Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The St. Marys man accused of defrauding people and businesses in Elk County out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been picked up near Charlotte, North Carolina. 47-year-old Richard Danz was apprehended Wednesday by the Matthews, Police Department and is being held in North Carolina awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. Danz allegedly stole more than $561,000 from the Elk County Humane Society while he was the agency’s treasurer and accountant. He also allegedly deposited $9,000 into his own account instead of sending a check to a family, and deposited a $3,000 check from an insurance company into his own account instead of the repair shop that fixed his Mercedes Benz. Danz is facing charges of theft by failure to required disposition of funds, theft of services, theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Molly Peacock, author of the book “The Paper Garden: Mrs. Delany Begins Her Life’s Work at 72,” will visit Pitt-Bradford later this month as part of the 2012-2013 Spectrum series. Peacock will speak at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Mukaiyama University Room in the Frame-Westerberg Commons. This event will be free and open to the public. Formerly from Buffalo, N.Y., Peacock has published six titles of poetry and is also known for her original one-woman stage performance of “The Shimmering Verge,” a collection of monologues in poems, which she performed on tour from 2003-2007 in several cities, including New York City, Toronto and Chicago. Dr. Nancy McCabe, director of the writing program at Pitt-Bradford, calls Peacock’s newest publication, “The Paper Garden,” “a hybrid of biography, memoir, history, and art criticism about Mary Delaney, who was known for her intricate, beautiful, botanically accurate paper collages of flowers. Mary Delane...

PHILADELPHIA — Home invasion impacts communities across Pennsylvania and state Sen. Mike Stack is working to curb the growth of violence with a new state law specifically targeting home invasion. During a public hearing today in Philadelphia, the Senate Judiciary Committee addressed Stack’s legislation creating a specific criminal offense for a home invasion. The act would be defined as a person who knowingly enters another person’s home without permission and threatens or harms the person living in the home. “A home invasion can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare and it can happen at any time. It’s a crime that impacts communities all across Pennsylvania,” Stack said. “Home invasions have led to some horrific crimes, so if we can criminalize the act, we can place a fitting punishment on these particularly evil criminals and help our law enforcement do their job.” Under Senate Bill 1002, a home invasion would be graded as a third-degree felony when it is committed without a weapon and ...

FRANKLIN, Venango County – A Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) is investigating the case of a river otter attacking an angler around 2 p.m. on Sept. 11, at the junction of French Creek and the Allegheny River, just off Ninth Street, adjacent to the Riverfront Park in Franklin, Venango County. Game Commission WCO Ronda Bimber is urging the public to notify her through the agency’s Northwest Region Office with any information about the situation. Calls can be placed to the Northwest Region office at 814-432-3187. “This area is frequently used by the public, so we are encouraging park users to look out for any suspicious activity by river otters,” said WCO Bimber, who will be checking the area today. “At this point, it is not clear what initiated the attack.” According to WCO Bimber, a 27-year-old Franklin man was wet wading and observed a river otter on the bike trail side of the river. “The individual fishes the area often and said he didn’t find the pres...

