Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The man accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Elk County Humane Society has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. 47-year-old Richard Danz of Matthews, North Carolina, was the financial advisor and accountant for the agency and, from September of 2008 to June of this year he allegedly embezzled the money from the humane society and another client for his own personal use. The eleven-count indictment named Danz as the sole defendant. He could face a sentence of 110 years in prison, a fine of $2.7 million, or both, if he’s convicted. The FBI and City of St. Marys Police Department conducted the investigation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE: It wasn't the suspect after all. Bradford City Police have picked up the man they believe fired gun shots at another man early Saturday morning at the intersection of Bushnell Street and Chautauqua Place. They picked him up on Forman Street at around 3 p.m. after police from New York State spotted him as a passenger in a car on Route 219. We’ll have more information as it becomes available. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Randolph man is accused of hitting his one-year-old in the face and leaving bruises. The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office says 36-year-old Barrington Johnson turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He allegedly hit the child Friday morning in the Town of Coldspring. Johnson is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and assault. He’s jailed on $5,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

HARRISBURG – Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/McKean/Forest) has once again been recognized as a Guardian of Small Business by the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) for her outstanding voting record on pro-business legislation during the 2011-12 legislative session. “It is always an honor to be recognized as a frontline guardian for small business,” said Rapp. “It is no secret that small businesses continue to create most of the new jobs in Pennsylvania. In both good times and bad, state government must take every legislative action possible to protect them because they are truly the heartbeat of our economy.” “Guardians of Small Business” designations are awarded to legislators who consistently vote favorably on key small business issues. The votes tracked this session are among the highest priorities of NFIB’s small business agenda -- legal reform and regulatory relief, tax and fiscal policy, and unemployment and workers compensa...

Tickets go on sale October 22 for the Oswayo Valley High School senior class melodrama “The Despicable Doings at Cornpone Manor” or “Caught in the Widow’s Web.” This dessert theater production will be presented Friday and Saturday, November 9 and 10, 2012 on the Oswayo Valley Elementary School stage. The new show features 16 members of the senior class in the cast. There will be three shows and the production includes an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet and beverages with the cost of the ticket. “The Despicable Doings at Cornpone Manor” or “Caught in the Widow’s Web” is set in pre-War 1940 and written in the melodrama style by Cheri Maxson, a 1988 OVHS graduate, teacher and writer. This is the sixth melodrama that Maxson has written, directed and produced specifically for an Oswayo Valley senior class. The play takes place in the fictional town of Shingleville, circa 1940 – Colonel Kernel, seed corn millionaire and beloved local icon, is engaged to his soon-to-be fifth wife, the Wi...

By SANDRA RHODES When the Bradford Area Public Library opened its doors on West Washington Street more than two decades ago, some believed it would not stay open. Now, 21 years later, the library is not only open, but thriving in the Bradford community. To celebrate this distinction, as well as taking time to say thank you to those who have donated to the library, the public is invited to attend a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the library, located at 67 W. Washington St. “We wanted to take this time to say thank you and tell our donors how much we appreciate their generosity,” said library President and CEO Tamara McIntyre. “Then, when we realized that we opened at our currently location in October, we decided to turn it into a real celebration.” The library had currently been located on Congress Street after a $25,000 donation from Andrew Carnegie. Since then, donors have helped fund the library for more than a century, bringing it into the 21st Century with comput...

Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) on Monday led the state House in passage of House Resolution 744 honoring the life and accomplishments of long-time Lewis Run Borough Council President Frank Langianese. Langianese passed away in May at the age of 90, after having served 56 years as council president. Langianese’s son, Richard, and daughter-in-law Roxanne, were Causer’s guests on the floor of the state House during the vote. State House photo Here is the text of Causer's speech on the House floor: I rise today in tribute to one of the most dedicated public servants I have ever met, Frank Langianese. Mr. Langianese passed away in May at the age of 90 -- after having served for 56 years as Council President for the Borough of Lewis Run, a community of about 600 people in north central McKean County. FIVE decades of public service. More than 50 years of giving of his time to make his community a better place for current and future generations. It’s a remarkable achieve...

The Army Corps of Engineers is continuing to alert visitors to the Allegheny Reservoir about a blue-green algae bloom. The bloom could be harmful to people and pets if they come in contact with it. Direct contact, or even breathing airborne droplets, containing high levels of the toxins can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat as well as inflammation in the respiratory tract, according to the New York State Department of Health. The bloom was found in the New York State portion of the Allegheny Reservoir from Quaker Bay downstream to Willow Bay. Surface water affected by blue-green algae often is so strongly colored that it can develop a paint-like appearance. Under some environmental conditions, blue-green algae can become so abundant that they form floating rafts or scums on the surface of the water. NY Department of Health photos The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Although recessionary woes still weigh on consumer spending, Americans are expected to be more liberal with holiday purchases in 2012, especially for Halloween. According to industry research firm IBISWorld, Halloween spending is expected to grow 10.7 percent from 2011 to reach a record-setting $8.0 billion, as more consumers participate in festivities and purchase small-ticket items like home decorations and candy. Furthermore, larger budgets will allow consumers to spend more on store-bought, ready-made costumes, rather than do-it-yourself (DIY) alternatives that were popular during the recession. “Rising consumer sentiment and disposable incomes have allowed total spending on Halloween to increase every year since its low of $5.0 billion in 2009, which was a massive 18.5 percent decline from 2008”, says IBISWorld analyst Olivia Tang. “Halloween spending fully recovered in 2011 when it surpassed its 2008 peak of $6.1 billion. This year, as Americans continue to relieve their pen...

