Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Someone robbed a gas station in Sugar Grove early this morning. Police say a man speaking broken English walked into the Kwik Fill station between 1:45 and 2 a.m. and demanded money. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash. The robber was wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt and black barn boots. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Warren-based state police at 728-3600 or Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Foster Brook on-ramp of Route 219 is closed because of an oil spill. It's being described as a "large amount" of oil. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An upcoming event at the Bradford Area Public Library is sure to be a un-tea-niable good time. The annual Derby Chapeau Tea is set for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at the Bradford Area Public Library. This is when the library is transformed into a tea house full of treats for all to enjoy. The Derby Chapeau Tea is the kick-off event to the library’s Triple Crown, which also includes a Kids Derby and the Derby Gala. All events either raise money or awareness for the library. Attendees will be treated to tea sandwiches, delectable desserts plus tea. Ann Fesenmyer and Kelly Case, co-chairwomen for the event, said there are new features to this year’s tea. “We want women and girls of all ages to come and enjoy an afternoon with us,” Fesenmyer said. As such, tickets are also available for girls ages 12 and under. “Our vision is to offer a chance for moms, grandmas and little ladies to get dressed up and enjoy an afternoon together in a relaxing environment.” C...

A problem with a chimney pipe from a wood stove has been determined as the cause of a fire that damaged a West Washington Street house Wednesday night. The fire did about $40,000 worth of damage to the house owned by Justin Watts. State Police fire marshal Greg Agosti says the fire was accidental. No one was hurt in the blaze. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The chief of the Dunkirk Police Department was hurt in a two-car crash today at the intersection of routes 20 and 60 in the Town of Pomfret. State police say Chief David Ortolano was headed south on Route 60 when a vehicle driven by Paula Shively of Fredonia made a left turn in front of him and the vehicles collided. Ortolano was taken to Brooks Memorial Hospital for treatment of knee and hand pain. Shively was taken to the hospital for treatment of chest and hand pain. Police are continuing their investigation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Judy W Luke, 69, of 98 School St., Bradford, passed away, Thursday, March 28, 2013, at the Bradford Regional Medical Center. Born on November 17, 1943, in Bradford, she was a daughter of the late Simon R. and Joyce E. (Tambash) Walker. Ms. Luke was a 1962 graduate of Bradford High School. She had previously been employed at Graham Packaging, Bradford Electronics, Zippo, the American Legion and most recently worked in the Home Health Care field. She was a member of the Moose, American Legion, VFW. Surviving are two daughters, Debra (Charlie Bailey) Luke, of Bradford, Amy Luke, of Slippery Rock, three sons Richard J. Luke, Robert A. Luke, Shawn M. Luke, all of Bradford, one sister, Sharon Walker, of Bradford, four brothers, John (Bonnie) Walker, David (Robin) Walker, Richard (Rose) Walker, Dennis Walker, six grandchildren, Amanda Colella Charnisky, Daniel Colella, Lane Haynes, Richard Luke, Justin Luke, Allyson Luke, six great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. She was pr...

A Coudersport man is accused of physically abusing a baby for about a year. 33-year-old Vincent Floyd is charged in connection to an incident that happened in January when the baby, who was 19 months old, was taken to Charles Cole Memorial Hospital with a broken leg. X-rays showed that the baby was healing from another broken bone in her leg and had suffered a broken foot and a broken hip since April of last year. Medical records also showed multiple cases of bruising and missing patches of hair from her head. After originally lying to investigators about how the child was hurt, Floyd later admitted he was running and tried jumping over the baby, but fell on her and broke her leg. He says he told the child’s mother but she didn’t take her to the hospital for 5 or 6 more hours. Floyd is charged with felony counts of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children, along with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment. He’s jailed on $50,000 bail ...

UPDATE: State Police spokeswoman Maria Finn said the woman is Tracie Miscavish. Finn says she filed for divorce from her husband, Mark Miscavish, two days ago. He had retired in 2011 after 15 years on the force . A retired state police trooper shot and killed his estranged wife and then himself this morning at a grocery store in Phillipsburg. State Police say the shooting happened at about 9:30 at the Country Market. Police are continuing their investigation and say they will release more information during a news conference later today. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – St. Bonaventure's Josh Stauffer was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for the third time this season on Wednesday, the conference announced. The honor comes after Stauffer was awarded low medalist runner-up on a match of cards at the La Salle Invitational on Sunday. He fired a two-over-par 73 at Talamore Country Club in Ambler, Pa., and finished two strokes behind champion Brandon Shin of Hofstra in the 63-player field. For Stauffer, it was his fifth top-10 finish in eight tournaments this season, and the runner-up performance is second only to his co-medalist finish in SBU's Leo Keenan Invitational in September. The Bradford, Pa., native hasn't finished lower than 14th in any event during his freshman campaign. At La Salle, Stauffer recorded three birdies and was 1-under par on the course's three par-5 holes. He shot 37 over the front nine and cut a stroke off of that over the final nine holes. That effort keyed the Bonnies to a seventh-place...