Police have identified the people who died in Tuesday’s murder-suicide in Cuba, New York. The Wellsville Daily Reporter newspaper says police identified them as 69-year-old Thomas Jerge and 61-year-old Susan Babcock. Police Chief Dustin Burch told the newspaper Jerge shot Babcock in the back of the head, and they found her dead inside her vehicle when they responded to a call about a homicide at 3:45 p.m. Burch also told the newspaper Jerge shot his dog to death before committing suicide. Police found the bodies of Jerge and the dog at Jerge’s camp. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director In what Mayor Tom Riel called a rare occurrence, Bradford City Council was presented with a resolution for a change order to reduce the cost of a construction project. OECD Executive Director Sara Andrews explained during Tuesday’s council meeting that they knew going into the Pine Street Pedestrian Bridge project that they could reduce costs and, with the help of contractor Bob Cummins, they were able to lower it by more than $17,000. One of the biggest ways they reduced cost was getting boulders from the Bradford City Water Authority instead of going to Marienville to buy them and transport them. The water authority said the city could have boulders on their property, and would just have to pay the cost to transport them. That saved about $10,000, she said. Cummins also suggested building the entrance steps on-site instead of having pre-fabricated steps brought in. They also scrapped the plan to have lights on the railings. “We felt that was ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Sewer issues once again dominated a Foster Township supervisors meeting, but they also discussed the township’s hiring practices, the Foster Brook intersection and new Tasers for the police department. During Monday’s meeting, township engineer Harold Bloomgren said the layout of the sewer line extension project is being finalized, and once it’s complete they will address issues concerning streams and wetlands. Bloomgren also explained the formula for PENNVEST funding, which is based on a points system. The more points a project has, the higher it moves on the priority list. He said one of the most important factors is whether a project would create or retain jobs. Another concern is “wildcat” lines flowing into waterways. An October 18 meeting has been scheduled for residents to get more information about the sewer line extension project. Bloomgren said while engineers were out working in the Kendall Avenue corridor, the question people asked o...

Police are investigating a burglary at Queen of the World Elementary School in St. Marys. They say between Sunday and Monday someone forced his way into the school and removed items. Police are also investigating an act of criminal mischief inside Queen of the World Church. They did not elaborate. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Nearly three dozen Penelec customers were without power for almost four hours last night after a tree fell on Delaware Avenue, damaging a house and a car. Penelec area manager John Shimko tells us the tree fell at just before 9:30 Monday night and broke a pole, damaging a cross arm, insulators and a primary line. City employees were among those removing the tree. Power was restored to 32 customers on Delaware and Jackson avenues at 1:15 a.m. There’s no word on what caused the tree to fall. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Bradford’s road resurfacing project in the Forman and Pleasant street areas will begin at 7 o’clock Thursday morning, and continue through Tuesday, weather permitting. Residents are asked to not park in those areas until the resurfacing is finished. Motorists should expect delays. Flagmen will in the areas to direct traffic. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An Austin man is in jail for allegedly stealing two ATVs earlier this month. 19-year-old Skylar Shaffer is accused of breaking into Terry LeFever’s camp on September 2 and taking cigarettes, chewing tobacco and alcohol before driving away on the stolen ATV. Later that morning he allegedly broke into Donald Torrey’s barn and stole another ATV. The ATVs were found in a wooded area in Austin and have been returned to their owners. Shaffer is charged with two counts each of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, theft, criminal trespass and receiving stolen property, all felonies. He is also charged with a misdemeanour count of corruption of minors. He’s in Potter County Jail unable to post $25,000 bail. Police say their investigation is continuing and more arrests are pending. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Kennedy, New York, man is accused of breaking into a Town of Leon home and stealing property from inside. Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 19-year-old Ryan Paulisick Monday morning for the burglary on Ruckh Hill Road. Paulisick is charged with burglary and grand larceny, and is jailed on $5,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 78-year-old Stockton, New York, man is accused of sexually abusing two 8-year-old girls earlier this summer. Samuel Hoard was arrested today at his home and sent to jail in lieu of $15,000 cash bail. Sheriff’s deputies say Hoard sexually abused the girls at night from July 30 through August 3. The sheriff’s office, state police, the DA’s office, Child Protective Services conducted the investigation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Waide E. Nolf entered a plea of no contest today in McKean County Court and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. From the DA's office: Nolf pleaded no contest to one count of first degree murder in the death of Tonya Haight, 24, of Bradford and one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in the death of Haight’s three week-old infant daughter. By pleading no contest, Nolf agreed that the Commonwealth could prove the facts alleged if the case went to trial. On March 19, 2010, the Defendant, Waide Eugene Nolf was residing at 56 Pleasant Street, City of Bradford, McKean County. Also residing in the residence was Tonya Haight, her husband John J. Haight Jr, their infant daughter Tamara Haight (DOB 02/25/2010), other children of Tonya Haight, another adult couple and their children. Sometime between 0300 hours and 0900 hours, Nolf was in the bathroom located on the first floor of the residence. Tonya Haight entered the bathroom while Nolf was in it, angering the...

