak with an officer.

The Community Blood Bank continues to struggle to provide enough blood for local patients. The blood supply has been at these low levels for about two weeks. Several major blood drives (100+ donors expected) were cancelled recently due to inclement weather and other drives have had lighter than normal turnout. Much of the nation is facing the same problem. The Community Blood Bank of NW PA is taking donors Thursday from 3:30-7:30 & Saturday 9-1PM at 24 Davis Street, Union Square in Bradford at the BRMC Lab. Donors can also find a blood drive, by county at www.OurDonorsSaveLives.org . First the snow forced the cancellation of several blood drives, then the flu has diminished the ranks of donors, and recently the cold weather has affected turnout. "I haven't seen a winter affect us like this in a long time," said Dan Desrochers, Director of Marketing at the Community Blood Bank. "Please help someone in need by making time to give blood." All donors are strongl...

ALBANY – In response to the state’s attempt to divest itself of the old Route 219 bridge at the expense of Cattaraugus and Erie Counties, Senator Catharine Young (R,I,C – Olean) has introduced legislation that directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to retain jurisdiction and maintenance responsibilities for the bridge. “These counties do not have the resources or the equipment to maintain this bridge. It is an unfunded and budget-breaking mandate that would be impossible for localities to handle,” said Senator Young. “Jurisdiction and maintenance should remain an obligation of the state in order to ensure public safety and continuity of service to the public,” she added. Based on a 1965 amendment to the State Highway Law, DOT plans to abandon a 2.57 mile long section of Route 219, including the existing 652 foot high old Route 219 bridge crossing the Zoar Valley Gorge over to Cattaraugus and Erie counties. Senator Young said that both counties have alrea...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Snow plowing, snow shoveling, potholes and the cost of salt were addressed during Tuesday's Bradford City Council meeting. "There are many sidewalks in the city which have not been passable since the first snowfall in December," said councilman Fred Proper, who oversees the public works department. He noted that the city does have an ordinance regarding snow shoveling that says anytime there's a snowfall of 2 or more inches, sidewalks need to be cleaned within 24 hours. Proper said if someone has packed snow and ice on his property, but has attempted to clean it, he doesn't have a problem with that. "The problem is the sidewalks that truly have had no care. There are many properties in the city that no one has taken responsibility for. That's a major problem,” he said. “Those sidewalks are probably not going to get shoveled or cleaned up unless the neighbors choose to do it.” Proper stressed that cleaning the sidew...

A Limestone man who sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl will spent the next seven years in state prison. 29-year-old Jeremy Little was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse for the incident that happened last March 7 in the Town of Carrollton. After his release from prison Little will be on probation for 10 years.