Another marijuana growing operation has been shut down. Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 38-year-old Robert Houghwot Jr. of South Valley Tuesday night after responding to a domestic incident at his home and finding the marijuana growing there. Deputies seized the small amount of marijuana that was growing at the Sawmill Run Road home and charged Houghwot with unlawful possession of marijuana. He will appear in South Valley Town Court at a later date. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man who sheriff’s deputies say had a number of hypodermic instruments with him was sent to Chautauqua County Jail following a traffic stop late last night in Portland. Deputies pulled a car over on Route 20 at about 11:15 for a traffic violation and, during their investigation, learned that the back seat passenger had the hypodermic instruments. 35-year-aold Leonard Erhard of Westfield was charged with criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument and was sent to jail on $500 cash bail. He scheduled to appear in Town of Portland Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The whistle-blower lawsuit involving Kane Area School District Superintendent Maryann Anderson has been thrown out. The lawsuit, which has been going through the court system for nearly six years, pitted Anderson – a former Millcreek Township School District administrator – against three former Millcreek district officials. U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin threw out Anderson’s whistle-blower complaint, citing lack of evidence. But Anderson’s requests for sanctions against former superintendent Dean Maynard, former school board member Susan Sullivan and former director of pupil services Rebecca Mancini are still in play. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Charges against a 19-year-old Bradford man accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl in a car behind the Bradford Mall have been bound to court. Rodney Hinchman Jr. was allegedly having sex with the girl at just before 7 o’clock on the night of February 6 when a Foster Township Police officer saw the car, according to papers filed in District Judge Rich Luther’s office. The girl told police she knew they were going to have sex, and it was her idea to go behind the mall. Hinchman is charged with one count each of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault against a person younger than 16. He is in McKean County Jail on $50,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Campus Police officer Alex Suppa was promoted to sergeant today. He has been with campus police since 2008. His new position will include some supervision of police officers, responsibility for firearms qualification and department firearms, responsibility for campus vehicles. In addition, he will learn the duties of Chief Dan Songer and Assistant Chief Mark Burns. In the photo, Suppa’s fiancée, Jenna Prechtl, pins on his new sergeant’s badge. Photo provided by Pitt-Bradford The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Three of the Bradford residents arrested in January for selling drugs appeared in District Court today. Charges of delivery and possession of marijuana against 30-year-old Steven Devitt were bound to court. He allegedly delivered marijuana to an informant with the McKean County Drug Task Force in June. 38-year-old Anita Hubbart and 40-year-old Randy Lee Gourley waived their hearings in front of District Judge Dominic Cercone. Hubbart is accused of selling fake Ecstasy and cocaine to a confidential informant back in April, and of selling 34 dihydrocodeine pills to a confidential informant in September of 2011. Gourley is accused of delivering seven methadone pills to an informant in September at the Hotel Holley. All three are free on bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A fight between two men in the village of Allegany ended up with charges being filed against one of them. State police were called to the fight on Fourth Street and, following their investigation, arrested 30-year-old Adam Depp for harassment. He was issued a criminal summons for Village of Allegany Court on April 16. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The search continues for a Warren man who has been missing since Friday. 69-year-old Dan Wolboldt, who is the scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 13 of North Warren, was last seen at the North Warren Community Center on Church Street. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs about 210 pounds and has short graying hair. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 35-year-old Kane woman is accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy. State police say Robin Marie Rankin had sex with the boy and smoked marijuana with him between March 9 and 13 in Hamlin Township. She is charged is statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors. Rankin was sent to McKean County Jail on $10,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC), a member hospital of Upper Allegheny Health System, welcomes Terry D. Lopus as the new Administrator of the Pavilion at BRMC. Lopus started in his new position on March 25. In his role as administrator at the Pavilion, Mr. Lopus is responsible for the management of the Long Term Care facilities and supervision of hospital departments which function within the facility. A native of Bradford, Lopus attended the University of Pittsburgh where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences after graduating from Bradford Area High School. Most recently, he served as the Administrator for the 680-bed Lehigh County Cedarbrook Nursing Home in Allentown, PA. Lopus has over 35 years of licensed nursing home administration experience; obtaining his certification as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in 1981. “We are pleased to welcome Terry back to the Bradford community,” said Timothy J. Finan, CEO and President, Bradford Regional Medical Cen...