Governor Tom Corbett today announced that Act 13, along with greatly enhancing environmental standards to ensure the protection of our natural resources, has generated more than $204.2 million through the new impact fee. Most of this money will be distributed directly to local communities across the state, and that includes $40,000 to the City of Bradford. McKean County will will receive $380,000, while Norwich Township will receive $152,000 and Sergeant Township $103,000. Bradford Township is set to receive $73,000; Foster Township $26,000; and Lewis Run Borough $3,000. Cameron County will receive $97,000. Shippen Township in that county will get $117,000. Elk County will get $371,000. Fox Township will receive $116,000; Jones, $114,000; and the City of St. Marys, $113,000. Potter County will receive $530,000. Pleasant Township will get $123,000 and West Branch Township, $167,000. “The Marcellus Shale industry has provided Pennsylvania with numerous family-sustaining jobs, eco...

Single-game tickets for the 2012-13 St. Bonaventure men's and women's basketball seasons are now on sale. All 14 regular-season men's home games have been broken into three tiers of games: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Gold games are $18/$16, Silver games are $16/$14 and Bronze games are $14/$12. There are six Gold games, and four each for Silver and Bronze. The higher price point includes red seats in the lower portion of sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and bleacher seats. The lower price point includes any red seats in sections 1, 2, 13 and 14, as well as any red seats in the upper portion of sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12. A complete Reilly Center seating chart can be found by clicking here. The Gold games begin with the season opener against Bethune-Cookman on Friday, Nov. 9, when the NCAA Tournament and Atlantic 10 Championship banners will be raised to the rafters. Additional Gold games include: Buffalo (Saturday, Dec. 1); VCU (Saturday, Jan. 12); Xavie...

PAMatters.com has in-depth coverage on the life of the late US Senator Arlen Specter. It includes reaction from President Obama and others, as well as a story from RadioPA's Brad Christman about a moment that did not get on the air. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Dorla J. Deming, 82, of 5022 Nichols Run Limestone, passed away Friday, October 12th, at Buffalo General Hospital, surrounded by her loving family. Born, January 26,1930, in Olean, she was a daughter of the late Ernest G. and Aveh O. (Everetts) Marvin. Mrs. Deming attended the Little Red School House in Limestone and was a 1948 graduate of Limestone Union Free School. She had been employed at W R Case and Sons, Zippo Mfg. She later volunteered for the Foster Grandparent Program at the Limestone Elementary School and was fondly called Grandma "D." She was a member of the Limestone United Methodist Church and served as president of the Women's Club at Church. She enjoyed reading, working crossword puzzles and her greatest love was spending time with her family. Surviving is a daughter, Laura (George) Hayes, of Limestone, a daughter in law Deborah Deming, of Carson, CA, and a sister, Fay Campbell of Limestone, eight grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and severa...

A Smethport man is in McKean County Jail, accused of assault and making terroristic threats. 46-year-old Joseph Watson was arraigned early this morning by District Judge David Engman in Kane on charges of simple assault, terroristic threats and unlawful restraint, all misdemeanors, along with summary counts of harassment and disorderly conduct. The alleged incident happened Saturday. Watson's bail is set at $30,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday in front of Engman.

When Bradford Area High School senior Karli Kozminski was trying to determine the subject for her graduation project, the answer was literally placed in her hands. Being a friend of Eric and Jenny Taylor and a frequent babysitter for their daughter, Kierstin, Karli shared in their excitement when they welcomed their son, Preston, to the family, and knew she, too, wanted to be an advocate for children with Down syndrome. Since Preston was receiving services through CARE for Children, Karli decided to do a fundraiser to benefit the organization, but also honor Preston. What came about was a walk-a-thon, during which participants could walk, run or jog the McDowell Trail at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, but each was asked to raise a minimum of $20 in sponsorships to go to CARE. Karli organized raffles, drawings and an auction, with those proceeds also benefitting the organization. The response was overwhelming. To date, $12,000 has been raised for CARE for Children in ...

Best known for The War of the Roses, his masterpiece fictionalization of a macabre divorce turned into the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated dark comedy hit starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito, Warren Adler has released his 33rd book, The Serpent’s Bite. Listen to my conversation with Mr. Adler here . For more information go to WarrenAdler.com And, remember to visit the Bradford Area Public Library whenever you want to find something new -- or old -- to read. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947