The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

PA Precision Cast Parts owner Andrew Miller (center) gives Governor Tom Corbett (right), and Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford), a tour of the manufacturing facility, in Lebanon. The Governor was there to sign legislation that protecting small businesses from unnecessary red tape and costly mandates. PA Precision Cast Parts, Inc. is a recognized industry leader, employing over 175 Pennsylvanians and converting raw materials into quality cast components since 1983. To read the full text of the legislation, visit the General Assembly’s website at www.legis.state.pa.us . Corbett originally signed the bill on June 29. Photo provided by Commonwealth Media Services The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today released a letter urging the Administration to take swifter action to prevent Asian carp from overtaking Lake Erie and rivers in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Asian carp are dangerously close to entering the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers and their tributaries, and samples taken this summer from Lake Erie have tested positive for Asian carp environmental DNA. “Preventing Asian carp from reaching Pennsylvania waters is a necessary and important step to protecting the fishing and boating industry, as well as the health of our rivers and lakes,” said Senator Casey. “The millions of people who fish and boat in Pennsylvania’s waters each year and depend on the industries for jobs and economic well-being deserve swift federal action to stop this invasive fish before it invades our waterways.” In his letter to White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Asian Carp Director John Goss, Senator Casey wrote that a decrease in native fish...

A suspicious package arrived at Beaver Stadium on Penn State’s University Park campus this afternoon, prompting police to stop all motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the area. The order lasted less than 45 minutes, after police discovered that the parcel was "a legitimate package for delivery" and did not contain any hazardous materials, according to the unversity's website. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Calling the University of Pittsburgh a “world class research university” with an “unwavering commitment to excellence” and referring to its administrators as an "extraordinarily talented and beloved leadership team,” a newly released Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation report praised the University’s institution-wide system of assessment and reaffirmed its accreditation for a 10-year period, without qualification, the maximum permissible time for an extension of accreditation. The accreditation also covers the university’s four regional campuses, including Bradford, which received high marks from the Middle States evaluators. “Accreditation review team members met with administrators, faculty, staff and students during their on-site visit to Pitt-Bradford last spring,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford. “Team members made special note of our planning and evaluation processes. In my view, this is a clear reflec...

Police are looking for a man they say defrauded families and businesses in St. Marys out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 47-year-old Richard Danz allegedly stole more than $561,000 from the Elk County Humane Society while he was the agency’s treasurer and accountant. While working as a financial advisor for a family, he allegedly deposited $9,000 into his own bank account instead of sending the checks to the family. He also allegedly deposited a $3,000 check from an insurance company into his own bank account instead of an auto repair shop, which was supposed to get the money for fixing his Mercedes Benz. A warrant has been issued for Danz’s arrest. Police believe he has left the area. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An Olean man who had sex with a child younger than 11 has been sentenced to six years’ probation. 38-year-old Alex Belec had sex with the child back in 1997 in Olean. He was convicted on a charge of second-degree sexual abuse. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Rushford, New York, is facing more than half a dozen rape charges for allegedly have sex with a child younger than 17 back in February. 30-year-old Kenneth Cobin is accused of raping the child five times in Rushford and four times in Hume. State Police and Allegany County Child Protective Services conducted the investigation. Cobin is jailed on $20,000 cash bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Ceoeron man is dead after a crash on Route 60 in Gerry just north of Cassadaga Valley Central School. Sheriff’s deputies say a vehicle driven by 87-year-old James Bush crossed the center line and hit a vehicle driven by 21-year-old Sarah Ficarro of Owego at around 3:30 Sunday afternoon. An investigation determined that Bush suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash, which caused the car to cross the center line. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Fire destroyed a two-story house in Port Allegany Saturday night, and killed the family dog. No one was home when the fire was reported just before midnight at 402 East Arnold Avenue. The blaze started on the first floor of the house, and a state police fire marshal has ruled it electrical. Damage is estimated at $150,000. The house is owned by Wayne and Kathy Hommel. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947