Former City of Bradford firefighter Matt Ervin was hurt when a slab of ice flew off a pickup truck and slammed into the fire truck he was driving. The incident happened at 10 o’clock Tuesday morning in Wayne Township, Indiana, when the ice hit the windshield of the fire truck, and the windshield hit him in the forehead. Ervin was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was able to bring the fire truck to a stop safely, and none of the other firefighters was hurt. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Rep. Tom Reed highlighted today a local utility plant report concluding how plentiful natural gas reserves can help lower utility rates for consumers, including homeowners and manufacturers. “As evidenced by the Dunkirk NRG utility plant, our ability to access this clean-burning fuel will help provide cheaper electricity rates from natural gas fired generators, lowering costs for home heating and attracting manufacturers to the area,” Reed said. “Simply put, this means more money in people's pockets.” According to the Energy Information Administration, over 60 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States is used in residential, commercial and industrial applications. “Providing more natural gas to the markets will help get the American economy moving and bring manufacturing industries back to our region. By providing lower energy costs to manufacturers, they will have the ability to expand their businesses and add more jobs.” Reed pointed to a recent...

Titusville, Pa. – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, today issued the following statement regarding the filing by the Allegheny Defense Project in the federal lawsuit over mineral rights in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). “For more than three years, the Allegheny National Forest has been held hostage by radical environmental interests who collectively hold no regard for the economic health of our region or the families and businesses who derive their income and economic wellbeing from the forest,” stated Rep. Thompson. “This action offers every indication that no matter how much economic harm is imposed on our communities the political games and legal maneuvering of environmental special interest groups will not subside.” “I will continue to demand accountability from the Obama Administration and the full cooperation of the Forest Service as we seek to overcome these challenges and ensure that private subsurface mineral owners are not denied their rights...

Click the link to listen: Bradford City Council, March 26, 2013 The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Johnsonburg man has been charged with criminal homicide for killing a teenager in the borough. 22-year-old Nicholas Martin is accused of killing 18-year-old Alyssa Forsyth in Johnsonburg, but police actually found the body in Ridgway. Police say a tip led them to Forsyth’s body. Besides criminal homicide, Martin is charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault, as well as abuse of a corpse. He is in Elk County Jail without bail. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 3 in front of District Judge Tony King. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A federal judge has recommended that Paul Ceglia’s lawsuit claiming he owns half of Facebook be dismissed. Judge Leslie Foschio today sided with Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, saying a contract Ceglia based the lawsuit on was faked. The Wellsville man filed his lawsuit in 2010, claiming he and Zuckerberg entered into a contract in 2003, and that contract entitled him to half ownership of the multi-billion dollar company. Zuckerberg has said all along that he did have a contract with Ceglia, but it had nothing to do with Facebook. The judge’s report and recommendations now go to a district judge, who will consider any objections before either adopting or modifying the decision. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Law enforcement officials in Elk County will be holding a news conference at 6:30 tonight to release information about an ongoing homicide investigation. State police say, “Due to the nature of this investigation, no information will be released to the media prior to this news conference.” The Johnsonburg Police Department, Elk County District Attorney’s Office and state police will be conducting the news conference at the Johnsonburg Borough Office building. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Two former St. Bonaventure baseball players, Jesse Bosnik and Ryan Skellie, are once again beginning their seasons playing ball on the professional level. Bosnik, who played his final season at Bonaventure in 2010, is currently at Spring Training with the Los Angeles Dodgers and is expected to leave camp next week and be assigned to the club's Single-A affiliate Great Lakes Loons in Michigan, where he has spent the previous two seasons. Since making the decision to leave Bonaventure early and go pro in 2010, Bosnik has hit .239 during his first three years in the Minor Leagues. Bosnik's run began in the Rookie League in 2010, where he played in 55 games and moved from shortstop to third base with the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League (South). With the Raptors, Bosnik hit .253 in 194 at bats. He started the 2011 season in Single-A with the Loons. In his first year of A-ball, Bosnik played in 100 games with a .232 batting average and .935 fielding perc...